This morning, I got an e-mail from a Malaysian reader who wrote:
I’m now studying for FCC examination. We have many US callsign holders here in Malaysia since our VE from Thailand held FCC exams here in Kuala Lumpur. I need your help and recommendation for FCC ham radio exam study materials. Could you me out some of good materials ?
Of course, I recommended my study guides, and after swapping a couple of e-mails, he figured out how to pay for them via PayPal, and he’s now the proud owner of the No Nonsense General Class License Study Guide and the No Nonsense Extra Class License Study Guide.
We then got into a discussion of how a non-resident gets a U.S. license. He said, “As stated in the FCC rules, I need to have U.S. resident’s address. Do you know how can I get it?” I just looked through the rules, but don’t really find anything that requires a U.S. address. Do any of you know if a U.S. address is required?
Over and above that, I wondered what the attraction is of getting a U.S. callsign. When I asked this fellow, he said:
I like to challenge myself. Some people have said that the Malaysian radio amateur examination is easier than FCC tech exam. We only have 2 classes here in Malaysia. Class B for RAE and to be class A, you only need to pass 12 wpm CW test. A CW test is still required in Malaysia!…Dan
Many of my friends have passed the FCC exam lately. Three of my friends passed the Tech, General and Extra in one examination session.
If I have US callsign, I can apply for an Indonesian reciprocal callsign, if I want to operate in Indonesia. If many Malaysian have US callsign, maybe next time we will have our own VE here.
So, these things, especially the reciprocal privileges, seem valid, but I’m still kind of surprised that it’s really worth the effort to do this.
David Ryeburn VE7EZM and AF7BZ says
You wrote: “What’s the appeal of U.S. licenses for non-U.S. residents?” Here’s why I have one. If I were a Canadian citizen and not a US citizen I could operate as VE7EZM/W7 when I go down to WA state. But I am a US citizen (and a Canadian resident), so that is prohibited. My AF7BZ license takes care of that problem. So that’s one reason some non-US residents may want a US license. US citizens cannot operate inside the US using non-US licenses. Non-US citizens may have other reasons.
By the same token if I were a US citizen and not a Canadian citizen I could operate up here in BC as AF7BZ/VE7. But I am a Canadian citizen so that is prohibited. Non-Canadian citizens may have other reasons.
Your Malaysian reader wrote: “As stated in the FCC rules, I need to have U.S. resident’s address.” That is not true. What you need is a US mailing address, not a US residence. I have had for many years and for other reasons a rented PO Box in a border town in WA state, which takes care of that problem. I do no live inside that tiny box.
He also wrote: “If I have US callsign, I can apply for an Indonesian reciprocal callsign, if I want to operate in Indonesia.” That may or may not be true. I don’t know what the regulations are in that part of the world. I know what they are for the US and Canada. I was surprised, when I got my VE7EZM license after not being licensed anywhere since 1967, that it wouldn’t be useful south of the 49th parallel, but careful reading of the regulations disclosed that fact, and I made the 50 mile trip to Bellingham, WA when exams were given there in order to get my US license. I later found out that Canada has a similar regulation, so a Canadian citizen living in Seattle with a W7 license and wanting to operate in Vancouver, BC would need to get a VE7 license too.
Paul N8HM says
There are several countries that do not have an amateur radio testing process. The way hams get licensed in those countries is often by taking the US exam and then using their US license to prove their qualifications (international treaty requires anyone issued an amateur radio license to have passed an exam).
Eric 4Z1UG says
If you have dual citizenship with another country and the USA, you have to use your US call sign while on US soil. I used my US Extra class license to get my Israeli Class A license. We have an ARRL VE group in Jerusalem, however, we are careful to use it only with US citizens to keep from stepping on the toes of the local national club and the communications ministry.
Joshua KK4RVI | DC7IA says
Hi Dan,
I am German and I made the Extra Class.
Reasons are: Shorter ways to the next examination (I made it on a local fieldday), I had to pay less (German examinations cost 80€ and 70€ for the Call Sign, but hopefully it will change soon), German examinations are at 9 a.m. and as a student I couldn’t afford a hotel. If I would travel several hours in the morning, I’d have been to tired to remember the answers to the questions. The only disadvantage is that I had to pay 200€ to the Federal Network Agency to get my German Call Sign from another countrys license. But still cheaper than the German license for me. And I like to practise English. ;)
I also became VE. After I became 18 years old, I made the open book review. There are lots of people who want to do the exam. Sometimes people travel long distances. There are also many people who come from the US military bases in Germany to get their license.
73 Joshua KK4RVI or DC7IA from Middle-West of Germany
Martin says
I grew up in Germany where I got curios what the big antenna in a neighbors yard was good for when I was a teenager playing with CB radio. On day I asked him and he showed me his amazing shack and easily made voice contact with Japan (fullsize beam, 750W on 20m). I got hooked and joined a club. They had a 3 month long class, once a week in the evening for 3h. I only had a 50cc scooter and had to travel 45min one way in any weather, but it was totally worth it as the instructor was a retired teacher who was a very good mentor. The test can only be taken in a few cities in the country and there are only tests every few months. For me it was a 4h train ride+bus and 2 miles of walking as I was too young for a drivers license.
I was so proud to hold the german class E license (80/15/10 and higher frequencies max 100W, equivalent to a US general class). School and studies became more important and I never upgraded my german licence to the class A (extra).
2010ish I was in the US for 6 months on a long term business trip and met a local ham. He talked me into taling the technician test. After that I figured out that the US gives full extra class permissions to german class E licensees but as I had taken the technician class test and had a Us call by than I had to stick with the technician class privileges.
A few years later I had another longer business trip and used that chance and upgraded to extra class. For two reasons. First I wanted to become a real ham with a full privilege license, second I could kill 2 flies with one stone as the US extra class is accepted in Germany to get the local class A license.
I like the way testing is done in the US. The fees are so much lower, there are many locations you can take the test, in some areas there are even multiple tests in one week because there are multiple clubs that offer exam sessions. In Germany you even have to pay an annual frequency usage and EMC fee.
I tavel often between Europe and the US and it’s also fun to use the local callsigns and have different QSL cards.
There are many reasons to get a US license for foreigners, my daughter was born on one of the longterm businesses trips in the US and holds both citizenships. She is interested in the hobby and she is only studying for the US license tests. There are now every few months US VE sessions on german ham fests and by getting her US ticket she will get the german one as a bonus. As a Us citizen she would habe to take the US tests anyways and in Germany the US certificate is valid to obtain the local license.
Willie says
Hi, I have been a radio enthusiast for many years now but just never had the time to take the exam due to work constraints. Now I have lots of time in my hands I am currently studying for the US technician class. I see now remote exams can be taken over zoom instead of in person exams. When I eventually book a remote exam I assume I can show my UK passport or my Lithuanian residents ID card for proof of ID? I am currently resident in Lithuania?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
Dan KB6NU says
I don’t know. That’s a really good question. You should contact w5yi.org or [email protected] with that question.