Italy IT

EU baseline plus Italian extras: every operator must hold a paid D-Flight subscription with a QR code displayed on the drone, and third-party liability insurance is mandatory for every drone regardless of weight.

Draft: not yet reviewedUpdated 24 Sept 2026Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC)

65Fly score

84Import score

73Combined

Your plan

Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.

2 things to sort out before you fly

Register your drone in Italy
Registration is via the D-Flight portal, not a free simple EASA-style registration: operators need a paid annual subscription to obtain the operator QR code that must be affixed to every drone. Fee: 7 EUR (D-Flight Base annual subscription for 2026, up from €6 previously; higher Pro tiers cost more.). Allow about 1 day before your trip.
Open official page
Remote ID may apply
Direct Remote ID is required for C1, C2 and C3 class drones and in some geographical zones.
Carry liability insurance
Required. Check that your policy covers flights in Italy.
Bringing your drone in
Personal luggage from outside the EU: goods up to €430 (air/sea travel) or €300 (land travel) are duty- and VAT-free. Above that, and for online orders from outside the EU, customs duty (tariff-code dependent) and 22% VAT apply. Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100–160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
Before each flight
Max 120 m above ground, always in visual line of sight · Never fly over crowds or assemblies of people · Every operator must register on D-Flight and hold an active paid subscription (Base plan) to receive a QR code identifying the operator, which must be clearly displayed on every drone
Open official page

Flying

VisitorsAllowed

Max altitude120 m

Line of sightRequired

Night flightsAllowed

Max 120 m above ground, always in visual line of sight
Never fly over crowds or assemblies of people
Every operator must register on D-Flight and hold an active paid subscription (Base plan) to receive a QR code identifying the operator, which must be clearly displayed on every drone
Third-party liability insurance is mandatory for every drone regardless of weight, including sub-250 g drones and toys, for both recreational and commercial flights
Check the D-Flight geoportal maps for permitted, limited and prohibited zones before every flight
Class-marked (C1/C2/C3) drones need a flashing green light at night

Commercial use: The Open category covers most low-risk commercial work. Riskier flights need an operational authorisation or a standard-scenario declaration in the Specific category, managed through ENAC and D-Flight.

Official airspace map

Registration & classes

Registration	Yes (from 250 g or camera) Registration is via the D-Flight portal, not a free simple EASA-style registration: operators need a paid annual subscription to obtain the operator QR code that must be affixed to every drone.
Pilot test	Yes (online, from 250 g) EU A1/A3 online certificate. Free EU A1/A3 online theory exam, as in the EASA baseline. Drones under 250 g without recording devices, and devices classified as toys under Directive 2009/48/EC, are exempt from the pilot test requirement.
Remote ID	Some classes Direct Remote ID is required for C1, C2 and C3 class drones and in some geographical zones.
Insurance	Yes Third-party liability insurance is mandatory for every drone regardless of weight or purpose, including sub-250 g drones and toy-classified devices (ENAC UAS Regulation Art. 19; Navigation Code Art. 470). Minimum cover amount not confirmed in official sources — check with an ENAC-compliant drone insurer; typical hobbyist policies cost roughly €25–40/year.
Foreign registration accepted	Depends EASA registrations and certificates are valid in every EASA state. Residents of non-EASA countries register in the first EASA state where they plan to fly.

Weight classes

Class	Weight	Rules
C0	< 250 g	Subcategory A1: may overfly uninvolved people (never crowds). No test; register if it has a camera.
C1	< 900 g	A1: avoid overflying people. A1/A3 certificate and Remote ID required.
C2	< 4 kg	A2: 30 m from people (5 m in low-speed mode) with the A2 certificate; otherwise A3.
C3 / C4	< 25 kg	A3 only: far from people and 150 m from residential, commercial and industrial areas.
No class mark	any	Under 250 g → A1. 250 g and more → A3 only (legacy transition ended 1 Jan 2024).

Import & export

ImportAllowed (with customs)

Customs dutyVaries

VAT / sales tax22 %

Radio certificationNo

Personal luggage from outside the EU: goods up to €430 (air/sea travel) or €300 (land travel) are duty- and VAT-free. Above that, and for online orders from outside the EU, customs duty (tariff-code dependent) and 22% VAT apply.
CE marking is required for sale in Italy/EU; personal imports of non-CE radio equipment can be seized at customs.
Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100–160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
No customs within the EU. The duty rate on drones from outside the EU depends on the tariff (HS) code.

Export

EU dual-use regulation applies to professional drones with long range or high payload.

Costs

Operator registration	7 EUR · D-Flight Base annual subscription for 2026, up from €6 previously; higher Pro tiers cost more. Validity: 1 year (D-Flight subscription, renewed annually)
EU A1/A3 online certificate	Unknown
Import taxes	? % duty + 22 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep.

Guides

Start flying in Italy Residents

Register on D-Flight
Create an account and activate the paid Base subscription (€7/year) to get your operator QR code. Open
Get liability insurance
Mandatory for every drone regardless of weight, including toys and sub-250 g models.
Pass the A1/A3 test
Free online training and exam, valid across the EU for 5 years. Open
Attach the QR code
Display your D-Flight operator QR code clearly on every drone you fly.
Check D-Flight maps before flying
Confirm the zone at your planned location is not limited or prohibited. Open

Sources

EASA – Civil drones (Open category) · accessed 23 Sept 2026
ENAC – Requisiti generali per operare nella categoria aperta · accessed 24 Sept 2026
D-Flight – Registrazione e gestione account · accessed 24 Sept 2026

How the score is built

Fly score 65

Operator registration−10
Pilot test (online)−10
Remote ID−4
Mandatory insurance−6
Visitors must register locally−5

Import score 84

Duty + VAT ≈ 27 %−16

Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works