dronetravel.guideBriefings checked 8 Oct 2026

Countries · Southeast Europe · EASA rules

Romania

An EU operator registration is valid in Romania and open-category flights need no national permit, but AACR publishes no registration route for UK or US visitors. Check ROMATSA's zone map before every flight: military and airport zones need approval, and filming inside them needs Defence Ministry approval.

Open after a step for this profile · checked 8 October 2026

25 rules · 49 sources, 38 of them official · 16 fields unconfirmed · Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR, Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority) · AACR online platform for operator registration and pilot competency (uas.caa.ro, sign-in at accounts.caa.ro) (English)

Everything below follows these two answers. Saved on this device, not sent anywhere.

Your answer

Some key fields rest on secondary sources; they are listed under what we could not confirm.

What decides it

  • A drone under 250 g that carries a video camera also needs operator registration; toys under Directive 2009/48/EC without personal-data sensors are exempt.confirmed on the cited page
  • Put your operator code on every drone with a sticker and enter it into the remote identification system of class-labelled drones. Online registration costs EUR 20.confirmed on the cited page
  • The minimum remote-pilot age is 16 in the open and specific categories; there is none for a C0 drone in subcategory A1.confirmed on the cited page
  • AACR makes lawful drone use conditional on the national radio frequency allocation table (HG 376/2020).partly confirmed

Permits tied to a place or a time

These do not change the country's colour; they decide whether a particular flight is legal where and when you want it.

  • Prohibited UAS zones: no flights and no exemptions. Flying in a published prohibited zone is a criminal offence (6 months to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine).
  • Restricted UAS zones: fly only with the approval of the entity that imposed the restriction (named in the zone data; most zones name the Defence Ministry, aerofoto@mapn.ro), plus the Defence Ministry's filming approval if you film.
  • Do not overfly the sites of the defence, public order and national security structures without the written consent of their heads. Breach: 25,000 to 50,000 lei.

Before you fly, in order

  1. A drone under 250 g that carries a video camera also needs operator registration; toys under Directive 2009/48/EC without personal-data sensors are exempt.
  2. An operator registered in another EU member state does not register in Romania: registration is made only in the state of residence and the code is recognised by all EU states.
  3. Put your operator code on every drone with a sticker and enter it into the remote identification system of class-labelled drones. Online registration costs EUR 20.
  4. When AACR staff, police, gendarmes, border police or local police ask, land in the area they indicate so they can check the operator's and the drone's documents. Refusing to land or to show documents: 8,000 to 16,000 lei.
  5. Open-category flights need no AACR authorisation: they are deemed authorised when flown outside controlled airspace, insured where the law requires it and within the open-category limits of Regulation (EU) 2019/947.
  6. Photo and video flights in the open category outside UAS restricted zones need no approval from the Ministry of National Defence.
  7. Fly no higher than 120 m above the ground where the remote pilot stands.
  8. A1: over uninvolved people only in limited conditions, never over crowds. A2: 30 m from uninvolved people, or 5 m in low-speed mode. A3: 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
  9. Keep the drone in visual line of sight; when flying FPV, keep an observer beside you. Land when a manned aircraft approaches (breach: 25,000 to 50,000 lei).
  10. Check the UAS geographical zones on ROMATSA's map before every flight. Restrictions published in the AIP for manned aircraft also apply to drones.
  11. Prohibited UAS zones: no flights and no exemptions. Flying in a published prohibited zone is a criminal offence (6 months to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine).
  12. Restricted UAS zones: fly only with the approval of the entity that imposed the restriction (named in the zone data; most zones name the Defence Ministry, aerofoto@mapn.ro), plus the Defence Ministry's filming approval if you film.
  13. In an airport control zone (CTR) a drone flight counts as authorised only if you follow the air traffic unit's civil-military procedure; ROMATSA's zone data tells drone pilots to call the tower for flights up to 120 m in several CTR zones.
  14. Do not overfly the sites of the defence, public order and national security structures without the written consent of their heads. Breach: 25,000 to 50,000 lei.
  15. AACR makes lawful drone use conditional on the national radio frequency allocation table (HG 376/2020).
  16. The minimum remote-pilot age is 16 in the open and specific categories; there is none for a C0 drone in subcategory A1.
  17. Spare lithium batteries in cabin baggage only: up to 100 Wh without approval, 100 to 160 Wh with airline approval and two spares, over 160 Wh not allowed (IATA passenger guidance; airlines may be stricter).

Spare lithium batteries in cabin baggage only: up to 100 Wh without approval, 100 to 160 Wh with airline approval and two spares, over 160 Wh not allowed (IATA passenger guidance; airlines may be stricter).

How a visitor gets legal

Each step as the authority describes it, with who may apply, what it costs and how long it takes.

  1. Step 1

    Classify the flight

    Establish the take-off mass, the class mark or legacy status, whether the drone carries a camera, the subcategory and the exact place you intend to fly.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Drone data

    Open the official page

  2. Step 2

    EU residents: bring your home operator registration and pilot certificate

    Your home registration and your EASA competency certificate are valid in Romania; nothing is filed with AACR for open-category flying.

    Visitors eligible · Home state fee · Home state procedure

    • Home operator registration
    • Competency certificate

  3. Step 3

    UK, US and other residents: ask AACR how to register

    AACR publishes no route for non-EU residents. Its platform at uas.caa.ro takes an e-mail address and password with an English interface, then asks for identification details that were not seen. Write to drone@caa.ro before you travel.

