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Drone laws in Germany

Last verified 13 October 2026 against Luftfahrt-Bundesamt / Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr. Drone law changes fast — often twice a year. Every fact below links to the official source it came from. Verify with the regulator before you fly.

This page covers the rules issued by Luftfahrt-Bundesamt / Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr and applying in Germany, in addition to the EU rules that apply across the EASA area.

Germany applies the EU regime unchanged and then adds its own geographical zones under § 21h LuftVO — which is where the rules that actually catch people live. The official map (dipul.de) publishes those zones as downloadable geodata and WMS/WFS services, which makes it one of the better national portals in the EASA area.

Germany applies the European Union rules in full. Everything marked inherited below comes from there; the rest is national.

At a glance

Registration from
250 g — or any weight if the drone carries a sensor able to capture personal data (so almost every camera drone, regardless of mass, unless it is certified as a toy) inherited source
Pilot credential
Free online training and a 40-question exam (75% to pass) for A1/A3; a further 30-question exam for the A2 Certificate of Competency. Both valid 5 years. The operator registers, not the aircraft — in one member state only. inherited source
Max altitude
120 m from the closest point of the surface inherited source
Remote ID
Direct (broadcast) remote ID, required on C1, C2, C3, C5 and C6 class-marked aircraft. C0 and C4 are exempt, and there is no retrofit mandate for legacy aircraft in the open category. Network remote ID exists only inside U-space. inherited source
BVLOS
Not available in the open category. Routed through the Specific category — SORA 2.5, the published PDRAs, or standard scenario STS-02 with a C6 aircraft. inherited since
Can a visitor fly?
Yes. A non-resident registers with the national authority of the first EASA-area country they intend to fly in, and that single registration is then valid across all 31. Beware of fraudulent sites selling "drone pilot licences" — a competency certificate can only come from a recognised aviation authority and always requires an exam. inherited source
Where you may not fly
§ 21h LuftVO adds German-only zones on top of the EU rules — dipul lists eleven zone types under § 21h(3), so check the map tool before every flight. The ones that catch people: over and within 1,500 m of the boundary of a non-airport aerodrome (specific category or operator consent); over and within 1,000 m of an airport boundary, plus within 1,000 m of the runway centreline extended 5 km on approach and departure (specific category only); over and within 100 m of industrial plants, prisons, secure psychiatric units, military installations and central energy generation or distribution plants (explicit consent of the operator); and over and within 100 m of federal trunk roads, federal waterways and railway installations — for DB InfraGO AG railway facilities, written consent is now obtainable under NfL 2026-1-3788. since source
Penalties
Set nationally, not by EU law — the regulations leave enforcement and penalties to each member state. Check the national authority for the country you are flying in. inherited source

Can a visitor fly?

Yes. A non-resident registers with the national authority of the first EASA-area country they intend to fly in, and that single registration is then valid across all 31. Beware of fraudulent sites selling "drone pilot licences" — a competency certificate can only come from a recognised aviation authority and always requires an exam.

Policy timeline

  1. In force

    Flying over DB InfraGO AG railway facilities becomes possible with written consent

    Railway installations are a § 21h(3) no. 5 geographical zone: no flight over them or within 100 m of them without one of the listed conditions. The Federal Ministry of Transport and DB InfraGO AG published requirements for "railway-compatible UAS operation", assessed through a risk analysis by InfraGO's safety management with DB AG's central UAS department. Written consent to overfly DB InfraGO AG railway facilities can now be obtained under NfL 2026-1-3788, and dipul's legal-basis page lists that route alongside the statutory conditions. It is prior approval under published conditions, not an exemption: the same zone, the same 100 m, a new way through it for inspection and survey work.

    Source: dipul (BMV / DB InfraGO AG) · NfL 2026-1-3788 · published 11 February 2026 · verified 13 October 2026

  2. In force

    § 21h LuftVO establishes Germany's geographical zones

    Germany implemented the EU framework's Article 15 discretion through § 21h of the Luftverkehrs-Ordnung, and the federal government launched dipul.de as the official information platform and map, operated with DFS.

    Source: dipul (DFS / BMDV) · § 21h LuftVO · verified 13 October 2026

Official sources

Drones made here: the directory lists 13 aircraft from Germany. See them →

Guides: Why your drone licence stops at the border

Last verified · next review due 12 November 2026 · this is not legal advice; ListDrone is an information site, not a law firm or an aviation authority · found an error? tell us.