# Drone laws in European Union / EASA

> Structured, citation-backed drone regulation information for European Union / EASA, published by Drone Assistant from official sources. Every claim below links to the official material it came from. This is not legal advice, coverage is not exhaustive, and the linked official source governs.

> Limited guide. Drone Assistant's coverage of European Union / EASA is still under review, so this page summarises only the published rules we can cite to an official source. It is not a complete statement of European Union / EASA's drone law; check the linked sources or ask the assistant about your own flight.

Canonical page: [https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/europe](https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/europe)

This Markdown file is a machine-readable representation of that page. It is generated from the same published data; it is not a separate content source.

## Regulatory framework

- Jurisdiction: European Union / EASA
- Responsible aviation authority: [European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/domains/civil-drones)
- Framework type: supranational framework
- Published rules held for this jurisdiction: 346

This is the shared supranational framework, not a single country. Member States apply it and may add national requirements, so read the national page for the country you fly in.

Legal status is stated for every rule below: binding law, AMC/GM (acceptable means of compliance and guidance material), authority guidance or other non-binding material. Guidance is never a statutory maximum in itself.

## Registration and pilot requirements

### Registration

- Question: Do I need to register my drone in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether a drone or its operator must be registered before flying, and under which threshold.

Registration in European Union / EASA 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.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 0.25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: certified, open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Kinetic energy above 80 joules (other)
- Take-off mass at or above 250 g (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Application for Cross-Border Operations under Operational Authorisation** (Article 13(1)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A UAS operator intending to conduct a specific category operation under an existing operational authorisation in a Member State other than their Member State of registration must submit an application to the competent authority of the Member State of intended operation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 14 - section overview** (Article 14) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. This section establishes the mandatory registration requirements for UAS operators and certified unmanned aircraft, defining the thresholds for registration in the open and specific categories, registration location rules, and the obligation to display the registration number. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 40 - section overview** (Article 40) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Article 40 defines the conditions under which a UAS must be certified, outlines compliance requirements for certified and non-certified UAS in the specific category, and mandates unique serial numbers and remote identification systems for certain operations. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Contents of an Operational Authorisation Application** (UAS.SPEC.030) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The application for an operational authorisation shall be based on the risk assessment referred to in Article 11 and shall include the specified operator registration, manager name, risk assessment, mitigation measures, operations manual (if required), and insurance confirmation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Cross-Border Operations by LUC Holders with UAS.LUC.060 Privileges** (Article 13(4)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A UAS operator holding an LUC with privileges under point UAS.LUC.060 that intends to conduct a specific-category operation taking place partly or entirely in the airspace of a Member State other than its Member State of registration must provide the competent authority of the Member State of intended operation with a copy of the term of approval received in accordance with point UAS.LUC.050 of the Annex, and with the location or locations of the intended operation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Direct Remote Identification** (Annex Part 3 (14)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification that allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number required in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, performs a consistency check on that registration string, and broadcasts directly and periodically in real time throughout the flight — using an open and documented transmission protocol receivable by existing mobile devices within range — at least the UAS operator registration number and Member State verification code, the unique serial number of the UA, the time stamp, the geographical position of the UA and its height above the surface or take-off point, the route course and ground speed, the geographical position of the remote pilot or, if not available, the take-off point, and an indication of the emergency status of the UAS; the direct remote identification must also reduce the ability of tampering with its functionality. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Display of Operator Registration Number on the Aircraft** (Article 14(8)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. UAS operators must display their registration number on every unmanned aircraft that meets the registration conditions described in paragraph 5. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Operational Authorisation Requirement for Specific Category** (Article 5(1)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A UAS operator must obtain an operational authorisation from the competent authority of the Member State where they are registered if any requirement of Article 4 or Part A of the Annex is not met. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-09-08.

### Remote identification

- Question: Do I need Remote ID in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether aircraft must carry or broadcast an electronic identity, and in which form.

