Qualification change · Read before you buy
The GVC is being replaced. Here's what that means for you.
The CAA will stop issuing the General VLOS Certificate on 31 December 2027. In its place sit three new Remote Pilot Certificates, and the first of them examines exactly the same five subjects. If you are about to spend several hundred pounds, this is the page to read first — but the answer is probably calmer than the headline sounds.
The short version. A GVC bought today is valid for five years and stays acceptable until it expires, provided your Operational Authorisation says a GVC is acceptable evidence of competence. You are not buying something that stops working in 2027 — you are buying something that stops being sold in 2027.
What is actually changing
The CAA is moving remote pilot competence in the Specific category from a single certificate to a tiered structure. The GVC does not become invalid, and nobody has to retrake anything. What changes is what a training provider is able to sell you after the end of 2027.
If you already hold a GVC
Nothing to do. It runs to its expiry date and remains acceptable where your Operational Authorisation states that a GVC is acceptable evidence of remote pilot competence. Check the wording of your own authorisation — that condition is doing real work.
If you are buying in 2026
Buy the GVC if it is what your provider offers and the price is right. Five years of validity takes you past 2031, and the theory you learn is the same theory RPC-L1 examines. Ask the provider whether they intend to offer RPC-L1, and when.
If you are buying in 2027
This is where it gets worth a conversation. A GVC bought in late 2027 is still valid for five years, but you may prefer the certificate that will still be issued afterwards — particularly if you expect to move towards BVLOS work, where the new levels are the only route.
The four qualifications, and what separates them
| Certificate | Still issued? | Entry requirements | What it permits | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GVC | Until 31 Dec 2027 | No minimum age | Visual line of sight operations in the Specific category | 5 years |
| RPC-L1 | Yes | No minimum age | Part A covers VLOS. Part B is optional and adds BVLOS with visual mitigations | 5 years |
| RPC-L2 | Yes | 18 or over · hold RPC-L1 · 50 logged flight hours | BVLOS operations in uncongested airspace | 3 years |
| RPC-L3 | Yes | 18 or over · hold RPC-L2 · 50 logged BVLOS hours · medical certificate | The most complex operations | 3 years |
Read from the CAA's Level 1, 2 and 3 Remote Pilot Certificates page and its Recognised Assessment Entity (Pilot Competency) scheme page on 9 September 2026.
The reassuring part: the syllabus barely moves
The GVC and RPC-L1 theoretical knowledge examinations cover the same five subjects — air law, aircraft general knowledge, human performance, meteorology and operational procedures. Whatever you learn on a GVC course in 2026 is the material the replacement certificate examines. The transition is administrative, not educational.
The practical assessment differs in shape rather than substance. The GVC skills test covers pre-flight, in-flight procedures and post-flight actions. The RPC-L1 skills test is specified as a general handling examination of at least thirty minutes across multiple flight modes.
Three things to ask a provider before you pay
Are you approved for RPC-L1 yet?
An assessment entity needs separate CAA privileges for each certificate it issues. A provider approved only for the GVC has a business problem arriving in 2027, and it is fair to ask how they plan to handle it.
What happens to my course if I want to convert?
There is no published conversion route from GVC to RPC-L1 that we have found. Ask what the provider will charge an existing GVC holder who wants the newer certificate, and get the answer in writing.
Will my Operational Authorisation still name the GVC?
The CAA's condition is that the authorisation states a GVC is acceptable evidence of competence. That is the sentence your certificate's future usefulness hangs on, so read it on your own authorisation rather than assuming.
Where every claim on this page came from
This page describes a change that affects what people spend money on, so every claim is tied to a named source and a date. Where we could not confirm something, the row says so rather than being smoothed over.
| Claim | Value | Primary source | Checked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GVC stops being issued | 31 Dec 2027 | CAA, Level 1, 2 and 3 Remote Pilot Certificates and GVC, corroborated on the CAA's RAE(PC) scheme page | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified twice |
| Existing GVCs remain acceptable until expiry | Conditional | CAA, as above — conditional on the Operational Authorisation stating a GVC is acceptable evidence of competence | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| GVC and RPC-L1 validity | 5 years | CAA, Level 1, 2 and 3 page | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| RPC-L2 and L3 entry requirements and validity | See table | CAA, Level 1, 2 and 3 page | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| GVC and RPC-L1 examine the same five subjects | 5 subjects | CAA AMC1 Article 8(2) Remote Pilot Competence, published by the CAA as OFFICIAL – Public. The document carries no date, and the in-force AMC sits behind the CAA regulatory library login, so this is worth confirming by hand. | 9 Sep 2026 | Confirm by hand |
| Conversion route from GVC to RPC-L1 | None found | No published route located on the CAA site | 9 Sep 2026 | Absence of evidence |
| Which providers hold RPC-L1 privileges | — | Not yet reconciled against the CAA register | — | Not yet checked |
Questions people are asking
Is my GVC about to become worthless?
No. It stays valid to its expiry date and remains acceptable where your Operational Authorisation says a GVC is acceptable evidence of competence. Only new issues stop, and not until the end of 2027.
Should I wait and buy an RPC-L1 instead?
If your provider offers RPC-L1 now and the price is comparable, it is the certificate with the longer future. If they only offer the GVC, buying one in 2026 gets you five years of validity and the same body of knowledge.
Can I convert a GVC to an RPC-L1?
We have not found a published conversion route. Ask your provider directly and get the answer in writing before you assume one exists.
What is the difference between RPC-L1 Part A and Part B?
Part A covers visual line of sight operations. Part B is optional and adds beyond visual line of sight flying with visual mitigations.
Does any of this affect the A2 CofC?
No. The A2 CofC belongs to the Open category and is unaffected by the Specific category restructure.
We will tell you when this changes
We re-check every published price and every rule on this page. Leave your email and we will tell you when one moves.
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