Converting a foreign licence into an EASA licence

Experience requirement You must have completed at least 100 hours of flight time as a pilot on aeroplanes.

For helicopters with a maximum take-off mass up to 3,175 kg, you must have completed at least 100 hours of flight time as a pilot on a helicopter of the type in question.

Theoretical knowledge examinations You must successfully complete those EASA theoretical knowledge examination papers that concern air law and human performance.

Theoretical knowledge examinations are organised regularly all year round. Check the next examination dates here and use the form to register for an examination. The registration form requires an attachment, so please attach a copy of your licence. We also ask you to email us your postal address and copies of your passport, licence, ratings and medical certificate before registering for your first examination. You may send the information by email to teoriakokeet (at) traficom.fi.

Examinations begin at 9.00 in the morning and end by 16.00 in the afternoon. Bring with you your passport or official personal identity card and the original documents of your licence, ratings and medical certificate issued by a third country. The fee for one PPL paper is EUR 38.

Medical certificate For a private pilot licence, you must have a valid class 2 EASA medical certificate.

Language proficiency test: When you apply for a licence, you must have a valid EASA language proficiency endorsement. Contact a language proficiency examiner to arrange a language proficiency test. We also accept EASA-approved language proficiency tests completed in a country other than Finland.

Skill test To apply for a licence, you must pass a PPL skill test. Contact a flight examiner to arrange a skill test.

Applying for a licence Before issuing a Finnish EASA licence, we will ask the competent authority in the third country that issued your licence to verify your licence and ratings in the country. We also ask the authority to confirm that no other EASA member state has sent a verification request for issuing a licence.

Attach to your application copies of your passport, third-country licence and the associated ratings and the three last pages of your log book.

There are no fixed requirements for the conversion of a CPL issued by a third country. The conversion is based on a training comparison conducted by an approved training organisation and any further training specified by the organisation. The conversion training report compiled based on the comparison must be approved by Traficom before starting the training.

Theoretical knowledge examinations: You must successfully complete EASA CPL or ATPL theoretical knowledge examinations. To take the examinations, you will need a recommendation from an approved training organisation. You will receive the recommendation at the end of the theoretical knowledge instruction determined in your conversion training report.

Theoretical knowledge examinations are organised regularly all year round. Check the next examination dates here. Agree with your training organisation whether they will register you for a theoretical knowledge examination or whether you will do it yourself.

We ask you to email us your postal address and copies of your passport, third-country licence, ratings and medical certificate before registering for your first examination. You may send the information by email to teoriakokeet (at) traficom.fi.

Examinations begin at 9.00 in the morning and end by 16.00 in the afternoon. Bring with you your passport or official personal identity card and the original documents of your  licence, ratings and medical certificate issued by a third country. The fee for one CPL or ATPL paper is EUR 68.

Medical certificate For a commercial pilot licence, you must have a valid class 1 EASA medical certificate.

Language proficiency test: When you apply for a licence, you must have a valid EASA language proficiency endorsement. Contact a language proficiency examiner to arrange a language proficiency test. We also accept EASA-approved language proficiency tests completed in a country other than Finland.

Designation of a flight examiner and skill test: Before you can apply for a licence, you must pass a CPL skill test at the end of your conversion training. Contact a flight examiner to arrange a skill test. Traficom will designate a flight examiner for the test. You can apply for designation by proposing a suitable examiner at the latest 14 days before the planned skill test. Submit your proposal by using the relevant electronic form.

Applying for a licence: Before issuing a Finnish EASA licence, we will ask the competent authority in the third country that issued your licence to verify your licence and ratings in the country. We also ask the authority to confirm that no other EASA member state has sent a verification request for issuing a licence.

• A valid class or type rating associated with a licence issued by a third country may be included in an EASA licence if the skill test is completed with an aircraft for which the class or type rating has been issued.
  • For aeroplane class ratings, you must have completed at least 100 hours of flight time as a pilot on an aeroplane of the class in question.
  • For aeroplane type ratings, you must have completed at least 500 hours of flight time as a pilot on an aeroplane of the type in question.
  • For helicopters with a maximum take-off mass up to 3,175 kg, you must have completed at least 100 hours of flight time as a pilot on a helicopter of the type in question.
  • For other helicopters, you must have completed at least 350 hours of flight time as a pilot on a helicopter of the type in question.
• You may also be issued with an EASA licence with a type rating restricted to aircraft registered in the third country. In that case, you do not have to meet the above-mentioned experience requirements.
  • The limitation can be removed when you meet the experience requirements of a pilot on an aircraft of the type in question, the rating is valid on your third-country licence and you have passed the skill test on the aircraft type in question.

An ATPL issued by a third country may be converted into an EASA ATPL licence without the need to complete further training. At least one type rating associated with the third-country licence must be valid.

Experience requirement: You must have completed at least 1,500 hours of flight time on aeroplanes, including at least:

• 500 hours in multi-pilot operations on aeroplanes
• 500 hours as pilot-in-command (PIC) under supervision; or
  • 250 hours as PIC; or
  • 250 hours, including at least 70 hours as PIC, and the remaining as PIC under supervision
• 200 hours of cross-country flight time of which at least 100 hours as PIC or as PIC under supervision
• 75 hours of instrument time of which not more than 30 hours may be instrument ground time
• 100 hours of night flight as PIC or co-pilot.