    Eligibility not stated · EUR 20 if registration is possible

    • E-mail address

    Open the official page

  4. Step 4

    Pass the online pilot test

    On the same platform take the online A1/A3 training and test (40 questions, 60 minutes); A2 adds practical self-training and a 30-question exam. Not needed for a C0 drone or an unmarked drone under 250 g in A1.

    Eligibility not stated · EUR 10 per exam, two retakes included

    Open the official page

  5. Step 5

    Mark the drone and set Remote ID

    Put your operator code on every drone with a sticker and enter it into the drone's remote identification system if it has one.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

  6. Step 6

    Before every flight: check ROMATSA's zone map

    Look up the take-off point on flightplan.romatsa.ro, including the NOTAM-activated layer. The map warns that missing purple zones do not mean there are none; the downloadable files are the fallback.

    Visitors eligible · Free · Immediate

    Open the official page

  7. Step 7

    In an airport control zone: follow the tower's procedure

    Use the contact given for the zone (usually the ROMATSA tower) and follow its civil-military procedure; ROMATSA's forms include an open-category information form.

    Eligibility not stated

    Open the official page

  8. Step 8

    In a restricted zone: get the zone's approval and, to film, MApN's

    Ask the entity named in the zone data for overflight approval. To film or photograph there, also request the Defence Ministry's approval in the AEROFOTO application (account: operator name, e-mail, phone, nationality, password; the request covers applicant, aircraft, sensors and flight parameters, with the area as KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, Shapefile, Excel or CSV). Allow at least 10 working days.

    Eligibility not stated · None stated · 10 working days in MApN's English page and AACR's 2021 notice; the current deadlines are in HG 859/2021 annex 2

    • Operator details
    • Drone and sensor details
    • Flight area

    Open the official page

  9. Step 9

    Near the Ukrainian border: notify before flying

    Within 10 km of the border, notify the air traffic unit (Satu Mare, Suceava or Tulcea) and the Air Component Command (021 315 0105) with your operator code, date, hours, place, height and contact.

    Visitors eligible

    • Operator code

  10. Step 10

    Danube Delta: buy the access and drone permits

    Buy the tourist access permit (5 RON a day, 15 RON for 7 days, 30 RON to the end of the year) and, for a drone under 500 g, the drone overflight permit (50 RON) on permise.ddbra.ro.

    Eligibility not stated · 50 RON plus the access permit

    Open the official page

The numbers

The engine's inputs, each with the verdict our verification pass gave it and the sources it rests on.

FieldWhat the pages sayVerdictSources
May a visiting pilot fly at allYes, after a registration or a notification.No AACR authorisation is needed in the open category. HG 859/2021 art. 3 alin. (2) deems an open-category flight authorised when it is outside controlled airspace, insured where the law requires it and within 2019/947 art. 4. No national notification binds every flight: it applies only in control zones, UAS restricted zones, over Bucharest and within 10 km of the Ukrainian border. S9, the English legislation page, was unreachable.confirmed on the cited pageS1S9S18S24
EU or EEA registration recognisedYesRegistration is made only in the state of residence and the code is recognised by all EU member states. The page names EU states only, not EFTA. S2, the English FAQ, was unreachable.confirmed on the cited pageS2S18
UK registration recognisedNoNot recognised. No AACR page names the UK; the finding rests on the absence of non-EU registrations from the recognised set.partly confirmedS8S18
US registration recognisedNoNot recognised. Same branch as the UK; no AACR page names the FAA.partly confirmedS8S18
Local registrationRequired from 250 g. Cost: EUR 20.Operators resident or established in Romania register online with AACR, from 250 g or for any drone with a video camera; toys without personal-data sensors are exempt. Fee EUR 20 on completing the application (tariff 111.1, Order 2,506/2024). No page describes a route for non-EU residents or the documents a non-resident needs, and no processing time is published. The research passes' rpas.ro is a maintenance page (S38). The gap pass's identity-document list (S20) and forms (S16, S17, S19, S21, S22) concern manned-aircraft registration, not drones. S7, the old platform guide, was unreachable.partly confirmedS7S8S16S17S18S19S20S21S22S23S33S34S38
Remote IDEnter your operator number into the remote identification system of class-labelled drones (AACR's FAQ says C0 to C6).AACR's wording names C0; no AACR page read gives an enforcement date. Unmarked drones marketed before 1 January 2024 have no remote identification system (S5).confirmed on the cited pageS18
InsuranceNot mandatory for you · Third-party insurance is mandatory only when the drone's maximum take-off mass exceeds 20 kg. Flying without insurance where the law requires it is fined 25,000 to 40,000 lei.No national minimum cover below 20 kg. AACR's legislation page lists Regulation (EC) 785/2004. The gap pass quotes the old guide as '20 kg or more'; that guide was unreachable (see conflicts).confirmed on the cited pageS1S18S24
Altitude ceiling120 mMeasured from the ground where the remote pilot stands (S5).confirmed on the cited pageS5S18
Distance from peopleA1: over uninvolved people only in limited conditions (C0, C1, under 250 g), never over crowds. A2: 30 m from uninvolved people, 5 m with low-speed mode, and as a rule no closer than the flight height. A3: 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.The Air Code's ban on flights over densely populated areas or gatherings below 300 m (art. 15 alin. (2)) excepts, in lit. d), drones flown within the European rules. Under art. 14 alin. (5) lit. d) a drone flown in visual line of sight may take off and land outside an aerodrome without the 150 m and landowner-consent conditions of alin. (2).confirmed on the cited pageS5S18S25
Line of sightRequired in the open category; an observer may scan the airspace. Stop and land when a manned aircraft approaches.confirmed on the cited pageS5S18S25
NightNot establishedNo national night rule was found in the Air Code, HG 859/2021, HG 643/2020 or AACR's pages. The Air Code's daytime-only condition for off-aerodrome take-offs (art. 14 alin. (2)) does not apply to drones flown in visual line of sight (alin. (5) lit. d)).not confirmedS25
Class marksC0 to C4 for open-category designs. Unmarked drones marketed before 1 January 2024 may fly in A1 under 250 g or in A3 under 25 kg.confirmed on the cited pageS5S18
FPVAllowed in the open category with a UAS observer standing beside the pilot to scan the airspace.confirmed on the cited pageS18
Commercial useCommercial work is allowed in the open category with no extra authorisation. Beyond it: a standard-scenario declaration (C5 or C6, EUR 20), an operational authorisation on SORA or PDRA (EUR 165), or a LUC. High-risk specialised operations need AACR authorisation.confirmed on the cited pageS5S18S23S24

