Pilot Licence & Aviation Document Translation UK
Are you an overseas pilot converting your licence with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)? Or another aviation professional registering your qualifications here? You will need certified translations of any aviation documents that are not in English. What you must send depends on who issued them — EASA, the FAA, or a national ICAO-standard authority.
Since Brexit, the UK runs its own aviation rules. It is no longer part of EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency). If you hold an EASA licence from an EU member state and want to fly in the UK, you now need to convert it to a UK CAA licence. Pilots from non-EU countries use the standard overseas conversion process. Either way, documents in another language need certified translation.
UK CAA Licence Conversion: The Key Distinction
The UK CAA accepts licences from countries that signed the Chicago Convention (ICAO) and hold a bilateral agreement with the UK. The route you follow depends on your licence type. The ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence), the CPL (Commercial Pilot Licence) and the PPL (Private Pilot Licence) each have their own path. Every supporting document in another language needs a certified translation before you send it to the CAA.
Aviation Documents That Require Translation
Pilot Licence (ATPL / CPL / PPL)
This is your main flying licence, issued by your national aviation authority. If it is not in English, it needs a certified translation. ICAO standard licences show the licence number, ratings, privileges and limitations. The UK CAA wants every entry translated accurately.
Pilot Flight Logbook
The logbook lists all your flights in date order. If it is in another language, the column headers and the way entries are written may need certified translation. That lets the CAA check your total flight hours, aircraft types and command time. Usually the headers are enough — you do not need every single entry translated.
Aviation Medical Certificate
These are ICAO Class 1 (commercial) and Class 2 (private) medicals signed by an aviation medical examiner abroad. The UK CAA needs a current medical before it converts your licence. A Class 1 medical in another language needs a certified translation, so the CAA can check your fitness status and any limitations.
Type Rating Certificates
These certificates show you are cleared to fly a specific aircraft type, such as the B737 or A320. Type ratings are also marked on the licence. But if a training school abroad issued a separate type rating certificate in another language, it needs a certified translation.
Theoretical Knowledge Certificates
These show you passed the ATPL or CPL theory exams. Your national aviation authority or an approved training school issues them. You need them for licence conversion, unless a bilateral agreement covers your exams.
Flight Training Records
These come from approved flight training organisations (ATOs). They include completion certificates, skills test results and instructor endorsements. All of them need a certified translation if they are in another language.
Regulatory Authority Formats
| Authority | Coverage | Language | Translation Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK CAA | United Kingdom | English | No |
| EASA (EU) | EU member states | National + English summary | Often yes (national language entries) |
| FAA | United States | English | No |
| CAAC | China | Chinese | Yes |
| DGCA | India | English | Typically no |
| Rosaviatsia | Russia | Russian | Yes |
| ANAC | Brazil | Portuguese | Yes |
EASA Licences Since Brexit
An EASA licence from an EU member state is no longer automatically valid for commercial flying in the UK. To use your licence privileges here, you must convert to a UK CAA licence. You send the original EASA licence, certified translations of any entries that are not in English, and proof of your ratings and medicals. These rules keep changing, so check the UK CAA website for the current bilateral arrangements.
Aviation Terminology in Translation
Aviation documents must use exact ICAO terms. Watch these points:
- Aircraft type codes such as B737 and A320 are standard. Never change them
- ICAO rating codes (IR, ME, SE) must use the accepted English terms
- Flight hours must keep the same hours:minutes format, with no rounding
- Limitations and endorsements, such as “valid only as co-pilot”, must be translated in full and word for word
- Licence validity dates and revalidation dates must be copied exactly
Costs and Turnaround
| Service | Turnaround | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Translation | 24 hours | From £17.99/page |
| Rush Translation | 8 hours | From £29.99/page |
Frequently Asked Questions
My EASA licence has English and a national language on it. Do I need to translate the whole document?
Many EASA licences are bilingual: the national language plus English. The UK CAA can read the English parts as they are. You only need a certified translation of entries that appear in the national language alone. That includes endorsements, limitations and admin notes with no English version. Your translator will spot those parts and certify a translation of them.
I am applying for a Skilled Worker visa as a pilot. Do I need to translate my licence for the visa application?
For the Skilled Worker visa itself, your sponsoring employer and the UK CAA check your overseas qualifications, not UKVI. But your employer or the CAA may ask for certified translations of your licence documents as part of their checks. If so, you need them before you can start work in the UK. Your sponsor airline will tell you exactly what it wants.
Related Services
Translate Your Aviation Documents
Certified translation from £17.99/page. Pilot licences, logbooks, and aviation medicals. 24-hour delivery available.
Trusted by thousands of visa applicants • UKVI certified • 24-hour delivery