General rules for flying a drone in Germany
Since Germany is part of the European Union, drone use here is regulated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), with some additional drone laws specific to Germany.
100m max height
Don’t fly over crowds
Don't interfere with aircraft
Only line of sight
Germany has many places that make for excellent drone shots and footage. But before you decide to document your visit to the Brandenburg Gate with your drone you must keep in mind the drone laws set in place by french authorities.
Which brings us to the topic of this article. Drone laws in Germany and how to navigate them as a drone pilot. Stick around because this’ll be an in-depth article.
In most cases, yes. You can fly your drone in Germany as long as it’s within the rules and regulations set by European and German authorities.
Since Germany is in the E.U drone use here is regulated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as well as by some local German laws (German Federal Aviation Office).
If you’d like to contact the German Federal Aviation Office directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact form.
Good question because not all places in Germany are okay for you to fly over. Drones in Germany may not be flown over crowds, industrial areas, disaster areas, prisons, residential areas, certain traffic routes, and several other areas designated as sensitive. See this map for more information on where drones are banned in Germany.
The scope of the flight map does not cover National Parks in which case you must seek clarification from the authority concerned.
Take care not to fly over private land and buildings unless you have express authorization from the owner.
Since Germany is part of the European Union, drone use here is regulated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), with some additional drone laws specific to Germany.
There are three operational categories that determine that type of regulations regarding drone use. Since most drones fall in the “open” category that’s what we’ll cover here. (if you’d like to learn more about this, check my in-depth article about drone laws in the European union).
What makes a drone in the “Open” category?
Good question, a drone can be considered in the “Open” category if it fills the following conditions:
So based on all of the above and IF your drone is considered in the “Open” category, here are the regulations you must keep in mind:
Germany is home to many beautiful historical sites that make for some of the best shots and films out there. I think any drone enthusiast visiting Germany should take their time and take as much footage as they can, but only after familiarizing themselves with the legal landscape regarding drone use.
Otherwise you might find yourself with your drone confiscated, a 4 digit euro penalty or worse, even jail time in some rare cases.