The journey
From buying a drone to a prepared first flight
No single Latvian resource walks you through the whole sequence — so here it is, one step at a time, with a link to the next thing you actually need to do.
- 1
You bought a drone
Before it leaves the box, three separate things need sorting: who's the registered operator, which certificate the pilot needs, and which class the drone itself belongs to. They don't replace each other.
- 2
Register as an operator
Once your drone is more than the simplest exempt case — especially if it carries a camera or sensor that can capture personal data — register as an operator before you fly. It's not the pilot's certificate, but a separate operator number that has to be traceable back to whoever's responsible for the aircraft.
Read the registration walkthrough → - 3
Work out which licence you need
The certificate and sub-category you need depend on your drone's class marking (or its weight, if it has none) — not on how experienced you feel.
Check your licence category → - 4
Get the A1/A3 certificate
One online theory exam gives you the A1/A3 proof used for A1 and A3 flights. If you are outside Latvia, use the official EASA-state portal for the country where you take it.
Find the official exam portal → - 5
Prepare for the exam
CAA Latvia's A1/A3 exam is 40 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, with 75% to pass. The practice bank and mock exams here are timed, so the official exam feels familiar.
Start practising → - 6
Check where you can actually fly
Airports, cities, nature reserves and temporary restrictions all carve pieces out of the sky. A quick pre-check before you drive out saves a wasted trip.
Run the location check → - 7
Take your first flight
Before the propellers spin: the operator ID is on the aircraft, the flight is logged where the rules require it, and you've checked the airspace one more time.
Read the first-flight checklist → - 8
Know what actually gets fined
Most enforcement in Latvia isn't about bad luck — it's about flying without registration, ignoring a restricted zone, or skipping the certificate entirely. All three are avoidable with five minutes of preparation.
See what triggers a fine → - 9
Turn it into paid work, eventually
Photography, inspection, agriculture — commercial work usually means A2 or a Specific-category authorisation on top of A1/A3, not instead of it. Worth knowing before you quote a client.
Start where you are
Whichever step you're on, A1/A3 is the qualification step most pilots should understand early — even when registration or airspace checks come first.