Aircraft Registration Prefixes by Country: The Complete Guide

Current ICAO Aircraft Registration Prefix by Country

Aircraft Registration Prefixes Used By Civilian Aircraft

When you spot an aircraft tail number like N12345 or G-ABCD, you’re not just looking at a random code — you're seeing a key part of aviation regulation and global identification. These codes, known as aircraft registration prefixes, are assigned by countries to uniquely identify aircraft under their jurisdiction. In this comprehensive guide, we explore what aircraft registration prefixes are, why they matter, and provide a detailed list of aircraft registration prefixes by country.

What Are Aircraft Registration Prefixes?

Aircraft registration prefixes are alphanumeric codes placed at the beginning of an aircraft's tail number to denote the country of registration. These prefixes are regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and are part of a standardized global system ensuring each aircraft can be uniquely identified. For example: "N" stands for the United States "G" represents the United Kingdom "D" is for Germany Every civil aircraft must be registered in a country, much like how cars are registered, and must carry a visible registration mark.

Why Are Aircraft Registration Prefixes Important?

Aircraft registration prefixes serve multiple essential functions:

International Identification: Enables countries, ATC, and international aviation authorities to identify an aircraft's nationality.

Legal Ownership & Liability: Determines which country's laws govern the aircraft.

Tracking and Oversight: Allows aviation regulators to maintain accurate records and track aircraft status, inspections, and incidents.

These prefixes are a critical part of aviation safety, airspace coordination, and legal compliance.

For more information about aircraft registration prefixes

Table of Aircraft Registration Prefixes by Country list according to ICAO’s official aircraft registration prefix database (ICAO Doc 8643).

Registration Prefix	Countries Name
YA	Afghanistan
ZA	Albania
7T	Algeria
C3	Andorra
D2	Angola.
VP-A	Anguilla
V2	Antigua
LV	Argentina
EK	Armenia
P4	Aruba
VH	Australia
OE	Austria
4K	Azerbaijan
C6	Bahamas
A9C	Bahrain
S2	Bangladesh
8P	Barbados
EW	Belarus
OO	Belgium
V3	Belize
TY	Benin
VP-B	Bermuda
A5	Bhutan
CP	Bolivia
T9	Bosnia
A2	Botswana
PP-, PR-, PS	Brazil
PT-, PU	Brazil
V8	Brunei
LZ	Bulgaria
XT	Burkina Faso
9U	Burundi
XU	Cambodia
TJ	Cameroon
C	Canada
D4	Cape Verde
VP-C	Cayman Islands
TL	Central African Republic
TT	Chad
CC	Chile
B	China [inc. Hong Kong & Taiwan]
HK	Colombia
D6	Comores
9Q	Congo
TN	Congo
TI	Costa Rica
9A	Croatia
CU	Cuba
5B	Cyprus
OK	Czech Republic
OY	Denmark
J2	Djibouti
J7	Dominica
HI	Dominican Republic
PJ	Dutch Antilles
HC	Ecuador
SU	Egypt
EI	Eire
YS	El Salvador
3C	Equatorial Guinea
E3	Eritrea
ES	Estonia
ET	Ethiopia
VP-F	Falkland Islands
DQ	Fiji
OH	Finland
F	France
TR	Gabon
4L	Georgia
D	Germany
9G	Ghana
VP-G	Gibraltar
SX	Greece
J3	Grenada
TG	Guatemala
3X	Guinea
J5	Guinea-Bissau
8R	Guyana
HH	Haiti
HR	Honduras
HA	Hungary
TF	Iceland
India	VT
PK	Indonesia
EP	Iran
YI	Iraq
4X	Israel
I	Italy
TU	Ivory Coast
6Y	Jamaica
JA	Japan
JY	Jordan
UN	Kazakhstan
5Y	Kenya
T3	Kiribati
9K	Kuwait
EX	Kyrgyzstan
RDPL	Laos
YL	Latvia
OD	Lebanon
7P	Lesotho
A8	Liberia (new prefix as from 2002)
EL	Liberia (old prefix phases out during 2002)
5A	Libya
LY	Lithuania
LX	Luxembourg
Z3	Macedonia
5R	Madagascar
7Q	Malawi
9M	Malaysia
8Q	Maldives
TZ	Mali
9H	Malta
V7	Marshall Islands
Mauritania	5T
3B	Mauritius
XA	Mexico
XB	Mexico
XC	Mexico
V6	Micronesia
ER	Moldova
3A	Monaco
MT	Mongolia
VP-M	Montserrat
CN	Morocco
C9	Mozambique
XY	Myanmar
V5	Namibia
C2	Nauru
9N	Nepal
ZK	New Zealand
YN	Nicaragua
5U	Niger
5N	Nigeria
P	North Korea
LN	Norway
A4O	Oman
AP	Pakistan
HP	Panama
P2	Papua New Guinea
ZP	Paraguay
OB	Peru
SP	Poland
CS	Portugal
A7	Qatar
YR	Romania
RA	Russia
9XR	Rwanda
VQ-H	Saint Helena
J6	Saint Lucia
J8	Saint Vincent
T7	San Marino
S9	Sao Tome
HZ	Saudi Arabia
6V	Senegal
S7	Seychelles
9L	Sierra Leone
9V	Singapore
OM	Slovakia
S5	Slovenia
H4	Soloman Islands
6O	Somalia
ZS	South Africa
HL	South Korea
EC	Spain
4R	Sri Lanka
V4	St Kitts & Nevis
Sudan	ST
PZ	Surinam
3D	Swaziland
SE	Sweden
HB	Switzerland
YK	Syria
EY	Tajikistan
5H	Tanzania
HS	Thailand
C5	The Gambia
PH	The Netherlands
RP	The Philippines
HV	The Vatican
5V	Togo
A3	Tonga
9Y	Trinidad & Tobago
TS	Tunisia
TC	Turkey
EZ	Turkmenistan
VQ-T	Turks & Caicos
T2	Tuvalu

How Are Aircraft Registration Numbers Assigned?

Each country has its own aviation authority (like the FAA in the U.S. or the CAA in the UK) that assigns the suffix of the registration based on availability, type of aircraft, or custom requests (in some cases). The prefix, however, always aligns with the country’s code as recognized by the ICAO.

Some countries allow customized registrations for private jets and VIP aircraft, often with symbolic or easy-to-remember suffixes (e.g., N1, VP-BAT, 9H-VIP).

Interesting Facts About Aircraft Prefixes

VP-B / VP-C are popular for offshore registrations (Bermuda and Cayman Islands), often used by corporate or leased aircraft.
9H is the prefix for Malta, which has become a popular aircraft registry due to favorable regulations.
Some aircraft fly under "flag of convenience" registries, registering in countries different from where they are operated, for tax or regulatory benefits.

Conclusion

Understanding aircraft registration prefixes by country offers valuable insights into global aviation, aircraft ownership, and international regulation. Whether you're a pilot, aviation enthusiast, or aircraft operator, knowing these prefixes can help you decode aircraft nationality instantly.

If you're involved in aviation operations, charter services, or aircraft acquisition, always ensure the aircraft's registry aligns with your operational and legal requirements.

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