Adding a flight in New Zealand to your holiday is a real highlight to visiting overseas pilots – dual flying with one of our capable instructing team is readily available at non-member rates – email us to book!
For those intending on a longer stay, or even contemplating a permanent move, the license conversion (or short-term validation to operate VFR in New Zealand on their overseas license) process can seem daunting.
Although it is important to check the exact details for your individual case, the basics for converting an overseas license to an NZ Private Pilot License are as follows:
- Hold a current overseas PPL or higher and associated medical
- Have English Proficiency of Level 4* or more printed on the license
- Show evidence of meeting or exceeding the NZ syllabus
- Complete any training required to achieve the above
- Complete an NZ PPL Biennial Flight Review (BFR)
- Submit the above to CAA NZ for approval
*Note regarding English Proficiency, CAA recognizes Level 4 for a period of three years, and Level 5 for a period of six years. If this is different in your home nation, you may need to renew early to comply with the CAA NZ periods.
Often, we find our syllabus for low flying (below 500′ in designated areas) and terrain awareness (flight below ridge-height in valleys) is not present in overseas license training, so we must complete these items. If no experience towards these can be counted, the syllabus takes approximately three hours of lesson briefings and eight hours flying time to complete.
The BFR portion is demonstrating competence in all the required maneuvers, as well as local and national procedures and the CAA rules. Expect two hours ground theory and two hours flight time as a guide to how long this would take to complete.
For a license conversion, applicants need to complete a fit and proper person form, which will require criminal conviction and driver demerits records from all countries in which they have resided for at least six consecutive months, in the last five years.
More information is available from the CAA NZ here – note there is also an additional requirement for UK license holders to apply to CAA UK to release your license details to our CAA.
For professional license conversions, please contact us for further information as the requirements vary with experience levels and country of origin.
