February 2020

NEW RULES FOR OPERATING UNCREWED AERIAL VEHICLES – DRONES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

By adopting the new Rulebook of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 1/2020) that is to enter into force on February 15, 2020, inter alia, the new rules have been prescribed relating to their classification, registration and the requirements that the persons using unmanned aerial vehicles i.e. operators must fulfil.

Unmanned aerial vehicles fall into the following categories:

1) category 1 –includes unmanned aerial vehicles the maximum weight of which at a takeoff point is less than 0.9 kg;

2) category 2 – includes unmanned aerial vehicles the maximum weight of which at a takeoff point range between 0.9 kg and 4 kg (not including 4 kg);

3) category 3 – includes unmanned aerial vehicles the maximum weight of which at a takeoff point range between 4 kg and 25 kg (not including 25 kg);

4) category 4 – includes unmanned aerial vehicles the maximum weight of which at a takeoff pointranges between 25 kg and 150 kg.

The obligation for the registration in the Registry of Aircrafts kept by the Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter: the Directorate) shall be imposed for:

Unmanned aerial vehicles falling into the categories 3 and 4;
Unmanned aerial vehicles falling into categories 1 or 2 are used for (i) flying at altitudes exceeding 100 m; (ii) flying near airports; (iii) flying at a horizontal distance larger than 500 m from the operator of the unmanned aerial vehicles; (iv) flying above people; (v) flying in the vicinity of people; (vi) flying in conditionally prohibited area; (vii) night flying; (viii) dropping liquids or objects or carrying external cargo which is not an integral part of the unmanned aerial vehicle structure.

The maximum allowed flight altitude of an unmanned aerial vehicle shall be 100 m above the ground level unless the Directorate has already approved the flight to be carried out at a higher altitude and unless the allocation of the aerial space has been made. The maximum allowed horizontal distance of an unmanned aerial vehicle from the operator of the unmanned aerial vehicle shall be 500 m unless the Directorate has already approved the flight to be carried out at a larger horizontal distance and unless the applicant provided the required risk assessment.

The unmanned aerial vehicle operator shall be an adult person, physically capable and who has passed a test in theknowledge required for the safe use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Exceptionally, the operator operating an unmanned aerial vehicle of category 1 in a manner that does not require the allocation of the aerial space or the approval of the Directorate:

shall not be required to take an exam in knowledge nor to fulfil the requirements regarding medical fitness;
may also be a minor above 15 years of age, that is under 15 if immediately supervised by an adult when operating the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The above requirements shall apply also to foreign citizens operating unmanned aerial vehicles. A foreign unmanned aerial vehicle may fly in the aerial space of the Republic of Serbia on the basis of the approval issued by the Directorate and in this event, it shall not be required to register it in the Registry of Aircrafts.

Attorney at law Stefan Mojsić

The information contained herein has been provided only for the purpose of general information and cannot be considered as a legal opinion or legal advice. Accordingly, the Law Firm Petrovic & Partners disclaims all responsibility and accept no liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all the contents contained herein.