Updated October 2026
14 CFR 61.75 lets the FAA issue a US private pilot certificate on the basis of a foreign license at the private level or higher from an ICAO contracting state, with no further flight test. The FAA first verifies your license with the authority that issued it, which its own guidance says takes about 45 to 90 days, and the US certificate carries private privileges only.
That is the short answer for EASA, UK and other ICAO license holders who want to fly an N-registered airplane in the United States. The rest of this page is the process in order, what the certificate can and cannot do, and the faster route if you want to fly for a living here. Everything regulatory was checked against the current eCFR text and the FAA's own pages in October 2026. Visas, the M-1 question and student status are covered on our international student pilots page and are not repeated here.
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What 61.75 Lets You Do
A 61.75 certificate is a real FAA private pilot certificate. It is printed with your foreign license number and the issuing country, and it lets you act as pilot in command of US-registered civil aircraft within private pilot privileges. It also stays tied to the license it came from in several ways.
| Point | What The Rule Says | Paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| License that qualifies | Private pilot level or higher, issued by an ICAO contracting state, with no limitation saying the holder has not met all ICAO standards | 61.75(a), (b)(2) |
| Other US certificates | You may not already hold a US pilot certificate, other than a student pilot certificate | 61.75(b)(3) |
| Medical | A Part 67 medical certificate, or the medical license from the country that issued your pilot license | 61.75(b)(4) |
| English | You must be able to read, speak, write and understand English | 61.75(b)(5) |
| Aircraft ratings | Ratings on your foreign license may be placed on the US certificate, for private privileges only | 61.75(c) |
| Instrument rating | Possible if your license has instrument privileges and you pass the FAA instrument knowledge test | 61.75(d) |
| Limits that apply | The limits on both the US certificate and the foreign license, inside or outside the United States | 61.75(e) |
| How many licenses | Only one foreign license may be the basis; it and the medical must be in English or come with a signed official transcription | 61.75(f) |
| Carrying the license | The foreign license must be in your possession or readily accessible in the aircraft | 61.75(g) |
If the license behind it lapses, the practical value of the US certificate goes with it, because paragraph (e) holds you to the foreign license's own limits and paragraph (g) to carrying it.
Step 1: The Verification Letter From The FAA
Nothing happens until the FAA has confirmed your license with your civil aviation authority. You apply on FAA Form 8060-71, Verification of Authenticity of Foreign License and Medical Certification. The FAA lists IACRA as the preferred way to submit it; you can also mail it to the Airmen Certification Branch (AFB-720) in Oklahoma City with a copy of your license. Add a copy of your foreign medical only if you want that verified too.
The Airmen Certification Branch then contacts your authority, and your authority answers the FAA. The FAA's page puts that at about 45 to 90 days and tells applicants not to book travel or checkrides until the letter arrives. Pilots from Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom must first complete their own authority's forms, which go directly to that authority.
The verification letter is uploaded to your IACRA account and is valid for six months, or less if your authority sets a shorter period or your license expires sooner. If it will run out before your appointment, you need a new one.
Step 2: The FSDO Or Examiner Appointment, IACRA And What To Bring
With the letter in hand, the certificate is issued in person. One route is a Flight Standards District Office. Contact the office once the letter arrives; the FAA warns that the earliest appointment is usually about two weeks after that first contact, because of security procedures. The other route is a designated pilot examiner authorized as a foreign pilot examiner. An FAA informational letter to applicants says these conversions are done face to face, with no virtual appointments, and the examiner uploads the verification letter to your IACRA application.
Bring the originals:
- The verification letter.
- Your foreign pilot license, and an official English transcription if it is not in English.
- Your medical: the foreign one, or an FAA medical from an aviation medical examiner.
- Your passport or another government photo ID.
- Your logbook, which you will want for the flight review and checkout anyway.
Step 3: English Proficiency And Medical Options
61.75(b)(5) requires you to read, speak, write and understand English. The FAA's informational letter sets the minimum for an "English Proficient" US certificate at ICAO Language Proficiency Operational Level 4, under Advisory Circular 60-28. In practice the test that matters is the radio. Van Nuys is a Class D tower under the Los Angeles Class B, the frequencies are busy, and our page on how good your English needs to be describes what that sounds like.
For the medical you have a choice. 61.75(b)(4) accepts the medical license from the country that issued your pilot license, and 14 CFR 61.3(c)(2) lists the 61.75 holder flying on that foreign medical as an exception to the FAA medical requirement. If you plan to train further here, get an FAA medical early; our aviation medical examiner guide covers where.
What 61.75 Does Not Give You
It does not give commercial privileges. A foreign commercial license or ATPL still produces a US private certificate under this section, and you may not fly for hire on it.
It does not carry an instrument rating across automatically. Under 61.75(d), your foreign license must already authorize instrument privileges, and you must pass the FAA instrument knowledge test within the 24 months before the month you apply. That written test is the one most European pilots underestimate, because it tests US procedures, charts and regulations, not instrument flying in general.
It does not work for every license. The license has to be at private pilot level or higher and ICAO compliant. The UK's own summary of the Light Aircraft Pilot Licence describes the LAPL as sub-ICAO, not conforming to the ICAO Annex 1 private pilot standard, so an LAPL on its own will not meet 61.75. It also does not work if you already hold a US certificate other than a student pilot certificate.
