Flying a drone in Switzerland: FOCA rules, registration and airport zones

Alpine panoramas, glacial lakes and an Airbus on final approach to Kloten – Switzerland is a tempting playground for drone pilots with a passion for aviation. At the same time, the airspace is tight, full of helicopters, gliders and paragliders. If you want to fly a drone in Switzerland, you need to know the rules of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). This guide explains what has applied since the adoption of the EU rules, how registration and certificate work, which Swiss specialties come on top and why airports like Zurich and Geneva are practically closed to hobby pilots. Information as of October 2026.

The short answer

In Switzerland, the same rules as in the EU apply to drones in principle. The FOCA adopted the European drone regulation in January 2023. As an EASA member state, Switzerland thus applies essentially the same rules as the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. For you, that means: you register as an operator, obtain a remote pilot certificate depending on the drone, fly a maximum of 120 meters above ground and always within sight. Before every takeoff, you check the federal drone map and the daily airspace bulletin.

On top of that come a few Swiss peculiarities. From 250 grams, liability insurance with a specified minimum sum is mandatory. Remote ID must be switched on, and model aircraft pilots have a path of their own through the Swiss Model Aircraft Federation. Around airports, this applies: control zones and airfield perimeters are restricted areas. You don’t fly there without a permit.

Registration: operator, not drone

A common misunderstanding first: in Switzerland, it is not the drone that is registered, but the person or organization that operates it. Registration runs through the FOCA portal dLIS. For access you need a federal login, for example via AGOV or CH-Login.

The key facts according to the FOCA:

• Who has to register? Every operator of a drone of 250 grams or more, and additionally every operator of a lighter drone that has a camera, a microphone or another sensor for personal data on board. A mini drone with a camera therefore falls under the obligation. Only light drones without such sensors and toy drones are exempt.
• Minimum age: 12 years. Under 16, you name a legal representative.
• Cost: CHF 10.
• Validity: indefinite, in all EASA member states.
• Insurance: For drones of 250 grams and up, you enter your liability insurance. Operators of lighter drones enter a prescribed placeholder in the insurance field.

After registration you receive an operator number in the format CHE plus 13 characters, followed by a hyphen and three more characters. You attach the first part clearly visibly to every drone you operate. The three characters after the hyphen are intended only for Remote ID. They stay secret and don’t belong on the housing. If you fly without marking, you risk a fine. If you sell a drone, you remove your number.

If you live in Germany, Austria or another EU country, you need no additional Swiss registration. Your registration from your country of residence is valid in the entire EASA area. More than one registration at a time is not allowed anyway. How the procedure works in Germany is covered in the guide Registering your drone with the LBA.

Certificates: A1/A3 online, A2 on site

Besides the operator, the remote pilot – the person at the remote controller – also needs a proof of competency. The FOCA offers two certificates for the open category:

Criterion	A1/A3 certificate	A2 certificate
Minimum age	12 years	12 years
Prerequisite	none	valid A1/A3 plus practical self-study
Exam format	Theory online, from home	Theory on site, without aids
Exam locations	online	Ittigen (BE), Illnau (ZH) or Lausanne (VD)
Duration	60 minutes	60 minutes
Fee	CHF 20	CHF 20
Validity	5 years, EASA-wide	5 years, EASA-wide

A course is not required in either case. The FOCA provides the study materials on the exam platform after you pay the fee. If you fail, you have two more attempts. After that, the fee is due again. If your certificate expires in less than three months, you renew it with an online refresher and a test. If it has already expired, you start again at A1/A3. How the A2 exam is structured in terms of content is explained in the guide to the EU A2 remote pilot certificate.

Exception for mini drones: If you fly a class C0 drone, a legacy drone under 250 grams or a home-built drone under 250 grams in subcategory A1, you don’t need a certificate. The FOCA recommends one anyway. The registration obligation for drones with a camera is unaffected. You’ll find details on weight classes and exceptions in the article Drones under 250 grams, and the exam content is explained in the guide to the EU A1/A3 certificate of competency.

Certificates from EU states, Norway and Iceland are recognized in Switzerland, and you don’t have to upload them either. Certificates from non-EASA states, by contrast, are not valid.

The flight rules of the open category

As long as you have no FOCA permit, you fly in the open category. The core rules:

• Height: a maximum of 120 meters above the nearest point of the earth’s surface. Over obstacles taller than 120 meters, you may fly at a maximum distance of 15 meters if the owner agrees.
• Line of sight: The drone always stays in direct sight. Flights beyond visual line of sight are prohibited in the open category.
• Crowds: Overflight prohibited.
• Right of way: Manned aircraft always have priority. During emergency services you land immediately.
• Night flight: allowed if the drone carries a green flashing light and you can still keep it safely in view.
• FPV: only with an airspace observer who continuously sees the drone directly. Without an observer you need a permit, and for FPV racing always. More on this in the article on FPV drones.
• Privacy: Filming through windows is only okay with the consent of everyone affected. For takeoffs and landings on someone else’s land you also need the owner’s permission.

Which distances to uninvolved people apply depends on the subcategory. In A1, light class C0 drones and legacy drones under 250 grams may fly over people; with C1, you avoid it. In A2, you keep at least 30 meters distance, 5 meters in slow-flight mode – or as much distance as the height you fly at, if that is more. In A3, you also stay 150 meters away from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas. Which class fits which subcategory is covered in the article Drone classes C0 to C6.

