The issuance and the renewal of pilot licences (aeroplanes, sailplanes, helicopters, balloons) are the responsibility of the FOCA. Only the Office and, under certain conditions, examiners nominated by the FOCA have the right to make entries in Swiss pilot licences.
Regulation (EU) 2018/1065 regulates the automatic validation of EASA licenses. This should prevent problems with SAFA checks outside the EASA Member States. In ramp checks for example, pilots possessing ICAO-compliant licenses are no longer restrained to fly outside the EASA Member States with an EASA aircraft that is not HB-registered.
Switzerland is currently listed on the ICAO attachment. The format of the Swiss licenses is recently supplemented with the reference to the ICAO document. The updated licenses will not be released until the next license issue. A license fee will be charged to pilots wishing to have a new license before the regular issuance
Applications for transfers of licence, validation, conversion, class rating SEP revalidation (form 60.521) and short-term permits have to be sent to: sb_lizenzen@bazl.admin.ch
Please send exam records and documents for the issue, revalidation, or renewal of the pilot licence, applications for revalidation or renewal of instructor rating to: pel-qc@bazl.admin.ch
Applications for the issue, extension of instructor rating, examiner certificate have to be sent to: pel-inspector@bazl.admin.ch
Note: for technical reasons we ask you to send one pdf file per application (rating etc.) and one e-mail per pilot whenever possible.
An exemption is in force in Switzerland until 20 June 2022 concerning the application of EASA provisions for pilots flying aircraft in non-commercial operations under Article 2 paragraph 1 letter b (i) and (ii) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 (see excerpt below). Under this exemption, pilots resident in Switzerland have been allowed to operate private flights in Switzerland and the EU on aircraft registered in third countries (e.g. the United States or the United Kingdom) holding solely a third-country licence.
This exemption period will expire definitively on 20 June 2022.
Therefore, from 21 June 2022 at the latest, pilots wishing to fly the above-mentioned aircraft within EASA airspace must, in addition to the requirements of the country that issued their licence, also hold an EASA pilot licence with the relevant ratings and an EASA medical certificate.
Third-country licences can be validated or converted into an EASA licence.
For more information, see the following checklists on the FOCA website:
For US aircraft and US licences specifically, an agreement is currently being negotiated between Switzerland and the USA. The aim of this agreement is to allow for a simplified conversion of PPL licences, but only for SEP(land), MEP(land), night flying and IR(A) (similar to the TIP-L Agreement already in force between the USA and the EU). The conversion can be applied for with immediate effect by using FOCA form 69.972. In order to ensure a seamless transition until the entry into force of the agreement, a validation of the FAA licence will be issued, which will be automatically converted into an EASA licence after entry into force.
As of 01.03.2021 the following adjustments for the processing of all licence applications will be effective:
Upon receipt each application will be processed separately; applications cannot be held back awaiting further requests.
In the case of several applications being submitted at the same time, each one shall respectively be charged individually.
According to the official regulation of fees of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation of Switzerland FOCA, art. 30, 1, b, each request of an initial entry, renewal, revalidation or extension shall be charged; FOCA charges the processing of the request, not the actual issuance of a paper licence.
The revision of the FOCA regulations of fees will in return lower the charges for all above mentioned applications as follows:
Initial entries, renewals, revalidations and extensions for commercial pilot licences: CHF 75.— each
Initial entries, renewals, revalidations and extensions for non-commercial pilot licences: CHF 45.— each
The revision and improvement as well as the ongoing digitalization enabled the lowering of these fees.
We would like to inform you about the following changement, applicable in Switzerland as of 1 July 2020:
With the adoption of COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2019/1747 of 15 October 2019 amending Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 as regards requirements for certain flight crew licences and certificates, rules on training organisations and competent authorities, PPL licences include now the privileges of a LAPL licence during the rating validity:
FCL.205.A (a) The privileges of the holders of a PPL(A) are to act without remuneration as PIC or co-pilots of aeroplanes or TMGs engaged in non-commercial operations and to exercise all privileges of holders of a LAPL(A).
FCL.205.H(a) The privileges of the holder of a PPL(H) are to act without remuneration as PIC or co-pilot of helicopters engaged in non-commercial operations and to exercise all privileges of holders of a LAPL(H).
As a consequence, a holder of a PPL, CPL or ATPL may continue to exercise the privileges of a LAPL during the rating validity, for example in cases where he only holds a LAPL medical, provided that the recency requirements are met.
The applications can be sent to us by email.
Applications for transfers of licence, validation, conversion, class rating SEP revalidation (form 60.521):
Exam records and documents for the issue, revalidation, or renewal of the pilot licence, applications for revalidation or renewal of instructor rating:
