Photography & Drones — Italy
What travelers need to know about photography & drones in Italy. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Photography & Drones in Italy: allowed only under specific conditions.
If your drone has a camera you must register as an operator before flying in Italy, even if it weighs under 250 g. Non-EU visitors register in the first EU country they fly in. Max height 120 m, keep it in sight at all times, and third-party insurance is compulsory in Italy.
The US State Department warns that tourists in Italy can be fined or detained for using aerial drones. No euro figure for a private pilot is published: Regolamento UAS-IT art. 26 states sanctions only by cross-reference to Book II Part III of the Navigation Code, and enforcement falls to the Questura Provinciale and in some cases ENAC. The EUR 10,000-60,000 and EUR 50,000-100,000 ranges that appear elsewhere on ENAC's site apply to manufacturers, importers and distributors, and to aircraft over 20 kg, respectively — neither applies to a tourist drone, and neither is used here.
§ ENAC — Requisiti generali per operare nella categoria aperta (+ ENAC Operatori esteri; EASA Open category / EU Reg. 2019/947)