Drone Laws in Switzerland

Summary of Drone Laws in Switzerland

Agencies Responsible for regulating drones in the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland)

Drone Regulator in Switzerland: Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)

EU Nations Drone Regulator and Regulations: European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

For a full explanation of EASA regulations simplified, please read our explainer: The rules for drone flyers in the European Union (Europe Drone Laws Simplified)

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UAS Laws – General rules for flying drones in Switzerland

The Swiss agency responsible for drone safety, FOCA, has provided several internet-accessible details on flying drones for fun or work. The highlights of Switzerland Drone Rules are outlined below. For more details, go to the links above.

Flying and operating drones in Switzerland are subject to European Union Regulation 2019/947. The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) supervises and implements Drone Rules Switzerland.

According to the level of risk involved, this new legal framework will introduce three categories of drone operations: Open, Specific, and Certified.

Are drones allowed in Switzerland?

According to FOCA, drones are allowed in Switzerland, subject to FOCA and EASA regulations. Read on for details.

Categories of Allowed Drone Flights in Switzerland:

Drone flights in Switzerland are allowed in three categories defined by the level of risk associated with drone flights or operations. Whether you are a resident of Switzerland or a visitor, you must operate within the limitations and follow the rules and procedures of the category in which your drone operation qualifies:

Open Category

Given the low level of risk, neither prior authorization by the competent authority nor a declaration by the drone operator is required. The drone’s total takeoff mass must be less than 25kg, and it must be operated within a visual line of sight at a maximum altitude of 120m.

Specific Category

Considering the moderate level of risk involved, flights in this category require authorization before the operation. The permission is given considering the mitigation measures identified in an operational risk assessment, except in specific standard scenarios where an operator declaration is sufficient.

Certified Category

Given the inherent dangers, certification of the drone and a licensed remote pilot are required. If your drone can carry people, you fall under the Certified category!

The most common rules to know for flying a drone in Switzerland:

The ‘open’ category is the main reference for most leisure drone and low-risk commercial activities in European countries.

Subcategories of Open Category Drones

The ‘open’ category is, in turn, subdivided into three sub-categories – A1, A2, A3 — which may be summarised as follows:

• A1: fly over people but not over assemblies of people
• A2: fly close to people
• A3: fly far from people

Each subcategory comes with its own set of requirements. Therefore, in the ‘open’ category, it is important to identify the subcategory of operation your activities will fall under to determine which rules apply to you and the training the remote pilot needs to undertake.

If you comply with the relevant requirements of the subcategories (A1, A2, and A3), no operational authorization is required before starting a flight.

Conditions required to avoid authorization

The following conditions must be met:

• The drone operator has to be registered.

EU residents: Please register in the EU member state of your main residence (or principal place of business), and contact the Aviation Authority in your member state for further details.

Non-EU residents: Please register in the EU member state where you intend to operate your drone first. If the first drone operation will take place in Switzerland, please register as an operator here.

• All operated drones need sufficient insurance coverage.

Each country might have a different limit. For example, in Switzerland, you must ensure the coverage is at least 1m EUR, and your insurance is valid in Switzerland.

• The drone pilot needs proof of competency.

Depending on the subcategory of your drone operation (see table below), you need a certificate for A1/A3 and additionally A2.

• The drone must always be in a visual line of sight (VLOS).
• The drone is flown at no more than 120 meters above ground level.
• The drone must not carry any dangerous goods or drop any material.

Open Category Since January 1, 2024

Starting from January 1, 2024, operations in the open category must be conducted either with a drone bearing a C0, C1, C2, C3, or C4 class identification label or privately built or even without a class identification label, but only if placed on the market before December 31, 2023.

The markings look like this:

C0 Drone Class Label	C1 Drone Class Label	C2 Drone Class Label	C3 Drone Class Label	C4 Drone Class Label

If you are in the market, buy a drone with your desired marking. Choose one with the markings for the operations you will conduct.

For your benefit, here is a list of the currently available drones with class identification labels:

Class	Company	Type	Model Name	Model Numbers
	DJI	Multi-rotor	DJI Mini 2 SE DJI Mini 3, Mini 3 Pro, Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo	MT2SD, MT2SDCE, MT3PDCE, MT3PD, MT3M3VDB, MT4MFVD
	DJI	Multi-rotor	AIR 3, DJI MAVIC 3 V2.0, Cine V2.0, Classic	EB3WBC , L2AA, L2PA, L2C
	AgEagle	Fixed-wing	SENSEFLY eBee	SENSEFLY EBEE X, GEO, AG, TAC PUBLIC SAFETY
	DJI	Multi-rotor	M30 EU, M3OT EU, DJI MAVIC 3E EU, 3T EU, ЗМ EU	M30 RTK EU, M30T RTK EU, M3E-EU, M3T-EU, M3M-EU
	Quantum-Systems	Fixed-wing	Trinity F90+	R10
	DJI	Multi-rotor	Matrice 350 RTK	M350 RTK

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Open Category From January 1, 2024

You will be able to operate them as described in the table below.

Be aware that ‘privately built’ means that you built the drone for your own personal use, so it was not purchased; it does not refer to UASs assembled from sets of parts placed on the market as a single, ready-to-assemble kit.

After 1 January 2024, if you have purchased a drone before that date without a class identification label, you will still be able to fly it in subcategory A1 if it weighs up to 250g or in subcategory A3 if it weighs up to 25kg.

From 1 January 2024, all drones operating in the specific category and all drones with class marks operating in the open category will be required to operate with an active and up-to-date remote identification system.

