Taking your drone on vacation: what applies in other EU countries and what to check first

A drone fits in any backpack, and aerial shots of the coast, a mountain lake or an old town have become part of vacation for many people. Legally, this has become simpler in Europe: since the end of 2020, a common set of rules applies. Simpler does not mean identical, though. Flying a drone in other EU countries works with your German certificates, but zones, insurance and local bans are set by each country itself. This guide separates cleanly what crosses the border with you and what you need to check again at your destination – with a special focus on the topic that affects us spotters most: airports.

The short answer

Within the EASA area, this applies: Your registration and your drone license from Germany are valid everywhere. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency makes clear in its FAQ that in the open category you don’t have to do anything differently abroad than in the state where you are registered. It names one obligation explicitly: before takeoff, you check whether your flight location lies in a geographical zone.

That is exactly where the differences lie. Which areas are closed or restricted is decided by each state for itself. On top of that come national requirements for insurance, separate authority portals and local rules, for example in national parks or over city centers.

Where the EU drone rules apply

The basis is Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 with the accompanying Delegated Regulation 2019/945 for the drone classes. It applies in all EASA member states. EASA counts the 27 EU states plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

For you as a vacationer, that means: in Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia or Norway, you find the same basic building blocks as at home.

• Categories: open, specific, certified. Hobby flights with camera drones almost always take place in the open category.
• Subcategories A1, A2 and A3 with their distance rules to people.
• Class marking C0 to C6 – a C1 drone is still a C1 drone in Spain. More on this in Drone classes C0 to C6.
• Basic rules of the open category such as visual line of sight, the height limit of 120 meters above ground and the ban on carrying dangerous goods.

That is the big advantage over the time before 2021, when every country had its own drone laws with its own weight classes and licenses.

What travels across the border with you

The operator registration

As a drone operator, you register once in the state where you live – in Germany, with the Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, LBA). EASA stresses that this registration is valid in all other member states and that you cannot register twice. Your e-ID stays on the drone and, if your drone supports it, is fed into remote identification, more on that under Remote ID for drones. How registration works is explained in the guide Registering your drone with the LBA.

Italy confirms this from the host country’s point of view as well: the Italian aviation authority ENAC states in its FAQ that the QR code from the D-Flight portal contains the operator number under the EASA system and is valid in all EU states – subject to additional local regulations. Conversely, with a German e-ID you don’t need an additional code in Italy.

The competency certificate

The EU A1/A3 certificate of competency and the A2 remote pilot certificate are recognized in all EASA states. A certificate issued by the LBA has the same value in Portugal or Finland as at home. Take it with you in any case, digitally on your phone and ideally also saved offline as a PDF, so you can show it during a check on site.

The drone class

Class marking and the subcategories that follow from it apply across Europe. For lightweights under 250 grams, this means: the relaxations you know from Germany generally apply abroad too. What differs is covered in the guide Drones under 250 grams.

What you need to clarify at your destination

Geographical zones

This is the most important point. Each EASA state defines its geographical zones itself, and according to EASA they apply to all categories. Since 2022, member states have had to provide these zones in a harmonized digital format so that drones with geo-awareness can load them.

The German dipul map won’t help you abroad, because it only shows Germany. Dipul does, however, link the official maps of many other states on a page of its own. Some of them:

Country	Official zone map	Note
Austria	Dronespace (app and web)	Austro Control shows zones and rules in the app
Switzerland	Map on geo.admin.ch	The FOCA publishes the geographical flight restrictions there
Netherlands	GoDrone	Many control zones in a densely populated country
France	Géoportail	Map of flight restrictions for recreational drones
Italy	D-Flight	Portal for registration and zones

EASA provides a list of the national aviation authorities, with links to registration, training and zones for all 31 states, on its website. Check the zones the evening before your flight and once more on site – temporary restrictions, for example during major events or state visits, are added at short notice.

Insurance

EU-wide, liability insurance is only mandatory for drones of 20 kilograms and up. EASA points out, however, that most member states also require insurance for lighter drones. Austria, for instance, names a minimum coverage of 750,000 special drawing rights. In Germany, insurance is mandatory for every drone; details are in the guide Drone insurance.

What matters is the territorial scope of your policy. Many contracts cover Europe, some only Germany, some exclude certain countries. Check this before you leave and ask for a confirmation in English.

Local bans

Besides aviation law, there are rules that have only a marginal connection to drones: nature reserves, national parks, military sites, prisons, embassies and often historic sites as well. Many of these are shown as a geographical zone on the map, but not all. Municipalities, park administrations or landowners can use the operator’s house rules to prohibit takeoff and landing on their grounds. How this is regulated in Germany is shown in Drones over residential areas, crowds and nature reserves – abroad, the same principle applies with different details.

