FAA to EASA Conversion: Routes, Exams and Costs for 2026

An FAA pilot certificate does not convert to an EASA licence in a single step. What you hold determines the route. FAA private pilot holders can use a bilateral shortcut to an EASA PPL, while FAA commercial and ATP holders who want an EASA ATPL must pass the full European theory examinations, meet the medical and language requirements, and complete a skill test with an EASA examiner. The application itself goes to the national aviation authority of the EU member state where you live or intend to work, not to EASA directly.

This guide sets out both routes in the order you will meet them, the documents each authority asks for, where the money goes, and how to sequence the work so that no hour of training is wasted.

TL; DR

• Conversion is handled by national authorities under Ture Whakatau (EU) 2020/723, so you apply to the member state where you reside or plan to work.
• The FAA-EASA bilateral (BASA, Annex 3) converts FAA PPL, CPL and ATP holders only to an EASA PPL with matching ratings. It does not produce a commercial or airline licence.
• An EASA ATPL requires 14 theory subjects, an EASA Class 1 medical, English proficiency of at least Level 4 and an ATPL skill test.
• Costs are made up of a theory course, examination fees, medical, skill test and an authority fee; a typical authority fee is 50 euros.
• Start the theory and the medical early. They are the longest lead items, and you can hold the EASA licence alongside your FAA certificate.

Ripanga o Ihirangi

• Who actually needs to convert
• The BASA route: FAA PPL, CPL or ATP to an EASA PPL
• The ATPL route: from FAA ATP or CPL to an EASA ATPL
• Medical and language: the quiet deadline
• What conversion costs
• A sensible sequence
• Tō mātou tirohanga
• Build the FAA foundation and the EASA pathway together
• FAQ
• Rauemi

Who actually needs to convert

Three kinds of pilots ask this question, and each ends up on a different path.

1. The FAA private pilot who lives in Europe and wants to fly EASA-registered aircraft on the strength of a US certificate. This is the BASA conversion route.
2. The FAA commercial or ATP holder aiming at a European airline. Airlines hiring under EASA rules look for a Part-FCL licence, and for this goal the full ATPL route applies.
3. The student pilot who has not yet started and wants to be employable on both sides of the Atlantic. This pilot does not need a conversion at all, only a sensible training sequence, which we cover below.

One point on the first group: a Pilot-Hub article from 2025 explains that residents of Europe who want to fly N-registered aircraft within EASA airspace have, since 2023, been expected to convert under the bilateral agreement and its TIP-L procedures. If that describes you, the next section is where to start.

The BASA route: FAA PPL, CPL or ATP to an EASA PPL

The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the United States and the European Union gained its pilot licensing annex on 18 May 2021. According to the Te Tari Waka Huitene, Annex 3 allows FAA certificate holders to apply for conversion of private pilot licences for aircraft, including SEP, MEP, Night and Instrument. Its mapping is straightforward:

Two limits matter. First, the IR(A) can only be issued together with or for a PPL(A). It cannot be carried up to a higher licence under Annex 3. Second, the French DGAC form states that FAA CPL and ATP holders receive the private-level EASA licence and ratings, that Sport and Recreational certificates cannot be converted, and that FAA type ratings and class ratings such as TMG or SET do not convert into Part-FCL type ratings. A professional-grade EASA licence needs a different route.

Conditions for the PPL conversion

The authorities publish similar conditions with local variations:

• Moni. te Slovak authority states that you must be current under FAA rules when the process starts. Surrendered, suspended or revoked certificates are not accepted.
• Residence. You provide proof of residence in an EU member state and a copy of your FAA certificate. The TIP-L document allows pilots already resident before Annex 3 applied to prove currency by self-declaration in the application form.
• Te Hauora. You need a valid EU medical certificate meeting EASA requirements for the PPL(A), alongside a current FAA medical. The Mana Whakahaere Rererangi Airihi confirms you do not surrender the FAA certificate and may hold both.
• Reo. The IAA’s licensing FAQ says you must pass an acceptable EASA English Language Proficiency assessment, and that an ICAO endorsement on your licence cannot simply be recognised.
• Te wheako. E ai ki te Te Tari Waka Huitene, a PPL holder with 100 hours or more must meet the class or type rating requirements, pass EASA theory in Air Law and Human Performance, hold at least a Class 2 medical, show language proficiency of Level 4 and pass an EASA skill test. With fewer than 100 hours the licence cannot be converted. Instead you apply to a training organisation for reduced training and sit theory in all nine subjects.

