Flying a drone in Romania: the regulations guide

1 · The open category

The European regulation applies in Romania, and the authority is the AACR (the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority). According to its text for the period after 1 January 2024, in the open category: a drone under 25 kg, in the pilot’s direct line of sight, at no more than 120 m above the ground, without dropping anything, at a safe distance from people and without flying over groups — see the European framework. By class:

• ▸C0 (under 250 g) and C1 (under 900 g) — subcategory A1.
• ▸C2 (under 4 kg) — A2: 30 m horizontally from uninvolved people, 5 m with a low-speed function, and the 1:1 rule.
• ▸C3 and C4 (under 25 kg) — A3: 150 m from uninvolved people and from urban areas (dense, residential, commercial or recreational areas).

• ▸Drones without a class placed on the market before 1 January 2024: A1 if under 250 g; A3 between 250 g and 25 kg.
• ▸Minimum age: 16, with no minimum for a C0 toy in A1.
• ▸At night: no Romanian rule is stated in the sources consulted.

2 · Zones: ROMATSA, Defence and the Aviation Code

The official map of UAS geographical zones is the one from ROMATSA (valid from 30 April 2026); it warns that the absence of purple zones does not mean there is no restricted zone in Romania. In a prohibited zone, no derogation is possible; in a restricted zone, the authorisation of the entity that requested it is needed — and, in the open category, flying there is possible if the limits of the category are respected and the agreement of that entity has been obtained beforehand and, for filming or photographing, the opinion of the Ministry of Defence (MApN).

• ▸Control zones (CTR): since 18 September 2021, any operation there follows the civil-military procedure.
• ▸Bucharest: above the municipality, below 3,000 m, an overflight authorisation from the Ministry of Defence (HG 859/2021, art. 5).
• ▸Filming and photographing: the MApN opinion is required, except for open-category operations outside restricted zones.
• ▸Dense areas and gatherings (Aviation Code, art. 15): overflight by an aircraft is prohibited below 300 m above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m — except for a civil drone that complies with European or national conditions. Defence, public order and national security sites: no overflight by a drone, except with the written agreement of their managers.

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

3 · Registration, certificate and insurance

• ▸Operator registration on the AACR platform (uas.caa.ro), for anyone whose registered office or residence is in Romania: a single number is obtained, to be stuck on each drone as a sticker. A drone under 250 g fitted with a camera must also be registered; a toy (intended for children under 14) without a personal-data sensor is exempt. The cost and validity period are not stated in the sources consulted.
• ▸Training: A1/A3 through an online AACR course and a test of 40 questions in 60 minutes; A2: a test of 30 questions; the certificate is valid for five years. A C0: knowing the manufacturer’s instructions is enough; a privately built drone under 250 g, or a drone without a class under 250 g: no certificate.
• ▸Insurance: the AACR FAQ (from 2022) requires it only above 20 kg. But a government decision (HG 859/2021) penalises flying without third-party liability insurance “as required by law”: for a small drone, these sources do not settle the question. No minimum amount is given.

4 · FPV and immersive flying

The AACR allows it with an observer: a UAS observer may be used to scan the airspace in FPV; the observer must stand next to the pilot, to communicate immediately in case of an obstacle — see the European framework.

5 · Before every flight

• ▸Checking the ROMATSA map: prohibited zones, restricted zones, CTRs, Bucharest.
• ▸Operator number on the drone, certificate if needed.
• ▸For filming or photographing: checking the MApN opinion; an observer next to the pilot for FPV.

This guide simplifies — it replaces neither the official texts nor an up-to-date check. The AACR FAQ consulted dates from 2022. In case of doubt: AACR, ROMATSA, MApN.

6 · Penalties: what the law says

In Romania, these are first of all administrative offences (amounts in lei), recorded by the AACR, the police, the gendarmerie or the local police. Here is what the texts provide, with nothing added:

• ▸Operator or pilot (HG 643/2020, art. 9): no registration, failure to meet certain open-category requirements, pilot without the required competence: 2,000 to 4,000 lei.
• ▸Drone flights (HG 859/2021, art. 12): control zone without following the procedure, 5,000 to 9,000 lei; restricted zone without authorisation, flying over Bucharest without authorisation, filming without an MApN opinion, 15,000 to 25,000 lei; lack of third-party liability insurance, 25,000 to 40,000 lei.
• ▸Aviation Code (Law 21/2020, art. 126-127): flying over defence, public order or national security sites, or a flight that does not stop when a manned aircraft approaches: 25,000 to 50,000 lei; refusing to land the drone at the authorities’ request: 8,000 to 16,000 lei.
• ▸Criminal (Aviation Code): flying a drone without the required certification documents: three months to three years in prison or a fine (art. 115); operating in a prohibited zone: six months to three years or a fine (art. 117, general text).

⚠️ The consolidated version of the Aviation Code is not cited: the amounts of art. 127 may have been updated. These are maximums: the authority assesses. 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 that they are exhaustive or up to date, and does not amount to authorisation to fly.

The remote pilot remains solely responsible for the 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.