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Drone certification guides
Long-form guides on flying drones legally in Latvia and the EU — registration, the A1/A3 exam, regulations, and practical tips. Updated as the rules evolve.
2026-07-09
Can I fly a drone over a beach in Latvia?
A beach is not automatically forbidden, but crowd density, nature protection and UAS zones can quickly change the answer. A practical check before you fly.
- rules
- open-category
- geozones
2026-07-09
Can I fly a drone over a city in Latvia?
A city is not automatically forbidden, but people, buildings, A2/A3 distances and UAS zones quickly narrow what is legal.
- rules
- open-category
- geozones
2026-07-09
Can I fly a drone over private property in Latvia?
A property line is not an airspace ban by itself, but CAA calls for the shortest safe trajectory, and privacy may become the main risk.
- rules
- privacy
- open-category
2026-07-09
Can I fly a drone over roads in Latvia?
A road is not automatically a no-fly zone, but CAA local conditions say flights over vehicles in traffic should be avoided where possible.
- rules
- open-category
- geozones
2026-07-09
Can I fly a drone over water in Latvia?
Water itself is not a ban, but shores, ports, people in boats, nature areas and VLOS can make the flight risky or restricted.
- rules
- open-category
- geozones
2026-07-09
Do I need a licence for a DJI Lito X1 in Latvia? Same drone, two different legal classes
The DJI Lito X1 ships in two legal classes depending on the battery and accessories in the box — C0 (no exam) in the base and Fly More Combo, C1 (exam mandatory) in the Fly More Combo Plus. Here's how to tell which one you're buying.
- licence
- latvia
- sub-250g
2026-07-09
EASA A1/A3 drone exam in Estonia: LOIS portal, fee and preparation
How Estonia handles the A1/A3 drone certificate through Transpordiamet and LOIS, what the official page says about the exam, and how to prepare before applying.
- a1-a3
- estonia
- eu
2026-07-09
EASA A1/A3 drone exam in Lithuania: official portal, registration and prep
Where to take the official A1/A3 drone exam in Lithuania, which authority runs the portal, and how dronelingo preparation still applies when the certificate is issued outside Latvia.
- a1-a3
- lithuania
- eu
2026-07-09
EASA A1/A3 drone exam in Poland: ULC portal, free training and prep
Poland's official A1/A3 drone exam route through the Civil Aviation Authority system, what the ULC says about price and format, and how to prepare before taking it.
- a1-a3
- poland
- eu
2026-07-09
Free A1/A3 drone exam practice questions — how to use them properly
Practice questions help only if every wrong answer leads back to the rule. Here is how to use A1/A3 exam questions without memorising answer letters.
- exam
- a1-a3
- practice
2026-07-09
What if you fail the A1/A3 drone exam?
A failed A1/A3 attempt is not a dead end. Treat the result as a diagnostic, find the weak topic, and practise only where the mistake repeats.
- exam
- a1-a3
- retake
2026-07-08
Do I need a licence for a DJI Mini in Latvia? No exam under 250 g — but yes to registration
A DJI Mini weighs under 250 g, so you don't need the pilot exam to fly it in A1. But its camera means operator registration is mandatory. Here's exactly what to do.
- licence
- latvia
- sub-250g
2026-07-08
Drones in Latvia's protected nature areas — the extra rule layer
The airspace map does not show the whole nature-protection permission layer. A practical reading of the extra rules enforced by the Nature Conservation Agency: height floors in Gauja and Ķemeri, a seasonal window at Pape, and when you need a permit.
- latvia
- airspace
- rules
2026-07-07
A1/A3 or A2: which drone certificate do you need in Latvia?
The certificate you need is decided by your drone's class mark and how close to people or built-up areas you fly — not by ambition. Here's how to choose between the free A1/A3 and the in-person A2.
- licence
- a2
- open-category
2026-07-07
Do I need a drone licence in Latvia? Answer three questions
Latvia doesn't issue a single 'drone licence'. Three separate things hide behind the word — registration, the A1/A3 qualification, and the subcategory rules. Here's how to tell which of them actually apply to you.
- licence
- registration
- latvia
2026-07-07
EASA NPA 2026-103: the 100-gram drone rule is now on paper
EASA's draft NPA 2026-103 moves the training and Remote ID line from 250 to 100 grams and adds a takeoff lockout without an operator ID. The Specific category, meanwhile, gets lighter. First changes no earlier than mid-2028.
- regulation
- easa
- eu
2026-07-07
How to become a drone pilot in Latvia: from box to first flight
The legal path in Latvia has a fixed order — operator registration, the free A1/A3 exam, the airspace rules — and beginners keep doing it backwards. Here is the whole route, and how to tell if you even need it.
- getting-started
- licence
- latvia
2026-07-07
How to prepare for the A1/A3 drone exam and pass first try
The A1/A3 exam is 40 questions in 40 minutes at 75% — not hard, but people fail by skimming the basics. A three-evening plan, the topics that actually cost points, and how to use practice.
- exam
- a1-a3
- latvia
2026-07-07
Where can I fly a drone in Latvia — how to get a reliable answer every time
A practical hub that connects the official map, zone types, BGKIS, and the Open-category limits in one place — so you can answer “can I fly here?” fast and correctly.
- no-fly-zones
- latvia
- airspace
2026-07-07
Where can I fly a drone in Riga — controlled airspace and city rules
In Riga, "can I fly here?" is the hardest question — the airport's controlled airspace and crowds. How to check it and where to find a legal spot.
- no-fly-zones
- latvia
- airspace
2026-07-06
Drone Delivery's Noise Problem: Why Europe's Real Fight Is on the Ground
In June 2026 an Irish county council stripped Manna's Dublin drone hub of planning permission over noise — after 82,000 deliveries. Amazon had already walked away from Italy. Here is what the EU actually regulates about drone noise, and why the ground, not the sky, decides whether drone delivery scales.
- delivery
- commercial
- noise
2026-07-05
Drone weather briefing: how to read METAR and TAF and make the go/no-go call
Gusts decide the flight, not the average wind; at 100 m it blows harder than at the surface; the TAF tells you what happens in your window. A five-minute weather briefing with METAR/TAF, the 10 km Cb rule, icing, and a six-question go/no-go call.
- meteorology
- weather
- metar-taf
2026-07-05
Drones over Latgale: how to tell a lawful flight from a violation, and where to report one
From 4 to 12 July, planned military drone flights are running over the Latgale border area, and the Air Force is asking people not to worry. But how does an ordinary resident tell whether a drone overhead is allowed — and what do you do if it looks wrong? A short, practical guide: what makes a flight lawful, which signs are worth watching, and which number to call.
- latvia
- latgale
- airspace
2026-07-04
Pole-31: what a portable 2 km GNSS dead zone means for drone navigation
NPO Kilowatt has unveiled Pole-31, an EW system claimed to jam GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo within at least 2 km. The specs are the maker's own — but the trend they mark is real: drones are learning to fly without satellites.
- electronic-warfare
- gps-denied
- navigation