A practical checklist for operating your drone safely.
Information on flying drones in Switzerland
You are required to register your drone if it has a camera. You are also required to have a certificate.
If you are already registered in an EU member state, you do not need to register again. Certificates issued by an EU country are also recognised in Switzerland.
Drone pilots must have insurance to cover the costs of a claim. Insurance is compulsory for drones weighing 250g or more. We recommend you take out insurance in your home country, as Swiss insurance companies generally do not offer insurance for tourists.
Flight restrictions
Further information regarding area restrictions and detailed maps can be found on our flight restrictions page.
The training is integrated into the exam and can be accessed via dLIS. This means that when you start the exam, you can access the training slides, followed directly by the corresponding exam questions.
If you cannot see the training slides, it may be because you are using a screen that is too small. Please ensure that you are using a large screen for both the training and the exam. If the training material is still not displayed, end the exam by clicking on "Submit" in the top right-hand corner and complete the exam. Then restart the exam using a larger screen. You can retake the A1/A3 as many times as you like until you pass.
Unfortunately, we are not competent to answer questions about regulations outside Switzerland. You will need to find out about the rules in force locally.
The EASA regulations are the same for all the member states.
Only registered operators are allowed to fly a drone in Switzerland. Operators must register in the EU member state where you reside or where the company has its registered office. If this is the case , you do not need to register in Switzerland. However, operators whose resident or registered office is outside the EU must register in Switzerland if you have not already done so in an EU member state.
You don't need to insure your drone weighing less than 250g, but the FOCA strongly recommends that you also insure lighter drones, as costs can rise considerably in the event of damage. We therefore recommend that you check the sum insured with your private liability insurance. It should cover damage of at least CHF 1 million.
If, despite our recommendation, you do not wish to indicate any insurance, you should indicate in the fields of the insurance question: "DroneBelow250g". You should then receive your personal drone operator number (CHxxxxxxxxx-xyz).
Unfortunately, we are not yet able to determine from a distance what type of pilot this is. If you think this is punishable behaviour, you should contact the police.
A CE marking must have been affixed directly to your drone at the time of production. By affixing the CE marking, the manufacturer declares that the product complies with the applicable requirements (safety, health and environmental protection). A drone must bear the CE marking, otherwise it is prohibited from flying. However, you're almost certain to find a CE marking if you look hard enough - they're sometimes very well hidden, for example in the battery compartment cover. The CE marking looks like something like this:
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please first carefully study the information provided, especially our FAQ, and contact us only if you do not find the answer on our website.
