Maximum drone altitude in Spain

What the rules say

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

• General height limit120 mConditional
• Reference datumabove_nearest_obstacleYes
• Category-specific limitsConditional
• Aerodrome-related limitConditional
• Structure exceptionConditional
• Authorised exceedanceConditional
• Conditional limitsConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

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

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 120 m

• altitude

  Flight altitude below 120 m

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Equipment exemption for specific and certified categories up to 120 meters

  General airspace equipment requirements are not applicable to UAS operated in the specific or certified categories outside UAS geographical zones at or below 120 meters, unless required by EU law.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Real Decreto 517/2024, art. 35 - section overview

  This article establishes the equipment requirements for UAS operating in Spain, distinguishing between operations inside UAS geographical zones and those outside them, and provides specific exemptions for the open category and certain low-altitude operations in the specific and certified categories.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Vertical Limits of Essential Services Geographical Zones

  The vertical boundary of an essential services geographical zone extends to a minimum height of 50 meters above the highest point of the affected infrastructure or installation.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Article 4 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Class C0 Maximum Attainable Height Limit

  A class C0 UAS must have its maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Compliance with Open Category Operational Limitations

  UAS operations in the 'open' category must comply with the operational limitations set out in Part A of the Annex.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Criteria for Determining Unmitigated Ground and Air Risks

  The risk identification must determine the unmitigated ground risk and unmitigated air risk based on specified operational, environmental, and airspace criteria.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Real Decreto 517/2024, de 4 de junio, por el que se desarrolla el regimen juridico para la utilizacion civil de sistemas de aeronaves no tripuladas (UAS) — Ministerio del InteriorOpen
• EASA Easy Access Rules for U-space (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664), May 2024Open
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945Open
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947Open

Other drone rules in Spain

• Do I need to register my drone in Spain?Registration in Spain 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.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in Spain?Drone flights near aerodromes in Spain are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in Spain?Whether an operation in Spain 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 Spain?Remote pilot competency in Spain 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 Spain?Drone insurance in Spain 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 Spain