# Get an Indian ham radio licence (ASOC) > Apply on Saral Sanchar, sit the Amateur Station Operator Certificate exam at your WPC regional office, clear the security check, and pay for a 20-year or lifetime licence. - **Section:** Licences & certifications · **Region:** India · **Difficulty:** medium - **Time:** 3–12 months end to end (the police/IB verification is the long pole) · 1–2 months of study - **Cost:** ₹100 exam fee per grade · ₹1,000 for a 20-year licence or ₹2,000 for lifetime - **You end up with:** An ASOC (Restricted or General grade) and a VU callsign licence from the WPC wing of DoT - **Last reviewed:** 2026-09-05 · **Canonical:** https://for.do/p/ham-radio-asoc-india/ ## Before you start - Indian citizen, at least 12 years old - Aadhaar, PAN or passport, passport-size photos, and address proof scanned for the portal India's amateur licence is issued by the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the Department of Telecommunications. The path has three distinct stages that people conflate: an exam (fast), a security clearance (slow, and out of your hands), and the licence issue with a callsign. Knowing which stage you are in stops most of the anxiety. ## 1. Choose your grade - [ ] Decide between Restricted (no Morse; VHF/UHF and limited HF) and General (Morse at 8 wpm; full HF). - [ ] If you want General eventually, apply for both in one sitting — the fee is ₹200 for both versus ₹100 each, and the written papers overlap. ## 2. Register and apply on Saral Sanchar - [ ] Create an account at saralsanchar.gov.in with your mobile number and email. - [ ] Open the Amateur Station Operator Certificate application, choose the grade, and upload photo, ID, address proof and date-of-birth proof. - [ ] Pay the exam fee online (₹100 per grade). - [ ] Note the application number. The regional WPC office schedules the exam separately — email or call them with the number if you hear nothing within a few weeks. ## 3. Prepare for the written papers The exam has two sections: Radio Theory and Practice, and Radio Regulations and Procedure (National and International). - [ ] Work through a current guide — the ARSI beginner material or a club course (the Indian Institute of Hams and several city clubs run weekend classes). - [ ] Learn the Indian band plan, the Q-codes, the phonetic alphabet, and the licence conditions; the regulations paper is where unprepared engineers fail. - [ ] For General grade, practise Morse daily with a trainer app until 8 wpm send and receive is comfortable, not marginal. ## 4. Sit the exam at the WPC office - [ ] Carry the application printout, original ID, and photos. - [ ] Restricted grade needs 50% overall and 40% in each section; General needs 60% overall, 50% in each section, and the Morse test. - [ ] Results are usually communicated by the office; the portal updates later. ## 5. Wait out the security clearance After a pass, the file goes for verification by the local police and Intelligence Bureau. This is the stage that takes months. - [ ] Keep the address on your application current; a police visit or call to that address is normal. - [ ] If nothing has moved after 4–6 months, a polite RTI request to the WPC office is the accepted way to get a status. ## 6. Pay for the licence and receive your callsign - [ ] When the portal shows the certificate approved, pay the licence fee: ₹1,000 for 20 years or ₹2,000 for lifetime. - [ ] Download the licence with your VU callsign from the portal. - [ ] Only now buy or build a transmitter; log every contact as the licence conditions require. ## Where people get this wrong - Expecting the timeline of a US or UK licence. In India the exam is the quick part; the security clearance after the exam routinely takes months. Apply early and do not chase weekly. - Attempting General grade without practising Morse. General grade adds a Morse code test at 8 words per minute; Restricted grade has no Morse. - Buying a transmitter before the licence arrives. Possessing a transmitter without a licence is an offence under the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act; receivers are fine. - Applying by post or at the office. Since 1 August 2020 applications are only accepted online through Saral Sanchar. ## Questions **Restricted or General — which should I apply for?** Restricted grade is the practical starting point: no Morse, and VHF/UHF plus limited HF privileges. General grade adds full HF power and bands but requires Morse at 8 wpm. You can apply for both in one sitting for ₹200. **Where is the exam held?** At the WPC regional monitoring station or office covering your state (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and others). Dates are set by the office, not the portal, so contact them after applying. **What is the pass mark?** Restricted grade: 50% overall with at least 40% in each section. General grade: 60% overall with at least 50% in each section, plus the Morse test. ## Tools used - [Saral Sanchar (DoT)](https://find.do/t/saral-sanchar/) (official) — India's DoT portal for the Amateur Station Operator Certificate and licence. ## Sources - [DoT eServices — Amateur Station Operator Certificate](https://www.eservices.dot.gov.in/amateur-station-operator-certificate-asoc) - [Amateur Radio Society of India — ASOC procedure](https://arsi.info/asoc/) - [Saral Sanchar portal](https://saralsanchar.gov.in) - [Wikipedia — Amateur radio licence categories in India](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_licence_categories_in_India)