Ireland Drone Laws (2019)

Ireland Drone Laws

Img 1: Aerial Photography In Northern Ireland

Contents

  1. General Ireland Drone Laws
  2. Drone Permits In Ireland
  3. Brining Your Drone On Airplanes Guide
  4. Buying Drones In Ireland
  5. Drone Travel Guide Articles
  6. Contact Information For Questions

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General Ireland Drone Laws

Drone use is allowed in Ireland, but there are several drone laws that need to be followed when flying in the country. Operators must ensure that they follow the following drone laws when flying in Ireland,

  • Do not fly your drone over people or large crowds
  • Respect others privacy when flying your drone
  • Do not fly your drone over airports or in areas were aircraft are operating
  • You must fly during daylight hours and only fly in good weather conditions
  • Do not fly your drone in sensitive areas including government or military facilities. Use of drones or camera drones in these areas are prohibited.

Please be aware of areas of restricted use areas

Permit Needed For Recreational Drone Use?

A drone registration is required for recreational drone use if your drone weight beetween 1kg and 25 kg

You must be over 16 years of age to register a drone.

Please adhere to the above General Ireland Drone Laws however when flying your drone. (What Is Recreational Drone Use?)

Permit Needed For Commercial Drone Use?

A permit is required for commercial drone use in Ireland.

  • Commercial operations which are defined as operating a UAV for compensation is prohibited without holding a ‘aerial works permission’ and ‘permission to operate an RPAS in Irish airspace’ certificate.
  • Training includes testing on the following;
  1. Aerodynamics including effects of control
  2. Aircraft limitations
  3. Aircraft technical systems machine specific
  4. Navigation
  5. Meteorology
  6. Airspace
  7. Rules of the air & law
  • A list of approved training facilities can be found here.
  • Upon receiving the required licensing to operate a drone commercially you can apply to do commercial work.
  • The application must be submitted AT LEAST 30 DAYS PRIOR to the intended date of commencement of operations.

Click here to purchase a permit, or contact the local aviation authority. (What Is Commercial Drone Use?)

Bringing Your Drone On Airplanes Guide

For a detailed guide to bringing your drone on airplanes click here. All drones should be brought on carry on luggage if possible. This is because according to the Montreal Convention, airlines are only liable for losses up to ~$1,000 USD. When traveling internationally, theft and lost luggage can be common issues, particularly if your flight has many connections. If your drone is worth more than $1,000 USD and you cannot bring it onto the plane you should consider shipping it with DHL, Fedex, or UPS instead and fully insure the shipment.

You should NOT place drone batteries in your checked baggage. All drone batteries should be placed in a Medium Size Lipo Battery Bag" data-src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=uavsystemsint-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B007V9MN44" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" /> like the one shown here in the link and brought onto the plane in your carry on bag. Lithium-ion batteries are considered “dangerous goods” by airlines and rules surrounding these batteries on planes are EXTREMELY strict due to multiple incidents of these batteries catching fire. Failure to properly pack lithium-ion batteries in a bag such as the one shown in the link above can result in the airline seizing them, you getting fined, or being denied boarding.

Here is some video footage shot by vagabrothers when flying a drone in Ireland.

Buying Drones In Ireland

Read all of our Ireland Drone Laws, and now looking for drones, parts, accessories, or something else? Read our guide for Buying Drones In Ireland. It includes information on drones for sale in Ireland, import taxes, payment options, and shipping.

Drone Travel Guide

Ireland drone laws are up to date as of June, 2019. Please email [email protected] , or click “leave a message” at the bottom right of the screen if you have any questions or comments.