Drone Laws in Romania

Romania Drone Regulations

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

If you’d like to contact the AACR directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: dir.gen@caa.ro / +40.21.208.15.08

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

General Rules for Flying a Drone Within the European Union

Romania 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, Romania 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 Romania

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

• To fly a drone in Romania, you must register it with the AACR. If you are a foreigner, it appears that a registration with your country of citizenship could take the place of registering with the AACR, but we recommend checking with the AACR to confirm this before traveling.
• If you plan to take pictures or video each flight must be pre-approved by the Ministry of Defense.
• Drones may not be flown over densely populated areas and crowds of people or in cities. For special exceptions to these restrictions, an application may be made to the AACR.
• Drone pilots must maintain a visual line of sight with their drone at all times.
• For drones weighing more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) insurance is mandatory.

For more information on Romania’s drone laws, see this page on the RCAA website.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Romania? 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 Romania 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 Romania? Here you go: