Estonia handles A1/A3 remote-pilot certificates through the Estonian Transport Administration and the LOIS Aviation Safety Information System. The process is national, but the theory is the same EASA Open-category framework used across member states.
The official Estonian route
Transpordiamet says drone operator registration and A1/A3 remote-pilot certification can both be done in LOIS. The official A1/A3 page also states that a remote pilot must apply through lois.transpordiamet.ee, pay the state fee and then proceed to the online examination.
The same page gives the exam basics:
- A1/A3 is for Open-category remote-pilot competency.
- The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions.
- You need at least 75% to pass.
- Open-category remote-pilot certificates are valid for five years.
- Estonian certificates are valid in other EASA member states.
It also states that, for now, the A1/A3 learning materials are available only in Estonian. That matters if you prefer preparing in English, Russian or Ukrainian: use a structured prep resource first, then switch to the official portal when you are ready to apply.
Fee, age, and who is exempt
Three practical details the same official pages state, and that decide whether you need this process at all:
- The A1/A3 state fee is 10 EUR.
- A remote pilot must be at least 16 years old.
- No training and no exam are required for a drone under 250 g or one with a C0 class mark — the qualification requirement starts above that.
The exemption covers the pilot qualification only. Whether you must register as a drone operator is a separate question with its own triggers, so treat "no exam needed" and "nothing to do" as different answers.
Where to check Estonian airspace
Estonia does not use Latvia's map. Transpordiamet points pilots to the drone
map run by Estonian Air Navigation Services at utm.eans.ee for airspace
restrictions before a flight. Operator registration lives in LOIS and is
renewed annually — a shorter clock than the five-year certificate, and the
one people forget first.
How dronelingo fits
dronelingo does not replace LOIS and does not issue the Estonian certificate. It helps with the theory before the official process.
Use it to prepare the common EASA topics:
- Open-category limits and subcategories
- registration logic and operator responsibilities
- VLOS and FPV-with-observer rules
- height and distance limits
- airspace and geographical-zone thinking
- exam-style question practice
Then apply in LOIS and take the official Estonian exam. If you already passed A1/A3 in another EASA state, Transpordiamet says you do not need to take the exam again to fly in Estonia under the same certificate.
Latvia and Estonia side by side
If you already fly in Latvia, only the national layer changes. The theory, the subcategories and the 120 m / VLOS baseline are identical.
| Latvia | Estonia | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you apply | e.caa.gov.lv | lois.transpordiamet.ee |
| A1/A3 cost | free | 10 EUR state fee |
| Course language | Latvian, English | Estonian |
| Exam | 40 questions, 40 min, 75% | 40 questions, 75% |
| Certificate | 5 years, EU-wide | 5 years, EASA-wide |
| Airspace map | airspace.lv/drones | utm.eans.ee |
| Operator registration | 5 EUR, 1 year | in LOIS, renewed annually |
You register as an operator in one country — where you live, or where your business is established — and that number is valid in the others. What does not travel is the airspace check: each state publishes its own zones, so a trip to Estonia means reading the Estonian map, not the Latvian one.
What to check before flying in Estonia
The certificate answers the competence question. It does not clear the location.
Before flying in Estonia, check:
- whether you must register as a UAS operator
- that the operator number is applied to the aircraft where required
- Estonian geographical zones and any local permission process
- whether the operation still fits the Open category
- insurance and client requirements for the mission
For the official portal link, use the A1/A3 exam portal directory. For preparation, start with the A1/A3 course, then work through practice drills and a full mock exam.
