A verification letter for a pilot's licence is often required to confirm the authenticity and validity of their credentials.
On this page
- Before you request a verification letter
- Get a copy of your verification letter
- Get a copy of someone else’s verification letter
- Update your verification letter
Before you request a verification letter
A pilot usually needs one when they’re looking for a job, applying to convert their licence in another country, or renewing their existing licence. This process helps keep the aviation industry safe and makes sure that pilots have the credentials they need to fly.
Transport Canada often gets requests for information on accidents or incidents that involve a specific pilot. Please contact the Transportation Safety Board to get a copy of a pilot’s incident or accident reports.
It’s easy to confuse verification letters with Foreign Licence Validation Certificates (FLVC). Here’s how these two documents differ.
| Term | Purpose | Process | Use | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Verification letter |
Confirms that a pilot's foreign licence and medical certificate are authentic and valid. |
The aviation authority contacts the issuing country's civil aviation authority to check the details of the pilot's licence and medical certificate. |
A pilot usually needs this if they apply for a new licence or authorization in another country. It confirms that the pilot's credentials meet the applicable standards. |
Usually valid for a specific period (for example: 6 months) unless otherwise stated. |
|
Foreign Licence Validation Certificate (FLVC) |
Allows a pilot with a foreign licence operate aircraft in the validating country under specific conditions. |
The pilot must apply to the aviation authority of the country where they want to fly and share their foreign licence and other required documents. The authority will issue a certificate if the pilot meets all necessary requirements. |
This certificate allows a pilot to fly in the validating country without converting their foreign licence to a local one. It's often used on a temporary basis, like flying for a specific airline or during a particular event. |
Valid for a specific period and under specific conditions. |
Get a copy of your verification letter
If you’re a licenced Canadian pilot that wants a verification letter, please contact your Regional Service Team. Make sure to include your full name, date of birth, and licence number in your email.
If you send your request to the Flight Crew Licensing Office, they will forward it to the appropriate regional office for processing.
| Region | |
|---|---|
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Pacific (BC) |
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Prairie and Northern (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut) |
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Ontario |
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Quebec |
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Atlantic (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador) |
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Outside of Canada |
English: aviation.ont@tc.gc.ca French: aviation.que@tc.gc.ca |
Get a copy of someone else’s verification letter
If you work for a foreign civil aviation authority, please email your request to: PilotLicensing-LicencesdePilote@tc.gc.ca. If you send a request to a regional office, they will forward it to Transport Canada’s Flight Crew Licensing Office. You should receive the letter within 10 business days.
Canada’s privacy laws allow Transport Canada to provide a letter to any aviation authority that asks, unless a pilot doesn’t have a licence or is unfit/suspended.
If you’re an employment agency or a private organization that wants a pilot’s verification letter, please contact your Regional Service Team. Make sure to include the pilot’s full name, date of birth, licence number and a signed letter from the pilot that confirms they agree to allow Transport Canada to release this information to a third-party.
If you send your request to the Flight Crew Licensing Office, they will forward it to the appropriate regional office for processing.
Update your verification letter
To update a verification letter:
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Email your nearest regional office
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Request an updated verification letter and include either:
- a copy of your Aviation Document Booklet ID (page 1) with a valid CAME stamp and signature (from pages 16-24), or
- if your medical was via telemedicine: a copy of your Civil Aviation Fit Certificate, your Aviation Document Booklet’s ID page, and a copy of the previous medical certification upon which the Fit Certificate validity period is based
Transport Canada can only update the medical dates in verification Letters with valid proof of a pilot’s medical renewal.