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Overseas amateurs visiting Australia

To operate an amateur station, you must be qualified. We recognise some licences and qualifications from other countries

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
(including New Caledonia)

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
(Hellenic Republic)

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.

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