Remote pilot competency in Estonia

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of Estonia. "Not resolved" means the corpus does not answer it in a machine-checkable way — never that the law is silent.

• Competency requiredConditional
• Training requiredConditional
• Examination requiredConditional
• Proof of competency issuedConditional
• Operation-specific qualificationConditional
• Validity periodConditional
• Renewal or recurrent trainingConditional
• Minimum age16 yearsConditional
• Weight-based trigger0.25 kgConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the a1, a1/a3, a2, a3 and open categories of operation.

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 120 m

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Grounds for suspension or revocation of remote pilot certificate

  A remote pilot's certificate or proof of competency may be suspended or revoked by the Transport Administration if the pilot violates aviation regulations, third-party safety, data protection, privacy laws, or EU Regulation 2019/947 requirements.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Notification of certificate surrender

  The holder of a remote pilot training organization certificate must notify the Transport Administration in writing at least 30 calendar days before surrendering the certificate.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Online theory exam for A1 and A3 subcategories

  To obtain remote pilot competency in the Open category A1 and A3 subcategories, the applicant must pass the online theory exam conducted in the Transport Administration's aviation safety supervision information system.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Operation according to training manual

  A remote pilot training organization must conduct its activities in accordance with its training organization manual.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Prohibition of operating a UAS without remote pilot competency

  Operating an unmanned aircraft system without the required remote pilot competency is prohibited and subject to a fine of up to 300 fine units for individuals or up to 12,000 euros for legal entities.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  State fee for remote pilot certificates

  A state fee must be paid in accordance with the rate established in the State Fees Act for the issuance of the A1 and A3 subcategory training certificate and for the processing of the remote pilot certificate application.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  State fees for training organization certificate

  A state fee must be paid for the review of an application for a remote pilot training organization certificate, its amendment, and its maintenance.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Theory exam for A2 subcategory and Specific category

  To obtain remote pilot competency in the Open category A2 subcategory or the Specific category, the applicant must pass the required theory exam conducted by either the Transport Administration or a certified remote pilot training organization.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Lennundusseadus (RT I, redaktsioon 109042026005) — § 60¹⁴ — lennureeglite rikkumine õhusõiduki juhi poolt — Transpordiamet (Estonian Transport Administration)Open

Other drone rules in Estonia

• Do I need to register my drone in Estonia?Registration in Estonia is governed by a published mass threshold of 0.25 kg, alongside the further conditions cited below. Whether it applies to a given flight depends on those conditions, each cited to its rule.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in Estonia?Drone flights in Estonia are held to a published general height limit of 120 m above_nearest_obstacle. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in Estonia?No aerodrome permission of this kind is imposed in Estonia for the operations covered here; a published rule states so expressly.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in Estonia?Whether an operation in Estonia needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.
• Do I need drone insurance in Estonia?Drone insurance in Estonia is published with a minimum third-party cover of 0.75 million SDR. Whether cover is required for a given flight depends on the published conditions below.

All drone laws in Estonia