The requirements at a glance

Vacancies often ask for a valid ICAO CPL with instrument rating and a frozen ATPL from a recognised flight school. When converting a foreign (ICAO) ATPL into an EASA ATPL, the same experience requirements apply as for training within EASA. According to a student in 2025, on the modular route after the ATPL theory you can choose between IR plus CPL first, or the whole frozen ATPL package in one go. A frozen ATPL comprises completed ATPL theory (13 subjects), a CPL with Instrument Rating and Multi-Engine Rating, and an MCC certificate. A CPL alone is not enough for an airline job; in practice the Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Rating, ATPL theory and MCC are needed for a frozen ATPL.181619

Medical requirements

A Class 1 medical is a common requirement for a frozen ATPL.513

Exceptions and borderline cases

The ATPL is the highest pilot licence you can obtain, allowing a pilot to be responsible as captain on all types of flights, provided the right ratings are held. Although an ATPL does not explicitly require work experience as a first officer, in practice that is what it comes down to, because there is no other realistic way to build the minimum of 500 hours in multi-crew aircraft. A frozen ATPL is converted into a full ATPL after reaching 1,500 flying hours, of which at least 500 multi-crew. Only after this conversion may a pilot fly as captain. The theory of a frozen ATPL does not expire as long as the CPL/IR is kept current, because a pass in the ATPL(A) theory exams remains valid for 7 years from the last validity date of the IR(A) on the CPL(A).11921

What pilots experienced

Pilots report that the theory of a frozen ATPL does not expire as long as you keep the CPL/IR current.3