C35: I am outside the UK. Will a Foundation Licence help me get a local licence?

Some countries do accept a UK licence as proof that an equivalent local licence can be issued – this is known as a “reciprocal licence”.

Some countries have agreements in place for operating overseas temporarily – this is covered under an international agreement known as CEPT. For a permanent licence, having a HAREC (Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate) certificate is usually required. The following document outlines HAREC, including which countries take part: HAREC TR6102.pdf

For many countries, they will only issue a “reciprocal” licence if you hold a Full UK Licence. To get this, you would need to pass your UK Foundation, UK Intermediate, UK Full. For some countries, you may also need to pass a Morse Test (the UK no longer requires this, but some other countries do). You should check with the licensing authorities in the country in question.

If you decide to do all three UK exams, these are normally booked via the RSGB website address (but this is intended for UK only, so you may need to contact the RSGB first before booking) – UK Exam Bookings: https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-examination-booking/

Note that we can help with online training for the Foundation exam (UK entry-level), but we can’t help with Intermediate, Full or Morse.