Albania AL
Albania unilaterally transposed EU 2019/947 and 2019/945 in July 2022 (Ministerial Orders 143/2022 and 114/2022), running an EASA-style Open/Specific/Certified system, but it is not an EASA member state. Registration is required for any drone weighing 250 g or more, or with a camera — but only Albanian residents and businesses may register as operators, and Albanian rules state an operator cannot be registered in more than one state at once. In practice this means visitors already registered/certified in an EASA-area state (EU/EEA, Switzerland) should rely on that registration rather than re-registering, while tourists without any EASA-area credentials and a camera or 250 g+ drone have no clear legal registration path. A small sub-250 g, no-camera 'toy' drone is the safest bet for casual tourist flying.
Your plan
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You're good to go, just follow the local rules
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Albania.
- Bringing your drone in
There is no confirmed blanket ban on bringing a personal drone into Albania, but secondary sources report that customs officials at the airport have occasionally seized drones, asserting a permit was needed — an inconsistency that could not be resolved against an official customs page. Carrying proof of purchase, model specifications and any applicable registration/certification papers is recommended in case of a customs check. Batteries: No Albania-specific rule found; standard international air-travel lithium-battery limits (carry-on only, spare batteries under the usual 100/160 Wh airline thresholds) are expected to apply.
- Before each flight
Albania transposed EU 2019/947 (operations) and 2019/945 (UAS/operator requirements) via Ministerial Orders 143/2022 and 114/2022, applying an EASA-style Open (A1/A2/A3) / Specific / Certified category system to all drones regardless of use, size or weight · Registration is mandatory for any drone equipped with a camera, or weighing 250 g or more (toy exemptions apply below that); remote pilot certification is required for drones of 250 g or more · Only Albanian residents and businesses operating in Albania may register as an operator — there is no direct tourist registration pathway, and an operator cannot be registered in more than one state simultaneously
Flying
- Albania transposed EU 2019/947 (operations) and 2019/945 (UAS/operator requirements) via Ministerial Orders 143/2022 and 114/2022, applying an EASA-style Open (A1/A2/A3) / Specific / Certified category system to all drones regardless of use, size or weight
- Registration is mandatory for any drone equipped with a camera, or weighing 250 g or more (toy exemptions apply below that); remote pilot certification is required for drones of 250 g or more
- Only Albanian residents and businesses operating in Albania may register as an operator — there is no direct tourist registration pathway, and an operator cannot be registered in more than one state simultaneously
- Maximum altitude is 120 m above ground; the drone must stay within visual line of sight at all times
- A2 subcategory (drones up to 4 kg): keep at least 30 m from uninvolved people (5 m in low-speed mode); A3 subcategory (up to 25 kg): keep at least 150 m from populated/commercial areas
- Night flying is generally not permitted for standard recreational registration and normally needs specific AAC authorisation
- Flying over or near military installations (e.g. Farka, Gjadër, Kuçovë, Vlorë air bases, naval facilities) is treated as a serious offence that can lead to on-the-spot confiscation and detention, not just a fine
- No-fly zones include government buildings (Prime Minister's office, Presidential Palace, Parliament, police HQ, prisons), about 5 km around Tirana International Airport and about 2 km around other civil airfields, and central Tirana government districts
- National parks (Llogara, Butrint, Valbona Valley, Theth) and UNESCO sites (Gjirokastra and Berat old towns) have variable restrictions, with permits typically required for professional/commercial filming
- Violations reportedly carry fines of roughly EUR 500–5,000, plus possible confiscation, criminal charges (especially near military sites) or deportation in serious cases
Commercial use: Commercial operation (including monetised drone footage) needs ACAA commercial-operator authorisation, registration in the correct category, third-party liability insurance, and mission-specific permits for restricted zones or national parks; the 'Specific' category (BVLOS, drones over 25 kg, or multi-rotor drones over 4 kg in populated areas) requires prior AAC approval via a risk assessment (SORA) or a standard-scenario declaration.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Registration is required for camera drones or drones 250 g+, but the AAC states only Albanian residents and businesses may register as operators, and an operator cannot be registered in more than one state simultaneously. Visitors already registered/certified in another EASA-area state (EU/EEA, Switzerland) are expected to rely on that home registration rather than re-registering in Albania; tourists without EASA-area credentials and a qualifying drone have no confirmed legal registration route — contact the AAC (dron@acaa.gov.al) before travelling. Fees for certificates/authorisations are set under Joint Instruction 11 (24 Dec 2024) but a specific amount was not confirmed; one secondary source cites roughly EUR 20–50 for standard registration. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (online, from 250 g) Albania remote pilot certification, A1/A3 subcategory (EASA-style). Required for drones of 250 g or more (A2/A3 subcategories); A1 requirements are conditional on sensor/kinetic-energy thresholds. The AAC states remote pilot certification for A1/A3 subcategories has only recently commenced. Visitors holding an existing EASA-area A1/A3 (or equivalent) certificate should reasonably expect recognition given the single-state-registration rule, but this was not explicitly confirmed for Albania as a non-EASA-member state — verify with the AAC. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID broadcast requirement was confirmed from official AAC sources. |