Every rule we could confirm

Grouped by what they govern. A general rule decides the country's colour for a profile; a situational one applies in a place, a zone or a season.

Registration

Insurance

Minimum age

Permits

Airspace zones

Parks and protected areas

Altitude

Distance from people

Line of sight

Dropping objects

Commercial use

Radio conformity

Parks and protected areas

Who decides, what they decided, and whether there is a way in.

Where the no-fly zones are published

The authority's own map is the one that counts on the day; an app is a convenience, not a source.

No fixed distance. Airports are control zones in the dataset; a flight there counts as authorised only under the air traffic unit's civil-military procedure, and several zones tell drone pilots to call the tower for flights up to 120 m.

Official map
flightplan.romatsa.ro
Dataset
flightplan.romatsa.ro · GeoJSON, Shapefile (zip) and Excel downloads plus a CSV export; NOTAM-activated military zones as a separate WFS layer in GeoJSON. 1,272 zones, all restricted, with fields zone_id, lower_lim, upper_lim, contact and status.
Licence
None stated. The portal says its information is a guide only and that the site is still on test.
Updated
Zone set valid from 2026-04-30; dated changes on 2024-09-12, 2024-10-31, 2025-11-26 and 2026-04-30. NOTAM-activated military zones change with the NOTAMs.
Apps named
flightplan.romatsa.ro, ROMATSA's official zone map and downloads, aerofoto.mapn.ro, the Defence Ministry's application for filming approvals inside restricted zones, Kodall, the mobile app linked from AACR's platform sign-in (function not checked)

Customs and the border

Declaration
Not established
Import authorisation
Not established
Radio conformity
AACR makes lawful drone use conditional on compliance with HG 376/2020, the national radio frequency allocation table.

On the ground

What pilots, police and the press report actually happening. This is evidence about behaviour, not law: it never changes the status above, and it is dated and linked so you can judge it yourself.

Patchy enforcement8 confirmed cases · 2017-04 to 2026-06-13 · practice pass 8 October 2026

Eight dated cases from 2017 to 2026, none with a visitor: the gendarmerie fines drones over Bucharest crowds and national events (2,000 to 15,000 lei) and an airport incursion led to a criminal case. Nothing confirmed covers the mountains, the Danube Delta, the coast, the castles or customs.

How people fly
The confirmed cases are flights over crowds and events by people in Romania: an anti-mask protest in Piața Victoriei (2020), a political rally (2025), the Neversea Kapital festival (2025), Bucharest Pride and the counter-march (2026), the national day parade in Alba Iulia (2024). Two drones flew in the Henri Coandă approach in September 2025, one of them, a roughly 1 kg drone at about 300 m, launched between Buftea and the DN1.
Police and rangers
The gendarmerie is the enforcer in five of eight cases: the Bucharest gendarmerie fined drone flights at a protest in 2020, at a rally on 2025-01-24 (15,000 lei, for flying over the capital without authorisation), at Neversea Kapital on 2025-07-05 and at Pride and the counter-march on 2026-06-13, citing HG 859/2021 art. 11 and HG 643/2020 art. 8; the mobile gendarmerie fined an unregistered drone at the Alba Iulia parade in 2024. The airport police opened a criminal case for operating in a prohibited zone after the Henri Coandă incident of 2025-09-28. The Air Force reported 16 suspected drone incidents near air bases in two years to 2024, none identified, each passed to the police and military prosecutors. No ARBDD ranger, border police, park or castle staff encounter with a recreational pilot was found. On the Defence Ministry filming conflict: none of the eight cases is a penalty for filming without MApN approval. The Bucharest fines fall under the capital's own authorisation rule, Alba Iulia was a registration fine and the 2017 case predates HG 859/2021, so the record says nothing about filming outside restricted zones.
At the border
No usable report.
Fines actually reported
Amounts imposed: 2,000 lei (Alba Iulia parade, 2024-12-01, drone not registered with AACR), 15,000 lei (Bucharest rally, 2025-01-24), 2,000 lei and a warning (Neversea Kapital, 2025-07-05), three fines totalling 4,000 lei (Bucharest Pride and the counter-march, 2026-06-13). Fined without an amount: Piața Victoriei, 2020-11-08. Criminal cases: Bistrița 2017 (unregistered drone at an event, under the pre-EASA rules) and Henri Coandă 2025-09-28 (operator not identified). No confiscation or arrest was located.

