Serbia RS
Serbia is aligning its drone rules with EU 2019/947 but still runs its own parallel system for foreign visitors: every foreign-owned drone needs a per-flight authorisation from the Civil Aviation Directorate (CAD) regardless of weight, submitted at least 25 days ahead, plus proof of third-party liability insurance valid in Serbia. Foreign A1/A3 or A2 remote-pilot certificates are not recognised. Aerial photography/filming needs a second, separate permit from the Ministry of Defence, obtainable only through a Serbia-registered legal entity — in practice tourists cannot get a filming permit themselves and must work through a local company.
Your plan
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1 thing to sort out before you fly
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Serbia.
- Carry liability insurance
Required. Check that your policy covers flights in Serbia.
- Bringing your drone in
No drone-specific customs ban or personal-import allowance was found on an official CAD or customs page; ordinary personal-effects customs rules are expected to apply. Bringing a drone into Serbia does not by itself authorise flying it — the mandatory CAD flight authorisation is a separate, per-flight step. Batteries: No Serbia-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
Every foreign-owned/operated drone needs a CAD flight authorisation before flying, regardless of weight — this overrides the usual sub-250 g exemption for foreign visitors · Apply with a completed 'UAS Flights approval form' (coordinates, dates, times, altitude), a copy of ID, and a third-party liability insurance policy valid for Serbian territory, sent to uas@cad.gov.rs · The approval process can take more than 20 days; CAD recommends submitting at least 25 days before the planned flight
Flying
- Every foreign-owned/operated drone needs a CAD flight authorisation before flying, regardless of weight — this overrides the usual sub-250 g exemption for foreign visitors
- Apply with a completed 'UAS Flights approval form' (coordinates, dates, times, altitude), a copy of ID, and a third-party liability insurance policy valid for Serbian territory, sent to uas@cad.gov.rs
- The approval process can take more than 20 days; CAD recommends submitting at least 25 days before the planned flight
- Domestically, drones are grouped by weight into Category 1 (<0.9 kg), Category 2 (0.9–4 kg), Category 3 (4–25 kg) and Category 4 (25–150 kg); drones under 250 g and under 19 m/s are exempt from most domestic rules, but this exemption does not remove the foreign-visitor flight-authorisation requirement
- Standard altitude ceiling is 100 m for Category 1–2 drones in uncontrolled airspace; Category 3 can go up to 500 m; Category 4 has no fixed ceiling — all subject to the CAD-approved flight parameters
- Keep the drone within visual line of sight, generally understood as within about 500 m horizontally
- Stay at least 500 m from critical infrastructure (power plants, high-voltage facilities, government buildings, military sites, water treatment facilities, highways, prisons) and roughly 5 km from airports
- Aerial photography or filming needs a separate Ministry of Defence filming permit (gt.ckkt@vs.rs); non-Serbian citizens may only apply for this through a legal entity registered in Serbia, not as an individual tourist
- Foreign A1/A3 and A2 remote-pilot certificates are not recognised in Serbia; depending on location and flight parameters, operators may need to pass a Serbian exam on general UAS regulations
Commercial use: Commercial UAS operation follows the same CAD flight-authorisation and (for foreign operators) Ministry of Defence filming-permit process as other flights, plus registration/operator requirements under the national Regulation on Unmanned Aircraft; higher categories (3–4) require registration and are subject to closer CAD oversight.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use CAD's official FAQ states foreign drone registration is 'not required' — foreign owners/operators instead submit a flight-authorisation request for each operation. Domestically, Category 3 (4–25 kg) and Category 4 (25–150 kg) drones are understood to require registration with CAD; a public online registration platform was reported as 'expected soon' by a secondary source but not confirmed as live. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes Serbian UAS operator exam (foreign A1/A3 and A2 certificates not recognised). CAD's FAQ confirms foreign remote-pilot certificates (A1/A3, A2) are not valid in Serbia, and that operators may need to pass an exam on general UAS regulations 'depending on location and flight parameters' — but does not give a universal pass/fail rule for all tourists, so treat this as conditional and confirm directly with CAD before travelling. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID broadcast requirement was confirmed from official CAD sources. |
