Step 5

Take the plunge

The paperwork in Spain, your nearest radio club, the year’s key dates and everything you need to know before you start.

If you’ve caught the bug

How to get started in Spain

Listen (it’s free and needs no licence)

Use the web receivers on the Listen page. If you’d like your own, a USB SDR receiver costing around €30-40 and some free software turn your computer into a radio that can hear almost anything.
Find a radio club

It’s the quickest way to learn. The URE (Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles, the Spanish national society; website in Spanish) has sections all over Spain, and many clubs run courses for the exam.
Pass the exam

There are questions on basic electricity and radio, regulations and operating practice. When you pass you get the HAREC certificate, which is valid in much of Europe.
Apply for your authorisation and call sign

With the certificate, you apply to the Ministry for your amateur radio authorisation, which assigns you your call sign (something like EA4XYZ). That’s your “name” on the air.
Set up your station and make your first contact

To have your own equipment at home, you apply for a station licence with a description of your antennas and equipment. And then: “CQ, CQ…”.

The paperwork in numbers

2exam parts: electricity and radio, and regulations

50 %correct answers needed in each part to pass

90 mincomputer-based exam at the Provincial Telecommunications Inspectorate (Jefatura Provincial de Telecomunicaciones)

€23.67exam fee

€114.36for the authorisation (over-65s, pensioners and people with disabilities are exempt)

For lifethe authorisation doesn’t expire unless you give it up

Amounts and conditions according to the URE guide (in Spanish) and Order IET/1311/2013 (in Spanish). Check them before paying: fees can change.

Your checklist

I’ve listened to radio amateurs on a web receiver
I’ve got in touch with a radio club or a URE section
My simulator thermometer is above 80 % in both parts
I’ve paid the fee (form 790, “modelo 790”) and submitted my exam application
I’ve passed and have my HAREC certificate
I’ve applied for the authorisation and have my call sign
I have public liability insurance for the antenna (included if you’re a URE member)
I’ve applied for a station licence for home (if I want a fixed station)
I’ve made my first real contact!

Listening only · ~€35

USB SDR receiver

A “dongle” that plugs into your computer. With a simple antenna you can hear aircraft, ships, weather satellites and radio amateurs. No paperwork at all.

First radio · ~€40-100

Dual-band handheld (2 m / 70 cm)

The classic first radio once you’re licensed: you talk to people in your area and, through repeaters, across your whole region. Ideal for the clubs’ weekly nets.

Reach around the world

HF radio + wire antenna

For the shortwave bands. Many people start by buying second-hand at radio rallies and putting up a wire dipole on the balcony or roof terrace.

Prices are approximate. Ask at a club before buying: there’s nearly always someone who’ll let you try theirs.

The official procedures are on the Ministry for Digital Transformation website (in Spanish). Always check the current requirements there.

Radio with no exam

What about CB-27 and walkie-talkies?

Before amateur radio, or instead of it, there are two ways to talk on the radio with no exam or licence: Citizens Band (CB-27) and PMR446 walkie-talkies. Lots of radio amateurs started out this way.

Common use · no licence

CB-27, Citizens Band

A band set aside so that anyone can talk on the radio for fun, around 27 MHz. In Spain it has been common use (uso común) since 2015: you don’t need an exam, a licence or a call sign. An approved radio is all it takes.

40 channels of 10 kHz, from 26.960 to 27.410 MHz.
Channel 9 (27.065 MHz): distress and emergencies. If an emergency is in progress, it must be kept clear.
Maximum power: 4 W on FM and AM, 12 W peak on single sideband (SSB).
Antenna: up to 6 dB gain, radiating equally in all directions.
Direct communication only between radios (no repeaters), and not for profit.

Amplifiers or anything exceeding that power are not allowed, nor are repeaters, satellite links, connecting it to the telephone network or transmitting a continuous carrier.

Common use · no licence

PMR446 walkie-talkies

The walkie-talkies sold in shops and supermarkets. They work on 446 MHz, with 0.5 W and a fixed antenna, also with no licence. Their range is short: from a few hundred metres in town to a few kilometres in open country.