The law's own penalty schedule is separate: Not established, 12 published fine ranges below.

Where reports cluster

  • Bucharest public events and protests

    Confirmed four times from 2020 to 2026: gendarmerie fines at a protest, a rally, a festival and the Pride marches, 2,000 to 15,000 lei.

  • Henri Coandă (Otopeni) airport approach, Buftea and the DN1

    Confirmed twice in September 2025: a joint inquiry after the first sighting, a criminal case after the second, which held landings for 40 minutes. No operator identified.

  • Alba Iulia citadel and the national day parade

    Confirmed once (2024, 2,000 lei, unregistered drone). The army's signs on the citadel walls ban drones near the military unit there.

  • Military air bases (Mihail Kogălniceanu, Câmpia Turzii)

    16 suspected drone incidents in two years to 2024, seven at Kogălniceanu and six at Câmpia Turzii; none identified.

  • Danube Delta and the Ukrainian border band

    No recreational case found, and no ARBDD or border police encounter; the press record there is Russian military drone debris. Absence of a report is not evidence of tolerance.

  • Transfăgărășan, Transalpina, Bran, Peleș, Sibiu, Brașov and the Black Sea coast

    No dated case found in Romanian or English.

  • Airport customs on arrival or departure

    No case found.

Dated reports

  • 2017-04 · Bistrița · press

    A 28-year-old filmed an event with a drone that had no registration papers, at the weekend before 2017-04-11.

    Gendarmes opened a criminal case. report

  • 2020-11-08 · Piața Victoriei, Bucharest · press

    A person flew a drone over an anti-mask protest on Sunday afternoon.

    Fined by the Bucharest gendarmerie; the amount was not stated. report

  • 2024-12-01 · Alba Iulia, national day military parade · press

    A drone not registered with AACR flew near the officials' podium during the parade.

    Fined 2,000 lei by the gendarmerie under HG 643/2020. report

  • 2025-01-24 · Bucharest, political rally · press

    A drone was flown over the capital without authorisation during the rally.

    Fined 15,000 lei by the Bucharest gendarmerie. report

  • 2025-07-05 · Neversea Kapital festival, Bucharest · press

    A drone was used without authorisation on the festival's second day, Saturday, per the release of Sunday 2025-07-06.

    One fine of 2,000 lei and one warning. report

  • 2025-09-19 · Henri Coandă airport approach, Bucharest · press

    An aircraft crew reported a small civil drone near the airport; the aircraft landed safely.

    Joint inquiry opened; no outcome located. report

  • 2025-09-28 · Between Buftea and the DN1, Henri Coandă airport approach · press

    A civil drone at about 300 m passed 80 m from a landing Turkish Airlines aircraft; landings on the main runway were suspended for 40 minutes.

    The airport police opened a criminal case for operating an aircraft in a prohibited zone; the operator had not been identified when last reported. report

  • 2026-06-13 · Bucharest, Pride and the counter-march · press

    Drone flights at the two marches on Saturday.

    Three fines totalling 4,000 lei under HG 859/2021 art. 11 and HG 643/2020 art. 8. report

What the law says it costs

Published penalty ranges. What has actually been charged, where anyone reported it, is in the section above.

OffenceRangeSources
Not registering as a UAS operator when required2,000 to 4,000 lei (HG 643/2020 art. 8 lit. f), art. 9)S26
Remote pilot without the competency required in the open category (UAS.OPEN.060 point 1(a))2,000 to 4,000 lei (HG 643/2020 art. 8 lit. h))S26
Breach of point UAS.OPEN.050(6) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 by the remote pilot2,000 to 4,000 lei (HG 643/2020 art. 8 lit. g))S26
Breach of point UAS.OPEN.060(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 by the remote pilot15,000 to 20,000 lei (HG 643/2020 art. 8 lit. i))S26
Drone flight outside the conditions that make it count as authorised (HG 859/2021 art. 3 alin. (2))2,000 to 4,000 lei (HG 859/2021 art. 11 lit. c), art. 12)S24
Drone flight in controlled airspace without following the civil-military procedure5,000 to 9,000 lei (HG 859/2021 art. 11 lit. e))S24
Flying in a restricted, reserved or segregated zone without authorisation, over Bucharest without MApN authorisation, or filming without the MApN approval where it is required15,000 to 25,000 lei (HG 859/2021 art. 11 lit. g) to l))S24
Flying without the third-party insurance the law requires25,000 to 40,000 lei (HG 859/2021 art. 11 lit. a))S24
Not landing when a manned aircraft approaches, overflying security sites, overflying densely populated areas in breach of the Air Code, or taking off or landing in breach of art. 1425,000 to 50,000 lei (Air Code art. 126 lit. a), c), e), f), art. 127)S25
Refusing to land for a document check, or to show the documents8,000 to 16,000 lei (Air Code art. 126 lit. g), j))S25
Operating a drone without the certification documents the rules requireCriminal offence: 3 months to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine (Air Code art. 115 alin. (2))S25
Flying in a published prohibited zoneCriminal offence: 6 months to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine (Air Code art. 117 alin. (2))S25

Criminal liability: Yes. Flying a drone without the required certification documents carries 3 months to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine, 2 to 7 years if it endangered other flights, public health or the environment. Flying in a published prohibited zone carries 6 months to 3 years or a fine. Carrying weapons, explosives or listed dangerous goods carries 1 to 5 years or a fine.

