Hong Kong
Guide · Licenses
Pilot license conversion in Hong Kong
- CAD · Civil Aviation Department
- 2 min read
- Last checked 6 Nov 2026
We are not an aviation authority. This guide summarizes the official sources linked in each section. Rules change, so confirm with your authority before you enroll. Last checked November 2026.
In short
CAD sets individual conversion terms after assessing your experience. Holders of a professional license from an ICAO state are normally exempt from the General Flight Test, and some exams may be credited. CAD normally handles a professional license only when you have a genuine need to fly Hong Kong registered aircraft, which in practice means through a Hong Kong airline.
What you will need
- A license you earned by examination, not by conversion, with a multi-engine aircraft rating and an instrument rating
- A Hong Kong Class 1 medical and a Hong Kong English assessment at ICAO Level 4 or higher; there are no exemptions for either
- The exams CAD names in writing. Equivalent passes can exempt you from papers such as navigation, meteorology, flight planning, instruments, radio aids and human performance, and all exams must be passed within 12 months of the first one
Three things to check before you enroll
Does your home authority accept the school?
Some authorities only recognize training at foreign schools they have approved.
What will you sit at home?
Most authorities ask for at least an air law exam and a flight test, some for much more.
Do you need a sponsor first?
In some places the authority only converts a license when an employer or airline asks for it.
Talk it through with us, free
Our school advisory is free for students. Partner schools pay us a commission when a student we advised enrolls.
East Asia
Bringing your license home Sources and last checked
- CAD FAQ last checked 6 Nov 2026
- CAD professional licences last checked 6 Nov 2026
- CAD 54 last checked 6 Nov 2026