EASA rating validity periods: the complete guide

Every rating on your EASA licence has its own validity period, its own revalidation method, and its own consequences for lapsing. This is a practical reference covering every common rating — bookmark it and check back when your next expiry approaches.

Class ratings

Class ratings cover groups of similar aircraft rather than a specific type. The most common are SEP (single-engine piston) and MEP (multi-engine piston).

SEP (land) — Single-Engine Piston, landplane Check or hours

Validity: 24 months. SEP is the rating held by most PPL and CPL holders for day-to-day general aviation flying. It is the only class or type rating that offers two paths to revalidation:

• Proficiency check — flown with an authorised Flight Examiner at any point within the 3-month window before expiry
• Hours-based — 12 hours on SEP class during the validity period, including 6 hours PIC and 1 hour dual with an FI or CRI

The hours path requires planning. If you are short on hours as expiry approaches, book a proficiency check — there is no extension on the hours requirement.

SEP (sea) and TMG Check or hours

Validity: 24 months. Same revalidation structure as SEP land. Hours must be on the specific class (SEP sea or TMG); they are not interchangeable with SEP land hours for revalidation purposes.

MEP (land) — Multi-Engine Piston, landplane Check only

Validity: 12 months. MEP revalidation requires a proficiency check; there is no hours-only path. The check is typically flown on a light twin and covers asymmetric handling, IFR procedures, and normal/abnormal operations.

MEP and SEP land ratings are often revalidated in the same sortie if the aircraft is a twin SEP, but confirm this with your examiner — the MEP check has its own specific content requirements.

Instrument Rating (IR)

IR (Instrument Rating) Check only

Validity: 12 months. The IR must be revalidated by an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) with an authorised examiner (FE or IRE). The check covers departure, en-route, approach, and missed approach procedures in IMC conditions or a simulator qualified for the check.

An IR lapses independently of the class or type rating it is attached to. It is possible to hold a valid SEP rating but a lapsed IR — the SEP privileges remain, but IFR operations are unlawful until the IR is renewed.

When a combined check covers both an IR revalidation and a class/type rating revalidation, the check counts for both — confirm the correct documentation with your examiner.

BIR (Basic Instrument Rating) Check only

Validity: 12 months. Introduced under EASA as a modular alternative to the full IR, the BIR allows IFR flight below FL100 under specific conditions. Revalidation requires an IPC with an examiner authorised for the BIR.

EIR (En-route Instrument Rating) Check only

Validity: 12 months. The EIR covers en-route IFR flight but not instrument approaches. It is being superseded by the BIR in most member states, but existing EIRs remain valid and must be revalidated by IPC.

Type ratings

Single-pilot type rating Check only

Validity: 12 months. Single-pilot type ratings (e.g. PC-12, TBM series, certain light jets) are revalidated by proficiency check on type or in a qualified full-flight simulator (FFS) or flight training device (FTD). The check must include the specific aircraft type; a generic piston proficiency check does not suffice.

Multi-pilot type rating (MPL/ATPL types) Check only

Validity: 12 months. Airline type ratings (A320, B737, etc.) are revalidated annually via an operator proficiency check (OPC) conducted under the airline's approved training programme. Line checks may also be required by the operator's ops manual, but the OPC is the regulatory revalidation event. For pilots not on an active fleet, revalidation requires booking a simulator session through a type rating training organisation (TRTO).

Ratings that do not expire

Several ratings have no validity period under EASA Part-FCL:

No expiry does not mean no requirement. Currency requirements (recent experience) are separate from validity and may prevent you from carrying passengers even on a permanently valid rating. Check the specific requirements for your operation.

Instructor and examiner ratings

Flight instructor (FI), class rating instructor (CRI), instrument rating instructor (IRI), and type rating instructor (TRI) certificates all have validity periods — typically 3 years — and require a standardisation or proficiency event to revalidate. Examiner authorisations vary by type. These are beyond the scope of this guide; refer to Part-FCL Section 3 and your national authority for specifics.

Quick reference: common ratings summary