Converting To A Standalone FAA Certificate: The Faster Path For Career Pilots
If you want to fly for a living in the United States, the 61.75 certificate is a stepping stone, not the destination. The commercial certificate's prerequisite in 61.123(h) is "at least a private pilot certificate issued under this part", and a 61.75 certificate is issued under Part 61. The FAA's informational letter describes 61.75 as the path into 61.123(h). So a licensed pilot can go straight to the US commercial certificate without first earning a separate US private.
What carries across helps. Flight time in a foreign-registered aircraft with an airworthiness certificate from an ICAO member state can be logged under 61.51(j)(2). Training from a foreign-authorized instructor counts toward Part 61 requirements under 61.41 when it was given outside the United States. What you still need here is the FAA commercial knowledge test, the US training and endorsements, the aeronautical experience in 61.129, and the practical test. The commercial certificate you earn that way is issued on your own US testing, not under 61.75.
Our commercial pilot course is $15,400 and the instrument rating is $11,700; most career pilots add the instrument rating before the commercial checkride. Our page on training in Los Angeles from overseas covers how FAA hours fit back into a European license.
TSA Flight Training Security Program For Non-Citizens
Getting a 61.75 certificate involves no flight training, so the certificate itself does not trigger the TSA program. Flying with an instructor afterwards can. Under 49 CFR 1552.3, flight training includes instruction to maintain a pilot certificate or rating, and recurrent training is inside the rule too. So do not assume a flight review or checkout with an instructor is exempt. If you are not a US citizen or national, plan on the TSA security threat assessment before any instruction with us. A discovery flight is outside the rule, because 1552.3 excludes demonstration flights for marketing purposes. The steps, fees and clocks are on our international student pilots page.
Timelines And Your First Flight Out Of Van Nuys
Work the calendar backwards from the day you want to fly.
| Step | Typical Time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Submit Form 8060-71 | Day one, months before travel | FAA verification page |
| Verification letter arrives | About 45 to 90 days | FAA verification page |
| Letter stays valid | Six months, or less | FAA verification page |
| FSDO appointment | Earliest about two weeks after first contact | FAA verification page |
| TSA assessment, if you are not a US citizen | Runs separately; start it alongside | 49 CFR 1552 |
| Flight review and our checkout | Usually a day or two once you are here | 14 CFR 61.56; our checkout |
Before you act as pilot in command you need a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months under 61.56: at least one hour of ground training covering the Part 91 rules and one hour of flight. Then comes our aircraft checkout, and before any solo rental we require renter's insurance with at least $50,000 of coverage. The Piper Warrior rents at $269 an hour wet; rates for the rest of the fleet are on aircraft rental at Van Nuys.
What catches European pilots out here is mostly small. Altimeter settings come in inches of mercury and visibility in statute miles. Van Nuys is a towered field under a Class B shelf, with Burbank's Class C 11 miles east, and the airspace around LAX requires a transponder and ADS-B Out. Two hours with a local instructor on the routes to the Malibu coast and around the Class B pays for itself. If you are staying a few weeks, our housing and transport guide covers where pilots stay near the field.
Related Reading
- International student pilots: the TSA program and the visa questions, step by step.
- Can I fly in the US with a foreign pilot license: the short version of this page.
- Aircraft checkout requirements: what we ask of every renter.
- Aircraft rental at Van Nuys: the fleet, rates and rental terms.
- Pilot training in Los Angeles from overseas: FAA versus EASA, and course prices.
- Housing and transport for out-of-town students: where to stay near Van Nuys.
Foreign License Conversion FAQ
Can I Convert My EASA License To An FAA License?
Yes, to a US private pilot certificate under 14 CFR 61.75, if your license is at private level or higher and ICAO compliant. The FAA verifies it with the authority that issued it, and the US certificate stays tied to that license.
How Long Does A 61.75 Conversion Take?
The FAA says the verification takes about 45 to 90 days, and the letter is valid for six months. A Flight Standards District Office appointment is usually available about two weeks after you first contact the office.
Can I Use My Foreign Medical Certificate?
Yes. 61.75(b)(4) accepts a medical license from the country that issued your pilot license, and 14 CFR 61.3(c)(2) lists that case as an exception to the FAA medical requirement. You need an FAA medical if you go on to earn other US certificates.
Can I Add An Instrument Rating Through 61.75?
Only if your foreign license already authorizes instrument privileges and you pass the FAA instrument knowledge test within the 24 months before the month you apply, under 61.75(d). The English language requirement applies to the rating as well.
Can I Get A 61.75 Certificate If I Already Hold An FAA Certificate?
No. 61.75(b)(3) requires that you hold no US pilot certificate other than a student pilot certificate. A pilot who already holds a US certificate adds ratings through normal Part 61 training and testing.
Does A UK Or EASA LAPL Qualify For 61.75?
Usually not. 61.75 needs a license at private pilot level or higher that meets the ICAO standards, and the UK's own summary describes the LAPL as sub-ICAO. A full Part-FCL PPL is the license to use.
Can I Fly Commercially On A 61.75 Certificate?
No. It carries private pilot privileges only, whatever your foreign license allows. It does meet the private-certificate prerequisite for the US commercial certificate in 61.123(h), which is why career pilots use it as a first step.
Talk To Us Before You Book Your Flights
Start the verification months before you travel, and call us while it runs so the flight review, checkout and any TSA steps are lined up for your arrival. Book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318, 9 AM to 9 PM every day. If you are already in Los Angeles and simply want to fly, a 60-minute discovery flight is $229 with no conversion and no TSA paperwork. You fly it from the left seat with one of our instructors, and it is credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406.
Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Book A Free Consultation Call (818) 330-1318