What we could not confirm

Printed rather than hidden. A brief that answers everything has usually guessed somewhere, and a gap here is a real gap in the official pages or a page we could not reach.

5 cited pages refused our checks and are marked unreachable in the source list.

Sources that disagree

  1. How a UK, US or other non-EU resident registers as an operator. AACR publishes no route, and whether the uas.caa.ro identification form accepts a foreign identity, address and phone was not seen.
  2. Whether non-EU residents can take AACR's online A1/A3 test, and in which languages.
  3. How long operator registration takes.
  4. Any national night rule, and whether the Air Code's locator and position-identification equipment duties have been disapplied for drones.
  5. The lead time for the Defence Ministry's filming approval under HG 859/2021 annex 2, which was not legible in the archived text.
  6. ROMATSA's civil-military procedure for drone flights in control zones; romatsa.ro was behind a CAPTCHA and only a 2022 capture of the page exists.
  7. Customs (ANAF) treatment of a traveller's drone, ANCOM radio rules beyond AACR's reference to HG 376/2020, and any battery rule. The practice pass found no customs or airport-security case in Romanian or English press.
  8. The Danube Delta drone permit's conditions, processing time and foreign eligibility, and what applies to drones of 500 g or more.
  9. Whether Piatra Craiului's airspace closure binds drones and is the text in force; the drone rules of Retezat, Bucegi, Maramureș, the Transfăgărășan and Bran.
  10. Confiscation powers, the enforcement level and privacy or image-rights rules for drone filming. The practice pass found eight dated cases (2017 to 2026, fines of 2,000 to 15,000 lei and two criminal cases) and no confiscation actually applied; the army's signs at the Alba Iulia citadel say drones may be retained under Law 122/2011. No official yearly count of drone fines was read.
  11. Whether anyone has been penalised for open-category filming without Defence Ministry approval outside UAS restricted zones. None of the eight cases the practice pass found was a filming penalty.
  12. Whether a visitor has been stopped or fined anywhere in Romania, and whether ARBDD, the border police or a park ranger has stopped a recreational pilot in the Danube Delta, the Ukrainian border band or the mountains. The practice pass found no case.
  13. How the two Henri Coandă airport cases of September 2025 ended.
  14. The community record. Reddit refuses every client this project uses, and the regional press (Brașov, Sibiu, Tulcea) has no server-side search, so community and regional reports are unread.
  15. Amendments to the Air Code after its 2 March 2022 consolidation and to HG 643/2020 after 2020.
  16. AACR's English FAQ and English legislation page, ROMATSA's UAS page and procedures PDF, and AACR's old platform guide, which could not be opened.

What changed, and when

Dated changes to the rules, newest first.

  1. 30 April 2026

    ROMATSA's current set of UAS zones becomes valid, adding zones RZ1076 and RZ0177.

    S27

  2. 6 September 2024

    AACR's tariff order 2,506/2024 is published: EUR 20 for online operator registration, EUR 10 per pilot exam.

    S23

  3. 1 January 2024

    Class-marking cut-off: unmarked drones marketed before this date may fly only in A1 under 250 g or in A3 under 25 kg.

    S5

  4. 15 September 2023

    The Ukrainian border band is widened to 10 km and raised to 2,000 m.

    S32

  5. 2 October 2022

    HG 837/2022 amends HG 859/2021, adding U-space and amending the flight authorisation and closing rules.

    S24

  6. 9 May 2022

    Temporary restricted zones for drones are set up along the border with Ukraine, 8 km wide and 1,000 m high, with a notification duty.

    S32

  7. 18 September 2021

    HG 859/2021 replaces HG 912/2010: open-category flights outside controlled airspace count as authorised, and open-category filming outside UAS restricted zones no longer needs the Defence Ministry's approval.

    S1S24S31

  8. 31 December 2020

    The common EU drone rules, Regulations (EU) 2019/945 and 2019/947, apply in Romania.

    S1S15

  9. 12 August 2020

    HG 643/2020 is published, naming AACR the competent authority for the EU drone rules and setting the fines for missing registration and competency; it takes effect 30 days later.

    S26

  10. 19 March 2020

    The new Air Code, Legea 21/2020, is published, with its drone provisions, fines and criminal offences.

    S25

Checked 8 October 2026. Newer than that? Look here:

Rules move between our checks. The official pages publish the change; the community pages are where someone notices it first.

Official pages

Where pilots report

Sources

Every page this brief rests on, with the date we opened it and, where the page carries one, the date printed on the document itself.

  1. S1official

    Legislatie drone

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2024-05-04 · opened 2026-10-08

    În cazul operaţiunilor UAS din categoria "deschise" operatorul nu mai are obligația legală de a solicita AACR autorizarea zborurilor sub înălțimea minimă de siguranță (ZSIS)

    Rule page. Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-20; the live site shows an image CAPTCHA. Lists HG 912/2010 as repealed from 18.09.2021. Research brief id 1.

  2. S2officialcould not be opened

    Frequently asked questions (English)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Unreachable, image CAPTCHA live, no Internet Archive capture. Research brief id 2, gaps ids 6 and 10.

