Probably not, but it depends on how powerful you need the radio to be.
Most countries have a regulatory body that governs the use of radio frequencies. They do this so that different groups can use radio signals without interfering with each other (especially in the case of the emergency services). Here in the UK, radio transmission is regulated by Ofcom (Office of Communications), which is, in turn, regulated by the UK government.
However, if you are only planning on using a small device, Ofcom do allow some ‘licence free’ walkie-talkies. Here’s a description, taken from walkie-talkie-radio.co.uk,
One of the benefits of the European Union is that the standard for license-free radios is exactly the same, right across the EU. This means that if your radio is license-free in the UK, it will also be license free anywhere else in the EU).
If you wanted to use a more powerful radio (say anything over 5 watts for a handheld or 25 watts for vehicle radios and base stations), then you will need a license. 2wayradionline.co.uk has more on this,
The most basic licence available to you would be the ‘UK Simple’ license,
It is also possible to get a ‘Technically assigned Geographic License’ – essentially, this license allows you to use a specific frequency (or set of frequencies) that are uniquely yours. The catch is that you can only use them within a specific location. These licenses aren’t especially expensive to maintain, but the cost is rising in major cities, especially London.
If you are setting yourself up as an equipment lender, or rental firm, then you’ll need a UK Simple Business Radio Supplier’s License. This license allocates you a set of frequencies that you rent out to clients, along with your own equipment. Because the frequencies are licensed to you, the hirer of the equipment need not worry about obtaining their own license.
Getting any one of these licenses is as simple as visiting the licensing section of Ofcom’s website.
Hope that helps!
SOURCES
http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/
http://www.walkie-talkie-radio.co.uk/two-way-radio-licencing-in-the-uk.html