| Insurance | Yes CAD's foreign-operator FAQ explicitly requires a third-party liability insurance policy valid for Republic of Serbia territory as part of every foreign flight-authorisation application. A secondary source describes insurance as mandatory for both private and commercial flights generally. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Foreign drones are not registered in Serbia; instead, every flight needs a CAD flight authorisation, applied for with a flight-approval form, ID copy and Serbia-valid third-party liability insurance, sent to uas@cad.gov.rs. Processing can take more than 20 days; CAD recommends submitting at least 25 days ahead of the planned flight. Foreign A1/A3 and A2 remote-pilot certificates are not recognised — you may need to sit a Serbian exam depending on where and how you plan to fly. Aerial photography/filming needs a second permit from the Ministry of Defence, which non-Serbian citizens can only apply for through a Serbia-registered legal entity, not directly as an individual — for a short trip, hiring a local licensed operator is the realistic option for filming. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Exempt | < 250 g and < 19 m/s max speed | Exempt from most domestic weight-category rules, but foreign visitors still need a CAD flight authorisation regardless of this exemption. |
| Category 1 | < 0.9 kg | Lightest domestic category; 100 m altitude ceiling in uncontrolled airspace. |
| Category 2 | 0.9 kg – < 4 kg | 100 m altitude ceiling in uncontrolled airspace. |
| Category 3 | 4 kg – < 25 kg | Up to 500 m altitude; registration understood to be required. |
| Category 4 | 25 kg – 150 kg | No fixed altitude ceiling reported; registration understood to be required; realistically commercial/professional use. |
Import & export
- No drone-specific customs ban or personal-import allowance was found on an official CAD or customs page; ordinary personal-effects customs rules are expected to apply. Bringing a drone into Serbia does not by itself authorise flying it — the mandatory CAD flight authorisation is a separate, per-flight step.
- No drone-specific radio/type-approval certification requirement was confirmed from official sources; some secondary sources describe needing 'CAD approval to import' a foreign drone, which appears to conflate the mandatory flight-authorisation process with customs import itself — CAD's own FAQ discusses flight authorisation, not a separate import permit.
- Batteries: No Serbia-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.
- Secondary sources (e.g. drone law aggregators) state CAD approval is needed 'to import' a foreign drone; this could not be confirmed on an official customs page and likely refers to the mandatory flight-authorisation process rather than a distinct import permit — verify with Serbian customs and CAD before travelling.
- Even with the drone legally in the country, it cannot be flown without a CAD flight authorisation obtained well in advance.
Export
- No Serbia-specific drone export restriction was found; treat cross-border movement of drone equipment as subject to ordinary Serbian customs rules.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not publicly confirmed; the mandatory flight authorisation for foreign drones is understood to apply per submitted flight request/period rather than as a standing registration. |
|---|---|
| Serbian UAS operator exam (foreign A1/A3 and A2 certificates not recognised) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Serbia as a visitor Visitors
- Apply for CAD flight authorisation well ahead of your trip
Complete the 'UAS Flights approval form' with your drone's details, planned coordinates, dates, times and altitude, and email it with a copy of your ID to uas@cad.gov.rs at least 25 days before you plan to fly. Open
- Arrange Serbia-valid third-party liability insurance
CAD requires proof of insurance covering third-party liability for Serbian territory as part of the flight-authorisation application.
- Don't rely on your home A1/A3 or A2 certificate
These are not recognised in Serbia; check with CAD whether you need to sit a local exam on general UAS regulations first.
- For aerial photos or video, plan for a second permit — or hire a local operator
Filming requires a separate Ministry of Defence permit that non-Serbian citizens can only obtain through a Serbia-registered company (gt.ckkt@vs.rs); for a short visit, booking a licensed local drone operator is usually more realistic. Open
- Keep clear of sensitive sites
Stay roughly 500 m from critical infrastructure (power plants, government and military sites, prisons, highways) and about 5 km from airports, and remain within visual line of sight.
Sources
- CAD — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Regarding Foreign Drone Operations in the Republic of Serbia · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- CAD — Regulations for UAS operators · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- CAD — In Alignment with EU Regulations in Unmanned Aircraft Field · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-traveller.com — Drone rules and laws in Serbia · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (unknown)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−6
- Night flight restricted−3
- Low ceiling (100 m)−5
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Long lead time (25 days)−8
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works