Procedures differ by member state. The Dutch authority, for example, requires an online form for converting an FAA licence to Part-FCL, and asks that your name and place of birth match your passport exactly. After submission you get an automatic confirmation and then a payment request, due within four weeks. That page notes that processing is currently slower than usual, so build time into your plan.

The ATPL route: from FAA ATP or CPL to an EASA ATPL

For an airline career in Europe, the bilateral shortcut is not enough. The Te Tari Waka Huitene lists what an ATPL conversion requires:

1. Experience meeting the ATPL requirements of Part-FCL subpart F: 1,500 hours total, 500 hours in multi-pilot operations, 250 hours as PIC or PICUS, at least 200 hours cross-country (100 as PIC), 75 hours of instrument time and 100 hours of night flight.
2. The relevant class or type rating whakaritenga.
3. A full EASA theoretical ATPL examination.
4. An EASA Class 1 medical certificate.
5. English language proficiency of at least Level 4.
6. An EASA ATPL skill test.

The Irish authority adds specifics for pilots aiming at airline work: you pass the Part-FCL ATPL examinations in all 14 subjects after a theoretical knowledge course of at least 650 hours at an EASA Approved Training Organisation, with no reduction for a non-EASA ATPL theory course.

In plain terms: the theory is the center of this conversion. Your flying experience and practical competence are recognized, but the knowledge base is examined in full under European rules. That is why candidates who plan the theory early move through the process fastest.

Choosing the authority

Because national authorities handle conversion, the practical question is which one. The member state where you reside or plan to work is the starting point, per EASA’s licensing FAQ. Some states process more third-country applications than others, and fees, forms and processing times vary, so read the specific authority’s page before you commit to an examiner or a training organisation.

Medical and language: the quiet deadline

Your FAA medical does not stand in for an EASA medical. For private-level conversion you need an EASA Class 2, for ATPL work a Class 1, issued by an EASA-approved examiner or aeromedical center. The standards are similar but not identical, so if you have any history that the FAA has granted a special issuance for, take that up with an aeromedical examiner before you pay for theory courses. Our FAA and EASA medical comparison walks through how the two systems differ, and the He aratohu tiwhikete hauora FAA e kapi ana i te taha o Amerika.

Language proficiency is the other early item. Level 4 is the minimum for conversion, but the assessment must be one the receiving authority accepts, so confirm the arrangement with them rather than assuming your existing endorsement carries over.

What conversion costs

There is no single price, because the total is the sum of several separate items, each set by a different party:

• Authority fee. Fees are set per member state. The Slovak authority publishes a current issue fee of 50 euros for a BASA conversion application. Other states charge their own amounts.
• Te Hauora. An EASA medical examination, charged by the examiner.
• Kaupapa. The largest item in an ATPL conversion: a course at an approved training organisation plus the examination sittings.
• Differences or conversion training. Flight time with an instructor to prepare for the skill test, depending on your recent experience.
• Whakamātautau pūkenga. The examiner’s fee, plus aircraft or simulator time.
• Type rating, if your goal requires one for a specific airline aircraft.

The practical way to control cost is to remove repeat work. Every failed sitting or lapsed medical adds a second payment, so line up the medical, the language assessment and the theory before booking the skill test.

A sensible sequence

1. Decide the target. EASA PPL for personal flying, or EASA ATPL for airline work.
2. Pick the authority where you reside or will work, and read its conversion page and fee schedule.
3. Book the EASA medical early, because it gates everything else.
4. Start theory. For the ATPL route this means the 14 subjects at an approved organisation, followed by the exams. We describe how candidates sit them on EASA ATPL exams in the USA, and the structure of our online EASA ATPL theory program is built around modular study.
5. Complete any flight training needed before the skill test.
6. Pass the skill test with an EASA examiner.
7. Tukua te tono with your passport details, FAA certificate copy, medical and proof of residence, and pay the authority fee on time.

