Drone laws in Latvia: registration, insurance and where you can fly

Latvia applies Regulation (EU) 2019/947, with national rules in Cabinet of Ministers regulations. The Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) registers operators and runs the remote-pilot qualifications. LGS, the air navigation service provider, publishes the UAS geographical zones; the legally binding version is its map at airspace.lv/drones.

You register as an operator — once, not per drone — if your drone weighs 250 g or more, or carries a camera or other sensor that can capture personal data, unless it is a toy. You register in the country where you live; the registration is recognised in every EASA country, and your operator number goes on every drone you fly.

• Register on the CAA’s e-service, e.caa.gov.lv. The fee is 5 EUR, and the registration is valid for one year.
• Operators must be at least 16.
• Your operator number starts with LVA; mark every drone you fly with it.

The A1/A3 proof of training and the A2 certificate are valid for five years and recognised in every EASA country. The EU minimum age for remote pilots is 16, with no minimum for a C0 drone that is a toy (Directive 2009/48/EC) flown in A1, a privately built drone under 250 g, or flying under the direct supervision of a qualified pilot; each country may set a lower age.

The remote-pilot qualifications are described on the CAA’s drone site, droni.caa.gov.lv. Latvia keeps the EU minimum age of 16 for remote pilots, with the EU exceptions.

The national UAS geographical zones — airports, military and state sites, protected areas — are on the drone map of Latvia, with who published each one and when. To check a particular spot, click it on the map; for zones that switch on later, check your flight date.

Outside the zones, the open category’s own limits still apply: at most 120 m above the ground, the drone always in sight, and never over gatherings of people — as do any national rules, such as those on filming, privacy or local bylaws.

• Insurance (Cabinet Regulation No 447): at least EUR 50 000 of liability cover for A1 with a C1 drone and A2 with a C2 drone; 750 000 SDR for A3 with a drone over 20 kg and for the specific category. None is required for a C0 drone or one under 250 g, or in A3 below 20 kg.
• Overflight (Cabinet Regulation No 248): avoid flying over people, traffic, animals, buildings and structures as far as possible, and cross other people’s property by the shortest, safest route.
• Fly-away: if you lose control of the drone, call LGS immediately on +371 67300645. After an accident or serious incident, call 112.

This guide summarises the official sources listed below as they stood on the date at the top. Rules and fees change: check the authority’s own pages before you fly. GeoPilot is not an authorization.