Drone Laws Croatia

Can you fly a drone in Croatia?

​Google the term ‘drone laws Croatia’ and you will be pushed to pick up much valuable information, we have recently visited the country and managed to get CAA approval to operate out there and will list below a short description of the basic rules and regulations to get you going.

General Rules

• Do not fly your drone higher than 120 meters above the surface or 50 meters above the obstacle, whichever is greater.
• When flying in controlled airspace, maintain a radius of at least 5 km from the aerodrome up to 50 m above the surface.
• When flying in uncontrolled airspace, maintain a radius of at least 3 km from the aerodrome up to 120 m above the surface.
• Maintain a visual line of sight with the drone at all times.
• Drones must maintain a distance of at least 30 m away from uninvolved people, unless the low-speed mode is activated and the maximum speed doesn’t exceed 3m/s. In that case, the drone must remain at least 5 m away from uninvolved people.
• The minimum allowed distance from a UAV in flight to a group of people is 50 m.
• All drones weighing more than 5kg must be labeled with a non-flammable identification plate or with an identification label if the drone weighs less than 5kg. The non-flammable identification plate or identification label must contain the identification mark of the unmanned aircraft system and the owner’s contact information (name, surname, address, phone/e-mail).
• Do not operate more than one drone at a time.
• Do not fly within the area in which emergency response effort is being conducted.

Flight Operation Categories, Registration, Exam, and Approval Requirements

The operator shall conduct flight operations in accordance with requirements from the table below.

• For category A and B1 flight operations, the operator is not required to register their drone or to pass an exam.
• For category B2 and C1 flight operations, it is mandatory to register your drone using the Registration of UAS Operator Form: FOD-FRM-005
• For category C1 flight operations, the drone operator must pass a theoretical knowledge test in addition to registering his or her drone.
• For category C2 flight operations, the drone operator must pass a theoretical knowledge test, demonstrate flight proficiency, and receive approval from the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency.

We initally planned on taking the inspire 2, but had a kind offer from our friends at Fligh High Imaging to take their small DJI Mavic air, for ease this is the option we went for. We didn’t want to be restricted to ‘unpopulated areas’ so with the MTOM and requirements to operate Day & Night in populated / unpopulated areas, we needed to resigster as an SUA operator with the category B2.
 
The SUA Operator registration form can be found HERE
http://www.ccaa.hr/download/documents/read/fod-frm-005_4030
Once you have entered your details, and SUA serial numbers, you are to pay an administrative fee of 20 HKR (At time of writing approx. £2.50) details for payment can be found HERE http://www.ccaa.hr/download/documents/read/podaci-za-placanje-upravne-pristojbe_4011
It is to note that your bank will charge for an international payment, our bank transaction free was around £22!!
Proof of payment must be attached to the form, as well as ID etc.
 
 
We received our SUA Registration certificate the next day. Onto the next step….

AMC Portal
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Once you have been issued with your certificate, you must register with https://amc-en.crocontrol.hr/ there is a AMC app for IOS/ android devices that you can use on the go. You will need you SUA Operators number to be able to register on the app.
 
ALL FLIGHTS whether in controlled airspace or not, must be logged on this application, here is a video demonstration of how to use the app and how effective it is for sharing the airspace in live time.

That is about it, remember to check for updated regulations before you go, and give yourself plenty of time to register as an SUA operator and get set up on the AMC Portal, please use common sense when operating in tourist destinations, respect peoples privacy and keep the UAS over water and avoid overflying people or properties not under your control. I would suggest avoiding peak times for flight to allow people to enjoy their holidays, saying that when everything dies down in the evening, you can get amazing shots of this beautiful country.
If you have any further questions, drop one below. Happy flying.