RECIPROCAL LICENSING INFORMATION IS ON THE WEB

US amateurs planning to vacation in a foreign country this year will find it
easier to obtain permission to operate there. Amateur Radio operation from
several countries is now a reasonable goal--even for short trips.

The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administration--or
CEPT--Amateur Radio licensing system requires that you carry only three
documents. You'll need a copy of FCC Public Notice DA 99-2344 (available at
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/cept-ral.pdf), proof of US
citizenship, and your FCC-issued Amateur Radio license.

The CEPT instant reciprocal privileges apply only for travel by US hams to
those European countries that recognize US participation in the CEPT
protocols. As a reciprocal system, hams from CEPT-participating European
nations have similar privileges while touring the US and Canada. For a list
of countries that recognize US participation in the CEPT reciprocal system,
visit the CEPT countries page on ARRLWeb,
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/cept-list.html.

The International Amateur Radio Permit is another special licensing
arrangement. It applies to certain countries in the Americas, including
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Peru, US, Uruguay, and Venezuela, who are
signatories of the CITEL Amateur Convention. US amateurs may use the IARP to
operate only in those countries. An IARP is not a license, but it certifies
the existence of a license. The CITEL Convention provides that IARPs may be
issued by a country's government or by its International Amateur Radio Union
member-society, and the ARRL is the sponsoring society in the US.

To obtain an IARP or for more information on operating from a CEPT or CITEL
(IARP) country, visit the ARRL International Operating page,
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/.

Obtaining a license to operate in a country that is neither a CEPT nor a
CITEL Amateur Convention signatory or participant requires more paperwork
and some advance planning. Delays of a month or longer are common. Licensing
and operating requirements for all other countries are available on the
"Operating Permit Information by Country" page on ARRLWeb,
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/recip-country.html

Another source for reciprocal licensing information is the "Information on
licensing abroad for radio amateurs" Web site of Veikko "Veke" Komppa,
OH2MCN, http://www.qsl.net/oh2mcn/license.htm. OH2MCN and the ARRL share
information to assure that both sites are as accurate as possible and that
the information is suitable for their respective audiences.