Rules to use amateur frequencies in Australia
In Australia, you need a licence to:
- operate a transmitter
- use amateur frequencies
You may be able to operate under a class licence if you:
- arrived in Australia less than 90 days ago
- want an amateur licence for less than 90 days
If you want to operate for longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for an amateur apparatus licence.
To do this, you must show us that you are qualified.
Tables of equivalent qualifications and licences
We may give you an Australian amateur licence if you have:
- an amateur licence from another country
- qualifications to get an amateur licence in another country
Table A: We have an arrangement with these countries or regions
We accept these amateur licences and qualifications because we have an arrangement with the country or region.
|
Who issued the licence |
Overseas licence or qualification |
Australian amateur licence you may be able to get |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Previous |
New |
||
|
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) |
CEPT Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate (HAREC) Level A |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
CEPT HAREC Level B |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
CEPT HAREC |
- |
Advanced |
|
|
CEPT class 1 licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
CEPT class 2 licence |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
CEPT licence |
- |
Advanced |
|
|
Canada |
Advanced Amateur Certificates of Proficiency in Radio |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Certificate of Proficiency in Radio |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
Denmark |
Sendetilladelse Fur Amator Radio Station Kategory A and B |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Kategory D and E |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Kategory C |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
France |
Radio Amateur Station Licence Groups D and E |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Radio Amateur Station Licence Group C |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Radio Amateur Station Licence Group B |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Germany |
Deutsche Bundespost Class B Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Deutsche Bundespost Class C Licence |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Deutsche Bundespost Class A Licence |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Greece |
Certificate of Category 'A' |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Certificate of Category 'B' |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Certificate of Category 'C' |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
India |
Amateur Wireless Telegraphy Station Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Israel |
Radio Amateur Licence Class 'A' |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Radio Amateur Licence Class 'B' |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Radio Amateur Licence Class 'C' |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Japan
* Telephone-only operation on frequency bands above 30 MHz with 10 watts maximum power |
First Class Amateur Radio Operator Certificate |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Second Class Amateur Radio Operator Certificate |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
Third Class (Telegraph Class) Amateur Radio Operator Certificate |
Intermediate* |
Advanced* |
|
|
Fourth Class (Telephone Class) Amateur Radio Operator Certificate |
Limited |
Advanced* |
|
|
Malaysia |
Amateur Station Licence(qualified in telegraphy at 12 words per minute) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Station Licence (no telegraphy qualification) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
New Zealand |
Amateur Operator's Certificate (General) (Grades I and II prior to 14/07/1986) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Operator's Certificate (Limited) (Grade III prior to 14/07/1986) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Amateur Operator's Certificate (Novice) |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
Amateur Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Licence (Limited) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Novice Licence |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Poland |
Amateur Licence Kategoria (Category) Pierwsza (Class A) |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Licence Kategoria (Category) Drugiej (Class B) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Solomon Islands |
Amateur Radio Licence (Unrestricted) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Radio Licence (Restricted) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Spain |
Aficionado Class A |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Aficionado Class B |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Aficionado Class C |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Switzerland |
Amateur Radio Telegraphist's Certificate (Transmission) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Class A Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
Class B Licence |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
United Kingdom |
Foundation |
|
Foundation |
|
Intermediate |
|
Standard |
|
|
Full |
|
Advanced |
|
|
United States of America |
Original licence granted before 15 April 2000 |
||
|
Amateur Extra Class operator |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
Advanced Class operator |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
General Class operator |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
Technician Plus Class operator |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Technician Class operator |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Novice Class operator |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Licences granted from 15 April 2000 to 22 September 2016 |
|||
|
Amateur Extra Class operator |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
General Class operator |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Technician Class operator |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Licences granted from 23 September 2016 to 2 July 2017 |
|||
|
Amateur Extra Class operator |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
General Class operator |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
|
Technician Class operator |
Limited |
Foundation |
|
|
Licences granted from 3 July 2017 |
|||
|
Amateur Extra Class operator |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
General Class operator |
Intermediate |
Standard |
|
|
Technician Class operator |
Limited |
Foundation |
|
Table B: We see these as equal to Australian qualifications
We may accept these licences and qualifications because we see them as equal to those in Australia.
