Dronesgator logo

All Drone Laws in Estonia for 2023 (Ultimate Guide)

Updated in 2023 by Paul Posea
estonia-drone-laws.jpg

This is a guide for Estonian drone laws in 2023 (updated every year) where you'll get a clue about what you can or shouldn't do while flying and traveling through this country.

Are drones legal in Estonia?

Drone use is legal in Estonia, however, it is subjected to heavy regulations. With more users embracing the use of drones in the country, headlines of drones disrupting flights in airports generated enough noise and suspicion to warrant policymakers to rein in on the industry. What this means is anyone flying a drone will be treated as a pilot.

Therefore, if you want to fly your drone in Estonia, no matter whether for recreational purposes or for business, you need to follow the rules and regulations otherwise you will end up getting yourself in trouble.

Contact information

Drone laws and regulations are under the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration. They are responsible for the regulation and enforcement of unmanned aircraft. 

You can get in touch with them through:

Lõõtsa 5, Ülemiste City 11415 Tallinn Estonia. 

Phone +372 6103500 

E-mail ecaa@ecaa.ee 

What are the drone laws in Estonia?

The rules and regulations are quite clear and concise compared to many countries, and if you make sure to respect the following rules, you're good to go.

Any other rule I might have left out can be downloaded.

Rules I would recommend every drone pilot to follow regardless:

  • Fly your drone only during the day
  • Respect the privacy of everyone around you
  • Keep off airports and give precedence to other forms of aircraft. If you see incoming manned aircraft, land immediately.
  • Do not fly over industries, government buildings or military zones
  • Keep off natural disaster spots.

How do I apply for a drone flight restriction waiver in Estonia?

Now you must be thinking, with all these restrictions, you might be thinking about how to apply for a flight restriction waiver. The process is relatively simple, and you can find the application from the links below:

  • Individual application form
  • Business application form
  • Send your application
  • Ratify with your local authorities once granted.

Apart from the above instructions, you should keep in mind that the application process should cost €45, and if granted the permit will last a year. This clearly means that if you want to fly your drone after one year you will have to follow the above-mentioned steps again.

image 17

General Rules for Flying Drone in Estonia

Now that you know different conditions, you might be interested in knowing about the main terms and conditions imposed on drones by the Estonian government.

The following are some of the general rules that you should know about before flying a drone in Estonia:

  • You must fly your drone only during the daytime and in good weather conditions.
  • Your drone should always be within your visual line of sight.
  • You should not fly your drone over 500 meters above ground level.
  • You should not fly your drone near airports, helipads, or any other no-fly zones.
  • You should not fly your drone over densely populated areas or large crowds of people.
  • You must not fly your drone in a way that endangers the lives of other people or property.
  • You should not fly your drone while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • You should not fly your drone near emergency response vehicles or areas.
  • You must not fly your drone in a way that hampers the work of first responders.

So those were the main rules that you need to keep in mind every time you want to fly a commercial or a recreational drone inside the Estonian airspace.

What are the Different Categories of Drones

According to the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration, there are three different categories of drones that you need to know about before flying one.

The following are the three different categories of drones:

Open Category

This is the most basic category of drones, and it covers all the small drones that weigh less than 25 kg. If you want to fly a drone for recreational purposes, then this is the category that you need to go for.

You don’t need any special permission or license to fly a drone in this category. However, you still need to follow all the general rules and regulations that are mentioned above.

Special Category

This category covers all the drones that weigh more than 25 kg. If you want to fly a drone for commercial purposes, then this is the category that you need to go for.

You will need to get a special permit from the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration to fly a drone in this category. Apart from that, you also need to follow all the general rules and regulations that are mentioned above.

Certified Category

This is the most advanced category of drones, and it covers all the drones that weigh more than 150 kg. If you want to fly a drone for industrial or military purposes, then this is the category that you need to go for.

You will need to get a special permit from the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration to fly a drone in this category. Apart from that, you also need to follow all the general rules and regulations that are mentioned above.

So those were the three different categories of drones that you need to know about before flying one in Estonia.

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

The next thing that you might be interested in knowing is the process of registering as a drone pilot or operator in Estonia.

As you may already know, according to the European Regulation (EU) 2019/947 All drone flyers must register themselves before taking off with their drones otherwise they will be violating the laws.

However, the process of registration is quite simple and you can do it in just a few steps.

The first step is to go to the website of the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration. Once you are on the website, you need to create an account by clicking on the “Register” button.

After that, you will be asked to fill in some personal details such as your name, address, email address, etc. Once you have filled in all the required details, you need to click on the “Submit” button.

After that, you will be asked to pay a registration fee of 45 euros. You can pay the fee through a credit card or a bank transfer. Once the payment is done, you will receive a confirmation email from the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration.

So that was the process of registering as a drone pilot or operator in Estonia.

author-paul-posea-picture
Hi, I'm Paul.
A big drone enthusiast, reviewing, comparing and writing about drones since 2015. I'm all about helping people enjoy and even monetize their hobby.

Become an FAA-Certified Drone Pilot

  • make money from your passion
  • pass the Part 107 test Guarantee (money back
  • 50,000 students and 3,000+ reviews

Use the code DRONESGATOR for $50 off 

Show me the Course!
paul posea
Paul Posea
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram