Drone operational authorisation in Latvia

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of Latvia. "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 operationsConditional
• Digital applicationConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the a2, open and specific categories of operation.

• pilot certification

  Pilot age at or above 16 years

• weight threshold

  Take-off mass below 20 kg

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Action plan and resolution for Level 2 non-compliance

  Upon receiving a Level 2 non-compliance report, the operator must submit a root cause analysis and corrective action plan to the Civil Aviation Agency within 15 days, and resolve the non-compliance within three months.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Approval of Changes to Scope of Activity

  Changes to the scope of activity of a recognized entity may only be implemented after they have been approved by the Civil Aviation Agency.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Commencement of flights under standard scenarios

  An applicant may commence specific category UAS flights under the standard scenarios in Appendix 1 to the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2019/947, in accordance with points UAS.SPEC.020(1)(a) and (b) of Part B of that Annex, once the portal shows the Civil Aviation Agency's confirmation that the submitted operational declaration has been received and is complete.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Familiarization with Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC)

  Applicants must familiarize themselves with the Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) published on the Civil Aviation Agency's website before submitting an application for a specific category operational authorization or LUC.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Flight limits in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ)

  UAS flights in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ) are permitted without coordination only if conducted in VLOS at an altitude of up to 50 meters, unless AIP procedures specify otherwise.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Flight registration in geographical zones

  Before starting a flight or a series of flights in a geographical zone, the UAS operator and the geographical zone manager must register the flight application and coordination decision in the portal.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Level 1 Non-Compliance Corrective Action

  Upon receiving a Level 1 non-compliance report, a model aircraft club or association must submit a root cause analysis and corrective action plan within 7 to 15 days.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 437 — Specifiskās kategorijas bezpilota gaisa kuģu sistēmu ekspluatantu sertifikācijas un uzraudzības kārtība — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia)Open
• Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 374 — Atzīto struktūru statusa iegūšanas un uzraudzības kārtība — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia)Open
• Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 627 — Gaisa kuģu modeļu klubu vai apvienību organizēto bezpilota gaisa kuģu lidojumu noteikumi — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia)Open
• Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 248 — Bezpilota gaisa kuģu lidojumu noteikumi — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia)Open

Other drone rules in Latvia

• Do I need to register my drone in Latvia?Registration in Latvia 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 Latvia?Remote identification in Latvia 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 Latvia?Drone flights in Latvia 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 Latvia?Drone flights near aerodromes in Latvia are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in Latvia?Remote pilot competency in Latvia 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 Latvia?Drone insurance in Latvia 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.

All drone laws in Latvia