Drone regulations in Portugal
Written by Francis Markert | Last update on 2. October 2026 | 14 comments
Picturesque landscapes with idyllic dream beaches, rugged cliffs and green mountains – the diverse country in the west of the Iberian Peninsula offers many great subjects for drone pilots. In this article, you will find all the information you need for a trip to Portugal with your drone.
The EU Drone Regulation has been in force in Portugal since 2020. This has largely harmonized the rules for remote pilots. You only have to register as an operator in one European country (in most cases the country where you live), and your EU drone license is recognized across borders.
If you want to register in Portugal, you can do so via the ANAC registration portal.
(Photo by depositphotos.com)
Overview of the European rules with effectiveness in Portugal
In Portugal, the regulations of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) apply. The following is a summary of the key facts. For a complete overview, read our article on the new EU drone regulation.
National specificities in Portugal
Each country can define certain aspects of its drone regulations. For Portugal, the following requirements apply in addition to the European regulations.
AAN: [email protected]
Special rule in Portugal: Taking aerial images
The rules above apply to drone use as such. Taking aerial images, however, additionally requires a permit. This means you need a permit for every camera drone. Who issues your permit depends on where you want to take off.
Over land
For flights over land, you need a special permit from the Autoridade Aeronáutica Nacional (AAN). It does not matter for what purpose the images are taken.
You can submit applications via this portal, where you should register in good time. Completing the registration takes a while, because you have to send proof of identity together with a declaration to Portugal by post. So expect a processing time of at least two weeks.
Once your account has been activated, AAN requests are usually approved within a few working days. The AAN itself only guarantees a response for applications received at least ten days before the flight. A permit is valid for a maximum of 30 days, and there are currently no fees. The requirement explicitly also applies to tourists and to purely private images, regardless of whether you publish them. The legal basis is Decreto-Lei No. 42071 of 1958 and Portaria No. 17568 of 1960.
Recently, there have been more and more reports that the activation emails do not arrive. Early experience suggests that a content blocker (ad blocker or similar) in the browser may interfere with the website.
Over water
If you plan to fly over water (sea or lakes) or on the beach, you get the permit from the Portuguese maritime authority, the Autoridade Marítima Nacional (AMN).
The AMN does not have its own portal for these permits. Instead, you look up the right office via this link and request the permit by email. Don’t forget to state the planned time window and the exact coordinates of your drone flight.
In addition to the AAN or AMN permits, you may also need the consent of the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF). This always applies if you want to fly your drone in a nature reserve. We have linked a map in the useful links above. This map shows such areas. Clicking on a nature reserve displays further information including contact details.
Safety distances and flight bans
The distances and permitted flight altitudes near airfields differ. For many smaller airports, a distance of 2.5 kilometers applies. You must keep a distance of one kilometer from helicopter landing pads.
It is best to check the map in the useful links above. It shows you the information relevant to you. The map uses two colors to mark areas. Yellow stands for flight areas with certain restrictions (e.g. different flight altitudes), and red stands for a flight ban unless you have a separate permit.
Flights are not allowed over gatherings of people, embassies, military installations, security force installations, rescue operations, prisons and education centers.
Flights at historic sites may require a separate flight permit from the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage.
(Photo by depositphotos.com)
Further rules for drone pilots in Portugal
Insurance is mandatory in Portugal for all drones weighing 900 grams or more. The amount of coverage depends on the weight:
- 900 grams up to and including 1.5 kilograms: 260,000 special drawing rights (approx. 320,000 euros)
- more than 1.5 kilograms up to and including 4 kilograms: 380,000 special drawing rights (approx. 470,000 euros)
- more than 4 kilograms up to and including 20 kilograms: 560,000 special drawing rights (approx. 690,000 euros)
- more than 20 kilograms: 750,000 special drawing rights (approx. 920,000 euros)
Many home countries, such as Germany, require drone liability insurance with coverage of at least 1 million euros anyway, and most policies also cover Portugal. In that case, these requirements should not be a problem for you.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Some questions come up again and again in the comments. You will find the answers below.
Your registration as a UAS operator is recognized throughout the EU, including Portugal. However, Portugal has one special feature: if you want to fly a camera drone, you must register with the AAN.
As long as you have not been assigned a Portuguese tax number, please try entering n/a for not applicable.
You often receive your permit within one working day. However, it is better to allow a few extra days. Please also keep in mind that setting up your account initially takes about two weeks.
There can be several reasons. Make sure you select flight areas that are as small as possible, with a radius of about 150 meters. You should also have moved the marker on the map at least once. If the flight area is right on the coast, responsibility may also be the issue: while drone operations over beaches fall under the maritime authority (AMN), flights over cliffs must be approved by the aviation authority (AAN).
The application asks for a date and time for each flight location. Based on experience so far, you can specify longer time periods and fly within that time window.
