General drone rules in Italy
Italy's drone safety agency, ENAC, has provided information on flying drones for recreational or professional purposes. These guidelines are based on European Union Regulation 2019/947, which aims to create a uniform and safe drone market throughout the EU. This regulation allows operators who have received authorization from their state of registry to fly drones freely within the EU. There are three categories of drone operations based on the level of risk involved: Open, Specific, and Certified.
Operators must register their drones in Italy and follow the rules outlined by ENAC and EASA, including maintaining direct visual contact with the drone at all times and keeping a safe distance from people, vehicles, animals, and structures. Drones are allowed to fly up to 50 meters (170 feet) above the ground or sea level in the Open category and up to 120 meters (400 feet) in the Specific category (though exemptions may be granted by ENAC for Specific category drones). It is important to avoid flying near residential areas, airports, and military installations, and to maintain a safety buffer zone of one kilometer around residential areas. Nighttime flying is not permitted.
Do I need EASA certification to fly a drone in Italy?
In Italy, you need certification to fly a drone, as the country is a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The specific rules and certification requirements depend on the weight of the drone. You can use our calculator to determine the applicable rules and any necessary certification.
In our guides, we describe only the open categories, which are the most common for most non-commercial pilots.
Which drone license do I need to fly in countries that are members of EASA?
- Minimum age is 16
- Drone operator registration required
- Read user's manual
- May fly over uninvolved people (should be avoided if possible)
- No flight over assemblies of people
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