Thinking of Using your radios abroad?
Many radio users ask this question. For instance, personal use when travelling abroad; or for event or sporting companies wishing to use their radios in other countries. Using radios across Europe can be done, however each country has their own regulations. There are regulations for frequencies and also regarding specifications of radio models. So, we have broken down some information to help answer this ever popular question.
License Free Radios (PMR446, Walkie Talkie)
0.5watt License Free radios transmitting on 446.0 – 446.2 MHz frequencies, either digital or analogue, are suitable for use in the following countries without requiring a license or country authorization:
- Eastern Europe – Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic
- Northern Europe – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom
- Southern Europe – Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Vatican City
- Western Europe – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Switzerland
PLEASE NOTE: RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND UKRAINE CURRENTLY ALLOW ONLY 446.0-446.1 MHz. Therefore, new radios using the 446.1-446.2 spectrum will not be suitable. (Info correct as of 03/2022, we will strive to update this when new confirmation is received.)
Azerbaijan and The Former Yugoslav are part of the 48 countries covered by CEPT and the Electronic Communications Committee. However, information regarding the use of PMR446 radios is NOT yet confirmed as permitted in these countries.
For further information, please refer to ANNEX A of the ECC Decision (11)03: https://efis.cept.org/matrixviewer.jsp?annex=18#
For all other countries you will need to check with the corresponding government or legislative authorities. Documentation and links can be found at: https://efis.cept.org/sitecontent.jsp?sitecontent=noncept
Licensed Radios (Business Radios)
4-5watt (or higher) radios will be subject to each individual country’s regulations. Therefore, you will need to apply for a license from the country’s regulatory board, whether you are transmitting on Business Radio Simple UK Light frequencies; or within the VHF 136-174MHz or UHF 350-490MHz bandwidths. However, this can be costly and may not always be granted. So it’s advisable to establish first whether a quality License Free radio will give sufficient distance for what you require. If it is absolutely necessary to use a licensed radio however, you can find further information for CEPT country frequency allocations here: https://efis.cept.org/views2/national_frequency_table.jsp
Alternative LTE POC Device for International Communications
An easier option may be an LTE Network POC device because they use mobile data (3G/4G) to transmit. These are devices that can either look and feel like a standard two-way radio or they can be more of a smartphone style. So providing you get cellphone coverage in the area you want to use them in, you can communicate across countries without the hassle of applying for a license.