Remote identification in European Union / EASA is framed by a published mass threshold of 25 kg, together with the aircraft and operation conditions cited below. Whether a given flight must carry or broadcast an electronic identity depends on those conditions.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: a1, a2, a3, open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Take-off mass below 25 kg (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Active remote identification and geo-awareness for Class C1 UAS** (UAS.OPEN.020(5)(d)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Class C1 unmanned aircraft must be operated with an active and updated direct remote identification system and geo-awareness function. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **ANSI/CTA-2063 Compliant Serial Number** (Annex Part 6 (2)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A direct remote identification add-on must have a physical serial number compliant with standard ANSI/CTA-2063, legibly affixed to the add-on and its packaging or user's manual. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 40 - section overview** (Article 40) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Article 40 defines the conditions under which a UAS must be certified, outlines compliance requirements for certified and non-certified UAS in the specific category, and mandates unique serial numbers and remote identification systems for certain operations. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 6 - section overview** (Article 6) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. This section establishes the obligations of manufacturers when placing UAS or remote identification add-ons on the Union market, including conformity assessments, CE marking, documentation retention, product labeling, and corrective actions. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Broadcast Data Tamper Protection** (Annex Part 6 (4)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A direct remote identification add-on must ensure that the user cannot modify the serial number, UA geographical position and height, route course and ground speed, and pilot position or take-off point. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Direct Remote Identification** (Annex Part 3 (14)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification that allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number required in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, performs a consistency check on that registration string, and broadcasts directly and periodically in real time throughout the flight — using an open and documented transmission protocol receivable by existing mobile devices within range — at least the UAS operator registration number and Member State verification code, the unique serial number of the UA, the time stamp, the geographical position of the UA and its height above the surface or take-off point, the route course and ground speed, the geographical position of the remote pilot or, if not available, the take-off point, and an indication of the emergency status of the UAS; the direct remote identification must also reduce the ability of tampering with its functionality. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **EU: for UAS operations requiring a certificate or declaration for design, Annex VI occurrences include remote ID broadcast failure, geographical zone infringement and collisions or near collisions** (Annex VI, points 1 to 5) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. In the operation of UAS for which a certificate or declaration for design is required, the Annex VI occurrences include: inability to broadcast the remote identification or aircraft identification; geographical zones infringements, where UAS operations are not permitted, or the required flight authorisation was not obtained; and a collision or a near collision on the ground or in the air, with another aircraft, terrain or obstacle. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1821/oj)
- **Mandatory Class C2 marking and equipment for subcategory A2** (UAS.OPEN.030(3)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS operations in subcategory A2 must be performed with an unmanned aircraft marked as class C2, complying with class C2 requirements, and operated with active and updated direct remote identification and geo-awareness. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

- 3 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-10-02.

### Remote pilot competency

- Question: What training do I need to fly a drone in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: What training, examination or proof of competency a remote pilot must hold.

Remote pilot competency in European Union / EASA scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.

Published figures:

