Shops outside the US
Foreign Repair Station FAA Certification Support
Need an FAA certificate for a repair station outside the United States? We help you prove the need, choose the right path and keep the certificate current.
- FAA Part 145 repair station specialists
- +1 818 368 8438
- Every consultant is a former FAA professional
Part 145 specialists
Repair station certification and compliance
Former FAA professionals
Every consultant on our team
300+ years
Collective aviation experience
Free consultation
A reply within one business day
Overview
An FAA certificate for a repair station outside the United States
A shop outside the United States can hold an FAA repair station certificate, but the FAA asks harder questions up front. You have to show why you need it, and you have to keep earning it through renewal.
Air Traders supports foreign repair station FAA certification from the first letter to the FAA to the renewal cycles that follow. Every consultant on our team is a former FAA professional, and several of us worked FAA oversight outside the US. We know how an FAA International Field Office reviews a foreign applicant.
The core work is the same Part 145 system US shops build, described on our Part 145 certification page and in our Part 145 guide. The differences are the necessity showing, the limited duration of the certificate, the country you are in, and whether a bilateral agreement covers it.
- Necessity case under 145.51(c) built on real customer demand
- Path chosen to fit your country and any bilateral agreement
- Manuals and records the FAA can read and review
- Renewal planning under 145.55 from day one
What we handle
What we handle for foreign repair stations
Necessity showing
We gather the customer letters, contracts and fleet facts that show the certificate is needed to maintain US registered aircraft or articles used on them.
Path selection
We confirm whether a bilateral agreement applies in your country and what that changes, before you spend time on the wrong process.
RSM, QCM and training
Part 145 manuals and a 145.163 training program written for your shop, your national rules and your language needs.
FAA office coordination
Help preparing for meetings and correspondence with the FAA International Field Office responsible for your area.
Renewal support
A plan for the 145.55 renewal: what the FAA will review, what records to keep ready, and when to start.
Audit and inspection prep
Mock inspections and record checks before the FAA visits, and help closing any findings afterward.
What changes when your shop is outside the US
Necessity comes first. A US applicant only has to meet the rule. A foreign applicant must also show the certificate is necessary under 145.51(c). We treat that showing as part of the application, not an afterthought.
The certificate runs out. Under 145.55, a foreign repair station certificate is issued for a limited period and must be renewed. Each renewal is a chance for the FAA to look again at your need, your system and your records.
Bilateral agreements reshape the path. In the European Union, the US and EU agreement and its Maintenance Annex Guidance let many shops work through their national authority. The UK has a separate arrangement since Brexit. Elsewhere, the standard FAA process with the International Field Office usually applies. Shops working toward EASA or UK CAA recognition can find help on our EASA and UK CAA services page.
Two rulebooks at once. You still answer to your national authority. Your manuals have to satisfy Part 145 without conflicting with local law, and your staff need to know which procedure applies to which customer.
How the work runs
How a foreign certification project runs
01
Free consultation
We review your country, your customers, your ratings and any existing national or EASA approvals.
02
Necessity and path
We build the necessity case and confirm the right path, including any bilateral agreement that applies.
03
Documents
We write or adapt your RSM, QCM, training program and capability list, with English versions where the FAA needs them.
04
FAA review and inspection
We prepare your people for document review and the on-site visit, and help work any findings.
05
Renewal and upkeep
We help you keep records, manuals and the necessity case current for each renewal.
Why Air Traders
Inspector experience working for your shop
- Every consultant is a former FAA professional
- More than 300 years of collective aviation experience
- Hands-on knowledge of how FAA inspectors evaluate repair stations
- Manuals and procedures written for the way your shop actually works
- Senior consultants on your project from the first call to the final approval
- A written scope and plan before any work begins
Related services
More support for international repair stations
Part 145 certification
Our full certification service for repair stations in the United States.
EASA and UK CAA
Supplements, MAG revisions and audits for shops serving European and UK operators.
Part 145 guide
How the certificate works, step by step, from PASI to issue.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can a repair station outside the United States get an FAA certificate?
Yes. Part 145 allows the FAA to certificate repair stations located outside the US. Under 145.51(c) the applicant must show the certificate is necessary for maintaining or altering US registered aircraft or articles for use on them. Without a real need tied to US registered aircraft or their parts, the FAA will not move the application forward.
How do I show the FAA my certificate is necessary?
The strongest case uses facts the FAA can check: letters or contracts from operators of US registered aircraft, the types and quantities of articles you expect to handle, and why those customers need your shop. General statements about future growth are weak. We help you assemble specific, current evidence.
How long is a foreign repair station certificate valid?
A certificate issued to a repair station outside the US is valid for a limited period and must be renewed under 145.55. A domestic certificate, by contrast, stays in effect until it is surrendered, suspended or revoked. Renewal is not automatic, so keep your necessity case, records and manuals current. We help you plan renewals well ahead of the deadline.
Does a bilateral agreement change how my shop gets FAA approval?
It can. Under the US and EU agreement, many EU maintenance organizations obtain and keep FAA approval through their national authority using the Maintenance Annex Guidance, rather than the standard process. The UK has its own arrangement with the FAA. The right path depends on your country, so we confirm it before you start.
Do my manuals have to be in English?
Plan for it. The FAA must be able to read and evaluate the documents it reviews, and English is the working language for FAA staff. Many foreign shops keep one controlled manual set in English, or a bilingual set, so local staff and FAA reviewers read the same procedures. We help keep translations accurate and controlled.
We hold CAAC or TCCA approval. Does that help?
An existing approval shows your shop already runs a documented maintenance system, which helps. It does not replace the FAA process. If you also serve Chinese or Canadian customers, keep each authority’s requirements clear in your manuals. See our CAAC support and TCCA services pages.
Get started
Plan your repair station project
Share your shop, your location and the approval or project you are working on. A former FAA professional will contact you within one business day.