EASA ATPL to UK CAA conversion
 

Hello, i know this question has probably been asked a tremendous amount of times in the past, but as a non-uk and non-eu citizen i never had to gather information regarding this conversion until my local airline does not accept my EASA FCL but requires a UK FCL

i have looked across the web for information about this all of which has different/conflicting info and opinions. Can someone please summarize what i must do in order to convert my EASA fcl to UK. To make matters worst i finished my theory examinations at the end of 2019. However my initial license was issued Aug 2021.

WIth the transition period and brexit closing date it is difficult to make of my situation. My biggest question is, would i need to resit all examinations again as part of the conversion from EASA to UK?

https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-ind...alent-licence/

Is the page you need. Because your licence was issued after 31 Dec 2020 you can’t use the easy pathway of EASA to UK licence. Tbh I’m not sure what you need to do, though I’ll do a bit more research.

rgds

Licence holders who fall into the below criteria cannot use this route and must instead email [email protected] (subject heading ‘Attention Tech: EU Conversion’) for further advice:

• pilots, instructors and examiners who previously held a licence with the UK CAA and have had an EASA licence issued at a higher level since 1 January 2021
• EASA licence holders whose licence was issued after 31 December 2020
  
  Good luck with emailing FCLweb!

thanks for the response, amidst all this confusion i would really like to know whether i would need to resit all 14 exams again as this would be a killer.

Fclweb email should answer your question. Their turnaround time for queries is about ten days. You could try phone but I doubt that will achieve much. If you’ve never had a U.K. licence you’ll need an initial medical.

A statement released by the UK CAA on 6th October 2020 states that:

• Only EASA exams taken before 31st December 2020 will be acceptable for UK CAA licence issue;
  
• After 31st December 2020 all exams for UK CAA licence issue need to be taken with the UK CAA;
  
• After 31st December 2020 any exams taken under an EASA member state will not be valid for for UK CAA licence issue.
  
• EASA exams taken before 31st December 2020 will only be acceptable for UK licence issue for a period of 2 years, until 31 December 2022.
  
  
  This was taken from aeros website, specifically on the fourth bulletpoint, does this mean that exams taken before the 31/12/20 is exempted in order to acquire the UK license? or does that mean that IF a uk license is issued, it will only be valid for a period of 2 years until 31 Dec 22 (though the latter isn't logical).
  

That would be my reading but you’ve gone way beyond my level of expertise and I think you’re going to have to contact FCLweb to get a definitive as per my reply above. You need to get a move on - the whole licensing system is pretty full on due EASA/UK conversions and you will need an initial medical for which most AMCs have a substantial lead time.

Good luck

The 2 years mentioned is the period from 1 Jan 2021 (when UK licences were first technically able to be issued) to 31 Dec 2022 at which time the UK CAA will no longer accept EASA certficates. This page makes it pretty clear that any UK licences relying on EASA pass certificates, which includes EASA exam passes dating before exit day, must be applied for before 31 Dec 2022. Relating to your first question "does this mean that exams taken before the 31/12/20 is exempted in order to acquire the UK license?", there is a process whereby any EASA passes before that date can be credited by the UK and, if they are not all already passed, you can continue your exam series with the UK CAA. It does say somewhere that this process is for people who previously had the UK as their SOLI and are 'returning' but I don't know how strictly that is applied.

thank you very much for this clarification, i was very stressed about this particular regulation since there are many ways to interpret it. Does it matter if you ATPL theory examinations were done under the EASA national member state's CAA or Austro control? My examinations were not under austro control

Phew. A grown up in the room. Thanks Alex. Again a reminder to get a move on - the CAA validation to operate on an EASA licence expires at the end of this year.

Does anyone know how long it takes to be issued a UK ATPL?

I have an EASA one but I did all the UK exams again, UK medical and skills test. CAA told me over the phone they have everything and it will be processed in 10 days. 10 days to get the license or 10 days for them to even bother to start to look at it?

Austro control issued me an ATPL within 10 days of them receiving the paperwork.

Just what the industry needs, it’s absolutely ridiculous.

It is ridiculous. I just got off the phone from a not so polite person at the CAA who told me my license will take on average 3 months to be issued but no promises. I checked how long my ATPL took to be issued by Austro Control, it took 5 days. I really start to regret going into aviation at this point. It's not worth the hassle at all.

For someone starting an ATPL now with a UK passport, is it best to go CAA over EASA? Fewer job opportunities, but they don't have the right to live and work in the EU

that is incredibly disappointing and frustrating to hear, i have already accepted that this whole year will be wasted in the conversion process and receiving the license. not happy.

Get the UK CAA, since you have a british passport. UK is pretty much third country ICAO by 2023 and you will have the same opportunities and rights in the EU-land as other ICAO licenses/countries which will be a headache to get a first job.

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean with the 3rd country in ICAO?

Hopefully mutual recognition CAA/EASA will happen before long

yes this is the ideal outcome everyone is hoping for, though unlikely.

Third country is essentially non-eu.

Hey everyone,

Just emailed FCLWEB for clarification but given the length of time it will take to get a reply, I thought I'd throw the question out there.

I have previously held a UK Issued Part FCL CPL and UK Part FCL Medical (Initial at Gatwick). ATPL Theory completed in the UK and exams at Gatwick long time ago.

Did the SOLI transfer to EASA member state before the deadline to keep my job in the EU. I therefore fulfill the first requirement for being re-issued a UK CAA licence. The only problem is that I have since been upgraded to an EASA ATPL so fall short on the second requirement as it's a higher level licence.