- Minimum age: 16 years (binding law)
- Weight-based trigger: 0.25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: a1, a2, a3, open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or below 120 m (altitude)
- Examination questions at or above 30 questions (other)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Class C0 Safe Controllability** (Annex Part 1 (4)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C0 UAS must be safely controllable by a remote pilot following the manufacturer's instructions under all anticipated operating conditions, including system failures. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Class C4 Controllability and Maneuverability** (Annex Part 5 (2)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C4 UAS must be safely controllable and manoeuvrable by a remote pilot following the manufacturer's instructions under all anticipated operating conditions, including system failures. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Compliance with Manufacturer's Instructions** (UAS.OPEN.060(2)(e)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. During the flight, the remote pilot must operate the UAS in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, including any applicable limitations. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Considerations for Identifying Mitigation Measures** (Article 11(5)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The identification of mitigation measures to meet the target safety level must consider containment, strategic limitations, flight rules, adverse conditions, organizational factors, personnel competency, human error, and UAS design features. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Controllability and Pilot Competency** (Annex Part 3 (3)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must be safely controllable by a remote pilot with adequate competency as defined in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, following manufacturer instructions. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Data Link Protection** (Annex Part 3 (8)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. Unless tethered, a class C2 UAS must have a data link protected against unauthorised access to command and control functions. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Direct Remote Identification** (Annex Part 3 (14)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification that allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number required in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, performs a consistency check on that registration string, and broadcasts directly and periodically in real time throughout the flight — using an open and documented transmission protocol receivable by existing mobile devices within range — at least the UAS operator registration number and Member State verification code, the unique serial number of the UA, the time stamp, the geographical position of the UA and its height above the surface or take-off point, the route course and ground speed, the geographical position of the remote pilot or, if not available, the take-off point, and an indication of the emergency status of the UAS; the direct remote identification must also reduce the ability of tampering with its functionality. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Familiarity with manufacturer's instructions** (UAS.OPEN.020(4)(a)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The remote pilot must be familiar with the manufacturer's instructions provided by the manufacturer of the UAS. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Last verified: 2026-08-24.

## Operating rules

### Altitude limits

- Question: What is the maximum drone altitude in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: The general height limit that applies to drone flights, and what changes it.

Drone flights in European Union / EASA 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.

Published figures:

- General height limit: 120 m (binding law)
- Reference datum: above_nearest_obstacle (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or below 120 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or below 15 m (altitude)
- Obstacle height above 105 m (altitude)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Article 4 - section overview** (Article 4) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section establishes the classification requirements for UAS operations in the 'open' category, defining limits on aircraft class, maximum take-off mass, operational distance from people, visual line of sight, maximum altitude, and cargo restrictions, as well as dividing the category into three sub-categories. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Class C0 Maximum Attainable Height Limit** (Annex Part 1 (3)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C0 UAS must have its maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Compliance with Open Category Operational Limitations** (Article 7(1)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. UAS operations in the 'open' category must comply with the operational limitations set out in Part A of the Annex. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Criteria for Determining Unmitigated Ground and Air Risks** (Article 11(4)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The risk identification must determine the unmitigated ground risk and unmitigated air risk based on specified operational, environmental, and airspace criteria. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Direct Remote Identification** (Annex Part 3 (14)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification that allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number required in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, performs a consistency check on that registration string, and broadcasts directly and periodically in real time throughout the flight — using an open and documented transmission protocol receivable by existing mobile devices within range — at least the UAS operator registration number and Member State verification code, the unique serial number of the UA, the time stamp, the geographical position of the UA and its height above the surface or take-off point, the route course and ground speed, the geographical position of the remote pilot or, if not available, the take-off point, and an indication of the emergency status of the UAS; the direct remote identification must also reduce the ability of tampering with its functionality. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Geo-Awareness Function** (Annex Part 3 (15)) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must be equipped with a geo-awareness function that provides an interface to load and update data on airspace limitations related to UA position and height imposed by the UAS geographical zones defined by Article 15 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, without degrading the integrity and validity of that data; a warning alert to the remote pilot when a potential breach of airspace limitations is detected; and information to the remote pilot on the UA's status together with a warning alert when its positioning or navigation systems cannot ensure the proper functioning of the geo-awareness function. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Height Exception for Unmanned Sailplanes** (UAS.OPEN.010(4)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Unmanned sailplanes with an MTOM of less than 10 kg may be flown at a distance in excess of 120 metres from the closest point of the surface of the earth, provided they do not exceed 120 metres above the remote pilot at any time. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Last verified: 2026-08-24.

### Operational authorisation

- Question: When does a drone operation need authorisation in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: When an operation needs prior authorisation, and how that authorisation is obtained.

Whether an operation in European Union / EASA needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.

Published figures:

- Application model: permit (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Pilot age at or above 16 years (pilot certification)
- Take-off mass below 20 kg (weight threshold)
- Age reduction at or below 2 years (pilot certification)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Application for Cross-Border Operations under Operational Authorisation** (Article 13(1)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A UAS operator intending to conduct a specific category operation under an existing operational authorisation in a Member State other than their Member State of registration must submit an application to the competent authority of the Member State of intended operation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 11 - section overview** (Article 11) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section establishes the mandatory rules and criteria for conducting an operational risk assessment (SORA) for UAS operations, detailing the required elements of the operational description, risk identification, safety targets, mitigation measures, and robustness assessments. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 5 - section overview** (Article 5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Article 5 establishes the regulatory framework for the 'Specific' category of UAS operations, detailing when an operational authorisation is required, the risk assessment process, and exemptions such as standard scenario declarations, Light UAS Operator Certificates (LUC), and authorized model aircraft clubs. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 9 - section overview** (Article 9) — binding law; national rule; EU regulation — binding law. This section establishes the minimum age of 16 for remote pilots operating in the 'open' and 'specific' categories, details specific exemptions where no minimum age is required, and outlines the conditions under which Member States may lower these age limits. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Assessment of Mitigation Robustness** (Article 11(6)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The robustness of proposed mitigating measures must be assessed to ensure they are commensurate with the safety objectives and risks of the intended operation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Certification Based on Operational Risk Assessment** (Article 40 (1)(d)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The design, production, and maintenance of a UAS must be certified if the competent authority concludes, based on an operational risk assessment, that the risks cannot be adequately mitigated without certification. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Class-Marked UAS Compliance Requirements** (UAS.OPEN.050) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. For operations using a class-marked UAS (Parts 1 to 5 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945), the operator must ensure the UAS is accompanied by the EU declaration of conformity and has the class identification label affixed. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Compliance with Operator's Procedures** (UAS.OPEN.060(2)(f)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. During the flight, the remote pilot must comply with the operator's procedures when available. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-09-07.

## Airspace and geographical zones

### Aerodromes and controlled airspace

- Question: Can I fly a drone near an airport in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: What permission or distance applies around aerodromes and in controlled airspace.

Drone flights near aerodromes in European Union / EASA are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open.

Rules behind this answer:

- **In-flight Geographical Zone Compliance** (UAS.OPEN.060(2)(c)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. During the flight, the remote pilot must comply with the operational limitations defined for geographical zones. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Observation of the Operating Environment** (AMC1 UAS.OPEN.060(1)(c)) — guidance / non-binding material; national rule; AMC/GM — acceptable means of compliance or guidance material, not a statutory rule in itself. EASA accepts that the remote pilot observes the operating environment and checks for conditions that might affect safety, such as people, property, vehicles, public roads, obstacles, aerodromes, and critical infrastructure, as a means of complying with UAS.OPEN.060(1)(c). [Official source](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems-regulations-eu)

Limitations of this coverage:

- 4 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-08-22.

## Insurance

### Insurance

- Question: Do I need drone insurance in European Union / EASA?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether third-party liability insurance is mandatory, and from which threshold.

Drone insurance in European Union / EASA is published with a minimum third-party cover of 20 kg. Whether cover is required for a given flight depends on the published conditions below.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 20 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Take-off mass below 20 kg (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Contents of an Operational Authorisation Application** (UAS.SPEC.030) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The application for an operational authorisation shall be based on the risk assessment referred to in Article 11 and shall include the specified operator registration, manager name, risk assessment, mitigation measures, operations manual (if required), and insurance confirmation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Declared standard scenario operations require confirmation of insurance cover** (UAS.SPEC.020(2)(d)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A declaration by a UAS operator shall contain confirmation by the UAS operator that an appropriate insurance cover will be in place for every flight made under the declaration, if required by Union or national law. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Model aircraft under 20 kg are outside the EU aviation insurance regulation** (Article 2(2)(b)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Regulation (EC) No 785/2004 shall not apply to model aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of less than 20 kg. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Operational authorisation applications require confirmation of insurance cover** (UAS.SPEC.030(3)(f)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. An application for an operational authorisation shall include a confirmation that an appropriate insurance cover will be in place at the start of the UAS operations, if required by Union or national law. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Operator registration records an insurance policy number where insurance is required** (Article 14(2)(d)) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The registration systems for UAS operators shall provide the fields for introducing and exchanging an insurance policy number for UAS if required by Union or national law. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

- Binding law and official guidance disagree on insurance.operation_scope; the binding position is published.
- 3 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-08-23.

