Flying a drone in Portugal: the regulations guide

1 · The open category

The European regulation applies in Portugal, and the authority is ANAC (the national civil aviation authority). In the open category, no ANAC authorisation is needed: flights are within visual line of sight (VLOS), at no more than 120 m above the ground, and never over crowds of people — see the European framework. According to ANAC:

• ▸A1 — a C0 drone, or one under 250 g; with a C1, never over crowds of people, and overflight of uninvolved people is kept to a minimum.
• ▸A2 — no closer than 30 m to uninvolved people; 5 m with a low-speed function (never near a crowd).
• ▸A3 — more than 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas (urban parks, leisure areas).

• ▸At night: allowed, by day or by night, without ANAC authorisation, with a flashing green light active on the drone.
• ▸Minimum age: no national rule found; the European regulation applies (16 years, except a C0 toy in A1 or a privately built drone under 250 g).

2 · Zones: the ANAC map and the restrictions kept in force

ANAC publishes the UAS geographical zones on its “Zonas Geográficas UAS” map (downloadable as KML or ED-318 JSON): they are checked before every flight. An update of 30 September 2026 adds the exclusion zones published by NOTAM. Pending the planned order, restrictions from the former ANAC Regulation 1093/2016 remain in force (DL 87/2021, art. 22):

• ▸Aerodromes with an ATZ: prior permission from the flight information service. Aerodromes with neither a control zone nor an ATZ: up to 120 m, within a circle of 2.5 km radius, express authorisation from the aerodrome director.
• ▸Heliports (civil protection, hospitals): circle of 1 km radius, unless expressly authorised by ANAC.
• ▸Sensitive buildings — organs of sovereignty, embassies and consulates, military installations, security forces, prisons: no flying without authorisation. Also the prohibited, dangerous or restricted zones that are published.
• ▸Aerial images: ANAC indicates that an authorisation from the National Aeronautical Authority (Portuguese Air Force) is required. Its website cannot be consulted automatically.

⚠️ Glydar’s map does not display Portugal’s regulations: the ANAC map prevails, to be checked before every flight — see coverage, country by country.

3 · Registration, certificate and insurance

• ▸Operator registration on uas.anac.pt: mandatory for a drone of 250 g or more, with more than 80 joules of impact energy, or fitted with a personal data sensor — a camera, a video device or a microphone is enough. The number goes on each drone. The ANAC page announces a revalidation every three years and contradicts itself on the duration; no fee is stated.
• ▸Certificate: A1/A3 by training and remote exam on rp.anac.pt (75% correct answers), valid for five years; the A2 exam is taken in person at ANAC.
• ▸Third-party liability insurance: mandatory above 900 g (DL 58/2018, art. 10). Minimum cover (Portaria 2/2021): from 900 g to 1.5 kg, 0.26 million special drawing rights; from 1.5 to 4 kg, 0.38; from 4 to 20 kg, 0.56; above 20 kg, 0.75. The operator is liable for damage caused to third parties even without fault.

4 · FPV and immersive flying

The ANAC pages consulted do not name FPV. They say that the drone stays in direct line of sight, with, in some cases, the help of an observer — a person placed next to the pilot, who watches the drone with the naked eye. Immersive flying therefore requires an observer — see the European framework.

5 · Before every flight

• ▸Check the ANAC map: aerodromes, heliports, prohibited zones, temporary zones.
• ▸Operator number on the drone, certificate if needed, insurance if the drone exceeds 900 g.
• ▸At night: the flashing green light. An observer next to the pilot for FPV.

This guide simplifies — it replaces neither the official texts nor an up-to-date check. In case of doubt: ANAC, Diário da República.

6 · Penalties: what the law says

In Portugal, these are administrative offences (“contraordenações”), investigated and penalised by ANAC. DL 87/2021 expressly targets drones. Here is what the texts provide, without adding anything:

• ▸Very serious (DL 87/2021, art. 14): failing to register as an operator; breaching the maximum heights; breaching the restrictions of the geographical zones; having a pilot fly without training; flying near or inside disaster areas. Serious: not keeping the drone in direct line of sight, breaching the conditions of the subcategories. Minor: operating with expired qualifications.
• ▸Amounts (DL 10/2004, art. 9, original 2004 text) — for an individual: very serious, from €1,000 to €2,500 for negligence and from €2,000 to €4,000 for wilful misconduct; serious, at most €1,500; minor, at most €1,000.
• ▸No compulsory insurance (DL 58/2018, art. 12): coima of €2,000 to €3,500 for an individual.
• ▸Ancillary penalties: suspension of authorisations or certificates for up to two years (DL 87/2021, art. 15); under DL 58/2018 (art. 13), a ban on drone activities for up to two years and forfeiture of the drone to the State — the current status of this article is not verified.

⚠️ The amounts are those of the original text of DL 10/2004: the consolidated version is not available in the sources consulted and may have updated them. They are maximums: the authority exercises discretion. They are those of the text at the date this guide was checked (October 2026) — 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 their completeness or that they are up to date, and does not amount to a flight authorisation.

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