Drone Laws in Greece

Greece Drone Regulations

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

If you’d like to contact the HCAA directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: YPA@HCAA.GR / +30 210 891600

Why fly a drone in Greece? To get great aerial shots like these!

General Rules for Flying a Drone Within the European Union

Greece 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, Greece 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 Greece

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

• You must complete an application for each individual drone flight you plan to conduct. You can find the application here. If your application is approved by the HCAA, you then must verify our identify and share your flight plans with the local police department.
• You may fly up to 120 meters (393 feet) above the ground.
• Commercial pilots must obtain permission for all operations. More information can be found on this page on the HCAA website.
• Drones may not be flown at night.
• Drone operators who fly for commercial purposes or in the “Specific” or “Certified” category must have drone insurance.
• Drone operators who fly for hobby or recreation only do not need drone insurance unless their drone weighs more than 4 kg, falling into the “Open-A2 category.” See Articles 7, 8, and 9 of this document from the HCAA for more information on UAS categories.
• Drones may not weigh more than 25 kilograms (55 pounds).
• Drones may not be flown over people, prisons, hospitals, government and military facilities, and other sensitive areas.
• Drones may not be flown over private property without permission from the property owner.

Process of Requesting a Flight Authorization in Greece

To get authorized for drone flight activity, please include the following in an email which you will forward only to uas@hcaa.gov.gr.

1. Short description of the flight activity.
2. UAS operator Registration No. (attach proof as per EASA EU 2019/947)
3. Remote Pilot Certificate A1/A3 and A2 (attach proof, not necessary if operating a drone that weighs less than 250 grams.)
4. Complete and attach the Table attached.
5. Your declaration that “all flight activities will take place under the Open Category as prescribed in Articles 4 and 22 of (EU) 2019/947”.
6. Written consent of the owner or manager of “sensitive structures” (e.g., overflight of monuments, archaeological sites, or state structures) if applicable.

   Use Drone Aware GR for plotting the selected areas. Your request will then be forwarded to HASP, and you will get an approval for flight.
   Your request will then be forwarded to HASP, and you will get an approval for flight.Your request should be filed at least three (3) working days in advance and if a military installation is involved, five (5) working days.

   For defining the area:
   – Select the pencil switch on the lower left corner of the map, confirm the message “AREA DRAWING MODE” is visible.
   – Draw the area (either a circle or a polygon selected by the switch marked “P” on the lower left corner.
   – Select “Flight Manager” on the upper right corner, this will redirect you to another page.
   – Scroll down and find the coordinates of the area just defined, copy, and paste to the appropriate form field.
   – Finally deselect the drawing mode, click on the area to see relevant information. If the restricted zone is characterized as “MIL” then you must schedule for a five – day period for processing and coordinating with the relevant authorities. The start of the period is marked from the next working day of the application.
   – Be specific on the date and the time of the flight activity
   NOTE: The area must not be over 1000 by 1000 meters in size so as to achieve VLOS at all times. When the area is too big to assure VLOS at all times then define smaller areas and label them as Area#1, #2,#3, etc

Please note that application must remain in editable form.
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For more information on Greece’s drone laws, see this document created by the HCAA.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Greece? 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 Greece can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

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