Drone operational authorisation in European Union / EASA

What the rules say

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

• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Trigger statedConditional
• Issuing authorityConditional
• Application modelpermitYes
• Risk assessmentConditional
• Standard scenario routeConditional
• Declaration routeConditional
• Generic or organisational privilegeConditional
• ValidityConditional
• Repeat operationsNot resolved
• Digital applicationConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the open and specific categories of operation.

• pilot certification

  Pilot age at or above 16 years

• weight threshold

  Take-off mass below 20 kg

• pilot certification

  Age reduction at or below 2 years

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Application for Cross-Border Operations under Operational Authorisation

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Article 11 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Article 5 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Article 9 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Assessment of Mitigation Robustness

  The robustness of proposed mitigating measures must be assessed to ensure they are commensurate with the safety objectives and risks of the intended operation.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Certification Based on Operational Risk Assessment

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Class-Marked UAS Compliance Requirements

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Compliance with Operator's Procedures

  During the flight, the remote pilot must comply with the operator's procedures when available.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 — European Union Aviation Safety AgencyOpen
• EASA Easy Access Rules for U-space (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664), May 2024 — European Union Aviation Safety AgencyOpen

Known limitations

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

Other drone rules in European Union / EASA

• Do I need to register my drone in European Union / EASA?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.
• Do I need Remote ID in European Union / EASA?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.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in European Union / EASA?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.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in European Union / EASA?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.
• Do I need drone insurance in European Union / EASA?Drone insurance in European Union / EASA 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 European Union / EASA