If you are weighing a modular path against a fully integrated one, our comparison of modular ATPL versus integrated sets out how each fits a US-based pilot. For a wider view of how the two licensing systems differ for an airline career, see FAA vs EASA ATPL.

Tō mātou tirohanga

Most pilots who ask us about converting are really asking a sequencing question. The conversion rules are published and fairly stable. What costs people money and months is learning them in the wrong order: a theory course started before the medical is confirmed, a skill test booked before the authority’s form is understood, or a second licence added to a career plan that never needed one.

We built our training around that reality. Our academy holds Self Examining Authority, which means FAA checkrides happen in-house without the long wait for an outside examiner, and our Part 141 programs are designed to take a student from private pilot to ATP minimums in as little as 111 hours of flight training. That is a discipline of proficiency, and it is the strongest foundation for a later EASA licence, because the ATPL conversion rests on a strong flying record and a well-run theory program.

For students who know from day one that Europe is part of the plan, we offer EASA ATPL Modular alongside our FAA programs, so the theory and the flight training can be planned as one pathway rather than two separate purchases. International students also have M1 visa support, which removes one more uncertainty from the early months. If you want a fixed, predictable route to the airline cockpit, start with the FAA training and let the EASA licence follow from it.

Rainer

Build the FAA foundation and the EASA pathway together

If your goal is an airline career that can cross the Atlantic, the least expensive conversion is the one you plan before your first lesson. Florida Flyers Flight Academy trains commercial pilots under FAA Part 141, with in-house checkrides through Self Examining Authority, M1 visa support for international students, financing options and job placement pathways. Our Kaupapa Kura Rererangi Rererangi Utu Utu ka whakaputaina i te $85,900, ā, ko tā mātou Hotaka Mahi Kaiurungi Airline US i $ 49,950.

For EASA theory, our EASA ATPL Modular offering is described on our pae matua, and our team can map the FAA and EASA steps into one timeline for your situation. For a closer look at the conversion process, read our EASA license conversion guide for FAA pilots.

FAQ

Can I convert my FAA license to an EASA license without taking exams?

Only at private level. Under BASA Annex 3, an FAA private, commercial or ATP holder can obtain an EASA PPL with matching ratings, and a pilot with 100 hours or more sits theory in Air Law and Human Performance plus a skill test. For an EASA ATPL, the full theory examination is required.

Do I lose my FAA certificate when I get the EASA license?

No. The Irish Aviation Authority states that the FAA licence does not have to be surrendered and that you may hold both. You do need to keep the FAA medical current to maintain FAA privileges, and the EASA licence requires its own medical.

Which country should I apply to?

Apply to the national authority of the EU member state where you live or plan to work, as EASA directs. Each authority has its own form, fee and processing time, so check its conversion page before you commit to an examiner or training organisation.

How long does conversion take?

The timeline depends on the route and on the authority. Application processing alone varies: the Dutch authority reports delays at present, and sends a payment request that must be settled within four weeks. For ATPL conversion, theory preparation and examination sittings are normally the longest part, so start there.

Does an FAA type rating convert?

Not under BASA. The French authority’s form states that FAA type ratings and TMG or SET class ratings cannot be converted into Part-FCL type ratings. Where an EASA type rating is needed, it is obtained through the EASA route.

Rauemi

• Licensing FAQ, EASA
• FAA licence conversions under the BASA agreement, Swedish Transport Agency
• Licence conversions, Swedish Transport Agency
• Acceptance of pilot licence from FAA, Slovak Transport Authority
• Technical Implementation Procedures for Licensing (TIP-L), EASA
• Licensing Office form for BASA licence and rating conversion, DGAC France
• Converting or validating an ICAO aeroplane pilot licence, CAA NL
• Pilot Licensing FAQ, Irish Aviation Authority
• Advisory memorandum on the end of the derogation period, Irish Aviation Authority
• N-registered aircraft in EASA space, Pilot-Hub

tūtohu

• Aratohu Whakawhiti Raihana EASA mō ngā Pairati FAA
• EASA vs FAA Pilot License USA: The Ultimate Guide
• EASA vs FAA Flight Training – Understanding the Differences
• Ngā Whakamātautau EASA ATPL i te USA: Me pēhea te noho a ngā kaitono