Swiss specialties: insurance, Remote ID, model flying

Three points deserve a close look, because here the practice differs from what you may know from Germany.

Liability insurance: From 250 grams, liability insurance with a guaranteed sum of at least one million francs is mandatory. For lighter drones, the FOCA recommends insurance but doesn’t require it. Without insurance, a fine looms. The operator is insured. If a friend flies your drone, he or she doesn’t need a policy of their own. Whether your private liability insurance covers drones, you clarify in writing with the insurer. Background is in the article on drone insurance.

Remote ID: The FOCA requires that remote identification be switched on during the flight. Exempt are class C0 drones, legacy drones without a class marking and home-built drones. This is where the secret part of the operator number comes in. It is stored in the drone, not stuck on the outside. How the technology works is explained in the article Remote ID for drones.

Model flying: For classic model aircraft, Switzerland has a path of its own. If you are a member of the Swiss Model Aircraft Federation or commit in writing to its guidelines, you fly under simplified rules. Then, among other things, this applies: always visual flight, liability insurance from 250 grams of at least one million francs, 100 meters distance from crowds. Models of 250 grams and up need a permit in the vicinity of civil and military airfields and in an active control zone above 150 meters above ground. If you don’t follow the association guidelines, you fall under the normal drone rules including registration and certificate.

Legacy drones: Drones without a class marking that came onto the market before January 1, 2024 may continue to fly in A1 or A3. Drones without a class marking placed on the market later can only be used in the specific category with a permit.

Airports, control zones and the drone map

Now to the part that interests plane spotters most. Switzerland works with geographical restriction areas, which are marked on the official drone map at map.geo.admin.ch. According to the FOCA, the areas include:

• Control zones (CTR) of airfields, that is, the controlled airspace around airports like Zurich, Geneva, Basel-Mulhouse or Bern-Belp
• Airfield perimeters under the Sectoral Plan for Aviation Infrastructure or the Military Sectoral Plan
• Correctional facilities, nuclear power plants, military areas and energy and gas supply facilities
• Wildlife protection areas such as federal hunting bans as well as waterfowl and migratory bird reserves
• additional cantonal restrictions

If you click an area on the map, the field with the additional information shows you which body is responsible. A permit is namely not issued by the FOCA but by the body responsible for the respective area. In controlled airspace around airports and regional airfields, that is the air navigation service Skyguide. Through the Swiss U-Space app, a Skyguide authorization can be applied for automatically under certain conditions. Who Skyguide is and how air traffic control works is explained in the article Austro Control and Skyguide.

In addition, before every flight you check the Daily Airspace Bulletin Switzerland (DABS). It shows the most important NOTAMs on a map and is updated several times a day; the edition for the following day appears at 4 p.m. Temporary closures, for example during air shows or major events, are found only there.

What this means for plane spotters

The control zones of the big airports extend far beyond the airport grounds and cover the approach paths. For the classic spotter shot – jet on final approach, drone next to it – you realistically get no clearance as a private individual. And that is as it should be. Drone sightings have already paralyzed flight operations several times in Europe, most famously in the Gatwick drone incident of 2018. How that plays out is shown in the article on drone sightings at airports.

In Zurich, the good pictures are taken from the ground anyway: from spectator terrace B or from the Butzenbüel overlooking the landings. In Geneva, the observation terrace offers a legal front-row seat. The city guides Plane spotting in Zurich and Plane spotting in Geneva have more locations. What is allowed at the fence with a camera is summarized in the article Plane spotting in Switzerland.

Before the flight: step by step

This is how you prepare a legal drone flight in Switzerland – whether mountain lake or city view.

If you’re flying in from Germany or Austria, the overview Taking your drone on vacation helps. What applies to transport in your carry-on is explained in the article Taking a drone on a plane. For a comparison with the neighboring country, take a look at Flying a drone in Austria.

If something does happen

Accidents with serious injuries or involving a manned aircraft you report immediately via the Rega number 1414. From there the report goes to the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board. Other safety-relevant events you report to the FOCA within 72 hours. If you see someone flying near an airport in violation of the rules, you inform the police. Violations of the flight rules are punishable, as is missing marking with the operator number.

Common mistakes

• “Under 250 grams, I need nothing.” Wrong as soon as a camera is on board. Registration is then mandatory. Only the insurance requirement and, for C0 or legacy drones in A1, the certificate can fall away.
• Wanting to register the drone instead of the operator. The number belongs to you and goes on every drone you operate.
• Sticking on the Remote ID digits. The three characters after the hyphen stay secret.
• Checking only third-party apps. The official federal drone map and DABS are authoritative.
• Registering twice. With residence in Germany or Austria, your registration from there is valid. A second one in Switzerland is not provided for.

Conclusion

If you already fly under EU rules, you’ll get along quickly in Switzerland: registration and certificates are valid here too, and the flight rules of the open category are the same. You have to watch for the Swiss additions – insurance requirement from 250 grams with a fixed minimum sum, Remote ID switched on – and for the restricted areas of the drone map. For plane spotters, the situation is clear. Control zones and airfield perimeters are off limits without a permit, and aircraft pictures are taken from the ground. How this is regulated in Germany, you can read in the article Drones near airports and in the overview of geozones and the dipul map.