Can You Fly Drones in Slovakia? All You Need to Know

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Yes, you can fly a drone in Slovakia – and with castles, lakes and mountain valleys everywhere, it is tempting to bring one on your trip. But the rules have changed a lot in the last few years. Since 31 December 2020, Slovakia follows the common EU drone rules, and on top of them there are Slovak no-fly zones around airports, military areas and national parks.

Below I explain what you need before your first flight in Slovakia (registration, online exam, insurance), where you can’t fly, what the fines are and what changes if you fly for money. I link the official Slovak sources, so you can double-check everything before your trip.

In a nutshell: flying a drone in Slovakia is legal under EU rules. Drones of 250 g or more, or any drone with a camera, need an operator registration (in your home EU country, or in Slovakia if you live outside the EU), and pilots of drones from 250 g need the short A1/A3 online exam. Keep below 120 m, in sight, away from crowds, airports and national parks.

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General rules for flying drones in Slovakia

Slovakia is an EU member, so drones are regulated by the EU Implementing Regulation 2019/947, the same as in Austria, Czechia or Poland. Most tourists and hobby pilots fly in the so-called open category, which needs no special permission as long as you follow these basic rules:

1. Keep the drone in your sight

You must always see the drone with your own eyes (visual line of sight, VLOS). Binoculars or the video on your phone don’t count. If you fly with FPV goggles, you need an observer next to you who keeps the drone in sight and can warn you.

2. Maximum height 120 m

You may fly up to 120 m above the closest point of the ground. Near airports and in some zones the limit is much lower – often only 30 m (more in the section about where you can’t fly).

3. Maximum weight 25 kg

Drones in the open category must weigh less than 25 kg at take-off. Heavier drones always belong to the specific category, which needs an authorisation.

4. Never over crowds

Flying over assemblies of people (concerts, festivals, Christmas markets, busy squares) is forbidden in the open category, whatever the size of your drone. How close you may get to other, uninvolved people depends on your drone class – see the next section.

5. Manned aircraft always have priority

The drone pilot must give way to planes, helicopters, gliders, paragliders and balloons. In the Slovak mountains you meet paragliders and rescue helicopters more often than you would think – if you hear a helicopter, land immediately.

Watch out: Don’t drop anything from the drone and don’t carry dangerous goods. Before every flight, check the geographical zones and the protection level of the area – most of the High Tatras and other national parks are off-limits without a special permit.

The authority responsible for drones in Slovakia is the Civil Aviation Division of the Transport Authority (in Slovak: Dopravný úrad). It runs the operator register, the pilot exams and publishes the current no-fly zones. Some of its pages are in English, the most detailed ones only in Slovak – your browser’s translation works fine on them.

EU rules divide drone flights into three categories by risk, not by whether you fly for fun or for money: the open category (low risk, no permit), the specific category (higher risk, authorisation needed) and the certified category (e.g. carrying people, regulated like manned aviation). The next two sections explain the first two.

Drone Rules for Tourists and Hobby Pilots

If you come to Slovakia for a holiday and want to take some aerial shots, you will almost certainly fly in the open category. This is what you need to check before you pack the drone.

1. Operator registration

You must register as a drone operator if your drone weighs 250 g or more, or if it has a camera (unless it is a toy). In practice, this means almost every drone sold today, including the small “mini” drones under 250 g. Where you register depends on where you live:

• You live in an EU country: register in your home country. The registration is valid in the whole EU, Slovakia included – you don’t need to register again.
• You live outside the EU (USA, Canada, UK…): register in the first EU country where you plan to fly. If Slovakia is your first stop, you register with the Slovak Transport Authority.
• Registration in Slovakia: Slovaks register online via the state portal slovensko.sk. Foreigners use the paper form F186-B, sent by post or handed in at the Transport Authority in Bratislava. The fee is €35 and the operator must be at least 18 years old (official page in English). You can register only in one EU country.

After registration you get an operator number, which you must put on a sticker on every drone you fly. The last three “secret” characters are not on the sticker – you enter them only into the drone’s Remote ID settings.

2. Online exam for pilots (A1/A3)

If your drone weighs 250 g or more, or carries a class label C1 or higher, the pilot needs a certificate from the online training and exam for subcategories A1/A3. It is valid for 5 years in all EU countries. In Slovakia the test has 40 questions, you need at least 75 % to pass, you get three attempts and the fee is €30 (official page). If you live in another EU country, take the exam at home – the certificate is valid in Slovakia too. The minimum age of a remote pilot in Slovakia is 16 years (with a few exceptions, e.g. toy drones).

