BAZL
Federal Office of Civil Aviation
Jump start:
We warmly welcome you to the world of drones!
You must consider the following points in order to fly or operate a drone:
Registration
A drone operator must register. Once registration is complete, you will receive a UAS operator number, which must be clearly visible on the drone. Instructions and further information on the registration process can be found under Registration.
Pilot certificates
Most pilots also need drone certificates, which require training and testing. The exception is people who fly a drone weighing less than 250g. But even here we strongly recommend at least completing the training.
For further information, please see the open category and certificates.
Drone guide
Our drone guide offers guidance, especially for the open category. With this guide, you can find out whether you need to register, which tests are necessary in your case and which rules need to be observed.
To get an overview of drone regulation, we also recommend reading our webinar slides:
General overview: Webinar from February 2023 (PDF, 3 MB, June 22, 2023)
Special category: Webinar from May 2023 (PDF, 21 MB, 10.05.2023)
The three categories:
The drone regulation distinguishes between three different operating categories:
"OPEN", "SPECIAL" and "REGISTERED FOR APPROVAL".
The three categories are defined by different safety requirements, which depend on the risk of the operation.
The OPEN category includes UAS operations that do not require prior authorization from the FOCA or a declaration before carrying out the operation. The vast majority of pilots fly in this category.
The SPECIAL category includes UAS operations that require approval from the FOCA before operations can take place. If one or more of the rules of the open category cannot be complied with, or the take-off weight of the drone is higher than 25kg, drone operations require approval.
The AUTHORISED category includes UAS operations that require certification of the UAS to ensure an appropriate level of safety. This includes, for example, cargo transport or the transport of passengers. The regulations for operations in the AUTHORISED category are currently being developed.
Flight restrictions and maps:
There are areas in Switzerland where flying drones is prohibited or only possible to a limited extent. As a drone pilot, you are obliged to inform yourself about the applicable area restrictions before each drone flight.
NOTAM / DABS
A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is a message about the establishment, status or change in the airspace, some of which also apply to drone operators. The NOTAM must therefore be checked before every flight.
Most NOTAMs concerning hazards to air navigation and changes in airspace (W series) are shown graphically in the DABS (Daily Airspace Bulletin Switzerland) (red zones). The map and the NOTAMs are updated daily at 4:00 p.m. for the following day.
National and cantonal territorial restrictions:
The content of the interactive drone map is constantly changing and is not exhaustive. The national and cantonal area restrictions are marked on the drone map. These include:
- 5km radius around civil or military airfields
- Control zones CTR
- SIL perimeter of a civil airfield, SPM perimeter of a military airfield
- correctional facilities
- certain nature reserves
- vicinity of nuclear power plants
- military areas
- certain infrastructure of energy and gas supply
- further cantonal territorial restrictions
If you are unable to comply with the additional flight restrictions, you must contact the responsible authority to apply for a permit. You can find the responsible authority on the drone map.
Beware of hotspots of flight activities
To avoid dangerous proximity or even collision with other airspace users, special attention and caution is required when operating drones near the following areas:
- Helicopter landing pads at hospitals and clinics: map
- Mountain landing sites: Info & map
- Danger zones of the published shooting ranges of the Swiss Army: Map
- Paragliding, hang gliding and gliding areas: Gliding map & SHV flight areas
Drone operators must, under certain circumstances, mark the drone with a registration number and obtain remote pilot certificates. This page provides an overview of registration and remote pilot certificates.
To understand the concepts of registration and remote pilot certificates, the following distinction is important:
UAS operator:
The "owner" of a drone. Through registration, he/she receives the UAS operator number. This is comparable to the license plate of a car: the UAS operator attaches the UAS operator number to the drone in a clearly visible place.
Remote pilot:
A person who is allowed to fly a drone because they have obtained the relevant certificate by completing training/examination. The certificate is comparable to a car driver's license: remote pilots must carry their certificates with them.
A natural person is both a remote pilot and an operator.
A company with, for example, 5 drones and 10 employees is only an operator. The company itself cannot acquire certificates. Only the employees/remote pilots can and must do so.
Further information:
Questions & Answers on Drone Regulation
Do you have any questions or suggestions?
Please first carefully study the information provided and only then contact:
Contact: rpas@bazl.admin.ch