Flying a drone in Austria: Austro Control, registration and no-fly zones

Alpine panoramas, lakes, glaciers: Austria is a dream destination for drone pilots. At the same time, the country has its own, very clear system for drone oversight – and a few quirks that visitors from Germany like to overlook. Responsibility lies almost entirely with Austro Control, the Austrian air navigation service. This guide explains who has to register, which drone license is required, which zones you should know and why the airports in Vienna, Salzburg or Innsbruck are off limits for hobby pilots. The information is current as of October 2026; you can always find the binding rules at dronespace.at.

Drone in Austria: the short answer

Austria applies EU Drone Regulation 2019/947, just like Germany. For you as a hobby pilot in the open category, that means: a maximum of 120 meters above ground, always in direct line of sight, no dangerous goods and no dropping of objects. The operator must be registered, the pilot needs a competency certificate from 250 grams, and liability insurance is mandatory.

If you live in Austria, all of this runs through Austro Control. If you live in Germany, the Federal Aviation Office remains your registration authority – you simply take your e-ID and your competency certificate with you. What differs between the countries are the geographical zones: control zones, aerodrome zones and flight restriction areas are set by each state itself.

Who is responsible in Austria

In Germany, responsibilities are spread across the Federal Aviation Office, the state aviation authorities and DFS. In Austria it is much leaner: Austro Control runs air traffic control and is at the same time the authority for unmanned aviation. Through the Austro Control Dronespace System you register as an operator, take the online course, submit flight plans and apply for permits. You’ll find more on Austro Control’s role in manned air traffic in the article Austro Control and Skyguide.

In addition, there are two other bodies you should know:

• The Ministry of Transport (BMIMI) issues temporary flight restrictions by ordinance, for example for large events.
• The Ministry of Defense (BMLV) is responsible for flights into military zones. You don’t get this permit through the Dronespace app.

On top of that, depending on the location, there are nature conservation rules of the federal states. Austro Control expressly points out that nature reserves are currently not shown in the Dronespace system. More on this in Drones over residential areas and nature reserves.

Registration with Austro Control

Who has to register

At its core, the obligation matches the EU rules. You have to register as an operator if you operate one of the following drones:

Your drone	Registration required?
250 grams or heavier	yes
under 250 grams with a camera or other sensor for personal data	yes, except for toys under the EU Toy Safety Directive
under 250 grams that can transfer more than 80 joules on impact	yes
Model aircraft (model airplane, model helicopter)	yes
under 250 grams without a camera, slow, toy	no

Austro Control makes clear that the obligation also applies if you only fly over your own property. For details on the lightweights: Drones under 250 grams.

Requirements and costs

For registration with Austro Control, according to Dronespace, you need:

• a main residence in Austria (for companies, the principal place of business),
• an age of at least 18 years and full legal capacity,
• liability insurance under the Aviation Act with a coverage amount of at least 750,000 special drawing rights. You enter the policy number during registration; you don’t have to upload documents.

The fee is €46.80. Unlike in Germany, the registration is not unlimited: it is valid for three years. After that you renew it in your Dronespace account via the tab for registration data, again for €46.80. This is possible from 31 days before expiry, and your operator number stays the same.

A detail for families: under 18 you may not register as an operator. Teenagers may take the competency certificate and fly from age 16, and an adult then handles the registration.

The number on the drone

After registration you receive a 16-digit registration number and a three-digit PIN. You attach the number visibly to all drones you operate – according to Austro Control, handwritten marking is also permitted. The PIN does not belong on the drone. You only need it when you enter the number into remote identification.

Remote ID

Since January 1, 2024, remote identification (Remote ID) has been mandatory in Austria, namely for drones of classes C1, C2, C3, C5 and C6 as well as for operation in the specific category. Exempt are C0 drones under 250 grams and C4 devices with simple controls. In the manufacturer’s app you enter the registration number along with the PIN. Only basic data is publicly visible; only the authorities can link it to your name. The technology behind it is explained in Remote ID for drones, and you’ll find the classes under Drone classes C0 to C6.

Drone license: competency certificate A1/A3 and A2

For drones of 250 grams and up in the open category, you need a competency certificate as a pilot. In Austria, getting started is especially inexpensive:

• A1/A3: Austro Control provides the online course free of charge. Afterwards you take an equally free online test with 40 multiple-choice questions. You can take the test from age 16.
• A2: In addition to A1/A3, you take a theory exam with 30 multiple-choice questions on site at Austro Control. The fee for it is €69.60.

You must have the certificate with you on every flight, digitally on your smartphone or printed out. Drones under 250 grams with a camera need an operator registration, but no online test. The competency certificate is valid in all EU states – so you don’t have to repeat a German certificate in Austria. How the exams work in Germany is covered in EU A1/A3 certificate of competency and EU A2 remote pilot certificate.

Vacation in Austria: what applies to drone pilots from Germany?

The good news first: you need no second registration. Operator registration takes place in the state of your main residence and is valid in all EASA member states. A double registration is not provided for. So your German e-ID is correctly on the drone at Achensee too.

