CEPT and IARP Radio Amateur Licences

CEPT is an agreement with various European nations as to how they will accept each others amateur radio qualifications. Canada is not a member of this confederation at the present time but acknowledges amateur radio qualifications of the European nations as the European nations recognize our qualifications.

It should be understood that a CEPT licence is only issued to you when you want to visit these European countries or issued by a European country by their administration when their amateurs want to operate while visiting Canada.

Amateurs wishing to operate in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay, or Venezuela require an International Amateur Radio Permit or IARP.

In either case, the license received is only valid in conjunction with the Amateur's Canadian certificate.

The minimum paperwork requirement for a CEPT or IARP radio amateur licence will be:

  1. A declaration according to which the holder is authorized to utilize his amateur radio station in accordance with the recommendation in the country he is applying to visit.

  2. The name and address of the holder.

  3. The call sign.

  4. The CEPT licence class required

  5. The validity

  6. The issuing authority.

Canadian Amateurs should apply for CEPT or IARP licenses through Radio Amateurs of Canada. This applies to both members and non-members of RAC. A fee will be charged at the time of application.

Full information is available from the RAC web site.

The following statements are derived from the Basic question bank (RIC 7).

Canadian amateurs may apply for a CEPT international radio amateur licence for operation in any of the 32 CEPT countries, and:

  1. Canadian amateurs holding a Basic and 5 w.p.m. qualification, will be granted CEPT Class 1 recognition.

  2. Canadian radio amateurs, holding the Basic qualification only, will be granted CEPT Class 2 recognition (operation above 30 MHz).

  3. Foreign radio amateurs, holding CEPT Class 1 licences, receive the same privileges in Canada as Canadians with the Basic and 5 w.p.m. qualification.

  4. Foreign radio amateurs, holding CEPT Class 2 licences, will only be allowed to operate above 30 MHz. (Similar to the Basic qualification).