CEPT stands for the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations, which provides radio-amateur licenses that allow amateurs to travel to and operate from most European countries without obtaining an additional license or permit.
Learn More

International Amateur Radio Permit. For operation in certain countries of the Americas, allowing US amateurs to operate without seeking a special license...
Learn More

For countries that are not in either CEPT or IARP, traveling Amateur Radio operators will need to get a Reciprocal Permit.

 
Learn More

Some countries, like Canda, a prexisting agreement exists with the US in allowing for Amateurs to operate with minimal issues.

Operating in international waters has its own special regulations.
Learn More

HAREC is the Harmonized Amateur Radio Examination Certificate, T/R 61-02. It applies to European participating countries. It allows amateurs to go from one European country to another and obtain a full license and callsign issued by that country. .HAREC does not apply for temporary operating permits for visitors.
 

If you are applying for a foreign operating permit and they request a copy of your HAREC certification, explain that the US does not participate in HAREC.  If the country is a signatory of the cEPT agreement you should be allowed to operate but will have to use their national prefix appended to your US callsign (such as I0/W1AW).

Though rarely required, it is a photocopy of your FCC license in which it is certified that the photocopy is identical to the original and that the license has not expired and is still valid. A notary public should be able to do this if he or she can compare a photocopy with the original and is given the phone number of the FCC Consumer Center phone number at: 888-CALL FCC for confirmation of the validity of the license. See also the FCC ULS

database.

Most countries which do not participate in CEPT or IARP assess a fee for permits. It is best to send a bank draft drawn on a bank which does business in the country concerned, or to draw an international postal money order and send a copy of the receipt, unless otherwise instructed. Personal checks are very seldom accepted in foreign countries though US dollars may be.

You may, but you take a chance by delaying application for the permit. If you do and if you enclose a fee, if required, you should give your address in the host country where you would like your permit, if granted, to be mailed. Another option is to pay the fee, if required, when you pick up a permit upon arrival in that country. Some countries prefer that you show up in person, compete the form and pay any fee and it may be issued on the spot.

If you have not received the permit when it is close to the time to leave, write or call the overseas licensing administration. If you prefer calling but do not have their telephone number, call their embassy or consulate in the United States and ask for the telephone number of the communications licensing agency in the country. Be aware that the embassy or consulate generally can't help with the issuance of the permit and they may have little or no knowledge of Amateur Radio.

Another option is to contact the national Amateur Radio society and a list of them all appears on the IARU Web page. In some instances, the national Amateur Radio society works directly with the national telecommunications agency or can work with them if needed.

A few amateurs have reported problems with Customs. Many countries will not allow you to bring in communication equipment without a license or permit unless other permission is obtained in advance. If you have already applied for a permit and expect to pick it up as soon as you are permitted into the country, show the Customs officer a copy of your application. If you intend to apply for a permit later or are just carrying the equipment before or after operating in some other country, show your FCC license (and the permit of the other country). This will help you to justify carrying communication equipment. It is quite likely, however, that your equipment will be withheld at the Customs point until you obtain a permit or you are leaving the country. In any case, never try to secretly take in any equipment.

For complete information see the Amateur Operation in International Waters FAQ. Another good reference is the Waterway Radio and Cruising Club.

Operation on a commercial passenger airplane is strictly forbidden as it may cause interference to the navigation control system.

Since September 11, 2001, airline security has been strengthened at all airports. Amateurs should check with their airline for any new security measures, but, generally, amateurs are safe to take a transceiver on as carry-on baggage. Security officials may ask that the equipment be turned on and off to show them that it is what you say that it is. Amateurs can also check amateur gear, but ARRL HQ has received isolated reports of damage caused by the stronger x-ray gear used in the security process.

The International Travel Host Exchange (ITHE) is a program in which ITHE host participants who are interested in entertaining amateur visitors in their homes. They might even agree to may let you stay overnight during your visit and may let you operate their stations. The ITHE is administered by the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC)

, the national Amateur Radio administration in Germany.

See SOFA.

The Department of Defense defines SOFA as: An agreement that defines the legal position of a visiting military force deployed in the territory of a friendly state. Agreements delineating the status of visiting military forces may be bilateral or multilateral. Provisions pertaining to the status of visiting forces may be set forth in a separate agreement, or they may form a part of a more comprehensive agreement. These provisions describe how the authorities of a visiting force may control members of that force and the amenability of the force or its members to the local law or to the authority of local officials. To the extent that agreements delineate matters affecting the relations between a military force and civilian authorities and population, they may be considered as civil affairs agreements.
 

Amateurs are concerned only with the part affecting Amateur Radio licensing.

In the case of countries which normally license foreign amateurs, ARRL updates the information on the ARRL Web page as soon as it is received and verified. This only applys to those listings housed on  the ARRL website. It is impossible to constantly check and verify information on these pages, so we must rely on you to contact us if you become aware of changes in data or links to the various  telecommunications agencie websites or data.

If you find any information given by us which is outdated or if you discover new information, please report it to us. We would very much appreciate your helping us to help our fellow amateurs who will follow you. If the information is maintained by ARRL, send it to [email protected]. If the information is maintained on the website previously maintained by Veke, OH2MCN (SK) we are not aware of who maintains that website since his passing.