| Insurance | Depends Third-party liability insurance is explicitly required for commercial (Specific-category) operations. No official mandate was found for purely recreational Open-category flying, though secondary sources recommend crash/liability coverage given Albania's rugged terrain. |
| Foreign registration accepted | Depends Only Albanian residents and businesses can register as a drone operator in Albania — tourists cannot register locally even if they wanted to. Because Albanian rules bar registering in more than one state simultaneously, visitors already registered/certified in another EASA-participating state (EU/EEA, Switzerland) should be able to rely on that registration instead, though this was not explicitly spelled out as formal reciprocity by the AAC — confirm before travelling. Tourists without any EASA-area drone registration/certificate, flying a camera drone or one 250 g+, are in a legal grey area; sticking to a small sub-250 g, no-camera 'toy' drone avoids the registration question entirely. For commercial work or filming in restricted zones/national parks/UNESCO sites, secondary sources recommend applying to the AAC at least 2–4 weeks ahead. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | < 250 g | May fly over uninvolved individuals (not crowds); registration/pilot ID requirements are conditional on sensors/kinetic energy; the safest default category for short-term tourists without local registration options. |
| A2 | 250 g – < 4 kg | Registration and pilot certification required; keep at least 30 m from uninvolved people (5 m in low-speed mode). |
| A3 | 4 kg – < 25 kg | Registration and pilot certification required; keep at least 150 m from populated/commercial areas. |
| Specific category | BVLOS, > 25 kg, or multi-rotor > 4 kg in populated areas | Requires prior AAC authorisation via SORA risk assessment or a standard-scenario declaration (form ACAA-DFS-UASM-117). |
| Certified category | passenger transport / dangerous goods | Reserved for aircraft certification, pilot licence and operator certificate; reported as still under development, not yet available. |
Import & export
- There is no confirmed blanket ban on bringing a personal drone into Albania, but secondary sources report that customs officials at the airport have occasionally seized drones, asserting a permit was needed — an inconsistency that could not be resolved against an official customs page. Carrying proof of purchase, model specifications and any applicable registration/certification papers is recommended in case of a customs check.
- No drone-specific radio/type-approval certification requirement was confirmed from official sources.
- Batteries: No Albania-specific rule found; standard international air-travel lithium-battery limits (carry-on only, spare batteries under the usual 100/160 Wh airline thresholds) are expected to apply.
- Customs enforcement around drone import appears inconsistent between sources — some visitors report no issues, others report drones held pending 'permit' paperwork that isn't clearly defined in public AAC materials; contact the AAC or Albanian customs directly if bringing anything beyond a small sub-250 g drone.
Export
- No Albania-specific drone export restriction was found; treat cross-border movement of drone equipment as subject to ordinary Albanian customs rules.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not publicly confirmed. |
|---|---|
| Albania remote pilot certification, A1/A3 subcategory (EASA-style) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Albania as a visitor Visitors
- Work out if you can legally register
Registration and remote-pilot certification are required for camera drones or ones 250 g+, but only Albanian residents/businesses can register directly — if you already hold an EU/EEA or Swiss (EASA-area) registration and A1/A3 certificate, that should carry over instead of re-registering; if not, email dron@acaa.gov.al before your trip to check your options. Open
- Consider a sub-250 g, no-camera drone for simplicity
This is the one category clearly exempt from registration, sidestepping the tourist registration gap.
- Fly within VLOS, 120 m altitude, and the distance rules for your weight class
Keep 30 m from people for A2-class drones (5 m in low-speed mode) or 150 m from populated areas for A3-class drones, and do not fly at night without specific authorisation.
- Stay well away from military sites, government buildings and airports
These carry the most serious consequences — reported confiscation and detention rather than just a fine — so treat them as absolute no-fly zones.
- Get a permit for filming in national parks, UNESCO sites, or for commercial/monetised footage
Apply to the AAC in advance (2–4 weeks is commonly recommended) for Llogara, Butrint, Valbona Valley, Theth, or the Gjirokastra/Berat old towns, and for any commercial-category use.
Sources
- AAC (Albanian Civil Aviation Authority) — Avionë pa Pilotë (Drone) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Albania Spirit — Drone Rules Albania 2026: Registration, No-Fly · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Albania Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Himara.net — Albania Drone Laws 2026: No-Fly Zones, Permits & Fines · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (online)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight permit−6
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Import restricted−25
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works