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.