  3. S3official

    Drone

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2026-04-07 · opened 2026-10-08

    PLATFORMA ONLINE - INREGISTRARE OPERATORI / LICENTIERE PILOTI

    Hub page, read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-10. Links uas.caa.ro and flightplan.romatsa.ro. The research quote attributed to it is on S1. Research brief id 3, gaps id 2.

  4. S4officialcould not be opened

    UAS

    ROMATSA · opened 2026-10-08

    Unreachable, image CAPTCHA, no Internet Archive capture. Research brief id 4.

  5. S5official

    Condițiile legale de zbor cu aeronave fără pilot la bord ulterior datei de 01 ianuarie 2024

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    înălțimea maximă de zbor este 120 de m de la sol, în zona în care se află Pilotul UAS

    Rule page; prints no date. Internet Archive capture of 2025-05-03. Research brief id 5.

  6. S6official

    Cerere înregistrare operatori economici UAS (F-P-SP-UAS-01)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Registration form for UAS economic operators (sellers), not a visitor document. Internet Archive capture of 2025-01-22. Research brief id 6.

  7. S7officialcould not be opened

    Ghid utilizare aplicație online AACR

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Unreachable, image CAPTCHA live, and the Internet Archive was offline on both attempts. Old guide for rpas.ro. Research brief id 7, gaps ids 3 and 4.

  8. S8official

    Activități de zbor cu drone agricole și drone cu MMD sub 250 grame

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    cu masa maximă la decolare (MMD) mai mică de 250 grame, dar care sunt echipate cu camere video, au obligația de a se înregistra

    Rule page; prints no date. Internet Archive capture of 2024-05-31. Research brief id 8, gaps ids 4 and 7.

  9. S9officialcould not be opened

    Drone legislation (English)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Unreachable, image CAPTCHA, no Internet Archive capture. Research brief id 9, gaps id 1.

  10. S10officialcould not be opened

    Proceduri

    ROMATSA · opened 2026-10-08

    Unreachable, image CAPTCHA, no Internet Archive capture. Research brief id 10.

  11. S11official

    Airworthiness notification AACR-2021-NN/012 (English)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2021-03-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    prohibited, planning or conducting these activities is not permitted, nor is it possible for UAS operators to obtain exemptions in this respect

    Internet Archive capture of 2024-08-17. Cites the repealed HG 912/2010. Research brief id 11.

  12. S12official

    Contact Drone

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2024-02-05 · opened 2026-10-08

    Pentru orice informații/sesizări/probleme în legătură cu aeronavele fără pilot la bord puteți utiliza adresa de email drone@caa.ro

    Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-12. Research brief id 12.

  13. S13official

    Permise on-line ARBDD

    Administrația Rezervației Biosferei Delta Dunării (ARBDD) · opened 2026-10-08

    Permis survol dronă de mici dimensiuni (sub 500 g) ... 50 RON

    Rule page (permit shop), read live. Research brief id 13.

  14. S14official

    Notificare de navigabilitate AACR-2021-NN/012

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2021-03-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    restricționate, planificarea sau desfășurarea activităților este permisă, fiind însă condiționată de deținerea: a. unei autorizări de survol/aprobări emise de entitatea care a propus instituirea restricției

    Internet Archive capture of 2024-03-30. Its MApN filming paragraph rests on the repealed HG 912/2010. The research's '2025-07-29' is a crawl date. Research brief id 14, gaps ids 8 and 14.

  15. S15official

    Ghid privind condițiile de planificare și desfășurare a activităților de zbor (ed. 2)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2020-09-21 · opened 2026-10-08

    Începând cu data de 31.12.2020, pe teritoriul și spațiul aerian al statelor membre UE, se vor aplica prevederile Regulamentului (UE) nr. 2019/947

    Superseded: written before HG 859/2021. Internet Archive capture of 2025-12-20. Research brief id 15.

  16. S16official

    Înmatricularea aeronavelor civile (MTOW ≤ 5700 kg)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Manned civil aircraft registration request, read live; not a drone procedure. Gaps id 3.

  17. S17official

    Rezervarea înmatriculării/identificării aeronavelor

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Reservation of aircraft registration marks, read live; not a drone procedure. Gaps id 5.

  18. S18official

    Întrebări frecvente (FAQ)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2022-07-26 · opened 2026-10-08

    înregistrarea operatorului se poate face doar în statul de reședință, iar numărul unic de înregistrare este recunoscut de către toate statele membre ale Uniunii Europene

    Rule page with errata. Internet Archive capture of 2026-02-14. Cites the repealed HG 912/2010. The gap pass's '2026-03-24' update date is contradicted. Gaps ids 5 and 8.

  19. S19official

    Standard forms (civil aircraft registration)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Forms for manned aircraft registration under RACR-IA; says nothing about drones. Internet Archive capture of 2025-04-26. Gaps id 9.

  20. S20official

    RACR-IA, Înmatricularea aeronavelor civile

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2016 · opened 2026-10-08

    Manned civil aircraft registration regulation; its identity-document list is not a UAS operator requirement. Internet Archive capture of 2021-01-25. Gaps id 11.

  21. S21official

    Înmatriculări

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Aircraft registration fees, read live; not drone fees. Gaps id 12.

  22. S22official

    Capitolul 3 (aircraft registration documents)

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Word file, downloaded live; concerns aircraft registration, not drones. Gaps id 13.

