Drone Permit in Poland 2026: What You Actually Need

Do you even need a drone permit in 2026 - the short answer

In Poland nobody issues a paper that says "drone permit". The system rests on three pillars: operator registration, pilot competences (A1/A3 or A2) and, when needed, approval from ULC, the Polish Civil Aviation Authority, for more advanced operations. How much of this applies to you depends on the drone's mass, where you fly and whether people end up in the frame.

In short: a recreational flight with a light drone means operator registration and nothing more. Flying closer to people or for money adds an exam and an OC policy. Unusual flights (a heavy drone, high altitude, beyond visual line of sight) require ULC approval. The headline change for 2026: since 13 November 2025, operator OC insurance is mandatory for any drone weighing 250 g to 20 kg, with a fine of up to 4,000 PLN for flying without it.

Operator registration on drony.gov.pl - when it is mandatory and how to do it

Operator registration in the KSID system on drony.gov.pl is free and mandatory in two cases: when the drone weighs 250 g or more, or when it carries any sensor that captures data about people - a camera or microphone. The second criterion catches practically every DJI Mini even though it weighs under 250 g. So if your drone has a camera, you register regardless of weight.

After registering you receive an operator number, which you put on every drone you own - a sticker or permanent marker will do. Worth separating two roles here. The operator is you or your company: registers the equipment and carries the legal responsibility. The pilot is whoever actually flies and must hold the competences for that type of flight. One person is usually both, but in a company the roles can split.

• What to prepare: operator details (individual or company), address, a trusted profile or login.gov.pl to confirm identity
• Cost: 0 PLN, registration is free
• The operator number goes on every drone you own
• Pilot competences are valid for 5 years, then you renew
• Exempt from registration: only drones under 250 g WITHOUT a camera or microphone, plus toys covered by the toy directive

The open category: A1, A2, A3 - which subcategory you actually need

Most flights - hobby and commercial alike - fit inside the open category. Its ceiling is clear: a maximum of 120 m above ground, a drone up to 25 kg, and VLOS only, meaning the flight stays within visual line of sight. Within the open category there are three subcategories, and they decide how close to people you may fly.

Drone classes C0-C4 are European markings assigned by the manufacturer. The lower the class, the lighter the gear and the fewer the formalities. A DJI Mini 4 Pro is usually C0, a Mavic 3 Pro is C1 or C2, and heavier agricultural or cinema rigs land in C3-C4. The drone's class together with the flight location sets the subcategory you are allowed to work in.

Exams: when the free online test is enough, and when you need the A2 certificate

The simplest level is the A1/A3 exam. You take it entirely online on drony.gov.pl, it is free and available from age 14. It is 40 questions with a 75% pass threshold. It covers recreational flights away from people and most simple jobs outside dense built-up areas. You cannot skip this level unless your drone is the lightest C0 class.

One step up is the A2 pilot competence certificate, needed when you want to work close to buildings and people - in other words, in the city. First you pass A1/A3, then an additional theory exam at ULC or a recognised body, plus self-directed practical training. All competences are valid for 5 years. We covered the thresholds and how the training works in a separate article on the A1/A2/A3 certificates.

When the open category is not enough - specific category, SORA and ULC approval

You step outside the open category in a few situations: a drone over 25 kg, a flight above 120 m, BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight), working close to people in dense urban areas, or agricultural spraying. The specific category then kicks in, and with it heavier paperwork. Some operations can be run under standard scenarios STS-01 and STS-02 or predefined PDRA, without an individual authorisation.

More unusual flights require an application to ULC with a risk assessment using the SORA methodology (currently version 2.5), and companies running many such operations can obtain an LUC certificate that gives them considerable autonomy. In 2026 ULC also issues temporary exemptions - for example the agricultural LBSP/SPEC/O/2026-01, valid from 7 January to 8 September 2026 for drones up to 180 kg MTOM, VLOS flights up to 30 m, speed up to 5 m/s and a minimum 30 m from bystanders. This is context as the national NSTS scenarios are phased out, not something a typical client needs to worry about.

Operator OC insurance - mandatory since November 2025

This is the freshest and most often overlooked change. Since 13 November 2025, operator OC insurance for a drone weighing 250 g to 20 kg is mandatory regardless of flight purpose - it applies equally to a hobbyist with a Mavic and a company shooting commercially. A policy costs roughly 100-300 PLN per year depending on the drone's mass and the guaranteed sum. Flying without valid OC carries an administrative fine of up to 4,000 PLN.

On commercial jobs, operator OC is not a formality but your protection. If a drone damages a guest's car at a wedding or a building's facade, the compensation comes from the operator's policy, not your pocket. So before signing a contract, it is worth asking for the policy number. We covered how drone insurance and licensing work across the rest of Europe separately.

Where you may fly - geographical zones, DroneTower and the city

Polish airspace for drones is divided into zones prefixed DRA (Drone Airspace). DRA-P are zones with an absolute flight ban, DRA-R are zones with restrictions (flight possible once conditions are met), and DRA-I are information areas where you fly with caution. You check the zone map before every flight - most conveniently in the DroneTower app run by PAŻP, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency.

In the same app you do the mandatory check-in before take-off and close it after landing. This is not a suggestion but a requirement. Warsaw is harder still, because a large part of the city sits inside the Chopin airport CTR - there you add coordination and sometimes approval. We laid this out in a separate piece on flying inside the CTR EPWA zone. Do not forget RODO either: filming from a drone means processing people's images and data, which we covered in an article on RODO for drone photography.

Commercial versus recreational flights - what the money motive changes

There is a myth that "commercial means a separate licence". In the open category the flight purpose - hobby or profit - does not change the subcategory. You fly the same drone over the same plot under the same rules. What the money motive does change is the level of liability and the fact that it does not exempt you from OC or check-in. Invoicing, VAT and business status are a separate topic (we have an article on invoicing for drone photography).

Technical inspections, photovoltaics or construction monitoring are different. There you often step out of the open category into the specific one - we covered those scenarios in the inspection articles. If you outsource such flights, check four things: the operator number, the pilot certificate for the relevant flight type, valid OC, and that they run the DroneTower check-in.

Clients most often ask how many permits they have to sort out themselves. The answer is zero. Registration, competences, OC and approvals are our job. The client only verifies that the operator genuinely holds them, and that is the whole of their role.

Ordering drone photos or video? What you do NOT have to arrange yourself

If you are a developer, an agency, a company or a couple planning drone shots at a wedding - you do not register, do not sit an exam and do not buy a policy. All formalities sit with the operator. Your job is one thing: verify that the contractor has it all sorted before you sign the contract.

• Operator number in KSID and confirmation of registration on drony.gov.pl
• Pilot competences for the specific scenario - for city flying usually the A2 certificate
• A valid operator OC policy (mandatory since 13.11.2025)
• Confirmation of the DroneTower check-in and a zone check for your location
• For flights over guests or crowds - approval and the right subcategory, since you cannot just fly over assemblies

A flight over wedding guests or an event audience is not an ordinary A1 flight. Here the subcategory matters, the approvals matter, and sometimes a path change to avoid flying directly over people. We laid out the details in the articles on drones at weddings and at events. A professional operator plans this in advance rather than improvising on site.