ICAO language proficiency and AESA: validity and licence endorsement

Is your ICAO test valid for an AESA licence? Yes – here’s why

The legal basis in three points

• Art. 7.1 of the Orden: the standard route is assessment centres approved by AESA itself, «sin perjuicio de lo dispuesto en el artículo 17.2» – “without prejudice to Article 17.2”.
• Art. 17.2 of the Orden: AESA «aceptará» – “shall accept” – certificates from centres whose method has been approved by the competent authority of another state under Regulation (EU) 1178/2011.
• FCL.055 (b): since Regulation (EU) 2019/1747, the assessment may be conducted by an examiner certified, or a language assessment body approved, by “a competent authority”. Spain expressly provides for accepting these certificates in Art. 17.2.

Worth knowing: EASA does not approve language assessment bodies. Each state’s authority does – in our case, Austro Control.

Does an online test count?

Neither the Orden nor FCL.055 says whether the assessment must be in person or online. AMC1 FCL.055 allows “a wide variety of means or technologies” and requires both face-to-face and voice-only situations.

The online format meets the requirements of AMC1 FCL.055: you talk to your examiner by video call, and the interview includes a voice-only phase with the examiner’s camera switched off. ICAO’s EUR Doc 046 (2023) also provides for proctored online testing, subject to conditions. The decision on the endorsement always rests with AESA.

The Orden also lists the parts of the assessment (Art. 9.1): listening comprehension, speaking, an interview on common and work-related topics, and a voice-only interview without visual contact. Your test covers all of them. For Level 6, the Orden provides for two assessors (Art. 9.3). At GAT, every test is rated by two assessors, whatever the level. How the test works, part by part

GAT, LTB 112 and Austro Control: who does what

Three parties are involved in your test. You can check everything below in public sources.

Organiser

GAT – German Aviation Trainingbooking, live test via Zoom and support in English or Spanish

Assessment body

LTB 112 · Leonding (Austria)second rating and issue of your certificate

Authority

Austro Control GmbH, Viennaapproves and oversees the assessment method of LTB 112

Approval

Approval Certificate No. LTB-112issued by Austro Control under Part-FCL.055

Test

“ICAO Level” · English, Levels 4, 5 and 6on Austro Control’s list of language assessment bodies

Examiners

A-126-LPE · A-143-LPE · A-187-LPEon Austro Control’s examiner list, up to Level 6

Rating

Two assessors for every testa third rating by Austro Control if needed

The Approval Certificate is the approval of LTB 112 as a language assessment body. We send you a copy with your certificate: it is the “copy of the approval” that AESA’s form asks for. Curious who will test you? Meet our examiners.

Why GAT is not on AESA’s CECL list

AESA publishes a list of language proficiency assessment centres (centros evaluadores de competencia lingüística, CECL). It only includes centres whose method AESA itself has approved – the Art. 7.1 route. Centres approved by another state’s authority are not on it: their route is Art. 17.2.

That is why LTB 112 appears on Austro Control’s lists rather than AESA’s. It is also why AESA asks for a copy of the assessment body’s approval with your application. We provide it.

The version of the list we checked (12 June 2026) contains 13 centres. All of them test in person and are based in Madrid, Jerez, Málaga/Torremolinos or Barcelona/Badalona. Some hold sessions in other cities once enough candidates sign up. If you live in the Canary or Balearic Islands, Valencia, Galicia or the north, you will usually have to travel or wait for one of those sessions. AESA CECL list (PDF, Spanish)

Getting your level endorsed on an AESA licence: step by step

The process is the same for a first endorsement, a higher level and a renewal. You submit the application. We give you the assessment documents and help you in writing, in English or Spanish.

Before you start: check your English RT privileges

Language proficiency and radiotelephony (RT) privileges are separate entries on your licence (Art. 4 of the Orden). But AESA links them: to have an English level endorsed, your licence must also include RT privileges in English, in section XII.

• Look at section XII of your licence. Most pilots trained in English already hold English RT privileges.
• Only hold RT privileges in Spanish? Then you may need the English RT entry first. Under Art. 4.1 of the Orden, it is obtained through the communications exam and a skill test or proficiency check in which you use the radio in English. Check your case with AESA.
• Our test does not grant RT privileges. It certifies your English language proficiency under FCL.055.

AESA explains this in its FAQ (in Spanish)

1. Take the test and receive your certificate

The test takes about 30 minutes, live via Zoom. Within 24 hours – usually the same day – you receive your result, your certificate and the copy of LTB 112’s approval by email.

If you do not reach Level 4, we send nothing to AESA or your school. You can book again whenever you like.

2. Gather the documents

AESA’s form (Annex III, «Anotación, renovación del nivel de Competencia Lingüística») asks for three documents. Here is the Spanish wording and what it means:

1. Assessment certificate issued by the assessment body«Certificado de evaluación expedido por el centro evaluador»Your LTB 112 certificate, sent by email.We send it
2. Proof of payment of the fee (tariff 24)«Justificante de liquidación de tasas: tarifa 24.ª»Your receipt for the AESA fee – see step 3.
3. Copy of the assessment body’s approval by its competent authority, if the body is not approved by AESA«Copia de la aprobación como centro evaluador expedida por la autoridad competente en caso de no estar aprobado por AESA»Austro Control’s Approval Certificate LTB-112.We send it

Depending on your licence, AESA may ask for additional information or documents.