Still, there are three points you should check before the trip:

1. Insurance: Austro Control points out that insurance policies for flights in other EU countries have to meet different requirements. Clarify with your insurer whether your policy is valid abroad and reaches the Austrian minimum coverage. More on this in Drone insurance.
2. Zones: The dipul map ends at the border. In Austria you use the Dronespace app or map.dronespace.at.
3. Certificates with you: Authorities can check registrations and competency certificates through a data exchange, but you still have to be able to show your certificates.

You’ll find general tips for drone flights abroad under Taking your drone on vacation, and Taking a drone on a plane helps with transport on the plane. If you travel on to Switzerland, its own rules apply again – see Flying a drone in Switzerland.

Geozones in Austria: where you can’t just fly

The Dronespace map works with colors: red means no-fly, dark blue marks areas that require a flight plan, orange stands for restrictions or permits needed from other bodies, light blue for pure information. The most important zone types:

Control zones (CTR)

Control zones lie around the international airports Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz, Salzburg and Vienna-Schwechat. Drone flights there are only allowed with the consent of the responsible air traffic control unit. You request consent by submitting a flight plan in the Dronespace system. There is an exception for drones under 250 grams up to 30 meters above ground – but Austro Control recommends using the system even then.

Aerodrome zones

In addition to the control zones, there are aerodrome zones around the international airports. Here, under Section 18(4) of the Air Traffic Rules 2014, you need an operating permit from Austro Control in advance. For hobby flying, this means: without an official procedure, nothing goes near the runways. Austro Control also puts it clearly in general terms – flying near airports is not allowed.

Airfields without an aerodrome zone

Smaller airfields have no aerodrome zone of their own. Within a defined radius around these sites, drone flights are generally allowed only outside operating hours. You’ll find the operating hours in the aeronautical information publication (AIP), in NOTAMs or directly from the airfield operator. In the Dronespace app, these sites appear as orange circles.

Flight restriction areas

Some areas are restricted permanently or temporarily:

• LO R 15 “Vienna” – permanently active, so practically the whole city.
• LO R 16 “Lake Neusiedl” – not permanently active. In August and September no operating permit from Austro Control is needed there, but the nature conservation permit from the state of Burgenland is required at all times.
• LO R 18 “Rhine Delta” – permanently active.
• Temporary closures during events, for example the area LO R 49 “ESC-WIEN-CITY” put into effect in 2026.

For LO R 15, 16 and 18, a fee-based operating permit from Austro Control is required. Exempt are drones under 250 grams up to 30 meters above ground, as long as there is no airfield without an aerodrome zone in the flight area. Military areas go through the Ministry of Defense.

Plane spotting and drones: why the airports are off limits

For plane spotters, the matter is clear. Vienna-Schwechat lies in a control zone, has an aerodrome zone and borders the flight restriction area over Vienna. Salzburg and Innsbruck also lie in control zones with aerodrome zones. For a flight near the runways you would need an operating permit from Austro Control and, in the control zone, additionally the consent of air traffic control – for spontaneous hobby flights to photograph aircraft, that is not a realistic route.

You know the reasons from other countries: a drone in the approach path can stop flight operations, as the Gatwick incident of 2018 showed. The consequences of such sightings are described in Drone sightings at airports. How airports detect drones is described in Drone detection at airports, and the German distance rules are in Drones near airports.

You don’t need the drone for good aircraft pictures either. In Vienna, the observation deck and the spotters’ hill bring you close to Austrian jets and long-haul visitors. In Salzburg the observation deck is worth a visit, in Innsbruck the terrace with a mountain backdrop. What is allowed at the fence is explained in Plane spotting in Austria, and the Plane spotting guide Vienna-Schwechat shows the best positions for each runway direction in use. You’ll find background on the airports on the pages for Vienna Airport, Salzburg Airport and Innsbruck Airport.

Austria and Germany compared

Item	Austria	Germany
Registration authority	Austro Control	Federal Aviation Office (LBA)
Fee for private individuals	€46.80	€20
Validity	three years, then renewal	no expiration date per the LBA
Minimum age of operator	18 years	16 years
A1/A3 competency certificate	Online course and test free	€25
Zone map	Dronespace app, map.dronespace.at	dipul map

You’ll find the German details in Registering your drone with the LBA and Geozones and the dipul map.

Common mistakes in Austria

• Registration not renewed. After three years it expires – unlike the German e-ID.
• Planning with the dipul map in Austria. The German map shows no Austrian zones.
• “Under 250 grams, so allowed everywhere.” Austro Control expressly names the 30-meter exception only for control zones and certain restriction areas. For aerodrome zones, no such exception is stated.
• Forgetting nature conservation. State-law rules, for example at Lake Neusiedl, are not on the Dronespace map.
• Launching without the landowner’s consent. Overflight is free, takeoff and landing are not.

Incidentally, which registrations you can collect at Austrian airports is explained in Austrian OE registrations.

Conclusion

Flying a drone in Austria is well organized: Austro Control bundles registration, competency certificate, zones and clearances in one system, and getting started with the A1/A3 certificate costs nothing. For residents, that means: register for €46.80, renew every three years, put the number on the drone. Visitors from Germany take their e-ID and competency certificate along, check their insurance and plan with the Dronespace map instead of dipul. And around the airports, the same applies as at home: control zone, aerodrome zone and, in Vienna, additionally the restriction area over the city make hobby flights practically impossible.