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

Switzerland has applied Regulation (EU) 2019/947 since 1 January 2023 through its air transport agreement with the EU. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA, BAZL in German) registers operators, sets out the remote-pilot requirements and publishes the Swiss UAS geographical zones — a file that also includes a few zones in Liechtenstein.

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 FOCA’s dLIS platform. The fee is CHF 10, and the registration is valid indefinitely in every EASA country.
• Exempt: a drone under 250 g with no camera, microphone or other data-recording sensor.
• The minimum age to register is 12; under 16, a legal representative must be named.
• Registering a drone over 250 g asks for its liability insurance policy.

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 A1/A3 online course and exam, and the A2 certificate, are set out on FOCA’s remote-pilot page. Switzerland has lowered the remote-pilot minimum age to 12 in the open category and 14 in the specific category; a child under 12 may fly under the supervision of a competent person over 16.

The national UAS geographical zones — airports, military and state sites, protected areas — are on the drone map of Switzerland, 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: anyone flying a drone over 250 g must have liability insurance with cover of at least CHF 1 million; flying uninsured can be fined. FOCA recommends insurance for lighter drones too.
• Privacy: before a low flight over private property, tell the owner or tenant and anyone on the plot, and get their consent. Do not film through windows without everyone’s consent.
• Gatherings: in the open category you may never fly over an assembly of people — any group where someone cannot freely move away.

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.