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After an Australian licence?

There are a number of options for pilots with foreign licences who wish to fly in Australia:

• Convert your existing overseas licence to the Australian equivalent (usually for long-term residence in Australia)
• Obtain a Special Pilot Licence (if you only intend to fly private operations while in Australia)
• Obtain a Certificate of Validation (if you need it for less than 3 months)

Special circumstances

• New Zealand licence holders. The Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act (TTMRA) may apply.
• UK licence holders. The UK CAA requires additional paperwork
• Gliders, ultralight aircraft and private balloon operations. These require application to the relevant governing bodies.

Migration and employment

• Skills assessments for migration purposes
• Employment in Australia

English Language Proficiency

Identification, Security, Immigration and Police Checks

Photographs and identification forms must be submitted with the first licence application. This includes full licence issues and Special Pilot Licences. CVs do not require a security check.

Licences will not be issued until all requirements have been met and a security check completed. Police Checks are conducted for all applicants and an Immigration check for applicants who are not Australian citizens. This will result in a delay of up to six weeks in issuing qualifications while the checks are being performed.

Further information about the Security checks.

ARN Application

An ARN (Aviation Reference Number) will be issued as part of the Photo ID process. However, if you need to complete an examination or medical before receiving your Photo ID, you must apply for an ARN using form 1162

The completed form and one supporting identification documentation (Passport, Birth Certificate or Citizenship Certificate) can be submitted to the nearest CASA office.

Fax copies are able to be accepted.

When submitting applications, please ensure that paperwork is not stapled together (you may use paper clips or some other form of paperclips).

Conversion of overseas licences

As a general rule, pilots seeking to convert a foreign licence to an Australian flight crew licence must pass a Flight Rules and Air Law written examination/s and a flight test as well as obtain an Australian medical certificate. The conversion of a rating, such as for instrument or night flying, usually involves an additional exam and/or flight test. The examinations/tests mentioned must be completed with a person/persons approved by CASA. This means that tests can only be conducted in Australia.

Refer to the 'Guidelines' documents at the top of this page for more information.

Special Pilot Licence

Should you only wish to engage in private operations whilst in Australia, (for example, while on holidays) a Special Pilot Licence can be issued on the basis of your overseas licence; providing it is valid with a current overseas medical certificate. If your overseas licence is a perpetual licence and your overseas medical certificate expires, you may use an Australian Class 1 or 2 medical certificate, with the special pilot licence.

There is no requirement to pass any CASA examinations for the issue of a Special Pilot Licence. However, you will be required to undergo a flight review with a local flying instructor before using the licence.

Applicants for a Special Pilot Licence will be required to obtain a Security check.

Application for a Special Pilot Licence

Processing can take several months

• Fill out form 1162
• Fill out form 213
• Fill out the appropriate security checking application form:
  
  • form 498 (ASIC), or
  • form 499 (AVID)

Attach certified true copies of your overseas licence, medical certificate and a copy of the latest opening of your logbook

If you wish to fly a complex aircraft in Australia, please ensure that you provide logbook evidence as proof of flight time accrued on this aircraft type, preferably adding logbook evidence of initial aircraft type endorsement training.  Certification of documents can only be made by a Notary Public or a CASA DAME in your home country. Alternatively, an Australian official at any Australian Embassy or High Commission can certify your documents. NB. All licences and ratings will be checked with the applicant's home country aviation regulatory body.

If applications are lodged by mail, please post to:

CLARC
CASA
GPO Box 2005
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia

Alternatively you may lodge your application in Australia at any of CASA's field offices. Field offices will accept fee payments and the lodgement of forms and documents, which they will then forward to CLARC.

NB. Fee for issue of a Special Pilot licence is $140AUD.

• Once the Special Pilot licence has been processed and issued, you may request the Licence to be forwarded to a CASA Field Office that's located convenient to you, for pick-up. Otherwise, it will be sent directly back to the pilot's home address as listed on the form (in Australia or overseas).

Note. To process and issue a Special Licence can take several months due to time required to undergo all the mandatory security checks. A separate fee is incurred for the security check; please refer to the guidance material section of the ASIC or AVID application forms for details.