Drones with class identification label C1, C2, C3, C5 and C6 are already equipped with a remote identification system.

For details on the EASA Category as of January 2024, please see the Open Category Explainer.

Registration

According to European Regulation (EU) 2019/947, registration is mandatory for UAS operators (not for UAS themselves).

The UAS Pilot, also known as the Remote Pilot (RP), is the person physically behind the UAS flight controls. They are fully responsible for the safety of the flight throughout operations.

The UAS Operator is the person or company who oversees operations and gives flight instructions. This person or legal entity bears all responsibility for the operations of the drone (s) on their behalf. Very often, in the OPEN category and as individuals, the Pilot and the Operator are the same person.

How to register as a drone pilot or operator in Switzerland?

The operator registration procedure can be found on the Swiss Drone Registration Platform Page: UAS Gate

This UAS operator registration number is valid for one year and must be renewed periodically following the same procedure. Therefore, the operator always uses the same number unless the latter is permanently deregistered from the register.

Who should register?

As part of the OPEN category, registration is compulsory for operators:

• UAS that have a mass of 250 g or more; 
• UAS that have a mass of less than 250 g but:
  • can operate at speeds greater than 90km / h 
  • are equipped with a camera or a microphone, if these UAS are NOT toys * 

* A UAS is a toy when a manufacturer intends it for children under the age of 14 and meets the minimum safety criteria required to be so named. Compliance with these standards naturally limits the capabilities of the UAS (size, weight, non-dangerous spare parts, no powerful motor, etc.): see Directive 2009/48 / EC of 18 June 2009 on the safety of toys

Under the SPECIFIC category, registration is compulsory for all operators.

Natural persons can only register in the country where they reside.

Legal persons must register in the country where their principal place of business is located.

Registration can only be done in one Member State at a time.

Drone Insurance Switzerland – Compulsory for Commercial

Attention: For the operation of a drone in Switzerland, insurance is recommended for hobbyists but required for commercial drone operations. Your insurance coverage must be at least 1m EUR.

Note for foreign drone operators visiting Switzerland

Whether you are a resident of Switzerland or a visitor, you must operate within the limitations and follow the rules and procedures of the category in which your drone operation qualifies above.

EU Resident Visitors (Countries following EASA regulations)

• If you are previously registered or have a remote pilot certificate in your home country or another EASA member state, then your registration and RPC are valid in Switzerland. Follow the operational rules for your category of drone flight.
• If you have not been registered or have a remote pilot certificate previously, you will need to do so in your home country or Switzerland before conducting flights (depending on the category of drone flight you wish to undertake).

Operator Registration (Non-EU Residents)

• If you are coming from a non-EU country and this is the first time you will fly your drone in an EU country, you MUST register as an Operator.
• Upon registration, you will receive a unique Operator Registration number, which you MUST attach to your drone. If you have several drones, the same number must be attached to them.
• You are not allowed to fly in NO FLY ZONES, and you must keep a minimum of 8km distance from airports/heliports.
• If you have already conducted operations in another EU country before going to Switzerland, you must not register again. You always register to the first non-EU country where you have conducted flights.

Remote Pilot Certificate (Non-EU Residents)

• If you want to fly your drone in Switzerland and live in a non-EU country, you must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate from an EU country.
• You can get the A1/A3 Certificate by registering with the online Remote Pilot School.
• The online training and exam are required for those who want to fly a drone in the ‘Open’ category in subcategories A1/A3.
• The pass mark is 75%, and you have three tries to pass.
• Once you pass your exam, you will receive your remote pilot certificate. Its validity will be five years.
• You must have your Remote Pilot Certificate when you plan drone operations in Switzerland and present it when the authorities ask.

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Notes for recreational drone pilots flying for fun in Switzerland

The most common drone flights you will undertake will most likely be covered by the Open Category described above.

For more details on the Open Category, please see our Open Category Explainer.

If your flights cannot be operated within the limitations of the Open Category, you may need to follow the Specific Category or Certified Category Rules.

For more details on the Specific Category, please see our Specific Category Explainer.

The Certified Category is complicated and aimed at the most sophisticated drone operators. We recommend you start at this EASA page.

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Notes for operating Commercial Drone Services in Switzerland

The most common drone flights you will undertake will most likely be covered by the Open Category described above.

For more details on the Open Category, please see our Open Category Explainer.

If your flights cannot be operated within the limitations of the Open Category, you may need to follow the Specific Category or Certified Category Rules.

For more details on the Specific Category, please see our Specific Category Explainer.

The Certified Category is complicated and aimed at the most sophisticated drone operators. We recommend you start at this EASA page.

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What you must know about Switzerland No Fly Zones or No Drone Zones

You need to know if you can operate your drone. Under what limitations? Will you need flight authorizations? And, if so, how do you get those authorizations?

We encourage you to read our explainer. It provides more details here: Explainer – What You Must Know About No Fly Zones or No Drone Zones

We provide links to where you can fly a drone below (Switzerland Drone Map).

Useful published information on flying drones in Switzerland

• Where you are allowed to fly a drone in Switzerland
• Register as a drone operator in Switzerland
• Online drone pilot training and tests in Switzerland 
• Apply for authorization to fly in Switzerland 

Here is a sample of what you might expect if you follow the drone laws and fly in Switzerland…

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NOTE: This page is about the Regulation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS), Small UAS, Remote Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and drone are interchangeable terms unless specified. Model Aircraft, toy, remote-controlled, and RC aircraft may be covered by the same regulations unless specified.

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Traveling with a Drone?

Click here to read our Comprehensive Guide For Traveling With A Drone.

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