1 · The open category
Penalty: from six months to three years in prison, or a fine of €10,000 to €25,000 for anyone who flies over the State’s territory without authorisation, including with a drone piloted from abroad (Decree DCCX, art. 3).
The Vatican has no published authorisation regime for drones: Decree N. DCCX of 19 December 2024, on unlawful entry into the territory, makes “unauthorised navigation in airspace” an offence. It entered into force on publication. The sources consulted indicate no registration, age, height or insurance.
2 · Zones: no map
No map or zone data is published by the Vatican. The whole of the State’s territory is covered by the prohibition on overflight without authorisation.
⚠️ Glydar’s map does not display the Vatican’s regulations: no map published by the Vatican prevails, to be consulted before every flight — see the coverage, country by country.
3 · Registration, exam and insurance
- No rule on registration, exam or insurance is indicated in the sources consulted: the text targets the offence of overflight, not an operating regime.
4 · FPV and night flying
The decree distinguishes neither FPV nor night flying: any overflight without authorisation is covered.
5 · Before every flight
- Overflight of Vatican territory: prohibited without authorisation.
- The pilot may be located abroad: the decree also covers drones operated from outside.
- A conviction entails a ban on access to the territory (art. 4).
This guide simplifies — it replaces neither the official texts nor an up-to-date check. In case of doubt: the Governorate of Vatican City State.
6 · Penalties: what the law says
Decree DCCX (art. 3, “Unauthorised navigation in airspace”) punishes:
- From six months to three years of imprisonment, or a fine of €10,000 to €25,000, anyone who, without authorisation, flies over the State’s territory, including by means of a remotely piloted aircraft operated from abroad.
- Article 4 further provides for a ban on access to the territory for those convicted.
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.