Certificate of Validation

The regulations also allow for the issue of temporary certificates of validation for short term operations (i.e. less than 3 months). This authorisation would best suit pilots visiting Australia for a short period or to undertake a specific operation such as aircraft conversion training, and can be a quicker process to issue (as no security checks are required).

Certificate of Validation (CV) application process

Visiting pilots to Australia requesting issue of a CV are required to:

• Fill out form 213
• Fill out form 1162 (attach proof of ID, e.g. Passport, Birth Certificate, Citizenship Certificate)
• Attach certified true copies of your overseas licence, medical certificate and a copy of the latest opening of your logbook
  (If you wish to fly a complex aircraft in Australia, please ensure that you provide logbook evidence as proof of flight time accrued on this aircraft type, preferably adding logbook proof of initial aircraft type endorsement training.  Certification of documents can only be made by a Notary Public or a CASA DAME in your home country. Alternatively, an Australian official at any Australian Embassy or High Commission can certify your documents).
  (NB. All licences and ratings will be checked with the applicant's home country aviation regulatory body)
• If you wish to apply for issue of a CV whilst still overseas, please ensure you post the application well before expected time of arrival in Australia and directly to:
  

  CLARC
  CASA
  GPO Box 2005
  Canberra ACT 2601
  Australia

  (NB. Fees for the issue of CV is $150 for private operations or $200 for commercial operations. Fee includes aircraft endorsements.)

• Once the CV has been processed and issued, you may request the CV be sent to a CASA Field Office that's convenient to you, for pick-up. Otherwise, it will be sent directly back to the pilot's home address.

 

What you need to bring

You will need to present your original licence(s), medical certificate, log book(s), plus any other documents that support your application for recognition of your qualifications. For example, before recognition of a type rating/endorsement on an aircraft above 5700kg, CASA may require detailed information on the training completed for that rating.

Copies of licence documents and logbook extracts will only be accepted in the following circumstances:

• where the operation is to be conducted entirely overseas;
• where the pilot is ferrying an aircraft to an Australian coastal port from overseas;
• where the copies are accompanied by a written statement from the responsible authority of the Contracting State that issued the qualifications which certifies to their authenticity or confirms the qualifications held by the applicant;
• where the copies are certified by an Australian Justice of the Peace, Commissioner of Affidavits, or an industry delegate under the Civil Aviation Regulations (e.g. Chief Flying Instructor or an Approved Test Officer) as being true copies of the originals.

English translations of documents

All documents must be in English or accompanied by an official English translation.

A registered translator must compile the translation. You should ask the Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country where the translation is to be made if you need details of translators. If the translation is to be made in Australia, contact the Australian National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Information on the services that NAATI provides is available on their website.

Skills assessments for migration purposes

As of 1 November 2005 the Department of Immigration and Citizenship have removed aircraft pilots from the Skilled Occupation List.

Therefore, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority no longer issues skills assessments for the purpose General Skilled Migration. However, CASA is still required to conduct skills assessment for the purposes of migration in relation to pilots who have been nominated by their Australian employer under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS).

For additional information:
Skills Assessment for the Purpose of Migration - Aircraft Pilots

Should you have any further inquiries, please contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship:
Web site www.immi.gov.au
Telephone 131 881

Employment in Australia

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority does not control the employment of flight crew in the Australian aviation industry; neither does it maintain details of available vacancies or aviation employment trends.

Persons intending to fly in a commercial operation or work in Australia will need to have the right to work in Australia (resident or appropriate visa) and should make their own inquiries about employment opportunities. Immigration requirements can be found on the Department of Immigration website.

Delays in Verification of Overseas Qualifications

Verification of all overseas qualifications will be conducted by CASA before recognising an overseas licence or qualification. This involves CASA checking qualifications with the overseas regulatory authority who initially issued the qualification to ascertain its validity and authenticity.

If you wish to minimise delays you should check the requirements of your country's licensing authority for releasing your licensing details to CASA and make the necessary arrangements with that authority so that CASA can receive a timely response to a request for verification of your licence

Delays may be experienced in verification and issuing of Australian licences and Certificates of Validation. The additional time should be taken into account when applying for conversion of a licence or a certificate of validation. FAA qualifications are more easily verifiable.

Special circumstances

New Zealand licence holders (TTMRA)

This information only applies to professional flight crew who hold qualifications issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.