## Visual line of sight (VLOS)

Requirement (acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)): VLOS is determined by whether the remote pilot can keep the unmanned aircraft in unaided visual contact. EASA guidance treats the maximum possible VLOS distance as the smaller of the attitude line of sight (ALOS) and the detection line of sight (DLOS); anything beyond that is BVLOS.

- Distance: Depends on aircraft size and visibility
- What that means: European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) publishes a method for working this out. The requirement to fly within visual line of sight is itself binding; it is this way of calculating a practical distance that comes from acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, so the result is not a statutory maximum in itself.
- Legal status of the governing material: acceptable means of compliance / guidance material (not a statutory maximum in itself)
- Governing layer: national (eu-easa)
- Depends on: the aircraft's characteristic dimension
- Depends on: the ground visibility at the site
- Published expression: ALOSmax = 327 x CD + 20 m
- Published expression: ALOSmax = 490 x CD + 30 m
- Published expression: DLOSmax = 0.3 x ground visibility
- Worked example published by the authority: 1 m (rotary wing) — 347 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 1 m (fixed wing) — 520 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 2 m (rotary wing) — 674 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 2 m (fixed wing) — 1010 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3 m (rotary wing) — 1000 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3.5 m (rotary wing) — 1164.5 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3.5 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4 m (rotary wing) — 1328 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4.53 m (rotary wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4.53 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m

- Visual observer: An observer may assist the remote pilot, but the remote pilot remains responsible for maintaining visual line of sight and the operating range is not extended.
  - Legal status: acceptable means of compliance / guidance material (national)
- First-person view (FPV): UA observers may also be used when the remote pilot conducts UAS operations in first-person view (FPV). In any case, including during FPV operations, the remote pilot is still responsible for the safety of the flight. (acceptable means of compliance / guidance material)
  - The remote pilot remains responsible for the safety of the flight at all times.
  - A UA observer may be used and must be situated alongside the remote pilot.
- Visibility: Visibility is part of the published method: DLOSmax = 0.3 x ground visibility

Layers that apply:

- National (eu-easa), acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): VLOS is determined by whether the remote pilot can keep the unmanned aircraft in unaided visual contact. EASA guidance treats the maximum possible VLOS distance as the smaller of the attitude line of sight (ALOS) and the detection line of sight (DLOS); anything beyond that is BVLOS.
  - Method: The maximum possible distance results from the smaller value of ALOS and DLOS. Anything beyond that is considered BVLOS.

VLOS sources:

- [Easy Access Rules for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Revision from June 2026 - Annex to AMC3 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e), A.5.2.5-A.5.2.6; GM1 UAS.OPEN.060(4)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems) — European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, last verified 2026-09-07

## Official sources

- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624) — European Union Aviation Safety Agency; EU regulation — binding law; last verified 2026-10-03
- [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1821 (UAS and U-space occurrences, amending 2015/1018)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1821/oj) — European Union Aviation Safety Agency; EU regulation — binding law; last verified 2026-10-02
- [EASA Easy Access Rules for UAS](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems-regulations-eu) — European Union Aviation Safety Agency; last verified 2026-10-03

## Verification

- Sources last verified: 2026-10-02
- Page built: 2026-10-07
- Regulations change. Where a statement says a value is unverified or not published, that describes the official material reviewed so far, not a finding that no such rule exists; please reproduce such caveats as caveats.
- A rule shown here applies to this jurisdiction and to the operation described. Do not generalise it to other countries or to other categories of operation.
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