Don’t Fly Your Drone in Madrid Until You Read These 11 Critical Law Updates (2025)
Spain fully adopted the EU drone framework in 2021 (EU Regulations 2019/947 and 2019/945), eliminating the recreational vs professional distinction and regulating all flights by risk category. The Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea (AESA) regulates drones nationwide; operator registration is mandatory for drones weighing 250g or more or with a camera, completed online with an operator ID affixed to the drone and controller. Drone operations in Spain are governed by three categories—Open, Specific, and Certified—with Open being low risk and not requiring prior authorization only under specific conditions, while Specific and Certified require permits or licenses. For Open-category pilots, the