3. The subcategories A1, A2 and A3

Within the open category, what you are allowed to do depends on the class label of your drone (C0 to C4 on new drones):

Subcategory A1 – drones under 250 g (class C0 or older drones under 250 g) and class C1 drones under 900 g

• With a C0 drone you may fly over uninvolved people, but never over crowds; with a C1 drone you shouldn’t plan to fly over them
• The most practical choice for travel – small, light and with the fewest restrictions

Subcategory A2 – class C2 drones up to 4 kg

• Keep a horizontal distance of at least 30 m from uninvolved people (5 m in low-speed mode)
• The pilot needs an additional A2 certificate (extra theory exam on top of A1/A3)

Subcategory A3 – class C3 and C4 drones up to 25 kg and older drones without a class label

• Fly only far from people – at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas
• Older drones without a C label bought before 2024: under 250 g they fly in A1, heavier ones only in A3

4. Insurance

Slovakia requires third-party liability insurance for flights in subcategories A2 and A3 and in the specific category – a copy of the policy is part of the registration. For small A1 drones the insurance is not mandatory, but it is cheap and strongly recommended. Check whether your home liability insurance covers drones abroad.

Quick checklist before your trip: operator registration (home EU country, or Slovakia if you live outside the EU), operator number on the drone, A1/A3 certificate on your phone, insurance if needed, and a check of the zones for every place you want to fly.

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• Slovakia Flag
• The book about Slovak History
• Slovak Travel Guide
• Slovakia Adventure Map (by National Geographic)
• T-shirt with Slovakia Flag
• Slovakia Shot Glass
• Legendary Horalky Biscuit (Original)

Flying Drones for Commercial Users

Under EU rules it no longer matters whether you are paid for the flight. A wedding video or real estate photos shot with a small drone in the open category follow exactly the same rules as a hobby flight – you don’t need a special licence to fly commercially. What changes everything is the risk: if you want to fly beyond visual line of sight, above 120 m, closer to people than the open category allows or with a drone over 25 kg, you are in the specific category.

In the specific category, you need one of these before the flight:

• Operational authorisation from the Transport Authority, based on a risk assessment (SORA 2.5 methodology); the fee is €600 and the authorisation is valid for up to 2 years
• Declaration under a standard scenario (STS-01 or STS-02) with a class C5 or C6 drone
• Registration of the operator regardless of the drone’s weight, third-party insurance and a pilot with the matching qualification

If you already have an operational authorisation from another EU country and want to fly in Slovakia, it is not automatically valid here – you must apply to the Slovak Transport Authority well in advance. Allow at least 60 days for complex applications.

Commercial flights in the controlled zones around airports (CTR) and in military areas need coordination with air traffic control or consent of the Ministry of Defence – see the Transport Authority page on CTR flights.

Where You Can’t Fly a Drone in Slovakia

This is where most tourists get into trouble. Slovakia has several types of no-fly or restricted areas, and they change – some only for a few days during state visits or big events. The Transport Authority publishes a pre-flight checklist with all official sources; below are the most important ones.

Airports and controlled zones (CTR)

Around the five busiest airports – Bratislava, Košice, Poprad (Tatry), Žilina and Piešťany – there are controlled zones (CTR). In the open category you may fly there without coordination only more than 5 km from the airport and no higher than 30 m above the ground (next to a taller building you may climb up to its roof). Since 31 March 2026, every flight closer to the airport or higher than 30 m must be announced to air traffic control by e-mail at least 24 hours in advance, and the controllers can change or refuse it – in practice this is only for professional operators.

Watch out in Bratislava: On top of the controlled zone, there is a no-fly UAS zone around Bratislava airport to protect military aviation. When it was introduced in December 2025, it covered 5 km around the airport up to 500 m; in March 2026 it was made smaller. Check its current extent on the zones page (link below) before flying anywhere near the airport. Fines are up to €3,500 for an intentional violation and up to €500 for negligence.

Small airfields (gliders, sport aviation) have their own traffic zones (ATZ), where you need to agree the flight with the airfield operator.

Geographical zones (geozones)

The Ministry of Transport declares UAS geographical zones – permanent ones (e.g. around military facilities and training areas, extended in August 2026; there you need consent of the Ministry of Defence, requested at least 20 working days ahead) and temporary ones (state visits, big events, rescue operations). The current list and a map file you can open in Google Earth are on the Transport Authority zones page. For a general view of the airspace use the official electronic VFR Manual map of the Slovak air navigation service.

