Flying a drone in Malta: the regulations guide

1 · The open category

European regulation applies in Malta, and the authority is Transport Malta (Civil Aviation Directorate, TM-CAD). According to its open category page: registration, valid insurance, a visible registration QR code, 120 m at most and direct sight — see the European framework.

• ▸Every flight must be authorised: since all Maltese airspace is controlled, every flight is submitted on the Transport Malta portal, even in the open category; most requests are approved automatically within minutes.
• ▸Two altitude thresholds: the open category page speaks of 120 m; another page of the authority gives, for automatic approval, 60 m and flights between half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset. The sources do not settle between these two thresholds.
• ▸Minimum age: not found.

2 · Zones: the Transport Malta portal

Malta has defined restricted geographical zones for reasons of environment, security or safety: embassies, nature reserves, hospitals, power stations, prisons, airports and heliports. The interactive map is on the Transport Malta portal; the detailed list of zones is published as an image. Valletta is subject to a special permit policy (a separate document).

⚠️ Glydar’s map does not display Malta’s regulations: the Transport Malta portal map prevails and is to be checked before every flight — see the coverage, country by country.

3 · Registration, exam and insurance

• ▸Registration: €25 a year, renewable. Exempt: toys, and drones under 250 g with no camera or microphone. A tourist can obtain a three-month registration at €10 if they already have a European number.
• ▸Exam: A1/A3 at the Transport Malta office in Lija (40 questions, 75%, 1 hour); A2: 30 questions, 45 min. The fee was not found. Remote pilot licence renewable every 5 years (classes C1 to C4).
• ▸Insurance: valid third-party liability insurance is compulsory whatever the weight of the drone and the type of operation. Any valid insurance will do; no minimum amount is given.

4 · FPV and night flying

FPV: allowed in the open category without direct visual contact if the remote pilot is accompanied by an observer who keeps the drone in sight (art. 4 d) of Regulation 2019/947).

At night: automatic authorisation covers daytime only, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.

5 · Before every flight

• ▸Submit the flight on the Transport Malta portal before every take-off.
• ▸Drone registered (QR code visible); valid insurance; licence if C1 to C4.
• ▸FPV: an observer. Zones: embassies, hospitals, power stations, airports.

This guide simplifies — it replaces neither the official texts nor an up-to-date check. If in doubt: Transport Malta (TM-CAD).

6 · Penalties: what the law says

The Air Navigation Act (Cap. 641, art. 95) covers any breach of the Act or of a regulatory instrument:

• ▸A fine of €250 to €250,000 per offence, on conviction. This article is general, not specific to drones, and does not apply if the regulatory instrument provides an administrative penalty.
• ▸Regulatory instrument 006/2024, which governs registration and flight authorisation, is not available in the sources consulted: no drone-specific administrative penalty is therefore indicated here.

These are ceilings: the judge assesses each case. The text of the law prevails, not this page.

7 · Your responsibility, and what Glydar does

Glydar informs; it exempts from nothing. This guide draws on official sources but is not an official source, does not guarantee that they are complete or up to date, and is not a flight authorisation.

The remote pilot remains solely responsible for their flight and its compliance, as the terms of use recall. Everything needed to check is within reach: the coverage, country by country, the official map and the texts cited below.