Can you fly your drone in Italy?

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 Drone License 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 ENAC, 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 Italy as well. Coming from outside the EASA area, you register once — in the first EASA country where you plan to fly, here with ENAC. Italy requires third-party liability insurance for every drone flight, including sub-250 g drones — visiting EASA-registered operators keep their home registration but must carry insurance valid in Italy (minimum 750,000 SDR).

The short version: Maximum 120 m above ground level (EASA Open Category). On top of that: Registration via the D-Flight portal: Basic subscription €7/year (PRO €28/year) + mandatory QR code on each drone (Base €7/UAS; the first one is included with the initial subscription). Also: Mandatory A1/A3 Online Training — Minimum age: 16. These are central aviation rules — location-specific airspace, land, nature, privacy and photography requirements can also apply in Italy, 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 Italy under Sources below, and the DroneKoll app shows current NOTAMs (temporary airspace restrictions) for Italy.

Drone flying in Italy is regulated by ENAC. The airspace itself is managed by ENAV. You will find both organisations' official pages under Sources below — those are the links worth bookmarking.