It is the new owner's responsibility to re-register the aircraft under their own name within 28 days.
To register an aircraft on the UK Register, you will need to complete the CA1 form and provide evidence that the aircraft is insured.
If you are transferring an aircraft out of your name please inform us immediately by completing and returning the CA71: Notice of change of details on a UK Registered Aircraft Form.
Please note that the registration process is separate from the requirements to gain a Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) or Permit to Fly (P to F).
New owners are reminded that once they become the owner of a UK Registered aircraft that they are responsible for ensuring that the aircraft is fully maintained and operated in line with the requirements of the C of A or P to F. In particular, new owners are reminded that once they enter or re-enter an aircraft on the UK Register of Civil aircraft that in order to fly the aircraft legally they are responsible for making an application to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the issue of a C of A or P to F.
All issues surrounding the airworthiness of UK Registered aircraft are dealt with by the Shared Service Centre of the CAA or the appropriate recommending organisation for your aircraft.
For imported aircraft an application for a C of A cannot usually be accepted without appropriate transfer documents. Registration does not guarantee that the aircraft will qualify for a C of A or P to F if the applicable requirements for qualifying for such a certificate or permit are not met and the CAA reserves the right to reject C of A or P to F applications that do not meet the applicable requirements.
Important: In most cases, for a C of A, the transfer document referenced above is an Export Certificate of Airworthiness (EC of A) which should declare compliance with UK airworthiness requirements.
Unless otherwise agreed, the EC of A must be issued no more than 60 days before the application for the C of A.
How do I apply?
To re-register the aircraft, you will need to complete the CA1 form online and provide proof that the aircraft is insured or declaration the aircraft is not insured, just as with initial registration.
How much does it cost?
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Balloon, unpowered glider, microlight or any other aircraft having a maximum weight not exceeding 15,000kg |
£88.00 |
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Aircraft with a maximum weight exceeding 15,000kg |
£176.00 |
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If you have a requirement to register the aircraft urgently a Same Day service is available upon payment of an additional fee. |
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Same day processing service (in addition to the above fees) - Aircraft weighing 15,000kg or more |
£330.00 |
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Same day processing service – (in addition to the above fees) Aircraft weighing less than 15,000kg |
£205.00 |
What do I need to send with my application?
For verification the applicant should also attach a copy of their driving licence or passport photo page with the CA1 form.
Insurance
Evidence of insurance, or a declaration that the aircraft will not fly until evidence of insurance has been supplied to the CAA, must also be supplied with your application to register.
Details of insurance requirements are included on the CA1 application form. There is further information available for Mandatory Insurance Requirements.
Radio Licences
Please note that you may require a radio licence to be issued for your aircraft. All issues surrounding Radio Licensing are now dealt with by Ofcom, please contact them for further details.
General
An aircraft can be entered on the UK Register of Civil Aircraft either under the name of the aircraft owner or the charterer by demise. For full details of the legislation around registration of aircraft in the UK, please see Articles 24 to 32 of the Air Navigation Order 2016.
To be eligible to be entered on the UK Register of Civil Aircraft, the aircraft must be owned or chartered by:
- British citizens;
- Nationals of any European Economic Area state;
- Undertakings formed in accordance with the law of an EEA State which have their registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the EEA, including companies or undertakings incorporated in the UK;
- Firms carrying out business in Scotland;
- The Crown in right of Her Majesty's Government in the UK, and the Crown in right of the Scottish Administration;
- British protected persons.
An aircraft can be owned or chartered by:
- Commonwealth citizens,
- Bodies incorporated in and who have their principal place of business in any part of the Commonwealth.
But, only if the aircraft could not be more suitably registered in another part of the Commonwealth. Examples of when an aircraft can be entered on the UK Register include when the aircraft is based and maintained in the United Kingdom or the aircraft is in storage.
An aircraft can also be owned by an 'unqualified' owner:
- Nationals of any state not specified above,
- Companies incorporated in a state not specified above.
But, only if the aircraft is not used for commercial air transport whilst registered in the UK, and if it could not be more suitably registered in another ICAO contracting state. Examples of when an aircraft can be entered on the UK Register include when the aircraft is based and maintained in the United Kingdom or the aircraft is in storage.
What else do I need to know?
The seller should complete the relevant section of the aircraft's Certificate of Registration, sign and date it, and return the Certificate to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Aircraft Registration section.
If the Certificate of Registration is not available, use a Sale Notification Form.
Alternatively, a short letter or email from the current registered owner(s) confirming the details of the transfer may be sufficient.
The completed certificate should be forwarded to the Aircraft Registration Section office rather than the purchaser in order to avoid delays in re-registration.
If the aircraft is being purchased from someone other than the registered owner please ensure that you can identify a full chain of ownership from the last registered owner to the person purporting to be the owner of the aircraft.
Any person intending to take ownership, or to become the charterer of, a UK-registered is advised to check the registered ownership of the aircraft and to conduct a search of the UK Register of Aircraft Mortgages before completion of the transaction.
- More information about Mortgage Searches.
If you become a shareholder in a group-owned aircraft, you must ensure that the trustee of the group advices the CAA that you have joined. You do not need to notify the CAA directly of your shareholding.
A group-owned aircraft is registered in the name of a trustee for a group.
- More information about group ownership of aircraft.
It is possible to check the ownership of an aircraft by searching the UK Register database, G-INFO, using the aircraft's registration mark.
The registered owner should clearly state that the aircraft is registered to the trustee, in their capacity as 'Trustee of…'
If the aircraft is the subject of an irrevocable de-registration and export request authorisation ("IDERA") this must be revoked before the aircraft can be re-registered.
Change of registration marks
The registration marks of the aircraft can also be changed at the time of re-registration.
- More information on changing registration marks.
How long will it take for my application to be processed?
Once we are in receipt of all documentation including notification of transfer from the seller, Change of Registered Ownership and Other Register Amendments can take up to seven working days.
What happens next?
Upon receipt of an application we shall either complete UK registration or contact the applicant to advise which other documents are required in line with our service standards.
Once UK registration has been completed a Certificate of Registration will be issued and a certificate of cancellation to the seller.
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