Searching for a lost pet with a drone in Portugal
Portugal asks camera drones for an image-capture authorisation from the national aeronautical authority (AAN), so a search cannot be improvised: ask for it in advance.
| Aviation authority | Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil (ANAC) |
|---|---|
| Registration | Register as an operator if the drone weighs 250 g or more, or less if it has a camera (unless it is a toy). One number for all your drones, shown on each one and valid in every EASA country. On uas.anac.pt, with the Portuguese mobile digital key. Register. |
| Test or certificate | EU A1/A3 online training and exam on ANAC's platform; the A2 exam is taken at ANAC. |
| Maximum height | 120 m above the ground; within the protection areas of international airports, only 30, 60 or 80 m. |
| Line of sight | Always in sight with your own eyes. An observer standing next to you may help. |
| Night flights | Allowed day and night without ANAC authorisation, with the EU green flashing light. |
| Remote ID | Required on class C1, C2 and C3 drones; not on C0 drones or drones without a class mark. |
| No-fly zones | ANAC map of geographic zones |
| Controlled airspace | Aerodromes: authorisation from the aerodrome director. Military, restricted and prohibited areas: the national aeronautical authority (AAN). No flights within 1 km of medical heliports. |
What matters for a search in Portugal
- A drone with a camera needs an image-capture authorisation from the national aeronautical authority (AAN).
- Liability insurance is mandatory for drones over 900 g.
- Parks, nature reserves and protected areas need authorisation from ICNF (mainland), IFCN (Madeira) or DRA (Azores).
Before every search flight
- Check the no-fly zones for the exact area in ANAC map of geographic zones.
- Ask the landowner if you take off from private land.
- Keep the drone in sight and below the height limit, away from people, roads and buildings.
- Let the owner of the animal know you are flying, and where.
Official sources
- www.anac.pt/vPT/Generico/drones/categoria_aberta/Paginas/CategoriaAberta.aspx
- www.anac.pt/vPT/Generico/drones/registo_uas/Paginas/OperadoresdeUAS.aspx
- www.anac.pt/VPT/GENERICO/DRONES/ZONA_PROIBIDAS_CONDICIONADAS/Paginas/Zonasproibidasoucondicionadas.aspx
- www.anac.pt/sitecollectiondocuments/UAS_DRONES/guia-cat-aberta-en.pdf
A summary to help you prepare a search, not legal advice. The official sources have the final word.
Reviewed on October 22, 2026.
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