| Administration | Class of certificate or licence Held | Australian amateur licensing option for which holder is eligible | |
|
Previous |
New |
||
|
Argentina |
Licencia de Aficionado, Categoria Superior (Amateur Radio Operator's Licence, Superior Category) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Cayman Islands |
Amateur Operator's Certificate Class C |
Novice |
Standard |
|
Hong Kong |
Amateur (Sound) Station Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Indonesia |
Advanced Level Amateur Station Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Intermediate Level Amateur Station Licence |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Preliminary Level Amateur Station Licence |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Ireland |
Amateur Experimenters Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Italy |
Licenza di Impianto ed Esercizio di Stazione di Radioamatore, Classe 3 (Radio Amateur Station Licence Class 3) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Licenza di Impianto ed Esercizio di Stazione di Radioamatore, Classe 2 (Radio Amateur Station Licence Class 2) |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Licenza di Impianto ed Esercizio di Stazione di Radioamatore, Classe 1 (Radio Amateur Station Licence Class 1) |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Luxembourg |
Licenced Amateur (Amateur Radio Operator's Certificate) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Malta |
City and Guilds of London Radio Amateur's Certificate§ |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
City and Guilds of London Radio Amateur's Certificate (no telegraphy qualification) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Nauru |
Amateur Radio Station Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Netherlands |
Amateurradiozendmachtiging Categorie A (Amateur Radio Licence Class A) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateurradiozendmachtiging Categorie B (Class B) |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Amateurradiozendmachtiging Categorie C (Class C) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Amateurradiozendmachtiging Categorie D (Class D) |
(not acceptable) |
||
|
Norway |
Amateur Station Licence Class A |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Philippines |
Radio Amateur Station Licence Class A (Advanced Class) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Radio Amateur Station Licence Class B (General Class) |
Intermediate |
Advanced |
|
|
Radio Amateur Station Licence Class C (Novice Class) |
Novice |
Advanced |
|
|
Singapore |
Amateur Station Licence (qualified in telegraphy at 12 words per minute) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Amateur Station Licence (no telegraphy qualification) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
South Africa |
Amateur Radio Station Licence |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Restricted Amateur Licence |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
Radio Amateur Licence |
Novice |
Standard |
|
Sweden |
Tillstand att inneha och anvanda amatorradiosandare, Klass A and B (Amateur Licence Class A and B) |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
|
Tillstand att inneha och anvanda amatorradiosandare, Klass T (Amateur Licence Class T) |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
|
Tillstand att inneha och anvanda amatorradiosandare, Klass C (Amateur Licence Class C) |
Novice |
Standard |
|
|
Vanuatu |
Amateur Wireless Station Operator's Certificate |
Limited |
Advanced |
|
West Indies |
Amateur Radio Operator's Certificate Class A and B |
Unrestricted |
Advanced |
Operating under the overseas amateur class licence
Tables C (i) to C (v) show the qualification or licence you need to operate an amateur station under the overseas amateur class licence.
Call signs
Call signs are a unique series of letters and numbers. They make it easy to identify a station.
The Australian Maritime College (AMC) issues call signs for amateur licences.
Your licence will show your call sign.
You should use your call sign:
- every time you start to transmit
- before you transmit in a series
- when you test
Licence term
Your amateur licence (issued to you as a holder of overseas qualifications and licences listed in Tables above) is issued for a maximum period of 12 months and is non-renewable.
If you want to continue to operate an amateur station in Australia beyond the term of your licence you will need to obtain an Australian Certificate of Proficiency through the Australian Maritime College.
If your amateur licence (issued to you as a holder of overseas qualifications and licences listed in Tables above) was issued before 19 September 2019, you will continue to have the option of renewing your licence.
When to apply for a licence
If you plan to come to Australia, send us your application at least 3 months before you travel.
This will give us enough time to issue the licence before you arrive.
If you travel here under an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) instead of a visa, we can only give you a licence for up to 3 months.
Use an Australian amateur licence in another country
Overseas countries may not accept Australian:
- radiocommunications licences
- qualifications
To find out if they will, contact the radiocommunications authority in that country.
Australia is part of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications (CEPT). You may be able to use your licence and qualification in other countries that are also part of CEPT.