Data protection and aerial footage

The GDPR applies EU-wide. Filming people on private property, at the pool or on the beach can violate personal rights anywhere. Some states impose additional requirements on aerial photography. If you want to publish or sell your footage, ask the aviation authority of your destination whether a separate permit is needed.

Drone and vacation airport: not a good idea

For spotters, the temptation is big: the runway threshold at Skiathos from a bird’s-eye view, an approach over Palma, the landing by the sea on Madeira. In the open category, this is practically ruled out everywhere. In all EASA states, airports are surrounded by geographical zones, often supplemented by control zones that extend far beyond the fence. Flights there need a permit or clearance, which is generally not granted for vacation footage.

On top of that comes the risk. A drone in the approach sector can bring flight operations to a standstill, as the Gatwick incident of 2018 showed. The consequences of drone sightings for airports and those responsible are described in Drone sightings at airports. Many airports now use detection technology, see Counter-drone systems at airports. The German rules are summarized in Drones at airports; abroad, they are similarly strict in principle.

Abroad, there is another point: in some countries, even photographing at airports is viewed critically. The Kalamata case of 2001 shows how quickly spotters can find themselves having to explain themselves. What applies to photographing from the ground in individual countries is covered in Spotting abroad, Spotting in Spain, Photographing at French airports and Plane spotting in Greece today.

The better solution: leave the drone at the hotel and find an official spotting position. At the Vienna spotters’ hill or at the Butzenbüel in Zurich, you get close-ups that a legal drone could never deliver.

Neighboring countries with their own quirks

Austria applies the EU rules and bundles everything at Austro Control: registration, training and the Dronespace zone map as an app and desktop version. The zones around Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck are relevant for spotters. More in the guide Flying a drone in Austria.

Switzerland is not an EU member, but it is one of the EASA member states and applies the EU drone rules. Your German registration and certificate are therefore valid there. The FOCA publishes the geographical flight restrictions on geo.admin.ch; around Zurich and Geneva they are extensive. You’ll find details in Flying a drone in Switzerland.

Italy uses the D-Flight portal for registration and zones. Alongside the EU rules, ENAC’s national regulation UAS-IT applies to aspects that remain the member state’s responsibility. ENAC also points out that, depending on the case, permits from the police, municipalities or private parties may be needed.

Greece, according to EASA, has its own registration path for visitors from non-EU states. For you as an EU citizen with a German registration, that is not relevant, but the national zone map, which the EASA overview links to, is.

Getting there: drone on the plane

If you fly to your vacation, you have to pack the lithium batteries correctly. Spare batteries generally belong in your carry-on, and for larger batteries, limits and sometimes airline approval requirements apply. The details – watt-hours, terminal protection, number of spare batteries – are in the guide Taking a drone on a plane. If you travel by car, it’s easier, but you shouldn’t leave the batteries in a hot trunk in summer.

Outside the EASA area

When traveling to the UK, Turkey, North Africa or the USA, the situation changes fundamentally. EASA writes that there is so far no general mutual recognition between EASA and other states. Your e-ID and your EU certificate have no automatic validity there. In some countries, importing drones is restricted or requires a permit. Get information from the aviation authority of your destination and, if necessary, from the embassy before you even pack the drone.

Specific category abroad

For most vacation flights this doesn’t matter, but for completeness: if you hold an operational authorization for the specific category, you can’t simply fly abroad with it. For an operation in another EASA state, you apply there for an authorization under Article 13 of Regulation 2019/947. The LBA cites waiting times of well over six months for such applications in Germany. For spontaneous vacation footage, this route is therefore unsuitable.

What to keep in mind

• Common rules don’t mean the same maps. Category and certificate are harmonized, the zones are not.
• Drone software is no substitute for checking. Geo-awareness helps, but you are responsible. Compare the data with the official map.
• No flying over crowds. Beaches, markets and promenades are densely populated on vacation. The distance rules of your subcategory apply there just as they do at home.
• Check the minimum age. The EU allows states to adjust the minimum age for remote pilots. If teenagers are flying along, clarify the rule of the host country.
• Respect for locals. What is common in Germany can be perceived as an intrusion elsewhere. If you ask politely, you’ll have fewer problems.

If you’re planning your vacation around airports anyway, Plane spotting on vacation and Planning a spotting vacation help you choose destinations.

Conclusion

Taking your drone on vacation is as easy as ever within Europe. Registration, competency certificate and drone class are valid across the entire EASA area, from Lisbon to Oslo. What you need to clarify at your destination are the geographical zones, the insurance requirements and local bans. If you take care of that before leaving, you fly relaxed. Airports stay off limits everywhere – for aircraft photos, a spotting position on the ground is the better choice.