• All EASA licence holders whose licence date of initial licence was issued before 31 December 2020;
• EASA licence Pilots, instructors and examiners who previously held a UK issued Part-FCL/BFCL/SFCL before 1 January 2021 and have not had a licence issued at a higher level since 1 January 2021

The UK CAA website then asks you to email FCLWEB.

Anyone have similar issues and solution? Many thanks.
m-o

It’s absolutely disgusting how badly this is affecting some who’ve been penalised for nothing more than bad luck or timing. EASA and the U.K. need to sort this BS out and they need to sort it out now before there’s no one left willing to remain part of this s**t show.

Does a EASA license holder only need a UK issued Class 1 medical to obtain a UK CAA license or a proficiency check?

https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-ind...alent-licence/

All here

What a mess. I did everything by the book: SOLI’d out on time from U.K. to EASA, got my EASA CPL issued on time etc and been operating ever since Brexit. The only thing that’s happened is that I’ve been granted an ATPL after the company sent me on a subsequent TR!

I’ve had a U.K. licence for ages… unreal.

Just a question someone maybe able to answer, I have recently received my U.K. licence after transferring out 7 yrs ago to IAA, however licence comes with letter regarding requirement of U.K. part Med certificate in order to exercise privileges.
However I completed the srg1217 form out previously in order to covert my easa (IAA) medical to satisfy U.K. CAA authorities, does this mean I need to book a U.K. class 1 now, even though I had class 1 renewal with U.K. AME only a few months ago? Thanks in advance

Is there anywhere to source the official UK FCL requirements like the "CAP XXX" from the old days? The conversion from EASA to UK CAA is not as difficult as we thought it would be post 31/12.22, for us ex-UK licence holders. However there is a bit of uncertainty about whether a UK licence can be issued blank or not as my bizjet rating is too expensive to book an LST to tranfer to a UK licence.

The CAA site is littered with errors and there are still references to completing EASA type ratings and the requirements for EASA Type ratings!

https://www.caa.co.uk/commercial-ind...-january-2023/

Bit hard work to get through this, but worth a read for different routes to a UK licence.

ps maxed out looks like a Route 5 case. I think.

Hi deltahotel

Thank you for the reply. The link you sent was the page (step 5/6) I was referring to when I spoke to the UK CAA.

My understanding reading this is, as an EASA atpl holder(ex-uk cpl holder), if I wanted to regain my UK licence at ATPL level, I need to do a UK ATPL skills test on my current type and then be issued with a UK ATPL plus rating endorsed at the same time. Unlikely I'll go down this route as booking a sim on my current type is very expensive.

Second option, if for example I was offered a UK Job on a different type, is that a new TR at a UK approved ATO would take place and then be issued an ATPL plus new TR at the same time.

However, I was led to believe on the phone, that I would first need to apply for the UK licence, be issued a blank licence with no IR on it, to then complete a UK approved TR. How does that even work, ie. a blank licence and then doing a TR without a UK ME-IR)? I have previously held 2 type ratings on a UK Licence so maybe I am exempted from having a current UK ME-IR??

I thought the whole point of the amended procedure post 31/12/22 is that you apply using your EASA Licence and Rating to complete either a Skills test on current Type or if offered a UK job, your UK employer could enroll you at a UK ATO and complete a full new TR and then be issued the Licence at Rating in one go. Or am I missing something here?

My reading is the same as yours, so good luck! Route 5 seems fairly simple.

Through the transition period when I was Soli out for examining purposes and helping colleagues sort out licensing issues I was pretty much on top of all of this but now we’re all uk not so much.

Hi guys,

Just had a look at the various licence conversion routes on the CAA website and, as an EASA "Frozen" ATPL(A) holder, I would say I have to go for Route 6 if I want to get the UK CAA equivalent licence. My situation:

- no UK licence previously held
- I completed the EASA ATPL(A) theoretical knowledge in 2018 (plus the practical part - CPL/IR-PBN SE & ME - in 2019)
- current IR (expires on September this year)
- 1000 hrs (from yesterday afternoon :) )

The only thing is that, on their website, it is just written "Route 6 – EASA ATPL(A)", which could be interpreted as a full EASA ATPL(A) (with at least 1500hrs etc.).

I am going to drop them an email, but meanwhile does anybody here know if this route is valid for Frozen ATPLs as well?

Many thanks

I’d say you’re a Route 4 as you currently hold an EASA CPL, albeit with ATPL theoretical knowledge credits. Good luck.

Edited to add that although CAA refers to a ‘frozen ATPL’ I can’t find a conversion route. Whatever it says on your EASA licence (currently CPL) is what you will get from the CAA and then when you have the hours you can convert your CPL to ATPL.

Thanks deltahotel... bad news then :( and a complete nonsense "made in CAA" if I understand the "Routes" correctly: so, an ATPL guy who has not revalidated his IR for - let's say - 6 years can convert it without having to pass the ATPL Theory, whereas a CPL with a current IR who passed the same ATPL Theory let's assume 3 years ago must complete the CPL (or ATPL) Theory again? I'm lost...

There are some weird ones that don’t seem to make sense, so feel free to contact CAA and get a different answer - I’d be delighted! Are you in employment that would allow you to complete EASA ATPL and then convert via Route 6?

Edit to add that although I had a fair amount of expertise in licensing over the transition period, less so now and my opinions are just those from reading CAA.co.uk and its impenetrable wording. Ultimately everyone’s going to have to go FCLweb to get an individual judgement on how to apply/convert. Good luck to all.