3. Pay the AESA fee

The fee is tasa 312, tarifa 24.ª: €23.34 in 2026. You pay it directly to AESA; it is not included in the price of our test. There are three ways to pay:

• Online with form 791 (modelo 791), using Cl@ve or an electronic certificate.
• At a collaborating bank (entidad colaboradora).
• By bank transfer, if you are not resident in Spain.

The amount can change from year to year, so check it before you pay. Fee payment in AESA’s e-office · AESA fees 2026 (PDF)

4. Submit the application

Use the form for your type of licence (see the table). In Section G, «Radiotelefonía y competencia lingüística» (radiotelephony and language proficiency), tick «Anotación del nivel de competencia lingüística por obtención/actualización o renovación» – endorsement of the language proficiency level on first issue, update or renewal. Attach the three documents from step 2.

The most convenient route is AESA’s e-office (sede electrónica), using the procedure «Gestión de licencia de piloto de avión» (SIA code 2308918). You identify yourself with Cl@ve or an electronic certificate. Go to the procedure in the e-office

If you have neither Cl@ve nor an electronic certificate, you can submit it:

• at any public registry office;
• at a Correos post office;
• at a Spanish consulate, if you are abroad;
• in person or by post at AESA: Paseo de la Castellana 112, 28046 Madrid.

Helicopter licence? Check in the e-office which procedure applies to your licence.

5. AESA decides and updates your licence

AESA reviews the application and endorses the level. It has a maximum of three months from the date the application enters its electronic register (Art. 3.2). If no decision is issued within that period, the application is deemed rejected. We cannot predict how long it will take in your case, so apply in good time.

AESA issues licences in electronic form only. If AESA asks for anything about the assessment, email us or message us on WhatsApp , in English or Spanish. By phone we speak English and German.

Professional or general aviation licence: which form to use

AESA has one form for professional licences and another for general aviation. In both, language proficiency is in Section G.

If you hold an instrument rating (IR), FCL.055 (d) also requires you to demonstrate your English. FCL.055 explained

Common mistakes when applying

• Using old forms or rules. Many guides and forums still refer to the previous order, repealed in 2019. The rules in force are in Orden FOM/1146/2019. Always download the current form from the e-office.
• Forgetting the copy of the assessment body’s approval. If the body is approved by another authority, the form asks for it explicitly. It comes with your certificate in our email.
• Waiting until your level expires. AESA has a maximum of three months to decide. And if you renew in the three months before expiry, you don’t lose a single day of validity.
• Mixing up radiotelephony and language proficiency. They are two separate entries in section XII of your licence, and AESA requires both for an English endorsement. The ICAO test does not grant English RT privileges. What to check
• Believing Level 4 lasts three years. For pilots it is four years (Art. 5.1 and FCL.055). The three years apply to other personnel, such as AFIS staff (Art. 5.2).
• Assuming a B2 equals ICAO Level 4. CEFR B2 is a different scale. What counts for your licence is your level on the ICAO scale.
• Expecting the test to cover Spanish. We assess aviation English only. If an airline asks for a Spanish (castellano) level, that is a separate assessment.

Renewing your language proficiency: when to take the test

Validity depends on your level (Art. 5.1 of the Orden and FCL.055):

The three-month window (Art. 5.3). If you take the test in the three months before your level expires, the new validity runs from the old expiry date, so you don’t lose a day. If you take it earlier, validity runs from the test date (Art. 5.4).

Renewal is the same test as your first assessment. In the open Levels 4–6 test you may also reach a higher level and renew less often. Validity and renewal in detail

Special cases

Level 6 without a test: native speakers and C2 certificates

The Orden (Art. 6.1) allows Level 6 to be recognised without a test in two cases:

• you hold one of the C2 certificates listed in its Annex II – for English, for example Cambridge CPE, IELTS 7.5 or higher, Michigan ECPE or the C2 certificate of a Spanish Escuela Oficial de Idiomas;
• you are a native speaker and can prove it in the way AESA requires.

In both cases you also need RT privileges in that language. AESA explains the requirements in an information note from February 2025. If this applies to you, you may not need our test. AESA information note (PDF, Spanish) · Level 6 without a test: who qualifies

Your licence was issued by another state

This guide is for licences issued by AESA. If another EASA state’s authority issued your licence, that authority makes the endorsement, with its own forms and requirements. Check them before you book.

Official sources

• Orden FOM/1146/2019 of 13 November 2019 (BOE No. 283, 25 November 2019; BOE-A-2019-16892): Arts. 3.2, 4, 5, 6.1, 7.1, 9 and 17.2 – boe.es (Spanish)
• Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Part-FCL (FCL.055), consolidated version – eur-lex.europa.eu
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1747, amending FCL.055 – boe.es (Spanish)
• EASA: Easy Access Rules for Aircrew, including AMC1 FCL.055 – easa.europa.eu
• AESA e-office: «Gestión de licencia de piloto de avión» (SIA 2308918) – sede.seguridadaerea.gob.es · form LIC-FCL-P01-F01 (PDF)
• AESA: fee payment – sede.seguridadaerea.gob.es · fees 2026 (PDF)
• AESA: list of language proficiency assessment centres (PDF) – seguridadaerea.gob.es
• AESA: information note on Level 6, February 2025 (PDF) – seguridadaerea.gob.es
• AESA: FAQ on language proficiency and radiotelephony – seguridadaerea.gob.es
• Austro Control GmbH: lists of language assessment bodies, tests and examiners – austrocontrol.at
• LTB 112: Approval Certificate No. LTB-112 issued by Austro Control (image) – ltb112.eu
• ICAO: EUR Doc 046, guidance on the harmonised implementation of language proficiency requirements, 2023 (PDF) – icao.int