CB, PMR or amateur radio

Feature	PMR446	CB-27	Amateur radio
Exam and licence	No	No	Yes
Frequencies	446 MHz	40 channels on 27 MHz	Dozens of bands, from long wave to microwaves
Power	0.5 W	4 W (12 W on SSB)	Much higher, depending on the band
Typical range	Your neighbourhood	Your local area; sometimes other countries	The world and space
Call sign	No	No	Yes, official

CB sits right next to the 10-metre amateur band, so it behaves the same way: it’s nearly always local, but in the good years of the solar cycle you can hear stations from other countries. Listen to CB now on the Twente receiver.

Sources: common use of the spectrum (Ministry for Digital Transformation) (in Spanish) and Order IET/614/2015 (in Spanish) (note UN-3 of the National Frequency Allocation Table, Cuadro Nacional de Atribución de Frecuencias), which repealed the old CB-27 rules that required a licence and call sign. Checked on 1 November 2026.

Before you buy anything

Which radio to buy (and what’s legal)

The golden rule: listening is free; to transmit you need the right equipment and, outside CB and PMR446, your licence. A cheap walkie-talkie doesn’t give you permission to talk on any frequency you like.

I want to…	Licence?	With what
Listen to radio amateurs, CB, broadcast stations	No	A web receiver, a USB SDR receiver or any receiver
Talk to my family or on a day out	No	Approved PMR446 walkie-talkies (0.5 W, fixed antenna)
Talk on Citizens Band	No	An approved CB-27 radio (max. 4 W, 12 W on SSB)
Transmit on 2 m and 70 cm, repeaters, satellites	Yes	An amateur radio (Baofeng, Quansheng, Yaesu…) and your call sign
Talk on police, marine, aviation or business frequencies	Never	Not allowed with any amateur equipment

Any equipment that transmits must have its conformity assessment (CE marking). And even if a receiver picks up everything, communications not intended for the public (emergency services, private conversations) are protected by the secrecy of communications (Article 18.3 of the Spanish Constitution): you don’t listen to them on purpose, and you never pass on or use what you hear.

Baofengs: what you should know

The Baofeng UV-5R and its siblings are the best-selling amateur handhelds in the world thanks to their price (around €20-30). They cover the 2 m and 70 cm bands and quite a lot more. That has a good side and a bad side:

✅ Legal

Listening with it. And, with your amateur licence, transmitting on the amateur bands (144-146 MHz and 430-440 MHz).

❌ Not legal

Using it without a licence “like a walkie-talkie”: it isn’t a PMR446 (more power and a removable antenna). Nor transmitting outside the amateur bands, even if it technically can.

⚠️ Watch the quality

Reviews agree that its receiver gets overloaded near powerful antennas and that its transmitter produces spurious emissions. Germany banned its sale in 2021.

👍 What it’s good for

As a cheap first radio for learning to program channels, listening to repeaters and making your first contacts once you’re licensed.

Radios to start with

Radio	For	Licence	Approx. price	Pros / cons
USB SDR receiver (RTL-SDR type)	Listening to almost everything from your computer	No	~€35-45	The cheapest way to hear radio amateurs, aircraft, ships and satellites. Receive only.
PMR446 walkie-talkies (Motorola Talkabout, Midland…)	Family, days out	No	~€30-80 a pair	Legal with no paperwork and very easy to use. Short range.
CB-27 radio (President, Midland Alan…)	Citizens Band	No	~€70-150	Talk further than with a PMR without a licence, with an outdoor antenna or in the car.
Baofeng UV-5R	2 m and 70 cm	Yes	~€20-30	Cheap, with loads of accessories and tutorials. Weak receiver and spurious emissions.
Quansheng UV-K5	2 m and 70 cm, listening to aviation	Yes	~€25-40	USB-C charging, receives the airband and supports open-source firmware. Filtering could be better.
TIDRADIO TD-H3	2 m and 70 cm	Yes	~€40-55	The best receiver of the cheap ones, a big battery, and you can program it from your phone.
Yaesu FT-65E (or equivalents from Icom and Kenwood)	2 m and 70 cm	Yes	~€100-130	A benchmark brand, tough and splash-resistant. More expensive, with fewer features.

