Can you fly your drone in Cyprus?

Two separate things are easily confused here. Registration as a drone operator is required as soon as your drone weighs 250 g or more, or has a camera or sensor able to capture personal data — so it covers many sub-250 g drones too, unless they qualify for the toy exemption. The Remote Pilot Certificate competency certificate is something else: you need it once your drone weighs 250 g or more, or carries a C1 or higher class mark. A camera drone under 250 g therefore needs registration, but no exam. You get the certificate by passing an online theory test with Department of Civil Aviation Cyprus, and it is then valid across the whole EASA area, not just here.

Yes — EU drone rules apply to visitors too. If you are already registered as a drone operator in another EASA country, that registration and your A1/A3 certificate (also A2) are valid in Cyprus as well. Coming from outside the EASA area, you register once — in the first EASA country where you plan to fly, here with Department of Civil Aviation Cyprus. After drone attacks in spring 2026 Cyprus temporarily banned all civil drone flights; the ban has been lifted but rules can change fast, so check the DCA drone portal shortly before you travel. The British base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia follow their own rules, not EU rules.

The short version: Maximum 120 m above the ground (EASA Open Category). On top of that: Registration as a UAS operator (15 € / 3 years), if the drone weighs 250 g or more or has a camera. Also: A1/A3 online training is required – minimum age 16. These are central aviation rules — location-specific airspace, land, nature, privacy and photography requirements can also apply in Cyprus, so always check the official sources.

What you need to avoid are the restricted zones — typically around airports, prisons, military areas and protected nature. You'll find the official map for Cyprus under Sources below, and the DroneKoll app keeps the country's rules, weather and checklists in one place before you fly.

Drone flying in Cyprus is regulated by Department of Civil Aviation Cyprus, which handles both the rules and the airspace. Their official pages are linked under Sources below — that is where changes appear first.