# Drones in Portugal in 2026: registration, insurance, filming permits and where you can fly > Flying a drone in Portugal has three layers of rules: ANAC registration and training, compulsory insurance above 900 g, and the AAN authorisation to capture aerial images, ten days ahead. What each one asks, and what to check before hiring aerial filming. - **Source:** https://amplifiedcreations.com/journal/drones-portugal-regras - **Publisher:** amplified creations (https://amplifiedcreations.com/) - **Author:** Pedro Thomaz - **Published:** 2026-11-12 - **Updated:** 2026-11-08 - **Language:** en - **Topics:** Drone, Aerial, Portugal, Guide --- Flying a drone in Portugal involves three layers of rules, and almost everyone knows only the first. There are the EU rules, applied by ANAC, Portugal's civil aviation authority: registration, training and where you can fly. There is Portugal's compulsory insurance. And there is a third layer that catches many companies by surprise: capturing aerial images needs an authorisation from the National Aeronautical Authority (AAN), requested ten days ahead. This guide brings the three together, for anyone who wants to film or photograph from the air in Portugal, or hire someone who does. ## 1. Operator registration with ANAC Under EU rules you must register as an operator if the drone weighs 250 g or more, or if it has a camera or other sensor able to capture personal data ([EASA](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/faq/116454)). In practice almost every drone with a camera, 249 g models included, needs registering. The only exemption is for drones that comply with the EU toy directive. In Portugal you register on [ANAC's portal](https://www.anac.pt/vPT/Generico/drones/registo_uas/Paginas/OperadoresdeUAS.aspx), using the Chave Móvel Digital, the Portuguese digital ID. The operator registers (the person or company), not each pilot, and one registration covers all its drones. The operator number, which starts with PRT, must be visible on every drone and set in its remote ID, and registration is renewed every three years. Companies must be registered in Portugal; a company from another EU country registers in its home country. ## 2. Pilot training and the categories Most filming fits the open category: always in sight, up to 120 m high and with drones under 25 kg. It has three subcategories, according to [ANAC's guide](https://www.anac.pt/sitecollectiondocuments/UAS_DRONES/guia-cat-aberta-pt.pdf): - **A1:** drones under 250 g or of class C0 and C1. You may occasionally fly over uninvolved people, but never over crowds. - **A2:** class C2 drones, 30 m from uninvolved people, or 5 m in low-speed mode. - **A3:** class C0 to C4 drones, 150 m from people and from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas. A1 and A3 need ANAC's online training and exam, except for drones under 250 g or of class C0. A2 adds an in-person exam at ANAC. Drones without a class label, bought before 2024, have flown since 1 January 2024 in A1 if under 250 g, or in A3 if heavier ([EASA](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/general-publications/drone-open-category-applicable-requirements-fly-1st-january)). Work that doesn't fit here, such as flying bigger drones close to people, moves to the specific category and needs an ANAC operational authorisation or a declaration under a standard scenario. ## 3. Compulsory insurance In Portugal, drones over 900 g must carry third-party liability insurance under Decree-Law 58/2018, which remains in force on this point. The minimum cover is set by [Portaria 2/2021](https://www.anac.pt/SiteCollectionDocuments/UAS_DRONES/Portaria_2_2021_Seguros_UAS.pdf) in Special Drawing Rights, the IMF's unit: - over 0.9 kg up to 1.5 kg: 260,000; - over 1.5 kg up to 4 kg: 380,000; - over 4 kg up to 20 kg: 560,000; - over 20 kg: 750,000. The insurance covers Portuguese territory, in flight and on the ground. A 249 g drone doesn't need compulsory insurance, but still needs registration and, for filming, the AAN authorisation. ## 4. The AAN authorisation to capture images This is the rule most people don't know. According to the [National Aeronautical Authority](https://www.aan.pt/subPagina-AAN-001.005.005-aeronaves-n-o-tripuladas-drones), carrying out aerial surveys, that is, capturing images from the air over Portuguese territory, and publishing them, requires an AAN authorisation. The legal basis is old: Decree-Law 42071 of 1958 and Portaria 17568 of 1960, amended in 2000. If the flight is in airspace under military responsibility, the authorisation is coordinated with the Portuguese Air Force. - **How to apply:** only through the e-AAN app, from the [AAN website](https://www.aan.pt/subPagina-AAN-001.005.005-aeronaves-n-o-tripuladas-drones), after registering and sending a signed declaration. Requests by email, post or fax are no longer accepted. - **What it costs:** registration and authorisation are free. - **How far ahead:** only requests made ten days in advance are guaranteed an answer before the flight. A request sent the day before after 5 pm for an 8 am flight cannot be approved. - **How long it lasts:** since 24 March 2025, each authorisation is valid for at most 30 consecutive days. The AAN authorisation does not replace the others: image rights and GDPR for the people in shot, and permits for heritage sites, protected areas or the maritime public domain. ## 5. Where you can fly Zones can be checked on ANAC's drone portal, [uas.anac.pt](https://uas.anac.pt), and in the VOANABOA app, from [voanaboa.pt](https://voanaboa.pt). The rules that come up most, according to ANAC's guide: - around international airports there is a prohibited area and three areas with maximum heights of 30, 60 and 80 m; - no flying within 1 km of medical emergency helipads; - near aerodromes and heliports you need permission from whoever runs them; - military areas need AAN authorisation; - protected areas need clearance from ICNF on the mainland, and from the regional bodies in Madeira and the Azores. ## 6. The people in the images A drone sees far more than a camera on the ground: gardens, windows, people who don't know they are being filmed. Data protection rules apply in full, and the AAN itself points out that its authorisation doesn't cover image rights. We cover the basics of consent from people who are photographed in [photography agency or freelance photographer](https://amplifiedcreations.com/journal/agencia-fotografia-ou-fotografo-freelancer). ## If you are hiring aerial filming Before you sign, ask the supplier for: - their ANAC operator number (PRT…); - the pilot's certificate for the flight's subcategory; - the insurance policy, if the drone weighs over 900 g; - the AAN authorisation for that area and those dates, requested in good time; - how they will handle people who may appear in the images. Flying without these can lead to fines and to ANAC suspending licences, and Portugal's civil aviation fines regime is being revised under [Law 54/2026](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/54-2026-1160130311). We cover the EU rules in more detail in [EU drone rules for commercial aerial work](https://amplifiedcreations.com/journal/eu-drone-rules-commercial-aerial-2026). If you need aerial footage for a brand, a property or an event, see our [photography and video service](https://amplifiedcreations.com/services/photo-video). ## FAQ ### Do I need an authorisation to film with a 249 g drone in Portugal? To film, yes. A 249 g drone with a camera needs operator registration with ANAC and, to capture images, the AAN authorisation. It doesn't need compulsory insurance, which only applies above 900 g. ### How long does the AAN authorisation take? The AAN only guarantees an answer before the flight for requests made ten days in advance. Later requests may be delayed or not assessed in time. ### Are ANAC registration and the AAN authorisation the same thing? No. ANAC registration is about who operates the drone and covers every flight. The AAN authorisation is about capturing images in a specific area and period, valid for at most 30 days. --- Published by amplified creations, an independent technology studio in Leiria & Lisboa, Portugal. 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