Welcome to all foreign radioamateurs to Belgium!
The UBA wishes all foreign radio amateurs and their families, who plan to visit our beautiful country, a very pleasant stay. We feel sure you will enjoy this multicultural country, where most people speak at least two, and many 4 or 5 languages. Communicating in English will be no problem!
You'd like to operate ham radio in Belgium?
We have 3 licence classes:
Class A (CEPT HAREC equivalent)
Belgium complies with the CEPT Recommendation TR61-01 and 02. If your country does as well the licensing procedure will be quite easy:
- If you have a radio amateur license with the CEPT mention (CEPT TR61-01), and if your stay is not longer than 3 months you can operate a radio amateur station using your own call preceded by "ON/" (ON slash your call). Example: if your call is W1XYZ you will use the call ON/W1XYZ.
- If you plan to stay longer than 3 months and you hold a HAREC operator certificate (CEPT TR61-02), you can apply for a Belgian callsign. Contact BIPT/IBPT, the Belgian regulatory body regarding radio licenses.
Class B (CEPT Novice equivalent)
- If you have a radio amateur license with the CEPT mention (ECC Recommendation (05)06), and if your stay is not longer than 3 months you can operate a radio amateur station using your own call preceded by "ON/" (ON slash your call). Example: if your call is DO1ABC you will use the call ON/DO1ABC.
- If you plan to stay longer than 3 months and you hold a CEPT Novice operator certificate (ERC Report 32), you can apply for a Belgian callsign. Contact BIPT/IBPT, the Belgian regulatory body regarding radio licenses.
Class C (Basic licence)
Although this licence class is ECC Report 89 equivalent there is no automatic recognition of foreign ECC Report 89 licences! This means that even if you hold a ECC Report 89 equivalent licence you have to apply for a Belgian callsign.
More details
All details about the bands (frequency ranges) and power for the 3 license classes can be found in Rules and regulations.
If your PTT administration didn't sign the CEPT agreements, you can ask for a special guest license. Send an inquiry letter with a photocopy of your license to BIPT/IBPT. In any case you should include a photocopy of your licence together with the study program relating to the radio amateur examination in your country. The whole procedure may take quite a while and no guarantee of success.