Spain’s 2025 Drone Laws Revealed: 8 Critical Rules Every Pilot Must Know
Spain applies the EU Open, Specific, and Certified drone categories to all flights, eliminating separate recreational vs. commercial rules. Royal Decree 517/2024, effective June 25, 2024, fully harmonizes Spanish law with EU Regulation 2019/947 and 2019/945 and repeals the 2017 drone act. The Open category allows 14-year-old pilots (and 12-year-olds in the lowest-risk subcategory) to fly, provided they have the required training, with younger children needing supervision. Operator registration with AESA is mandatory for virtually all drones 250g+ or with a camera, and the operator ID must be visibly affixed to the aircraft. Drone labeling requires marking the operator ID