How do you get a ham radio license?

What does a ham license let you do?

A ham license lets you transmit on the amateur radio bands under your own call sign. Your national regulator issues it after an exam, and the class sets which bands and how much power you may use. The service is non-commercial, so it cannot be used for business.1234

The exam checks the rules, operating practice and technical basics, including safety and interference.5 A call sign comes with the license in the US, the UK and Germany.612 See What is a ham radio call sign? and the short license section of What is ham radio?.

The class changes what you may do:

What kinds of license are there?

Most countries use a ladder of two or three classes: entry, middle and full. The names differ, such as Technician, Foundation or class N. Higher classes need a longer exam and give more bands and power. France and Spain issue only one.7189

Europe uses three reference levels. HAREC, the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate (T/R 61-02), is the full level. The CEPT Novice license (ECC/REC (05)06, with exam criteria in ERC Report 32) is the middle level. ECC Report 89 proposed an entry level in 2006. Countries may adopt any of the three.20212223

Names can mislead. CEPT Novice sits above the entry level, and Germany's middle class E is the CEPT Novice.221 About half of the roughly 20 national societies in an IARU Region 1 survey (mid-2025) had an entry-level license, such as the UK Foundation or Germany's class N.24

HAREC-level classes include UK Full, Australia Advanced, Germany A, Italy A, Poland category 1, Netherlands Full and Latvia A. US Extra and Canada's Basic with Advanced appear only in T/R 61-01, Japan's 1st class only in T/R 61-02. India and the Philippines appear in neither.2520

What is on the exam?

Ham exams test regulations, operating practice and technical theory. Where the numbers are known, entry exams have 24 to 100 questions, mostly multiple choice. Pass marks run from 50 percent in France and Spain to 76 percent in Germany. None of the entry exams below needs Morse code.82627194

The topic mix is similar everywhere, but the weights are not. This table averages the US, UK, German and Canadian exams, in percent of questions, rounded. Germany's split is estimated, because the exact weights are not published.32333427354

EMC means electromagnetic compatibility. The UK Foundation exam puts about 23 percent on rules and 23 percent on safety and EMC, while Germany's class N puts about two thirds on rules and operating.3427

The US dropped its Morse test in 2007, and CEPT removed the requirement from the HAREC in 2003.2820 Several countries publish their question banks:

• US. One public pool per class, in the public domain. The Technician pool runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030.36373310
• Canada. ISED publishes the questions. The Basic bank has 984.3839
• Germany. The catalogue has 1,750 questions, reusable with a source note under the license DL-DE-BY-2.0.3540
• UK. RSGB announced a published Full-level bank in April 2026. It calls the files a sample of real questions that may change, and keeps the copyright. Foundation and Intermediate have mock papers only.414243
• Not public. Australia gives papers only to assessors, and France offers a demo test.4445

Ham radio licenses country by country

Pick your country in the box below to see its regulator, classes, exam and fees at a glance. The sections after it give the detail for 14 countries: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Latvia, India, the Philippines and Japan.

United States

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants the license. Volunteer examiner teams run the exams, in person or by video, and you need an FCC Registration Number first.46 The classes are Technician, General and Amateur Extra.10 Technician and General exams have 35 questions (26 right to pass), Extra 50 (37 right).28 The team sets a fee, usually $15 or less, and the FCC adds $35.4748 A license lasts 10 years.6 A new Technician pool took effect July 1, 2026.10 Start at the exam finder of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national society.4649

Take the US Technician practice test

United Kingdom

Ofcom issues the license, and the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) runs the exams at clubs or online with a remote invigilator.15051 The levels are Foundation, Intermediate and Full, with 26, 46 and 58 questions. You need 19, 28 and 35 right.7 Exams cost GBP 35.50, 39.00 and 45.00.52 Applying to Ofcom online is free, and the license has no end date if you confirm your details every five years. Book through the RSGB, then apply to Ofcom with your candidate number.50 A revised license took effect on February 21, 2024.1

Take the UK Foundation practice test

Canada

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) certifies operators. Accredited examiners, often club volunteers, give the exams and may charge a fee. ISED dropped its own exam fee in 2022. Basic has 100 questions and a 70 percent pass mark, and 80 percent adds the HF bands. Advanced has 50 questions.4 The certificate is valid for life.53 Find an examiner through ISED's page for amateurs and clubs. Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) is the national society.5449

Take the Canada Basic practice test

Australia

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has run the system since February 19, 2024. Volunteer assessors it accredits give exams for free.1155 You operate under a class license with no license fee.56 The levels are Foundation, Standard and Advanced.11 Foundation has 25 questions (18 right) and a practical test. Standard and Advanced have a 50-question theory paper and a 30-question regulations paper, with 70 percent needed in each.295758 The certificate costs AUD 48 to apply for.59 Find an assessor on the ACMA list. The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) is the national society.5549

Take the Australia Foundation practice test

Germany

The Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), the federal network agency, runs the exams and grants the license.2 Class N, the entry class since June 24, 2024, allows 10 m, 2 m and 70 cm. Classes E and A add bands and power.260 Exams are multiple-choice parts of 25 questions, 19 right in each. N takes three parts, E four, A five.27 They cost EUR 68.00, 73.50 and 81.00, and the license adds EUR 20.00.612 A is the HAREC and E the CEPT Novice.221 The national society is the Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club (DARC).49

Take the Germany Class N practice test

France

The Agence nationale des fréquences (ANFR) runs the exams and issues call signs.862 Since 2012 there has been one certificate, equal to the HAREC.825 The exam is two computer-based papers, regulations and technical, with 20 questions each. You need 10 of 20 in each, and a passed paper counts for a year.845 A news report says the exam has been free since 2021, but ANFR states no fee.63 Book by phone at your chosen exam centre. The national society is the REF-Union.849

Spain

The Ministry for Digital Transformation grants one authorization with no classes. Exams are held at the provincial telecom inspectorates.269 The computer exam lasts 90 minutes in two parts, electricity and regulations, with 50 percent needed in each.26 Passing both gives the HAREC.9 The exam needs a fee paid with form 790, but the amount was not found.26 The authorization lasts until you give it up or it is revoked.9 The national society is the Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE).2649

Italy

The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) runs exams through local inspectorates; you apply in an online portal.64 Class A is the full class and counts as HAREC.1365 A decree of January 26, 2026 creates entry class N, but its exam programme is still to be set, and until then existing rules apply.12 The exam has 50 multiple-choice questions in two hours, and 30 right passes.65 It costs EUR 25. The authorization costs EUR 50 once and lasts up to 10 years.6413 Applications close May 10 for June and October 10 for November.6466 The national society is the Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (ARI).49

Poland

The Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) issues permits and runs the exam committees. A regulation of March 19, 2026 applies from May 1, 2026.1467 Category 1 is full, and category 3 is the entry class.14 The test is written, in Polish. The sources disagree on its size: the UKE page lists four subjects of 8 questions, while the regulation says 5 to 20 per requirement.6714 The exam costs PLN 150, or PLN 75 under 18. A permit lasts up to 25 years.14 Register on the UKE exam portal. The national society is the Polish Radio Amateur Union (PZK).6749

Netherlands

The Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI) registers radio amateurs and issues call signs. Since July 1, 2023 the CBR runs the theory exam.681569 Novice has 40 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes and needs 29 right. Full has 50 questions in 105 minutes and needs 35.6970 Each exam costs EUR 86.65, and registration with RDI costs EUR 56 a year when filed digitally in 2026.71 The minimum exam age was dropped in 2021.72 The national societies are VERON and VRZA.6849

Latvia

VAS Elektroniskie sakari organizes the exam at least twice a year. The 2026 dates are March 3, June 2, September 15 and December 1.1673 The categories are C (FM operator), B (Novice) and A (HAREC). The HAREC exam needs a B permit and 1,000 confirmed contacts first.16 The Novice and HAREC exams have 40 questions, the FM operator exam 20, and 60 percent passes.30 The exam costs EUR 21.59, and under-16s need written parental consent.7316 The national society is the Latvian Radio Amateur League (LRAL).7349

India

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regulates, under the Telecommunications (Amateur Services) Rules, 2024, in force since October 30, 2024.17 The grades are ASOC Restricted and ASOC General. The written exam is in English, the General exam also tests Morse, and you need 40 percent in each category. The exam fee is INR 100. A certificate costs INR 1,000 for 20 years or INR 2,000 for life, meaning until age 80. The minimum age is 12.17 The Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) is the national society.74

Philippines

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) regulates. These facts come from the national society, the Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA), not from the NTC.1875 Classes are D, C, B and A, with written exams by element. Class A adds a Morse test.75 Applicants attend a ham orientation seminar first.1876 Question counts, pass marks and exam fees were not found. A license is valid up to three years.18 Apply at an NTC regional office.75

Japan

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) regulates. The Japan Radio Association, a designated exam body, runs the national exam, and the 3rd and 4th class exams are computer-based.7778 The classes run from 4th (entry) to 1st.19 The two subjects are radio engineering and regulations, and you must pass both. The 4th class has 12 questions in each, in one hour. There is no Morse test.1931 Only the 1st class is listed as HAREC.20 The national society is JARL.49

How does a European license work abroad?

Under CEPT recommendation T/R 61-01, a ham with a HAREC-level license may operate in other taking-part countries on short visits, without a local license. Each country states how long. For a longer stay, a HAREC certificate (T/R 61-02) helps you get a local license.2520

The recommendation's annex lists the national license that counts and the prefix to add before your call sign, which you can read about in call signs.25 Here is where the 14 countries stand:

Source for the whole table: the three CEPT documents.252021 Germany's entry in T/R 61-01 still prints old class names, so I follow the BNetzA: A is the HAREC, E the CEPT Novice.225

The length of a visit is set country by country, not for all of Europe:

• UK. Less than three months.1
• Germany. Up to three months per stay.2
• France. Under three months.62
• Latvia. Three months.25
• Netherlands. The RDI says up to 60 days for Dutch hams going abroad.15
• Australia. The class license lets CEPT-license holders operate for up to 365 days.1125

How long does it take, and what does it cost?

Costs differ widely. Australia's exam is free, while the Netherlands charges EUR 86.65 and Germany EUR 68.00 to 81.00. Terms run from three years in the Philippines to lifetime in the UK and Canada. A dash means I found no published figure.5211617118153

Time depends on exam dates. Italy holds sessions in June and November, and Latvia has four dates in 2026.6473 In the UK the online result shows at once and is confirmed in about six working days.1 In France the call sign comes about three weeks after the certificate.8

What happens after you pass?

Once you pass, the regulator issues your license and a call sign, though in France you request the call sign after the certificate arrives. Next you choose a radio that fits your class, find a local club, and try repeaters. Many hams then join emergency groups or try digital voice such as DMR.618

• Choose a call sign. In the UK you can choose the prefix and suffix online.1 In Italy a chosen call sign is a paid extra.64 In Australia preferred call signs cost AUD 44 to 56.59 Try the call sign generator.
• Find a club. The RSGB has a course finder, and the LRAL runs preparation courses.5073
• Try a repeater. See how repeaters extend range in What is ham radio?.
• Volunteer. Emergency radio groups need licensed hams: see What is ARES?.
• Go digital. DMR is a digital voice mode with its own page: Ham radio DMR.

Questions

Sources

1. Amateur radio licensing guidance for licensees (updated 14 October 2025, archived copy) · Ofcom
2. Amateurfunk (in German) · Bundesnetzagentur
3. ACMA recognition certificate (Foundation): syllabus and examination information (archived copy) · ACMA
4. RIC-3: Information on the Amateur Radio Service, issue 5 (March 2022) · ISED Canada
5. Recommendation T/R 61-02, Annex 6 examination syllabus (edition of February 2018) · CEPT
6. Getting Licensed · ARRL
7. Exam Specifications: syllabus 2019 and exam overview · RSGB
8. Les certificats (in French) · ANFR
9. Orden IET/1311/2013, Reglamento de uso del dominio público radioeléctrico por radioaficionados (in Spanish) · Boletín Oficial del Estado
10. Question Pools · ARRL