FAQ - Language Proficiency 

In accordance with FCL.055, aeroplane, helicopter, powered-lift and airship pilots required to use the radio telephone shall not exercise the privileges of their licenses and ratings unless they have a language proficiency endorsement on their license in either English or the language used for radio communications involved in the flight. The endorsement shall indicate the language, the proficiency level and the validity date, and it shall be obtained in accordance with a procedure established by a competent authority. The minimum acceptable proficiency level is the operational level (Level 4) in accordance with Appendix 2 to the Annex of Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011. 
 
Exempt from this requirement are holders of licenses for gliders and balloons as well as holders of national (non-ICAO-compliant) licenses (e.g. for ultralight aircraft).
 
If the pilots affected by this requirement wish to participate in radio communications in an airspace where radiotelephony in German is permitted, an entry for German in field XIII Remarks of the pilot license is sufficient. With such an entry exclusively for German, the use of the English language in controlled airspace as well as in IFR flights is not permitted.
Basically, there is no procedure and no possibility in Austria to determine and enter a language endorsement in a language other than English or German for a valid license entry, since there is neither an approved test procedure nor certified examiners for this purpose. 
However, existing language endorsements in a language other than English or German can be carried over for validation or transfer to an EASA license.
It is also possible to use a confirmation of language proficiency of a language other than English or German by a competent authority of an EASA member state for the entry of a language endorsement.
To issue a language endorsement, please send the certificate or proof of the language proficiency test and the Application for a language proficiency endorsement (FO_LFA_ACW_096) by email to
The list of certified aviation language proficiency tests for pilots published on the Austro Control website (DC_LFA_ACW_011) states all language proficiency tests whose positive certificates (Level 4, 5 and 6) can be used for a language proficiency endorsement. 
 
To make an appointment for a language proficiency test, please contact one of the Language Testing Bodies listed on the Austro Control homepage (DC_LFA_ACW_010).
 
In addition to the language proficiency tests certified by Austro Control, we recognize all procedures for the issuance of a language endorsement established by a competent authority of an EASA member state.
Please note that item 4.1 of the Application for a language proficiency endorsement (FO_LFA_ACW_096) must be signed by the language proficiency examiner if a language endorsement procedure of another EASA Member State has been selected.

The entry of the language endorsement on the license is independent of the validity of the license itself.
Depending on the language proficiency level achieved, the language endorsement is valid for 4 years (Level 4) or 6 years (Level 5) and must be made at these intervals after completion of a new language proficiency test if it is not valid indefinitely (Level 6). 

The mutual recognition of the procedures for issuing a language proficiency endorsement of the EASA member states was implemented by Regulation (EU) 2019/1747. An EASA- or ICAO-wide harmonization of these test procedures is still under development.
 

Information and changes concerning the area of language proficiency for pilots will be published on the Austro Control website.

License entries for initial language endorsements shall be made exclusively by Austro Control's Licensing Department; Any other entries are not valid. 
 
Extensions of the validity of the language proficiency (at the same level) can, in addition to the possibility of entry by the authority, also be made by means of a manual entry on the back of the license by language proficiency examiners (LPE), if they also hold an examiner authorization (e.g. FE, CRE, TRE, SFE).
 
Recommendation: Since the manual entry for the extension of the language proficiency is not implemented in the same way in all EASA member states and it can lead to irritations during a ramp check, we recommend pilots of international air traffic to have the extension carried out by the authority.
 
ICAO requires: "Both ICAO phraseology AND plain language are required for safe radiotelephony communications".
The main focus of the language proficiency test is to extend the competence and verification beyond standard phraseology to the competence of "plain language" ("the spontaneous, creative and non-coded use of a given natural language", i.e. the English common language apart from the standard aeronautical phraseology), whereas the main focus of the radiotelephony test is ICAO phraseology.