Confusion about License conversion
 

Hi Guys,
I hold an ICAO PPL issued by the CAA of Sri Lanka with a total of about 58hrs.I live in Florence,Italy.I wish to complete the rest of my training in Europe.I also have the Long term residence permit in Italy.
I was told from several flight schools that in order to convert to an EASA license ,a minimum of 100hrs would be needed.
But one flight school in Hungary offered me just the conversion with a couple of dual flights and exams+the other costs of the authority.
In order to hour build in Europe can't I just get an validation and fly.My license expires on March 2019.So I will have to convert before that date. And can you guys recommend a place for the conversion.
Another flight school in Croatia told me that they can enroll me as a PPL student and do some dual flights and then sign off me for solo flights for hour building.At the end of the hour building I can do a EASA flight test and convert my license and have the 100hrs as PIC also built.Two birds from one stone.Is this legal?

What are the other options that I can go for?

Any advise would be highly appreciated

Thanks

You do not need to convert.

But all the flight schools seemed to be needing an EASA PPL prior to start Hour Building

All you need is an "ICAO" licence to start the course

Assuming you intend to start a commercial / instrument course and you don't already have the PIC hours, you don't officially need an EASA Private to build the hours or start the course but I suppose the schools in their capacity as FBO's could demand you have that ticket to rent their planes and build time before you start and they could always cite their insurer's policy in that regard; they are under no obligation to rent to you so they are technically not doing anything wrong by saying that. Most people with an ICAO ticket would not necessarily build their hours in the school they are going to start their training in, they would tend to do that somewhere more affordable such as the US, Canada or anywhere else really. They are trying to fleece you by retraining with them for an EASA PPL and then possibly building the hours by renting their planes. More money extraction.... best to go overseas and find an FBO with friendly CFI's who will familiarise you with the local procedures and build your hours that way.

Thanks for the reply.I want to hour building somewhere cheap here.Do you recommend any place to do hour building here in Europe.I will have visa problems when applying from here since this is not my native country.