Registration guide: from 0 to your A1/A3 certificate

This guide takes you through all 8 steps that Latvia's Civil Aviation Agency (CAA Latvia) requires for Open-category A1/A3 drones. Every step is official and free (the one exception is the €5/year operator registration), and they all happen on a single portal: e.caa.gov.lv.

Source: Public CAA Latvia drone guidance at droni.caa.gov.lv, last reviewed on 2026-05-08; Reg (EU) 2019/947 Art. 14; Cabinet Regulation No. 457.

Step 1 — Understand the two roles

Latvia recognises two roles that go hand in hand:

• UAS operator — the natural or legal person in whose name the flights are performed.
• Remote pilot — the natural person who actually flies the UAS.

A private pilot flying in their own name has to register as both. A company registers itself as the operator and registers each employee as a remote pilot.

Step 2 — Register as a remote pilot (FREE)

1. Open e.caa.gov.lv and sign in via Latvija.lv (Smart-ID, eParaksts, or bank ID).
2. Choose "Register a remote pilot".
3. Confirm your personal data and accept the terms.
4. Receive your unique number: LVA-RP-############.

You need this number for the exam and to link the pilot to the operator. It is not used to mark the drone.

Step 3 — Register as a UAS operator (€5 / year)

Operator registration is mandatory if the drone:

• weighs ≥ 250 g, or
• can transfer > 80 J of kinetic energy on impact, or
• carries a photo/video camera (toys under Directive 2009/48/EC excepted), or
• flies in the Specific category.

1. e.caa.gov.lv → "Register a UAS operator".
2. Pay €5 (bank transfer).
3. Receive the LVA############ operator number.

You do this once, no matter how many drones you own. It is valid for 1 year, so renew it annually.

Step 4 — Mark each drone with the operator number

Every drone you operate has to carry your readable operator number (LVA############).

• Preferably on the body, in plain sight.
• The battery compartment is fine if the body is too small.
• It must be readable without tools — no camera, no magnifier.

Step 5 — Take the online training course (FREE)

e.caa.gov.lv hosts the official A1/A3 training course in Latvian. It covers all 9 EASA topics and has no time limit, so you can pause and pick it up again whenever you like.

This is exactly where dronelingo helps: our materials in four languages (lv/en/ru/uk) supplement the official course and work as a quick pre-exam refresher.

Step 6 — Pass the A1/A3 exam

The exam is taken online at e.caa.gov.lv. Our /exam mock exam mirrors this format, so once you're consistently scoring 80 %+ here, you're ready for the official exam.

Step 7 — Download the certificate

Once you pass, e.caa.gov.lv issues your A1/A3 knowledge certificate PDF. The certificate:

• lives in the CAA UAS information system;
• is valid for 5 years;
• is recognised across the EU.

Preparing for this exam is exactly what dronelingo is for — the Air Safety topic is free, and full access to all 9 A1/A3 exam topics plus the A2 meteorology bonus is a one-time €19.

Step 8 — Before your first flight

Registration and the exam are necessary, but they aren't enough. Before every flight:

1. Check UGZ at airspace.lv/drones.
2. If you're in a restricted zone, submit a BGKIS application (mandatory since 2025-01-01).
3. Liability insurance — for A1 (C1), A2, and A3 up to 20 kg the minimum is €50 000 (Cabinet Reg. No. 447).
4. Mark the drone as yours and respect VLOS, the 120 m ceiling, and the distance from uninvolved people.

More: see our /learn topics on airspace limitations and operational procedures.