There are things in amateur radio that everyone knows: the band plans, the callsign, the NATO phonetic alphabet. And there are things that hardly anyone knows – even though they really matter. One of them: anyone who received their amateur radio licence up to and including 30 November 2018, and had it issued as “open-ended” back then, will lose it – on a cut-off date that depends on the year in which the licence was granted. Do nothing, and you end up without a valid licence. And without a licence, there is no legal on-air operation.
It sounds more dramatic than it is – because there is a simple way to keep everything. But you have to know it and act in good time. That is exactly why this article exists. Thanks to Josef, OE3FJS, for the tip – he was absolutely right: many people don't know this.
First, the most important number up front: The next open deadline is 31 December 2026. It affects everyone whose open-ended licence was granted in a year whose last digit is a 0 or 1 (so for example 2010, 2011, 2000, 2001, 1990, 1991 …). Whether that includes you is something the table further down clears up in ten seconds.
What is this all about?
Until the end of 2018, the authority in Austria generally issued amateur radio licences as open-ended: passed the exam once, applied once, and the licence was valid with no expiry date. That changed with a legislative amendment published on 30 November 2018 (in the official gazette as BGBl. I Nr. 78/2018). Since then, every new amateur radio licence has been granted with a ten-year time limit – renewable for a further ten years each time, in the same scope and with the same callsign.
That leaves the question: what happens to the many old, open-ended licences from before 30 November 2018? Those are now being converted step by step to the new, time-limited system. So that they don't all come due at once, the legislator has staggered their expiry over several years – according to the last digit of the year they were granted. This is governed by § 212 Abs. 8 of the Telecommunications Act 2021 (TKG 2021) (§ 212(8) of the Austrian Telecommunications Act 2021).
Am I even affected?
Two points must both apply:
- Your licence was granted up to and including 30 November 2018, and
- it was issued as open-ended (that is, with no expiry date) back then.
You are not affected if your licence is already time-limited anyway (anything granted after 30 November 2018, plus every licence renewed or newly issued since then). In that case, your expiry date is stated directly on your licence notice, and by law the authority reminds you six months in advance. If you're unsure, just look at your notice: if there is an expiry date on it, you're in the new system. If there is none, the staggered schedule below applies.
Your deadline is written in your year of issue
The trick could not be simpler: take the year in which you received your (open-ended) licence, and look at the last digit. That digit tells you your cut-off date – find it in the left-hand column, and your date is on the right:
| Last digit of the year of issue | Example years | Licence lapses on |
|---|---|---|
| 6 or 7 | … 2006, 2007, 1996, 1997 … | 31 December 2024 (already passed) |
| 8 or 9 | … 2008, 2009, 1998, 1999 … | 31 December 2025 (already passed) |
| 0 or 1 | … 2010, 2011, 2000, 2001, 1990, 1991 … | 31 December 2026 ⬅️ next deadline |
| 2 or 3 | … 2012, 2013, 2002, 2003 … | 31 December 2027 |
| 4 | … 2014, 2004, 1994 … | 31 December 2028 |
| 5 | … 2015, 2005, 1995 … | 31 December 2029 |
Mnemonic: 6/7 → 2024, 8/9 → 2025, 0/1 → 2026, 2/3 → 2027, 4 → 2028, 5 → 2029. So anyone who received their open-ended licence in 2011 (last digit 1) needs to take action by 31 December 2026. Anyone who got it in 2014 (last digit 4) still has until the end of 2028 – but the sooner you sort it out, the more relaxed it is.
Careful, don't mix them up: the wrong regulation is doing the rounds
Because the topic is currently making the rounds, a PDF is circulating too: the “Repeal Regulation” (Außerkraftsetzungsverordnung) BGBl. II Nr. 139/2023. It also lists deadlines (before 1985 → 2025, 1985–1989 → 2026, 1990–1994 → 2027, from 1995 → 2028) – but beware: this regulation does not apply to amateur radio. It concerns general, other open-ended radio-equipment licences and expressly excludes amateur radio licences (§ 2 of the regulation).
So for us radio amateurs, what counts is solely the last digit of your year of issue (governed by § 212 TKG 2021) – not the year ranges from the circulating PDF. Anyone who confuses the two quickly works out the wrong year. Rule of thumb: amateur radio = last digit of the year of issue.
What exactly do I need to do?
The good news: the process is straightforward, and the authority comes to you.
- Wait for the letter (but think ahead yourself). The telecommunications office (Fernmeldebüro) notifies affected holders in writing before the deadline runs out. For the 2025 cohort, the letters went out from the end of August 2025; for the 2026 cohort (last digit 0/1), the notification is accordingly to be expected over the course of 2026. But don't rely on the mail alone – if you know your last digit is up, you can also take the initiative yourself.
- Surrender and apply anew at the same time. The official route: you surrender your old, open-ended licence and file a new application in the same step. That way your operation stays uninterrupted – you give up the old one and seamlessly receive the new (ten-year time-limited) licence, as a rule with the same callsign.
- Use the right form. For this, the telecommunications office provides the “Application for the Issuance of an Amateur Radio Licence” (Antrag auf Ausstellung einer Amateurfunkbewilligung). Fill in the form, sign it, and send it to the telecommunications authority by email or post.
- Only fill in what's necessary. The ÖVSV advises: if you don't want to change anything, fill in just the few required fields and carry the rest over unchanged – that's the fastest route. Anyone who wants to change something (e.g. location) may of course apply to do so, but then has to reckon with longer processing.
And if I do nothing?
Then the licence lapses on the cut-off date – with no replacement. No valid notice means: no legal on-air operation. Anyone who then wants to get back on the air has to reapply anyway – just without the convenient, seamless transition. So it's worth taking care of those two or three simple steps in good time. One form, one signature, one envelope or one email – and the callsign stays where it belongs: with you.
Where can I get help?
You don't have to figure this out on your own. The ÖVSV actively supports its members with the changeover. The first point of contact are the regional managers (Landesleiter) of the respective regional associations; general questions go to [email protected]. The umbrella association has accompanied the process from the start – and has also voiced criticism: that the promised unbureaucratic online renewal is missing, and that a new form field “remote operation” (Remotebetrieb) may in future entail additional fees. For a plain renewal, that changes nothing – but good to know what to watch out for when filling in the form.
In one sentence
If your amateur radio licence dates from the period up to and including 30 November 2018 and is open-ended: look at the last digit of your year of issue, find your cut-off date in the table, and apply for the new licence in good time (hand in the old one and apply for the new one in the same step – officially “surrender + new application”, one form to the telecommunications office). Then you keep transmitting without interruption, with your familiar callsign.
Sources and further links
- Fernmeldebüro – Information on the expiry of open-ended licences from 1 January 2025
- Fernmeldebüro – Amateur radio service (with a reference to the forms)
- Fernmeldebüro – Amateur radio forms and Contact
- RIS – Telecommunications Act 2021 (TKG 2021), § 212 Abs. 8 (last-digit schedule) and § 39 (ten-year time limit)
- RIS – Repeal Regulation BGBl. II Nr. 139/2023 (does not apply to amateur radio – see § 2)
- RIS – BGBl. I Nr. 78/2018 (amendment of 30 November 2018, introduction of the ten-year time limit)
- ÖVSV – Renewal of amateur radio licences (recommendations from the umbrella association)
This article is general, carefully researched information and does not replace legal advice. In case of doubt, the wording of your licence notice and the information from the telecommunications office apply. Questions or corrections? Write to us at [email protected].