Approximate market prices in November 2026; they vary a lot between shops. Comparisons consulted: Electronics Notes and OneSDR.

Our recommendation

Not licensed yet: listen for free on the web receivers and, if you get hooked, buy a USB SDR receiver. To talk to your family and friends, get some PMR446 radios. Don’t buy a Baofeng to talk without a licence.
Freshly licensed: an inexpensive dual-band to start with; if you can stretch a little, the TD-H3 receives quite a bit better than the UV-5R.
In it for the long haul: a brand-name radio (Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood) and, later on, a shortwave radio, new or second-hand.
Before buying, ask at your radio club: there’s nearly always someone who’ll let you try their radio and help you program it.

From handheld to home station

Your first station

The antenna matters more than the radio: a modest rig with a good antenna gets further than an expensive one with a poor antenna. Here is what you need and how to work out your first antenna.

🧰 What you need

Power supply: rigs run on 13.8 V. For a 100 W shortwave rig, a supply of about 20–25 A; for a 50 W VHF/UHF rig, about 10–12 A.
Coax cable: 50 Ω and as short as possible. On VHF/UHF a thin cable loses a lot of signal: use a low-loss one (work out below how much you lose).
SWR meter: the standing wave ratio tells you whether the antenna is tuned to the frequency. Below 1.5 is very good; above 3 the radio protects itself by cutting power. You tune it by shortening or lengthening the antenna a little at a time.
Tuner (optional): lets you use an antenna on bands it wasn’t cut for.
Safety: earthing and lightning protection for outdoor antennas; disconnect the antenna in a storm; never touch the antenna while transmitting and keep people away from powered antennas; roof work, never alone.
Neighbours: in Spain, Law 19/1983 (in Spanish) and its regulation (Royal Decree 2623/1986) set out the radio amateur’s right to install antennas outside the building, with conditions. Talk to your neighbours’ association first and ask your radio club for advice.

📐 Antenna calculator

Band or frequency (MHz)

How much signal does the cable lose?

Cable Metres

Approximate lengths: cut them a little long and trim with the SWR meter. Cable losses are a guide and vary by manufacturer.

From the screen to the radio

Find your radio club

The quickest way to learn is with other people: at a radio club they’ll teach you how to put up an antenna, prepare for the exam with you and, at their outreach events, you can try transmitting under supervision even if you don’t have a licence yet. .

Choose your province or tap a number on the map. There are also many independent radio clubs: ask at your nearest section.

Dates for the diary

Dates are worked out using each event’s usual rules. Confirm them on each organiser’s website before planning anything.

For families, the curious and young people

Is it for me?

Five quick questions and we’ll tell you where to start.

How much does it cost?

€0Listening on web receivers and practising on this site.
~€35A USB SDR receiver to listen from your computer.
~€40-100A dual-band handheld, the classic first radio once you’re licensed.
from ~€100A second-hand shortwave radio.
~€300A complete station with antenna.

Approximate prices; those for used equipment and a complete station come from the URE’s beginner’s leaflet. On top of this come the exam and authorisation fees.

For parents

Can a child get a licence?

Yes, and the regulations set no minimum age. For their station licence, the child provides a written authorisation from their parents or guardians, who take on the responsibility (Article 19).

Is it safe?

Everything said on the radio is public: anyone can listen. That’s why you give your town, never your address, and don’t talk about personal matters.

What about antennas and electricity?

Putting up outdoor antennas or handling power supplies should be done with an adult or at the radio club. It’s part of the exam.

Are there activities for young people?

Yes: the YOTA programme runs camps and the December YOTA Month for under-26s, and there’s the Jamboree on the Air with the Scouts.

For teachers and group leaders

Radio in the classroom

A 50-minute session for young people aged 10 to 16, using this site and a printable worksheet. No radio knowledge or equipment needed: a projector or a few phones is enough.

