Drone registration 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.

• Registration requiredConditional
• Weight threshold0.25 kgConditional
• Operator registrationConditional
• Aircraft registrationConditional
• Identifier displayConditional
• Renewal or validity periodConditional
• Digital registrationConditional
• Registration exceptionsConditional
• More than one registration regimeNot resolved

What changes the answer

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

• altitude

  Flight altitude below 120 m

• other

  Kinetic energy above 80 joules

• weight threshold

  Take-off mass at or above 250 g

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 14 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Article 40 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Contents of an Operational Authorisation Application

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Direct Remote Identification

  Unless tethered, a class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification system that broadcasts operator registration, serial number, position, course, speed, and pilot position in real time.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Display of Operator Registration Number on the Aircraft

  UAS operators must display their registration number on every unmanned aircraft that meets the registration conditions described in paragraph 5.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Operational Authorisation Requirement for Specific Category

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Operator Registration Number Upload Capability

  A direct remote identification add-on must allow the upload of the UAS operator registration number in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and exclusively following the process provided by the registration system.

  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
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 — 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 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.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in European Union / EASA?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.
• 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