Background

New European Commission flight crew licensing regulations (Commission Regulation EU 1178/2011) prescribe a license format for all European Union Member States to follow. As a result of this format change, pilots' license numbers in European Union (EU) Member States will likely change. The renumbered licenses will render FAA pilot certificates that were issued on the basis of a foreign license (14 CFR Part 61.75) invalid since the FAA certificates were originally issued on the basis of their existing or current European pilot license number.

Under current standard procedures, pilots who wish to have their FAA certificates reissued are required to travel to an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) in the United States to comply with the FAA requirement for verifiable identification of each certificate holder or applicant. Recognizing the difficulties that this will present to European pilots, the FAA's Flight Standards Service has decided to grant a deviation from its standard reissuance practice.

Limitations

• This process is only applicable to European pilots who reside outside the United States and who currently hold FAA pilot certificates based on pilot licenses issued by EASA Member States. The standard FAA verification process must be utilized if the applicant resides in the United States.
• This process is limited to license number changes; and does not apply to other changes to an FAA pilot certificate, such as a change in ratings. For such other changes, the pilot will be required to comply with current standard FAA processes for reissuance of a pilot certificate.
• This process is applicable from 8 April 2013 through 8 October 2018.

Actions for Pilots and National Aviation Authorities

Pilots who wish to have their FAA certificate reissued according to this process need to contact the European National Aviation Authority (NAA) of the state of license. Pilots must provide the NAA with all the relevant information stated below.

European NAAs who choose to use this process are asked to ensure the positive identification of the pilots and to verify that the pilots hold valid Part-FCL pilot licenses. This procedure will not apply to suspended, revoked or expired EU licenses.

To document that these requirements have been met, the NAAs MUST provide the following pertinent information to the FAA or risk return and delay of processing:

1. Pilot's full name
2. EU license numbers
      (both the former number AND the new Part-FCL license number)
3. FAA validated certificate number
4. Pilot's current mailing address (Note: this is critical because the FAA will mail the new FAA pilot certificate - with the updated Part-FCL license number - directly to the pilot). If the mailing address is different from the residential address, then both addresses are required by the FAA.
5. A statement that the current Part-FCL pilot license is valid and is not suspended, revoked, or expired.
6. A statement affirming that positive identification of the pilot was obtained. Such identification must include an official photograph of the applicant, the applicant's signature, and the applicant's residential address, if different from the mailing address. This information may be presented in more than one form of identification. (Copies of identification are highly recommended but not required)

The statement letter from the AA must be made on official letterhead.

The statement letter must be formally signed by an AA duly authorized person.

Sample statement letter

The country may send the information to our office by one of these methods:

• Email the information to: foreign-verification@faa.gov (Preferred Method)(Please title the Subject line as: "EASA AGREEMENT" to differentiate between the two processes currently in place)
• FAX: 405-954-9922
• Mail:
  Federal Aviation Administration
  Airmen Certification
  Civil Aviation Registry
  PO Box 25082
  Attn: Foreign Verification - EASA
  Oklahoma City, OK 73125
  

Please note that the required information for this deviation must come from the duly authorized person from the NAA. The FAA will NOT accept the relevant information from the airman. This administrative process for the reissuance of FAA pilot certificates will be worked in the order they are received. The time of processing is based on when the FAA receives ALL the required information from the European NAA's of the State of License. Once FAA has all the required information, the certificate will be reissued and mailed to the airman. These will not be done as a priority.

NOTE: A temporary airman certificate will NOT be issued by Airmen Certification Branch. The airman will receive the plastic certificate approximately 30 days after the foreign country has contacted our office with the complete reissuance request.