The New Zealand and Australian Governments have entered into a Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act, 1997 (TTMRA) which allows for each others regulatory standards relating to occupations to be recognised. What this means in aviation terms is that NZ professional flight crew, aircraft maintenance engineer and air traffic control licences may be considered under the terms of the TTMRA, and not under the Civil Aviation Regulations. The TTMRA industry information package contains further information.

TTMRA – Verification Letter

For Australian pilots applying for issue of a NZ licence under the TTMRA, they must first acquire confirmation of their CASA flight crew qualifications which is to be provided to the CAANZ.  As from 1 July 2007, a service fee of $50 is incurred for this task and payable to CASA. CAANZ will advise TTMRA applicants on their website that before CASA releases the personal flight crew licensing details to CAANZ, the applicant needs to pay a fee of $50.

To assist Australian pilots in this process we have posted a payment form on our website. The link takes you to the application form. The form includes an authority to release the information and a payment section. The applicant only needs to complete the payment section and choose item "Verification Letter".

After payment has officially been received, CASA will generate a report and send it to CAANZ.

Pilots must also allow adequate time for a licence issue to reach a NZ address. 

Pilot licences posted by mail to NZ can take up to a month to reach their final destination (especially if an applicant lives in a remote part of NZ). Consequently, pilots are urged to desist from contacting CASA for a secondary licence issue (unless it is proof positive that the licence has gone missing) .  Pilots should also be aware that if a duplicate is requested, they may be charged $25AUD for the re-issue.

NB. A NZ helicopter instructor issued with a CAANZ Cat C Helicopter Flight Instructor rating (FIR), is still eligible to convert his/her rating across to a CASA Grade 2 Helicopter FIR under the Terms and Conditions of the TTMRA Act 1997 and can exercise the privileges of the CASA Grade 2 FIR despite having less than the required 400 hours flight time accrued on helicopters.

Statutory Declaration Forms - COMPULSORY with all TTMRA Applications

Please be advised that a Statutory Declaration form must be submitted with all forms of a TTMRA application, whether it would be a full application or a single application for a rating. These forms can be downloaded from within our Information Package mentioned above.

The Statutory Declarations Regulations 1993 provides a list of persons (on the back of a Statutory Declaration form) before whom a declaration can be made. The persons listed are persons holding Australian qualifications or occupations so that, for example, a reference to a legal practitioner, is a reference to a legal practitioner registered as such in Australia. Therefore, a person making a statutory declaration in New Zealand must make it before a Commonwealth of Australia officer or Australian Consular Officer if they cannot find a person otherwise listed who has an Australian occupation or status.

A NZ doctor (e.g. a CASA DAME ) is not an automatic choice to sign an Australian Statutory Declaration form; unless he/she is licensed to practice medicine in a state of Australia. CASA DAMEs, however, can sign CASA forms listed on our website.

A Statutory Declaration information sheet is available on the Attorney Generals Department website.

UK licence holders

The UK CAA will not provide verifications or release information about UK licence holders unless the licence holder completes a specific authority to allow the release of the information to CASA. Further information will be published on the UK CAA website.

The UK CAA authorisation form SRG\1160 must be completed by each individual and sent direct to the UK CAA with the prescribed payment. The CASA application form must be sent to a CASA office. Both the UK CAA and CASA forms must be completed in all cases.

Once CASA receives the application, a formal request for verification of the information will be made to UK CAA. UK CAA will reply direct to the CASA office upon receipt of the authorisation form SRG\1160. CASA will not process an application further until a response is received from UK CAA. Inquiries about the progress of the verification need to be made with UK CAA.

Licence holders are advised to submit form SRG\1160 to UK CAA well before they intend to arrive in Australia to avoid unnecessary delays in the processing of paperwork.

Gliders, ultralight aircraft and balloons

CASA Australia does not issue licences or pilot certificates for operations involving gliders, ultra-light aircraft or balloons engaged in private flights. For information on these activities you should contact the relevant governing organisation.

Need more information?

Licensing requirements may change from time to time and the information contained on this website should be treated as a guide only. If you have firm plans to come to Australia and wish to fly, it is recommended that you check these pages regularly before you arrive to ensure you have the latest information.