  23. S23official

    Monitorul Oficial nr. 903 bis: Ordinul nr. 2.506/2024, tarifele AACR

    Monitorul Oficial al României · document dated 2024-09-06 · opened 2026-10-08

    111.1 Înregistrare online a operatorilor UAS euro 20 la finalizarea aplicației online

    Fee schedule. Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-18. VAT treatment not stated. Gaps id 15.

  24. S24official

    Hotărârea nr. 859/2021 pentru aprobarea procedurii de autorizare a zborurilor cu aeronave în spațiul aerian național

    Ministerul Justiției, Portal Legislativ · document dated 2023-01-26 · opened 2026-10-08

    zborurile de fotografiere și filmare efectuate cu aeronave civile fără pilot la bord care execută operațiuni din categoria deschise, în afara zonelor restricționate ... nu necesită obținerea avizului

    Statute, consolidated text of 2023-01-26, read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-01-18 (live: HTTP/2 protocol error). Linked from S1 and aerofoto.mapn.ro; not cited by either research pass.

  25. S25official

    Legea nr. 21/2020 privind Codul aerian

    Ministerul Justiției, Portal Legislativ · document dated 2022-03-02 · opened 2026-10-08

    Operarea unei aeronave fără pilot la bord de către o persoană care nu posedă documentele de certificare ... se pedepsește cu închisoare de la trei luni la 3 ani sau cu amendă.

    Statute, consolidated text of 2022-03-02, read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-02-09 (live: HTTP/2 protocol error). Linked from S1; not cited by either research pass.

  26. S26official

    Hotărârea nr. 643/2020 privind stabilirea unor măsuri pentru aplicarea Regulamentelor (UE) 2019/945 și 2019/947

    Ministerul Justiției, Portal Legislativ · document dated 2020-08-07 · opened 2026-10-08

    nerespectarea de către operatorii UAS a obligației de înregistrare conform cerinței prevăzute la art. 14 alin. (5) din Regulamentul de punere în aplicare (UE) 2019/947

    Statute, base form (no consolidation listed), read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-01-14. Published in MO 727 of 2020-08-12. Linked from S1.

  27. S27official

    UAS (restricted and restrictable) geographical zones

    ROMATSA · document dated 2026-04-30 · opened 2026-10-08

    If the map displays no purple restricted zones it doesn't mean there are no restricted zones in Romania!

    Official zone map, read live. Date is the zone set's 'Valid from'. Linked from S3 and S18.

  28. S28official

    zone_restrictionate_uav.json

    ROMATSA · opened 2026-10-08

    For access and aero photogrammetry email to aerofoto@mapn.ro

    Geozone dataset, 1,272 features, downloaded live. The quote is the contact field of 1,111 zones. Linked from S27.

  29. S29official

    AEROFOTO, Termeni și condiții

    Ministerul Apărării Naționale (MApN) · opened 2026-10-08

    Aplicația informatică AEROFOTO este o platformă prin care se poate solicita și elibera avizul MApN

    Read live, with /Help/Instructiuni and /Help/Legislatie. Linked from S27.

  30. S30official

    The approval for aerial filming, photography

    Ministerul Apărării Naționale (MApN) · opened 2026-10-08

    is issued within 10 working days starting from the date of receiving the

    Read through WebFetch (curl timed out). Prints no date; still cites the repealed HG 912/2010 and names no open-category exemption. Found through a search.

  31. S31official

    Informare UAS, HG 859/2021

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Începând cu data de 18.09.2021, orice operațiune UAS desfășurată într-o zonă CTR se va derula cu respectarea procedurii.

    Internet Archive capture of 2024-08-17. Linked from S3.

  32. S32official

    Informare: zone temporar restricționate la granița cu Ucraina

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2023-09-15 · opened 2026-10-08

    lățimea a fost mărită de la 8 la 10 km, înălțimea a fost mărită de la 1000 la 2000 m

    Internet Archive capture of 2024-05-25; still listed on S3 in April 2026. Linked from S3.

  33. S33official

    AACR UAS platform sign-in

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · opened 2026-10-08

    Sign in to your account ... New user? Register

    Read live in headless Chrome; redirects to accounts.caa.ro with an English and Romanian interface. No account was created. Linked from S3.

  34. S34official

    Ghid de utilizare platforma online

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR) · document dated 2023-07-05 · opened 2026-10-08

    Noua versiune a aplicației online gestionată de AACR este disponibilă la următoarea adresă de internet: https://uas.caa.ro.

    Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-12. The identification form appears only as screenshots. Linked from S3.

  35. S35official

    Proceduri UAS CTR

    ROMATSA · opened 2026-10-08

    Anexa 1 Formular informare UAS deschise.pdf

    Only an Internet Archive capture of 2022-01-19 exists; the live site shows an image CAPTCHA. May be stale. Linked from S31.

  36. S36official

    Codul de conduită al vizitatorului Deltei Dunării

    Administrația Rezervației Biosferei Delta Dunării (ARBDD) · opened 2026-10-08

    Image-only poster, read visually; has no drone clause. Linked from S13.

  37. S37official

    Regulamentul Parcului Național Piatra Craiului și al sitului ROSCI 0194

    Ministerul Mediului · opened 2026-10-08

    Spaţiul aerian de deasupra PNPC este considerat spaţiu aerian închis pentru aeronavele civile în limita a 100 m peste inălţimea maximă.

    Rule page (Annex 2, file dated 2016-03-23); in-force status not established. Found through a search for the park regulation.

