General Drone Rules in Switzerland:
You can do pretty much anything in Switzerland as long as you ask for permission.
150m max height
Don't fly over crowds
5km from airports
Within line of sight
Switzerland is a beautiful country with green forests, fresh lakes, mountains, and clear skies. Just the perfect recipe for flying drones overhead. The Swiss recently adopted the EU 2020 regulations on drones and should kick in this July 2020. Our guide to drone laws in Switzerland outlines how to remain updated with the latest drone laws in the country
There’s no such law that prevents bringing drones to Switzerland. However, the passenger must observe all the laws and regulations.
Switzerland comes under the European Union so if you want to fly a drone in Switzerland you have to be compliant with both, the EU and National drone laws of Switzerland.
However, as for the current situation, Switzerland has delayed the implementation of the EASA regulations until there is a resolution related to model aircraft. During the transition period, drone regulations will continue to follow the current FOCA regulations. Those regulations are identified separately below.
Here's how you can contact the officials for more information.
Telephone: +41 58 465 8039
Email rpas@bazl.admin.ch
According to FOCA, the Federal office for Civil Aviation, it is legal to fly a drone in Switzerland as far as you are aware and compliant with the drone regulations.
You can do pretty much anything in Switzerland as long as you ask for permission.
Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Switzerland.
According to EASA, you must get registered as a drone operator to fly a drone in Switzerland.
The registration procedure will begin once the EASA is implemented and identified by FOCA.
This UAS operator registration number is valid for one year therefore, it must be renewed every year through the same procedure. The operator registration number remains the same this way forever, except that the operator is being deregistered from the registered for any reason.
As per the current scenario, until the EASA implements its rules, the following are the requirements to register yourself as a drone pilot or drone operator in Switzerland:
Subject to the nature and scope of your intended operation, your drone’s certification will cost between 50 and 5,000 Swiss Francs. The registration procedure might take at least three months for you to get your permit, so it is advised to keep the timeline in mind while planning your trip and booking the entries.
In Switzerland hobbyist/ recreational drones are allowed to be flown by following these set of rules:
In Switzerland commercial drones are allowed to be flown by following these set of rules:
My following two recommendations are 2 great compact drones that are quite silent and also small enough to travel with and not stand out as annoying.
4k
31 min
10 km
No follow-me
DJI has surprised us with this incredible camera drone under 250g, which is legal to fly in most countries without registration.
It comes at a very cheap price for its incredible specs.I have covered it much more in-depth in my article review and even compared it with the Mavic Air 2.
4k 60p
34 min
10 km
Follow me
If you want more control over things like shutter speed, iso, and such, the best professional drone that still falls under the 500g category is the DJI Mavic Air.
It's made mostly for people who want to play around with settings and enter into the pro category.
DJI lowered its price since it was first released.
The best way to figure out what areas you can fly in, while you're here is by consulting DJI's official map.
They do a great job mapping the places that one should avoid while flying in every country:
These would be the current updated drone laws for Switzerland. I suggest checking my full map with all the countries' drone laws to see where it's best to travel.
If you are going to visit Switzerland, make sure you’ve learned all the dos and don’ts of flying drones in this region. This will help you have a safe journey and enjoy flying your drone without getting yourself into trouble.
Also, keep in mind that, commercial and recreational drones are treated differently in most countries therefore you will need to prepare yourself accordingly. Last but not least, always follow rules and regulations and make sure to respect the laws of every country.