Can You Hold Both UK CAA and EASA Part-66 Licences?

Yes. You can hold both a UK CAA Part-66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence and an EASA Part-66 licence.

Since the UK left the European Union, these are separate licences issued under separate regulatory systems. Holding one does not automatically entitle you to the other, and the transitional conversion arrangements have ended.

What changed after Brexit?

The UK initially retained much of the EASA regulatory framework in domestic law, including requirements for Part-66 licensing, Part-145 maintenance organisations and Part-147 maintenance training organisations. The UK framework remains familiar to engineers trained under EASA rules before Brexit.

However, the UK CAA and EASA Member State authorities now administer separate systems. Their requirements may differ in acceptable means of compliance, guidance material, application processes, forms, supporting evidence and organisational approvals.

A UK CAA Part-66 licence is issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. An EASA Part-66 licence is issued by the competent authority of an EASA Member State under the relevant EASA aircraft maintenance licensing requirements. They are not interchangeable licences.

Can one licence be converted into the other?

Not automatically. A post-Brexit recognition route allowed certain holders of EU Part-66 licences to apply for a UK Part-66 licence during the two years following 31 December 2020. That route has ended.

An EASA licence holder seeking a UK CAA Part-66 licence must now apply through the UK CAA process and provide the required evidence. Equally, holding a UK CAA Part-66 licence does not automatically result in the issue of an EASA Part-66 licence.

The applicable route depends on factors including:

• Licence category, such as A, B1, B2, B3 or C
• Aircraft type ratings
• Basic knowledge examination evidence
• Practical maintenance experience
• Training certificates and Certificates of Recognition
• The competent authority receiving the application

Keep complete records of module examinations, training certificates, type courses, logbooks, employment history and authorisations. These documents may be required when applying to either authority. Our guide to transferring an EASA Part-66 AML provides additional context for engineers planning regulatory changes.

What does holding both licences allow you to do?

A Part-66 licence alone does not give unrestricted certification privileges. Your privileges depend on your licence category, aircraft type ratings, current practical experience, organisational authorisation and the regulatory framework under which the aircraft and maintenance organisation operate.

• A UK CAA Part-66 licence can support certification privileges for UK-registered aircraft, subject to the appropriate ratings and company authorisation.
• An EASA Part-66 licence can support certification privileges within the EASA system, subject to the appropriate ratings and company authorisation.

Dual licensing may be valuable for engineers working with UK Part-145 and EASA Part-145 organisations, airlines with UK and EU operations, maintenance providers serving customers in both jurisdictions, or contract operators moving between UK and European bases.

It does not remove the need for organisational authorisation, recurrent training, human factors training, procedures training or aircraft-specific competency assessment.

Do you need both licences?

Not necessarily. If you work exclusively in the UK for UK CAA-approved organisations and certify UK-registered aircraft, a UK CAA Part-66 licence may be sufficient. If you work permanently within an EASA Member State for organisations operating solely under EASA approvals, an EASA Part-66 licence may be the priority.

Holding both licences may be worthwhile if you:

• Want access to UK and EU maintenance roles
• Work for an employer holding both UK and EASA approvals
• Undertake contract work across several countries
• Plan to relocate between the UK and Europe
• Support fleets with UK and EASA registrations
• Want to retain wider career options

Dual licensing does not guarantee employment, but it can increase your usefulness to organisations operating across both regulatory systems.

What about Part-145, CAMO and Part-147 approvals?

The same separation applies to organisational approvals. A UK CAA Part-145 approval and an EASA Part-145 approval are distinct approvals. The same principle applies to CAMO and Part-147 approvals.

An organisation that maintains or manages aircraft under both systems may require approvals in both jurisdictions. When assessing an employer or contract opportunity, establish which authority issued its approval and what scope of work that approval covers. The statement that an organisation is Part-145 approved is no longer sufficient on its own.

If you are still completing your qualifications, use our list of Part-147 training schools to investigate approved training options.

Are training certificates recognised?

Training evidence remains important, but its acceptance is not automatic. Certificates of Recognition, module certificates and type-training records may support licence issue or rating endorsement applications. Whether they are accepted depends on the issuing organisation, the relevant approval, the application route and any applicable time limits.

Before enrolling on a course or submitting an application, confirm:

• Whether the course is approved by the relevant UK CAA or EASA Part-147 organisation
• Whether its certificate is accepted for your intended licence application
• How long the examination and training evidence remains valid
• Whether additional experience, practical assessment or differences training is required

Does the UK accept EASA approvals, and vice versa?

The UK and EU have arrangements covering recognition in some design and airworthiness areas, including certain changes, repairs and technical approvals. These arrangements do not make UK CAA and EASA Part-66 licences interchangeable.

Recognition of a design approval, repair approval or technical document is separate from the licensing of certifying staff. Engineer licensing must be assessed under the requirements of the authority issuing the licence.

A Practical Route for Engineers

If you intend to hold both licences, take a structured approach:

• Choose a primary licence route based on your current role and strongest employment market.
• Meet the basic knowledge and experience requirements for the relevant authority.
• Retain all supporting evidence, including module certificates, Certificates of Recognition, logbooks, employment records, type-training certificates and authorisations.
• Apply separately to the UK CAA and to the competent authority of the relevant EASA Member State.
• Check type-rating requirements carefully if the same type rating is needed on both licences.
• Maintain both licences and organisational authorisations in accordance with the applicable requirements.

Accurate experience records are essential during an application. Read our guide on CAP 741 logbooks for B1 and B2 engineers before organising your evidence.

The Bottom Line

You can hold both a UK CAA Part-66 licence and an EASA Part-66 licence. They are separate licences issued by separate authorities, and neither automatically converts into the other.

New applicants should expect to follow the normal application process for each authority. For engineers whose work spans the UK and Europe, dual licensing can broaden employment options, provided the required type ratings, organisational authorisations and practical experience are also in place.

Before applying, check the current guidance published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the competent authority of the EASA Member State to which you intend to apply.