List of Doors into the Rabbithole that is Ham Radio

This list is sorted alphabetically by country. It is to show the easiest way to obtain a licence in that particular country. Other licences are only listed for completeness sake.

The only required information is a pointer to the easiest way to get into ham radio. Everything else is optional.

You can contribute through the code repository over on codeberg.org.

Austria

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Österreichischer Versuchssenderverband (ÖVSV)
  • Landesverbände / local clubs

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is Klasse 4 (CEPT Novice). Take a course through your local ÖVSV Landesverband (in German — register at afukurs.oevsv.at), then sit the exam at the Fernmeldebehörde. Klasse 3 is a simpler alternative if you only want VHF/UHF (2 m / 70 cm) within Austria. Start here: ÖVSV — Wie werde ich Funkamateur?.

Belgium (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Royal Belgian Union of Radioamateurs (UBA)
  • Local sections

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the Class C "basisvergunning" (ON3): a short UBA course and practical test, then a 30-question theory exam at BIPT. Course info: NL / FR.

Denmark

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører (EDR)
  • Lokalafdelinger (local clubs)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the D-certifikat (entry-level). Pass the exam set by Digitaliseringsstyrelsen and run by EDR at local afdelinger. Start here: EDR — Sådan bliver du radioamatør (in Danish).

Estonia (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Eesti Raadioamatööride Ühing (ERAU)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the Class D entry-level licence: pass the ERAÜ exam, then apply for a station licence through the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA). Start here: ERAU — Kuidas saada raadioamatööriks.

Finland

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Suomen Radioamatööriliitto (SRAL)
  • Local Clubs (radioamatoorikerhot)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the perusluokka (Basic Class) certificate. Pass the K and T1 exam modules via the ARX training system, then apply to Traficom for a station licence. SRAL publishes a free Kouluttaudu radioamatööriksi guide (in Finnish).

France (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Réseau des Émetteurs Français (REF)
  • Antennes locales / local clubs

Becoming a Ham

Single exam at one of the ANFR regional centres — 40 multiple-choice questions (20 regulations, 20 technical), then apply for a personal F4-prefix callsign. Start here: ANFR — présentation de l'examen and the REF training page.

Germany

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club (DARC) e.V.
  • Distrikte / Ortsverbände
• Verband der Funkamateure in Telekommunikation und Post e.V.
  • Bezirks- & Ortsverbände

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the new Klasse N (Entry-Class) certificate (since June 2024). Pass the Bundesnetzagentur exam, then apply for a callsign. Free prep via DARC's 50ohm.de learning platform and the DL2YMR video course.

Greece (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Ένωση Ελλήνων Ραδιοερασιτεχνών (RAAG)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the SY "entry-level" certificate. RAAG offers free prep courses (in Greek) at its Athens clubroom, then a multiple-choice exam twice a year at the regional prefecture.

• RAAG — Πώς γίνομαι Ραδιοερασιτέχνης (in Greek)
• RAAG licensing overview (English)

Hungary (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Magyar Rádióamatőr Szövetség (MRASZ)
  • MRASZ tanfolyam / free prep course

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path for most adults is the Alap / CEPT Novice exam at the NMHH in Budapest. MRASZ runs a free 15–16-week prep course (in Hungarian) — see MRASZ oktatás.

Iceland (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Íslenskir Radíóamatörar (ÍRA)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the N (Novice) certificate: pass the Fjarskiptastofa (PTA) exam, then apply for the licence and TF-prefix callsign. ÍRA runs a free 6-week prep course (in Icelandic) in Reykjavík each autumn — see ÍRA — Kennsluefni.

Ireland (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS)
  • Affiliated clubs

Becoming a Ham

Single HAREC-level exam run by IRTS. IRTS publishes a free PDF study guide and runs courses; on passing, apply for a station licence from ComReg. Start here: IRTS — Studying for HAREC.

Italy (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (ARI)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the new Class N (Novice) or Class B licence, administered by the Ispettorati Territoriali of the Ministry. ARI runs free prep courses. Start here: ARI — Come si diventa radioamatore.

Netherlands

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Vereniging voor Experimenteel Radio Onderzoek in Nederland (VERON)
  • Local Clubs (afdelingen)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the N (Novice) registration. Pass a 40-question multiple-choice exam at the CBR and register for a PD-prefix callsign with limited HF/VHF/UHF privileges. Online prep is available at ZendCursus.nl or the free IWAB course; VERON's afdelingen also run in-person classes.

Latvia (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Latvijas Radio Amatieru Līga (LRAL)

Becoming a Ham

Three exam options at Elektroniskie sakari (ESAKARI) — easiest is the C category FM-station operator certificate. LRAL can put you in touch with a local radio club. Start here: ESAKARI — Radioamatieru eksāmens.

Lithuania (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Lietuvos Radijo Mėgėjų Draugija (LRMD)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the Class C entry-level certificate. The Ryšių reguliavimo tarnyba (RRT) runs the exam monthly (remotely, via MS Teams, in Lithuanian, €10). LRMD and local clubs (Ham Radio LT wiki) can help with prep.

Norway (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Norsk Radio Relae Liga (NRRL)
  • Local Clubs
  • NRRL kurs / courses

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the begrenset lisens (entry-level) certificate. The Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) runs the exam, but most courses are organised by NRRL (in Norwegian). Licence fee is 2000 NOK for full licence.

Poland (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Polski Związek Krótkofalowców (PZK)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is kategoria 3 (CEPT Novice). Sit the exam run by Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej (UKE), then apply for a pozwolenie radiowe. PZK and local clubs (e.g. OT-12 PZK guide) offer prep.

Portugal (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is categoria 3 (entry-level). Exams run by ANACOM in Lisbon, Porto, Funchal and Ponta Delgada; you must start with category 3 and progress up. ANACOM publishes sample questions and REP provides prep support.

Romania (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Federația Română de Radioamatorism (FRR)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is clasa a IV-a (CEPT Entry-Class): pass the ANCOM exam (held in Bucharest and regional offices). FRR and local clubs can help; free online practice exams are listed at YO3HEY's guide (Romanian).

Slovenia (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Zveza Radioamaterjev Slovenije (ZRS)
  • Local clubs (radioklubi)

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is razred N (entry-level). Pass the exam run by ZRS (4x/year in Ljubljana) or any local club, then apply for a klicni znak at AKOS. Start here: ZRS — Kako postati radioamater (in Slovenian).

Switzerland

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Union Schweizerischer Kurzwellen-Amateure (USKA)
  • Sections and Affiliated Clubs

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the NOVICE (HB3) certificate. Pass the BAKOM exam, then apply for an HB3 callsign via the DETEC eGovernment portal. USKA lists current training courses (DE/FR/IT) and free training documents. Start here: USKA — How to become a radio amateur.

United Kingdom (to verify)

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB)
  • Club finder

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the Foundation licence: a short RSGB course at a local club (or online), then a 26-question multiple-choice exam (online, results immediate), then apply for a call sign on Ofcom's licensing portal (free). Start here: RSGB — Foundation licence.

USA

Licences

Associations / Your local Club

• American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
  • Find a Club

Becoming a Ham

Easiest path is the Technician licence. A volunteer examiner team administers the exam — find an in-person session or online sessions — and the FCC issues the callsign.

• ARRL — Getting Your Technician License
• ARRL — Amateur Radio License Course: Technician
• HamExam.org — practice exams & question pools
• KB6NU — No-Nonsense Technician Study Guide (PDF) — 1-day class on YouTube