  38. S38official

    Site Maintenance

    Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Română (AACR), former platform · opened 2026-10-08

    We’ll be back soon! ... Check the webpage at AACR

    The portal the research passes named; it shows only a maintenance page. The live platform is uas.caa.ro.

  39. S39press

    Ce amendă a primit un bărbat care a ridicat o dronă în timpul paradei militare de Ziua Naţională

    Digi24 (from AGERPRES) · document dated 2024-12-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    a fost sancţionată de Jandarmerie cu o amendă 2.000 de lei.

    Alba Iulia parade on 2024-12-01. The gendarmerie's release cites HG 643/2020 and says the drone was not registered with AACR; it words the offence as the importer's obligations under art. 8 lit. f) of Regulation (EU) 2019/945.

  40. S40press

    Jandarmeria anunță primele sancțiuni după manifestația susținătorilor lui Georgescu

    HotNews (from News.ro) · document dated 2025-01-24 · opened 2026-10-08

    Una dintre acestea, în valoare de 15.000 de lei, a fost dată pentru ridicarea ilegală a unei drone deasupra Capitalei

    Release of Friday evening, 2025-01-24, after that day's rally. TVR reported three drone fines totalling 30,000 lei under HG 859/2021 art. 11 lit. j); its page refused every client.

  41. S41press

    Zeci de sancțiuni și fapte penale în a doua zi a festivalului Neversea Kapital în București

    Newsweek România · document dated 2025-07-06 · opened 2026-10-08

    o sancţiune contravenţională în valoare de 2.000 de lei şi un avertisment, pentru folosirea unei drone fără autorizaţie.

    Bucharest gendarmerie release of Sunday 2025-07-06 on the festival's second day, Saturday 2025-07-05.

  42. S42press

    Dosar penal după incidentul cu dronă din apropierea Aeroportului Otopeni, care a perturbat nouă zboruri

    HotNews · document dated 2025-09-29 · opened 2026-10-08

    au întocmit un dosar penal pentru săvârșirea infracțiunii de «Operarea unei aeronave într-o zonă interzisă, instituită și publicată conform reglementărilor specifice»

    Quotes the Romanian Police release on the event of 2025-09-28; the operator was being sought. Nine landings were moved to another runway.

  43. S43press

    Avion în pericol la aterizarea pe Otopeni. A trecut la 80 de metri sub o dronă ridicată ilegal

    Observator News · document dated 2025-09-29 · opened 2026-10-08

    Drona civilă a fost ridicată între Buftea şi DN1, chiar în calea avioanelor care soseau pe aeroportul Henri Coandă.

    The 2025-09-28 drone was at about 300 m and 80 m from the Turkish Airlines aircraft; described as a C2-class drone of about 1 kg.

  44. S44press

    Dronă lângă aeroportul Otopeni: traficul aerian întrerupt 40 de minute

    Spotmedia · document dated 2025-09-28 · opened 2026-10-08

    Şi pe 19 septembrie o dronă civilă de mici dimensiuni a fost observată de echipajul unei aeronave în apropierea Aeroportului Internaţional Henri Coandă Bucureşti, fiind declanşată o anchetă.

    Also quotes the airport company: drone operation near civil or military airports is strictly prohibited and is a criminal offence.

  45. S45press

    Jandarmeria Capitalei - măsuri dispuse în urma Marșului pentru normalitate și a Bucharest PRIDE

    AGERPRES · document dated 2026-06-13 · opened 2026-10-08

    trei sancțiuni contravenționale în valoare de 4.000 de lei, în conformitate cu prevederile art. 11 din HG 859/2021

    Bucharest gendarmerie release of Saturday evening 2026-06-13; the same sentence also cites art. 8 of HG 643/2020.

  46. S46press

    Jandarmeria anunță că a aplicat 15 sancțiuni protestatarilor anti-mască din Piața Victoriei și au amendat o persoană care ridica o dronă

    G4Media · document dated 2020-11-08 · opened 2026-10-08

    O persoană a fost surprinsă folosind un astfel de aparat în Piața Victoriei, fiind sancționată contravențional

    Protest on Sunday afternoon, 2020-11-08; quotes the Bucharest gendarmerie release. No amount stated.

  47. S47press

    A filmat cu drona și are acum dosar penal

    Actual de Cluj · document dated 2017-04-11 · opened 2026-10-08

    s-a trezit cu dosar penal pentru că drona nu-i e autorizată

    A 28-year-old from Bistrița filmed an event at the weekend before publication; the case was opened under the rules before the 2020 Air Code and the EU drone rules.

  48. S48press

    Armata interzice dronele în Cetatea din Alba Iulia. Pot fi oprite chiar și cu arme de foc

    Alba24 · document dated 2023-02-18 · opened 2026-10-08

    Cei care încalcă regulile riscă să le fie reținute dronele și să plătească o amendă între 25.000 și 50.000 de lei.

    Warning signs on the walls of the military unit inside the citadel; cites Law 122/2011 on retaining and neutralising drones. A ceiling, not a case.

  49. S49press

    16 incidente de securitate legate de drone depistate în apropierea bazelor aeriene din România

    Europa Liberă România · document dated 2024-05-02 · opened 2026-10-08

    aceste drone / aparate de zbor nu au fost identificate, dar, de fiecare dată, s-au luat măsuri specifice şi au fost informate organele de poliţie şi Parchetele Militare

    Air Force General Staff answer to Europa Liberă: 16 suspected incidents in two years, seven at Mihail Kogălniceanu and six at Câmpia Turzii.