Theoretical knowledge examinations You must successfully complete EASA ATPL theoretical knowledge examinations. Theoretical knowledge examinations are organised regularly all year round. Check the next examination dates here and use the form to register for an examination. The registration form requires an attachment, so please attach a copy of your licence.

We also ask you to email us your postal address and copies of your passport, licence, ratings and medical certificate before registering for your first examination. You may send the information by email to teoriakokeet (at) traficom.fi.

Examinations begin at 9.00 in the morning and end by 16.00 in the afternoon. Bring with you your passport or official personal identity card and the original documents of your licence, ratings and medical certificate issued by a third country. Taking the examinations may require at least two to three sessions. Two consecutive examination days count as one session.  The fee for one ATPL paper is EUR 68.

Medical certificate: For an airline transport pilot licence, you must have a valid class 1 EASA medical certificate.

Language proficiency test: When you apply for a licence, you must have a valid EASA language proficiency endorsement. Contact a language proficiency examiner to arrange a language proficiency test. We also accept EASA-approved language proficiency tests completed in a country other than Finland.

Designation of a flight examiner and skill test: Before you can apply for a licence, you must pass an ATPL skill test. Contact a flight examiner to arrange a skill test. Traficom will designate a flight examiner for the test. You can apply for designation by proposing a suitable examiner at the latest 14 days before the planned skill test. Submit your proposal by using the relevant electronic form.

Applying for a licence: Before issuing a Finnish EASA licence, we will ask the competent authority in the third country that issued your licence to verify your licence and ratings in the country. We also ask the authority to confirm that no other EASA member state has sent a verification request for issuing a licence.

Please attach to your application copies of your passport and your third-country licence and the associated ratings.

Type ratings

• A valid type rating associated with a licence issued by a third country may be included in an EASA licence if the skill test is completed with a flight simulator representing the same type.
  • For aeroplane type ratings, you must have completed at least 500 hours of flight time as a pilot on an aeroplane of the type in question.
  • For  helicopters with a maximum take-off mass up to 3,175 kg, you must have completed at least 100 hours as a pilot on the type of helicopter in question.

  • For other helicopters, you must have completed at least 350 hours of flight time as a pilot on a helicopter of the type in question.

     

• You may also be issued with an EASA licence with a type rating limited to aircraft registered in the third country. In that case, you do not have to meet the above-mentioned experience requirements.
  • The limitation can be removed when you meet the experience requirements of a pilot on an aircraft of the type in question, the rating is valid on your third-country licence and you have passed the skill test on the aircraft type in question.

If you hold a Private Pilot Licence or higher licence issued by the FAA, you can convert your licence into a Finnish EASA PPL(A) licence under the terms of the bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA) between the EASA and the FAA. The BASA allow you a credit of theoretical knowledge examination requirements and language proficiency endorsement. BASA also allows you to credit flight experience gained under both the FAA and EASA.

The BASA agreement applies to PPL(A) licence and SEP(land) and MEP(land) class ratings, instrument rating and night rating. Other ratings cannot be converted on the basis of the BASA.

If you already hold a licence issued by some other EASA Member State, please submit your application to the aviation authority of the Member State in question.

• Your FAA licence must be an original; a licence originally issued by a third country and converted into an FAA licence cannot be converted into a Finnish EASA licence under these terms.
• Your FAA licence and medical certificate must be valid.
• You must have a valid class 2 EASA medical certificate.
• You will receive the language proficiency endorsement required for your new licence automatically. The "English proficient” endorsement on your FAA licence will be converted into a level 4 language proficiency endorsement for your EASA licence. If you wish to obtain level 5 or 6, you will need to complete an EASA language proficiency test.

PPL(A) + SEP(land): Before taking a PPL(A) skill test, you must have your theoretical knowledge of the Air Law and Radio Communication verbally examined by a flight examiner.

You must complete the PPL(A) skill test before submitting your application to Traficom. Please schedule the skill test by contacting a flight examiner directly.

PPL(A) + SEP(land) or MEP(land) and possible instrument rating IR(A):

• Before a PPL/IR(A) skill test, you must have your theoretical knowledge of the Air Law and Radio Communication verbally examined by a flight examiner.
  • For an instrument rating, you must also have your theoretical knowledge of the Flight Planning and Monitoring and IFR Communication verbally examined by a flight examiner.
  • If you have at least 50 hours of instrument flight time as a pilot-in-command, the flight examiner can verbally examine your theoretical knowledge in connection with the skill test.
  • If you have less than 50 hours of instrument flight time, you must complete a written theoretical knowledge examination organised by Traficom.
• For a MEP(land) rating, you must have at least of 70 hours of flight time as a pilot-in-command.
• You must complete the skill test on either a single-engine SEP(land) aeroplane or a multi-engine MEP(land) aeroplane.
• For an instrument rating, you must complete acclimatisation flying unless you have accumulated at least 50 hours of instrument flight time as a pilot-in-command after the initial issue of the FAA instrument rating or at least 10 hours of instrument flight time as a pilot-in-command in an EU or EASA Member State after the initial issue of the instrument rating.

Night rating: The EASA night rating can be issued as long as you do not have a night rating limitation on your FAA licence. The night rating can be issued with the PPL(A) based on the same application.

• You must have at least five hours of flight time at night, including
  • at least three hours of dual instruction
  • at least one hour of cross-country flight time with at least one dual cross-country flight of at least 50 km (27 NM) and
  • five solo take-offs and five solo full-stop landings.