EU-wide drone regulation: Register as an operator

Last update on 24.08.2021 | 51 Kommentare

Since the end of 2020, most drone operators in Europe have to register due to the new EU regulation. In this article, you will find out all the important information that is known about the registration obligation so far.

There are two types of registration in Europe:

1. Registration of the UAV operator
2. Registration of the drone

Since only drones that fall into the Certified Category need to be registered, only the registration as a drone operator is relevant for most pilots.

Registration as a drone operator

Registration is required if you want to fly in the Open Category and your aircraft meets at least one of the two conditions:

• Drone weighs 250 grams or more or achieves kinetic energy of more than 80 joules when hitting a human being.
• Drone is equipped with a sensor to collect personal data (e.g. camera) and does not comply with the EU Toy Directive.

Therefore, all owners of a camera drone will have to register. In addition, registration is mandatory for pilots who want to fly a drone in the Specific category.

Where does one register as a drone operator?

For registration, each member state of the European Union must create an (online) platform in which operators can register. The platforms should enable the exchange of information within the EU.

You must register in the system of the country in which you have your residence. For legal entities (especially companies), the country with the main place of business is responsible for registration. Multiple registrations in different EU countries are not possible.

When registering, the following information must be provided:

Natural persons:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Mail address and telephone number
• Number of the insurance policy, if applicable. Here are our tips for drone insurance.

Legal entities:

• Name
• Identification number
• Address
• E-mail address and telephone number
• Number of the insurance policy, if applicable.
• Confirmation of sufficient competence level of the remote pilots
• Operating permits, LUC and acknowledgments of receipt for declarations in the Specific category

After completing your registration you will be assigned a unique registration number. This number must be affixed to all aircraft and loaded into a remote identification system, if available.

Registering a drone in the Certified category

Registration of the drone is only required if the drone is to be used in the Certified category. To register the drone, you must submit the following information to the authorities:

• Manufacturer and model name
• Serial number of the drone
• Name of the operator
• Address, telephone number, and e-mail address

After receiving the information, the competent authority then registers the certified drone.

You can find links to the registration platforms in our articles about drone laws in the countries.

Are there any questions left unanswered? Then write to us in the comments and we will try to help you as much as possible.