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Verification of Authenticity

Verification of Authenticity

Foreign pilots' licenses are subject to verification because they are not considered tamper-proof. If the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not verify the validity of your license, this would leave the door wide open for fraud.
 


Therefore, you should complete the FAA Verification of Authenticity form online at least 4 weeks before traveling to the United States:

 
Please fill in item 11 on the form as follows:



When you complete the form, print it out and include all mandatory accompanying documents:

Full copy of your license (all pages)
If the license was not issued in English, attach an English translation.
Copy of your current foreign medical certificate
If your medical certificate was not issued in English, attach an English translation.

 
You may send the forms via fax, regular mail, or courier service. We recommend faxing the documents.



If you mail your forms, mail them to this address:

FAA Airmen Certification Branch, AFS 760
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125 - USA
 
What happens next?

The FAA requests confirmation from the foreign authorities that your pilot's license and medical certificate are valid. This usually takes about two weeks, but it can take much longer. Once the FAA has received this confirmation, it will send a "Verification and Authenticity Letter" to the FSDO office in Orlando that has jurisdiction for our flight school. The FAA examiner can then go ahead and issue your certificate.

Do I have to submit this form? YES, if:

You want to fly with your non-US license for the first time in the United States
You want to earn other ratings for which your foreign license is a prerequisite such as an Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Rating, or
       commercial Pilot's License.
You have an older license for which the conditions have changed, such as a license change from PPL-A to JAR

You can choose to fly without a certificate in the US, especially if you plan to acquire a full US license. If you want to earn the US CPL anyway, be aware that completing the CPL will also provide you with an independent US license. If you plan to fly an N aircraft  or fly in the US while on vacation here, get a US PPL or an independent US license. Why? Because the second your license changes, say, from PPL-A to JAR, or in some other way related to the new EASA regulations scheduled to take effect in 2014, your certificate will no longer be valid, and you will have to go through this procedure again.

If you have previous flying experience, you can obtain a US PPL pretty quickly. However, a written exam and a check ride are required. You may have to do some extra night flights. In our experience, about 10 flying lessons are enough, assuming you have completed roughly equivalent flight training in Europe.
 
Can anyone be barred from obtaining a US license or certificate?

As far as we know – but we cannot state this with 100% certainty - applicants from so-called "critical countries" as determined by US authorities are no longer eligible to earn US licenses or certificates. Currently, these countries include Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Cuba.