Everything here reflects the rules as of 13 October 2026. The exemption is temporary and the EU rules are under review, so check the sources at the end before you rely on any of it.
Weigh the quad first
The scale decides most of what follows. MTOM is the mass at take-off, so weigh the quad ready to fly, with the battery and any action camera fitted.
EASA sorts privately built drones in the open category like this:
- A1: MTOM below 250 g and a maximum speed below 19 m/s. A fast sub-250 g build does not qualify.
- A3: anything else up to 25 kg. You fly away from people: no uninvolved persons in the area and at least 150 m horizontally from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
The open category caps height at 120 m in both cases. For FPV without an observer, the exemption described below sets a much lower limit.
Registration and the A1/A3 certificate
You must register as an operator if your drone has an MTOM of 250 g or more, can transfer more than 80 J to a person in an impact, or carries a sensor able to capture personal data, such as a camera, unless it meets the EU toy directive. An FPV quad always has a camera, so in practice you register even if you only fly a tiny whoop. Registration at drony.gov.pl is free and you sign in with Profil Zaufany. You put your operator number on every drone you own, privately built ones included. Failing to register when you are required to can cost 10,000 zł.
The pilot needs the A1/A3 certificate for any drone of 250 g or more. The training and the online exam are free and run on the same portal, in the national drone information system (KSID). The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, and 75% is the pass mark. The certificate is valid for 5 years; to extend it, you either take the training and exam again or pass the A2 theory exam while A1/A3 is still valid. Polish law sets the minimum age for remote pilots in the open category at 14, and a minor takes the exam with the consent and under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
Insurance for anything from 250 g
Since 13 November 2025, operators of drones with a take-off mass from 0.25 kg to 20 kg must have third-party liability insurance (OC). The obligation falls on the operator, whether you fly yourself or someone else flies for you. The minimum sum insured is 50,000 SDR per event, which the Financial Ombudsman put at about 270,000 zł at the exchange rate of 6 November 2025. The policy has to be in force no later than the day before the flight. The fine for not having one is 4,000 zł.
Read the exclusions carefully. Compulsory OC does not cover damage caused while flying without the required pilot document, or while operating in breach of national or EU drone rules. Flying FPV without an observer outside the exemption's limits breaks the EU rules, so the insurer may refuse to pay for exactly that kind of crash. Cover abroad is a separate question: asked whether a Polish policy works across the EU, ULC replied that it depends on the policy, so check its territorial scope before you travel.
Quads under 250 g are outside the obligation. The Financial Ombudsman still suggests voluntary cover, since even a small drone can damage a car or hit a passer-by.
Flying without an observer
The baseline EU rule is that goggles do not give you visual line of sight. EASA therefore requires a UA observer for any FPV flight in the open category. The observer stands alongside you, keeps the drone in direct view, watches the surrounding airspace and can tell you to land at once. Binoculars are not allowed. The observer needs no qualifications but has to know the rules.
The ULC exemption removes that requirement in Polish airspace. The first decision ran from 12 February to 12 October 2026. The new one, decision LBSP-2.503.15.2026.ULC.1, applies from 13 October 2026 to 31 December 2027 with the same limits:
| Subcategory | Drone | Max horizontal distance from you | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Privately built or C0 up to 250 g MTOM; C1 up to 900 g | 200 m | A1 rules apply |
| A2 | C2 up to 4 kg | 200 m | A2 rules apply |
| A3 | Up to 4 kg | 500 m | At least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas |
In every subcategory you stay at or below 50 m AGL. Everything else the regulation demands for that subcategory still applies, including the rules on flying near people, the ban on flying over assemblies of people and the training requirements.
What the limits mean in practice:
- A privately built quad over 4 kg gets no exemption. Neither does any flight above 50 m or beyond 500 m in A3. Outside these limits you need an observer again.
- The exemption does not change geographical zones. If a zone requires VLOS or an observer, that requirement stands.
- It is a Polish decision. Before flying FPV in another EU country, check that country's rules; the EASA observer rule is the default.
A permanent EU-wide change is in the works. ULC said in May 2026 that EASA is working on FPV without an observer in A3, and the proposal is due for discussion at EASA's UAS TeB working group in October 2026. Until a change is adopted, the Polish exemption is what lets you fly solo.
Check in on DroneTower before every flight
Under the 2025 amendment to the Aviation Law, the intention to fly any drone in Polish airspace must be reported to PANSA (PAŻP). The system for that is the DroneTower app. It needs a registered account, a constant internet connection and a mobile number at which you can be reached throughout the flight.
Before take-off, tap your location on the map. The app tells you whether you can fly there up to the declared height, taking the category, the drone's mass and the flight duration into account. The zone description shows any extra conditions and tells you whether a mission plan is required.
- No mission plan required (most uncontrolled airspace): do the check-in and take off. The status may turn green ("accepted by ATS"), but you may start without it.
- Mission plan required: create the mission on utm.pansa.pl in advance. For VLOS flights in the open and specific categories, that means at least 24 hours before. After PANSA accepts the mission, select it in DroneTower, check in, and do not take off until the status turns green.
During the flight, keep an eye on the app. ATS can shorten your declared time, lower your maximum height or tell you to land, and you have to confirm and follow those messages. The controller or FIS may also phone you, so keep the phone on and charged. If you lose control of the quad, report it through the app straight away. After landing, close the check-in and make sure the drone icon has disappeared. In uncontrolled airspace with no internet coverage, the PansaUTM user manual allows an email to [email protected] with your name, phone number, location, radius, times and drone type and mass, plus a phone call to the relevant FIS sector.
A green status does not mean the site is clear. DroneTower shows airspace structures, but not ground facilities such as seaports, power plants or military units unless a zone covers them, and new zones can appear at any time, including through NOTAMs. Manned aircraft do not see your check-in either, and you must always give way to them. Breaking the conditions of a geographical zone carries a fine of 10,000 zł for each violation.