Open Category - Low Risk - Civil Drones | EASA (2024)

• A1: fly over people but not over assemblies of people
• A2: fly close to people
• A3: fly far from people

Table for ‘Open’ category applicable since 1 January 2024

Drones with a class identification label (i.e. ,, , , , ,) are already available on the market. Please see the list below of drones that received the class identification label. If you want to purchase a drone with class identification, please check that the drone shows on its body the class identification and make sure that the drone has an EU Declaration of Conformity. Several versions of the same drone may be available, with and without class mark. You can find additional information on drones with a class identification label in theDrones Information Notices webpage.

Operations in the open category must be conductedwith a drone:

• bearing a C0 to C4 class identification label, or;
• being privately built (built for your own use), or;
• even without class identification label, but only if placed on the market before 31 December 2023.

Drones bearing a class identification label can be already utilised in accordance with the conditions shown in the menus below. Be aware that ‘privately built’ means that you built the drone for your own personal use,so it was not purchased; it does not refer to UASs assembled from sets of parts placed on the market as a single, ready-to-assemble kit.

How to operate drones in the open category

• Privately built and drones placed on the marketbefore 01/01/2024 (under 250 g)

  Subcategory	A1 (can also fly in subcategory A3)
  Operational restrictions	May fly over uninvolved people (should be avoided when possible) No flight over assemblies of people
  Drone operator registration	No, unless camera / sensor on boardanda drone is not a toy
  Remote pilot competence	No training required
  Remote pilot minimum age	No minimum age

• C0 (under 250 g)

  Subcategory	A1 (can also fly in subcategory A3)
  Operational restrictions	No flight over assemblies of people; Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level.
  Drone operator registration	No, unless camera / sensor on boardanda drone is not a toy
  Remote pilot competence	Read carefully the user manual
  Remote pilot minimum age	16*, no minimum age if drone is a toy

• C1 (under 900 g)

  Subcategory	A1 (can also fly in subcategory A3)
  Operational restrictions	No flight expected over uninvolved people (if it happens, overflight should be minimised); No flight over assemblies of people; Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level.
  Drone operator registration	Yes
  Remote pilot competence	Read carefully the user manual Obtain a ‘Proof of completion for online training’ for A1/A3 ‘open’ subcategory by: Completing the online training Passing the online theoretical exam
  Remote pilot minimum age	16*

• C2 (under 4 kg)

  Subcategory	A2 (can also fly in subcategory A3)
  Operational restrictions	Must not overfly uninvolved people; Maintain a horizontal distance of 30 m from uninvolved people (can be reduced to 5 m if the low-speed function is activated); Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level.
  Drone operator registration	Yes
  Remote pilot competence	Read carefully the user manual Obtain a ’Remote pilot certificate of competency’ for A2 ‘open’ subcategory by: Having a ‘Proof of completion for online training’ for A1/A3 ‘open’ subcategory Conducting and declare a practical self- training Passing an additional theoretical exam at the NAA or proctored online
  Remote pilot minimum age	16*

• C3 (under 25 kg)

  Subcategory	A3
  Operational restrictions	Must not overfly uninvolved people; Maintain a horizontal distance of 150 m from uninvolved people and urban areas; Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level.
  Drone operator registration	Yes
  Remote pilot competence	Read carefully the user manual Obtain a ‘Proof of completion for online training’ for A1/A3 ‘open’ subcategory by: Completing the online training Passing the online theoretical exam
  Remote pilot minimum age	16*

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• C4 (under 25 kg)

  Subcategory	A3
  Operational restrictions	Must not overfly uninvolved people; Maintain a horizontal distance of 150 m from uninvolved people and urban areas; Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level.
  Drone operator registration	Yes
  Remote pilot competence	Read carefully the user manual Obtain a ‘Proof of completion for online training’ for A1/A3 ‘open’ subcategory by: Completing the online training Passing the online theoretical exam
  Remote pilot minimum age	16*

• Privately built and drones placed on the market before 01/01/2024 (under 25 kg)

  Subcategory	A3
  Operational restrictions	Must not overfly uninvolved people; Maintain a horizontal distance of 150 m from uninvolved people and urban areas; Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level.
  Drone operator registration	Yes
  Remote pilot competence	Read carefully the user manual Obtain a ‘Proof of completion for online training’ for A1/A3 ‘open’ subcategory by: Completing the online training Passing the online theoretical exam
  Remote pilot minimum age	16*

You are invited to consult the Provisions applicable to both ‘open’ and ‘specific’ category FAQs as well as Understanding the ‘open’ category FAQs for more details. These FAQs take you through all the steps you need to take to be fully compliant and help you identify the regulations that are applicable to the drone operations you intend to conduct.

For all our amateur drone pilots, Paul and his new drone Donnie will help you see how easy it is to become a safe and responsible drone pilot.

Remote identification

All drones operating in the open category (with limited exceptions) need to be equipped with a remote identification system. Some companies have already placed on the market modules providing a direct remote identification system, providing the ‘EU Declaration of Conformity’ and you can find a list below. Please be aware that EASA did not verify the compliance of such components and the declaration of conformity is submitted under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer.

EU Declaration of Conformity list