🕐 Session plan

5 min · Hook: move the dial on the home page and play a station from another continent.
10 min · What is that sound?: play sounds without saying which; in groups, they guess by looking at the waterfall. Then a real recording.
10 min · Morse: everyone writes their name in Morse on the worksheet and “sends” it to a partner by clapping.
10 min · Spell it like on the radio: in pairs, they spell a word with the phonetic alphabet; the other writes it down.
10 min · First contact: in pairs, they fill in the script on the worksheet and read it aloud; then the simulated contact on the site.
5 min · Wrap-up: what is radio for when everything else fails? Link to “Emergencies”.

To go further: invite a nearby radio club (see “Find your radio club”). Many give demonstrations in schools, and some help schools contact the ISS.

🖨️ Printable worksheet

One A4 sheet with the phonetic alphabet, the Morse table, a fill-in contact script and a log to note down what they hear.

Only the worksheet is printed, in black and white. CC BY-SA 4.0 licence: you can copy and adapt it.

📻 Radio in the classroom · worksheet

Name: ______________________ Date: __________

Letter	Phonetic	Morse
A	Alfa	·—
B	Bravo	—···
C	Charlie	—·—·
D	Delta	—··
E	Echo	·
F	Foxtrot	··—·
G	Golf	——·
H	Hotel	····
I	India	··
J	Juliett	·———
K	Kilo	—·—
L	Lima	·—··
M	Mike	——
N	November	—·
O	Oscar	———
P	Papa	·——·
Q	Quebec	——·—
R	Romeo	·—·
S	Sierra	···
T	Tango	—
U	Uniform	··—
V	Victor	···—
W	Whiskey	·——
X	X-ray	—··—
Y	Yankee	—·——
Z	Zulu	——··

1 ·————2 ··———3 ···——4 ····—5 ·····6 —····7 ——···8 ———··9 ————·0 —————

1. My name in Morse

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

2. Spell your word

__________________________________________
__________________________________________

3. My first contact

“CQ, CQ, this is ________ (callsign), ________, ________.”
“________, this is ________. You are 5 and 9. My name is ________ and I am in ________. How do you copy?”
“Received. Thanks for the contact. 73.”

4. Log: what did I hear?

UTC time	Frequency	What it was	Country

radio · radio.bendi.dev/en · CC BY-SA 4.0

Amateur radio in Spanish-speaking countries

If you’re not in Spain

Nearly everything on this site works in any country: listening, understanding, Morse and contacts. What changes is the paperwork. Here are the references for Spain and Latin America.

Country	Prefix	Who issues the licence	National society (IARU)
🇪🇸 Spain	EA	Ministry for Digital Transformation	URE
🇲🇽 Mexico	XE	IFT	FMRE
🇦🇷 Argentina	LU	ENACOM	Radio Club Argentino
🇨🇴 Colombia	HK	MinTIC	Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados
🇨🇱 Chile	CE	SUBTEL	Radio Club de Chile
🇵🇪 Peru	OA	MTC	Radio Club Peruano
🇻🇪 Venezuela	YV	CONATEL	Radio Club Venezolano
🇪🇨 Ecuador	HC	ARCOTEL	Guayaquil Radio Club
🇺🇾 Uruguay	CX	URSEC	Radio Club del Uruguay
🇨🇺 Cuba	CO / CM	Ministry of Communications (Ministerio de Comunicaciones)	Federación de Radioaficionados de Cuba

The exam and the simulator on this site follow the Spanish syllabus. Electricity, radio and operating are the same everywhere; regulations differ from country to country. To transmit from another country, first check licence reciprocity with its regulator. The regulators’ websites are in Spanish.

When everything goes down

The radio that doesn’t depend on anything

With no mobile signal, no power and no internet, a radio with a battery and a length of wire keeps working. In Spain, volunteers from REMER (Red Radio de Emergencia, Civil Protection’s emergency radio network) and from radio clubs support communications during disasters. Many people come to amateur radio this way: wanting to be useful.

Common questions