How Do You Convert an FAA License to an EASA License? (2026 Guide)

Why FAA pilots look at EASA conversion

The FAA and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) are both ICAO-compliant licensing systems, but they are separate regulatory regimes with their own theory syllabi, testing standards, and medical requirements. A pilot who trained and built experience under FAA rules doesn't automatically hold privileges to fly for a European carrier or on an EU-registered aircraft — an EASA license, obtained through conversion, is generally what's needed.

Pilots pursue this conversion for a range of reasons: relocating to Europe, targeting a European airline, or simply wanting a license portfolio that isn't limited to one regulatory jurisdiction. The process is well-established, but it involves real study and testing — it isn't a paperwork-only exchange.

Step 1: License verification and gap analysis

The conversion begins with the relevant EASA member state's aviation authority verifying the pilot's existing FAA certificate, ratings, and logged flight time. From there, the authority (or an approved training organization working on the pilot's behalf) identifies the gap between what the FAA license already covers and what EASA requires — this varies depending on whether the pilot holds an FAA Commercial, ATP, or specific type ratings.

This gap analysis determines exactly which EASA theory subjects, flight training hours, and tests will be required. It's a meaningfully different process for a pilot converting a Private certificate versus an airline-experienced ATP holder, so early, accurate documentation of total time, ratings, and aircraft flown matters.

Step 2: EASA theoretical knowledge exams

EASA licensing is built around a structured theory syllabus that's more extensive than the FAA's, covering subjects such as air law, meteorology, human performance, and aircraft general knowledge to EASA's own standard, even where an FAA pilot has already studied similar material. Converting pilots typically need to sit some or all of the EASA ATPL or CPL theoretical exams depending on their target license level.

Because EASA theory exams are administered in specific formats and time windows, most pilots use a structured ground school or self-study program aimed specifically at bridging FAA knowledge to EASA's exam content, rather than assuming FAA training alone prepares them for these tests.

Step 3: Medical certificate, skill test, and license issuance

In parallel with theory exams, the pilot needs an EASA medical certificate, issued through an EASA-approved Aviation Medical Examiner — an FAA medical does not automatically transfer. The final practical stage is an EASA skill test, demonstrating flying proficiency to EASA standards, usually in the aircraft or simulator relevant to the pilot's ratings.

Once theory exams, medical certification, and the skill test are complete, the relevant EASA member state authority issues the EASA license. From that point, the pilot holds two independent, standalone licenses — the original FAA certificate and the new EASA one — each valid under its own regulatory system.

The reverse path: converting EASA to FAA

The traffic runs both ways. European pilots holding an EASA license frequently convert to FAA credentials for the same reasons in reverse — access to U.S. carriers, U.S.-registered aircraft, or FAA type ratings not tied to a European operator. That process mirrors the structure above: FAA verification of the EASA license, required FAA knowledge tests, an FAA medical certificate, and an FAA practical test, with an ATP-CTP course required before the ATP written exam for airline-track pilots.

Pilots converting in either direction often pursue a type rating as part of the same career move, since a new type rating (A320, A330, ATR 42/72, B737 NG/MAX, B737 Classic, or B757/767) may be needed regardless of which regulator issues the underlying license.

Planning a 2026 conversion

Requirements and exam structures are refined periodically by both the FAA and EASA, so pilots planning a conversion should confirm current theory syllabi and testing procedures with the relevant authority or an approved training organization before committing to a timeline. An advisor experienced with cross-license conversions can help map your specific FAA license and ratings to the EASA (or FAA) requirements that apply to you.