Service Finder
Complete an EU A1/A3 certificate of competence for unmanned aircraft
Service Description
In order to fly unmanned aircraft such as drones or model aircraft weighing at least 250 grams safely and legally in Germany, you need an EU A1/A3 certificate of competence. This is issued online by the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA). It is valid for 5 years. Unmanned aircraft are colloquially known as drones and officially as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
You will receive the EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3 if you successfully complete an online course and a subsequent online examination. The exam consists of 40 questions with predefined answer options from which you must select the correct ones. Topics include flight safety, aviation law and data protection. To pass, you must answer at least 75 percent of the questions correctly. If you do not pass, you can repeat the course and the exam.
If you are under the age of 16, your legal representative can submit the application on your behalf. However, you must complete the course and the online exam yourself.
The EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3 course is a kind of entry-level course for remote pilots. It takes around 3 to 6 hours including the exam. It entitles you to fly UAS in the so-called open operating category, subcategories A1 and A3.
The open operating category A1 applies to very light drones weighing less than 250 grams. In this category, operation in the vicinity of people is permitted, provided you maintain a minimum distance. Although the online course is recommended for this category, it is not mandatory.
The open operating category A3 concerns heavier drones that weigh more than 250 grams but less than 25 kilograms. These drones may not be used in the vicinity of people unless they are registered with the LBA and meet special safety requirements.
When operating such a UAS, you must always have the certificate of competence with you.
Process flow
You can only complete the course and the examination for the EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3 online.
- Go to the online training portal lba-openuav.de of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) and complete the course there using the training materials.
- You will then take a training test for the EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3.
- If you have answered at least 75 percent of the training questions correctly, you can register for the online exam.
- Take the online exam. This is possible either immediately or at a later date.
- Once you have successfully completed the online exam, you will immediately receive your certificate with remote pilot ID in PDF format. You can download and save it.
- You pay the fee via a payment page.
Requirements
There are no prerequisites.
Which documents are required?
If you are younger than 16 years:
- Declaration of consent from your legal representative
What are the fees?
Fee: 25,00 EURPayment in advance: Nohttps://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/luftkostv/anlage.htmlFee for taking the online exam and issuing the EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3. Payment is made via an online payment page.
Fee: 15,00 EURPayment in advance: Nohttps://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/luftkostv/anlage.htmlFee for the extension or amendment of the EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3. Payment is made via an online payment page.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
Period of Validity: 5 YearsThe EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3 is valid for 5 years. You can only extend the certificate of competence within the validity period, after which you must take the exam again.
Processing duration
Processing Time: 3 - 6 HoursThe online course takes an average of 3 to 6 hours. You can complete the online exam within 45 minutes.
Legal basis
Applications / forms
- Objection
- Further information on how to lodge an objection can be found in the notification of your application.
What else should I know?
There are no indications or special features.
Further Information
Author
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA)
Forwarding service: deep link to the original portal
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Technically approved by
Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV)
Professionally released on
20.11.2023
Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)
Start your request directly online:
Competent Authority
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA)
Address
38108 Braunschweig
Further Authorities
Address
38108 Braunschweig
Link to the directions:
https://www.lba.de/DE/LBA/Zentrale/Anreise/Anreise_HBS26.html?nn=2087908
Telephone
+49 531 2355-3580Fax
+49 531 2355-3598Remark: Information on the designation of bodies (PStF) for conducting theory examinations for remote pilots