Serbia implements new drone flight regulations and restricted zones

The Serbian government has adopted a new decree establishing geographical zones for unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and defining the conditions for operations within these zones. The regulations, published in the Official Gazette, are set to take effect on October 29.

Under the new rules, drone operators must check geographical zones and current restrictions via a mobile application before flying. Restricted zones will be marked in orange, while prohibited zones will be marked in red. Free flight is permitted up to an altitude of 120 meters, provided the area is not within a restricted or prohibited zone. Flights exceeding 120 meters require prior airspace allocation and approval from the Civil Aviation Directorate.

Specific restrictions apply to the state border, where drone use is prohibited within a 300-meter strip of the border line unless the operator obtains Directorate approval based on Ministry of Internal Affairs consent and utilizes a drone equipped with an active remote identification system.

Furthermore, drones are prohibited from flying over or within 500 meters of facilities used by the Ministry of Defense, the Serbian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA). For training grounds, this distance increases to 1,000 meters. Prohibitions also extend to the National Assembly, the Government, and the General Secretariat of the President, as well as ministries, courts, foreign embassies, and international organizations.