National parks and nature reserves

This is the big one for nature lovers. Under the Slovak nature protection law, you need consent of the nature protection authority for any flight lower than 300 m above the highest obstacle in an area with the third or higher degree of protection – which means practically every drone flight. That includes large parts of all nine national parks – the High Tatras, Low Tatras, Slovak Paradise, Malá Fatra, Pieniny and others – as well as many nature reserves. You can check the protection degree of any place on the map of the State Nature Conservancy.

Consent is issued by the district office in an administrative procedure, which takes time – it is not a realistic option for a holiday video. The administration of TANAP, the High Tatras national park, has said that drones don’t belong in the park: they scare marmots, chamois, eagles and other protected animals.

In practice: Don’t plan drone shots in the High Tatras or other national parks. Park rangers can stop you, and a fine under the nature protection law can follow.

Privacy

A drone with a camera records personal data. Don’t film people in their gardens, windows or other private places without consent – privacy and GDPR rules apply to drone footage the same as to any other camera.

Penalties for violation of the rules

Breaking the drone rules in Slovakia is an administrative offence, and in serious cases a crime. Different authorities deal with different violations.

Good to know: Fines for breaking the aviation rules are imposed by the Transport Authority. Police can intervene and report the case to the Transport Authority.

Breaking the aviation rules

A remote pilot who flies against the rules – for example in a no-fly zone – can be fined up to €3,500 if they did it on purpose, or up to €500 if it was negligence. Companies can face higher penalties.

Flying in a protected area without consent

Flying in a national park or nature reserve without consent is an offence under the nature protection law, which is handled separately from the aviation rules – you can be fined twice for one flight.

Causing damage to property or health

If your drone injures someone or damages property, it can be a criminal offence. Flying against the rules at the time of the accident counts as a serious aggravating circumstance – and without insurance you pay the damage yourself.

Watch out: Flying in airspace where drones are prohibited, especially near airports, can be so serious that it is prosecuted under the Criminal Code.

FAQ about Flying Drones in Slovakia

Here are short answers to the questions visitors ask most often about flying a drone in Slovakia.

Can I bring my drone to Slovakia?

Yes. You can bring a drone to Slovakia and fly it, if you follow the EU rules and the Slovak no-fly zones. Pack the batteries in your hand luggage, as airlines require.

Do I need to register my drone in Slovakia?

Only if you live outside the EU and Slovakia is the first EU country where you fly. EU residents register in their home country and the registration is valid in Slovakia too. Registration is needed for drones of 250 g or more, or any drone with a camera.

Can tourists from outside the EU fly a drone in Slovakia?

Yes. Register as an operator in the first EU country where you plan to fly (in Slovakia with the Transport Authority on a paper form, fee €35), pass the A1/A3 online exam if your drone needs it, and put your operator number on the drone.

Can I fly a drone in the High Tatras?

In most of the High Tatras, no. Areas with the third or higher degree of nature protection need consent of the nature protection authority, issued by the district office in an administrative procedure – not realistic for a holiday flight. Also check the controlled zone around Poprad airport.

Can I fly a drone in Bratislava?

Only with strict limits. Around Bratislava airport there is a no-fly zone for civil drones, and the airport’s controlled zone covers a large area around it – there you may fly without coordination only more than 5 km from the airport and up to 30 m above the ground. Check the zones before every flight, and in the busy Old Town never fly over crowds.

Can I fly a drone at night in Slovakia?

Yes, night flights are allowed in the open category, but only with an activated green flashing light. Drones with class labels C1–C3 have it built in, others need an add-on light. You still need to keep the drone in sight, which is much harder in the dark.

Do I need drone insurance in Slovakia?

Third-party liability insurance is mandatory for flights in subcategories A2 and A3 and in the specific category. For small A1 drones it is not mandatory, but it is recommended.

How much does it cost to fly a drone legally in Slovakia?

For a hobby pilot registering in Slovakia on paper: €35 for the operator registration and €30 for the A1/A3 online exam (online submissions by Slovaks are cheaper). Insurance is extra. If you are registered in another EU country, you pay nothing more for flying in Slovakia.

Conclusion

Flying a drone in Slovakia is legal and the EU rules make it easy for tourists – register once, pass the online exam and you can fly in the whole EU. The tricky part is the local zones: airports (especially Bratislava), military areas and national parks, where the most beautiful mountain views are mostly off-limits.

Check the zones before every flight, keep the drone in sight and away from people, and you will bring home great shots of Slovak castles, lakes and old towns without any trouble. If you have a question about flying a drone in Slovakia, ask in the comments.