As part of the application for a private licence, you will need to take and pass exams in the following subject areas:

Common subjects

• Air law
• Human performance
• Meteorology
• Communications
• Navigation

Exams specific to the aircraft category

• Principles of flight
• Operational procedures
• Flight performance and planning
• Aircraft general knowledge

You will need to set up a customer portal account to access Private pilot theoretical knowledge e-exams.

If you successfully pass the theoretical exams for the issue of a private pilot's licence, they will be valid for 24 months for you to submit an application for the LAPL issue.  

This period is counted from the date you pass your last theoretical knowledge examination.

Within these 24 months you must complete the flight training and pass the skill test, otherwise these exams will expire, and you will have to retake them.

Please see FCL.025 for more information related to exam validity. 

If you have passed the theoretical knowledge examinations for an airline transport pilot licence (ATPL) or for a commercial pilot licence (CPL) in the same category of aircraft, you will be credited with the theoretical knowledge requirements for a light aircraft pilot licence (LAPL). (FCL.035.b.)

Theoretical knowledge credit when applying for a LAPL in another aircraft category

If you are applying for a LAPL in another aircraft category, you will be credited the common theoretical knowledge subjects but not the exams that are specific to the aircraft category.

These will need to be taken and passed before you can submit a valid application.

We recommend that you discuss any theoretical knowledge credits that may apply with your training provider.

Applicants with prior experience as PIC may be credited towards the flight instruction training. 

The amount of credit shall be decided by the ATO or the DTO where the pilot undergoes the training course, on the basis of a pre-entry flight test, but shall in any case: 

1. Not exceed the total time as PIC, 
2. Not exceed 50 % of the 40 hours of flight instruction 
3. Not include the requirement of 5 hours of supervised solo flight time that includes the cross-country flight of at least 150 km ( 80 NM)

There has been a change to the rules for the conversion or validation of Third Country ICAO compliant licences/certificates. 

For conversion terms, please refer to(EU) 2020/723 of Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 for further information.

Applicants for a LAPL who have held another licence in the same category of aircraft shall be fully credited towards the requirements of the LAPL in that category of aircraft.

If the licence has lapsed, the applicant shall have to pass a skill test in accordance with FCL.125 for the issue of an LAPL in the appropriate aircraft category.

Licence privileges will be restricted to the type of aircraft used for the skill test.

However, you can extend your LAPL privileges if you are endorsed to do so by an examiner, similar to applying for ratings on other licence types.

To extend a LAPL(H) to include an additional type or variant you will need to complete the following:

1. 5 hours of flight instruction, including:

• 15 take-offs, approaches and landings under instruction
• 15 supervised solo take-offs, approaches and landings

2. A skill test to demonstrate adequate competence in the new type, during which you will also need to demonstrate an adequate level of theoretical knowledge for the type in the following subjects:

• Operational procedures
• Flight performance and planning
• Aircraft general knowledge

To extend the privileges of a LAPL (H) to include more complex variants of the class in which the skill test was taken, you will need to complete differences or familiarisation training, which will then be entered into your logbook and signed by your instructor.

If you are applying for any pilot licence under the military accreditation scheme (MAS) based on your service as a pilot in the UK military, you will need to upload the following documents alongside those required for the licence application:

• Completed form SRG 2133
• Certified copies of the following logbook pages: 
  - the Special Qualifications page
  - the last few pages of your military flying logbook

How to get copies of your documents certified. 

If you are applying for your licence on the basis of an ICAO-compliant licence held from a non-EASA state (a 'third-country' licence), you will need to apply for the verification of your third country ICAO licence. 

Please follow the verification of a third country ICAO licence process and submit an online form SRG2142.

We recommend that the Third Country Verification is obtained prior to your LAPL application as the turn-around of these applications is reliant on the response times of the NAA that has issued your ICAO licence.

Alternatively, you can submit these applications together but that means that the LAPL application will get processed outside our agreed processing time. 

When submitting your online LAPL application, you will be asked to upload the following documents alongside those required for the licence application:

• Certified copies of the logbook pages to confirm the hours and experience required for the issue of LAPL. 

The skill test must be conducted by an EASA state qualified Part-FCL approved examiner.

If the examiner for your skill test was approved by another EASA member state (not the UK), you will need  to upload the following documents alongside those required for the licence application:

• A copy of the examiners authorisation, 
• A copy of the examiners licence,
• A copy of the examiners medical certificate

(Please note: all 3 documents should be uploaded as single document that does not exceed 5mb)