Yes. The general European rules apply in Portugal, which require a flashing green light to be activated when you fly a drone in the dark.
Applications are apparently not processed in order of receipt but by urgency. This means you may only receive a response at very short notice. However, if you have been waiting for a while, feel free to contact the responsible office. Feel free to share your experience in the comments.
The AAN currently does not charge any fees for issuing permits, although this is planned for the future. In the past, the regional offices of the AMN did not follow a uniform approach. Some representatives charged a fee of about 20 euros, while others did not charge anything.
We have researched the drone rules for Portugal listed here to the best of our knowledge. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, contact the Portuguese aviation authority. Alternatively, you can also ask the Portuguese embassy in your home country for further information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment if you learn of any updates and/or have your own experience flying your drone in Portugal!
Have you already flown a drone in Portugal and applied for an AAN permit? Leave us a comment below and tell us how long it took. You’ll help everyone planning a trip to Portugal.
Drone regulations in Jordan
rules are changing…
in Cancun, Mexico they customs put a duty tax on the drone!!! … just pocketing the money …
so I would not want to be caught of guard
I am flying from NYC to Delhi via Lisbon and Rome
any info if I need to be aware of taking a drone through customs?
thank you !!!
Hi Andrei,
You only should check this article: https://drone-traveller.com/drone-laws-india/
Safe travels!
Dear all,
in Portugal are now little bit complicated rules. You need a permission to take a pictures !!
You have to be registered – National Aeronautical Authority (AAN) here: https://backoffice.aan.pt/operators-drones-add
How to do it: http://aan.emfa.pt/includes/AAN/conteudos/galeria/ficheiros/drones/e-aan-guiarapido-ingles_88.pdf
General rules are mentioned here:https://uavcoach.com/drone-laws-in-portugal/
A drone was flying over my house. 20 meters. There was Noone around. Then it disapeared. I felt very bad with this intruder and I wonder what to do? I don’t want it around and I would prefer taking legal action instead of shooting it down.
Hello David,
We cannot give legal advice and without more information, we wouldn’t be able to because from what you wrote, it is not clear if the drone was there legally or not. Keep in mind that in general, sometimes, drones appear to be flying directly above your property, when in reality, they are above public grounds. Nevertheless, if you wish to find out who was filming and what, you could contact two authorities: One is ANAC (Autoridade Nacional Da Aviação Civil), the Civil Aviation Authority, where drones from 250 grams must be registered. Another would be the AAN (Autoridade Aeronáutica Nacional), where drone pilots must ask for permission if they want to take aerial images in Portugal. They might be able to tell you if there was a scheduled and approved flight in the area at that time. Both will also be able to give you tips on what to do if this happens again.
I have DJI Mini 2 which is 249gm do i have to take permission to take pictures and videos as i am not a professional i just do it as a hobby wherever i travel?
Hi Subhash,
It does not matter if you only take pictures as a hobby, Portugal requires you to get a permit for aerial images.
What are the requirements for the Azores? Azores is an “autonomous region” and usually has different laws/rules than mainland Portugal.
I have a DJI Mini 2, and I am not an EU resident/citizen (I am from USA) and am planning to visit Azores in September 2021. Thanks.
Hi Donny,
This is a great question, thank you for bringing it to our attention. We haven’t found any specific rules for the Azores. We have seen the islands mentioned on the website of the Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority and no-fly zones are included in this map: https://uas.anac.pt/explore So this might indicate that the general rules are the same. However, the regional government of the Azores can name protected areas where flying a drone requires further permissions, like the Pico mountain reserve: https://montanhapico.azores.gov.pt/PerguntasFrequentes.aspx
So we can’t give you a definite answer to your question and recommend that you contact local authorities. If you find out something, it would be great if you could share it with us as this is information that will be helpful to other readers.
I am traveling from Italy and I am registered as operator in Italy, what are my steps to legally fly in Portugal?
Hi Artem,
Your registration and license from Italy will be recognized in Portugal. However, you will need a permit to capture aerial images. It depends if you will be flying above land or water/beaches. The process is described in our article.
Hi,
I have registered with e-AAN and already filed an application for an area (on the Azores).
What I’m not certain about though is the following:
* In the Voa na Boa app there are many spots (within my filed area) that say “Authorization: ANAC” with an E-mail address listed next to it. Do I have to apply for authorization by writing them an additional E-mail, is my e-AAN application not sufficient?
* As many of the areas are close to airports it says “Needs special attention before fly: XXXX – Name of Airport”. Do I have to write an E-mail to the airport as well?
Excellent site and information. Well done guys…..keep it up!
This detailed information about drone laws in Portugal is quite useful! I especially like the clear description of the permit requirements for aerial photography. Thank you for compiling this information. Well done!!