Drone Laws in Cyprus

Cyprus Drone Regulations

According to Cyprus’s national aviation authority, the Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), flying a drone is legal in Cyprus, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.

If you’d like to contact the DCA directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information.

Why fly a drone in Cyprus? To get aerial shots of beautiful spots like this!

General Rules for Flying a Drone Within the European Union

Cyprus is a part of the European Union and therefore must abide by the drone regulations put in place by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In addition to these regulations, Cyprus also has regulations that are country-specific.

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone within the European Union.

There are three operational categories that determine drone regulations based on the weight of the drone and the intended operation. This section will only cover the Open Category, to see all European Union laws and categories, click here.

A drone can be operated in the “Open “category if:

• The drone has one of the class identification labels 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
• The drone was purchased before 1 January 2023, with no class identification label as above.
• The drone has a maximum take-off mass of less than 25 kg (55 lbs).
• The remote pilot keeps the drone at a safe distance away from people.
• The drone will not be operated directly over people unless it has a class identification label or is lighter than 250 g (0.55 lbs). (Please refer to subcategories of operations: A1, A2, and A3 to find out where you can fly with your drone).
• The remote pilot will maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) or the remote pilot will be assisted by a UA observer.
• The remote pilot will not operate the drone above 120m (400ft).
• The drone will not carry any dangerous goods and will not drop any material.

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Cyprus

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Cyprus.

• Do not fly close to residential areas and people.
• Safety distance of 1 kilometer from residential areas.
• Safety distance of 500 meters from isolated buildings, people, vehicles, animals, structures, etc., except with the owner’s/person’s consent.
• Do not fly close to airport and heliports. Safety distance of at least eight (8) kilometers from airports and at least three (3) kilometers from heliports.
• It is not permitted to fly a drone at night.
• No flying above, within, or in proximity to military installations, public utility installations, archaeological sites and public or private facilities.

For more information on Cyprus’s drone laws, see this page devoted to drones on the Cyprus government’s official website.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Cyprus? Send us an email at support[at]horizonap[dot]com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Cyprus can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

Licensing Requirements for Flying a Drone in Cyprus

Open Category

Open Category drone use (also known as recreational) is the use of an unmanned aircraft, having a total take-off mass of less than three kilograms, which is only used for recreational, sports, training, display or racing purposes and which their use does not involve any kind of commercial activity.

Drone pilots flying under the Open Category are not required to hold an operating license or drone pilot license from the Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation.

Special Category

Special Category drone use (also known as commercial) is the use of unmanned aircraft having a total takeoff mass of less than twenty five (25) kilograms, which are used for any type of commercial activity. Special Category also applies to unmanned aircraft, of a total takeoff mass of more than three (3) kilograms, which are used for either commercial or recreational activities.

Drone pilots operating under the Special Category must possess:

• An operating license issued by the Department of Civil Aviation.
• A drone pilot license issued by the Department of Civil Aviation.
• A valid, Category 3 aeromedical certificate.

Learn more about licensing requirements and how to get licensed on this page devoted to drones on the Cypruss government’s official website.

Want to get a feel for the kind of footage you could get flying a drone in Cyprus? Here you go: