Barcelona is surrounded by controlled airspace (CTR) from El Prat and Sabadell airports. Flying here professionally requires coordination with air traffic control, prior notification and, often, technical paperwork. It's not a case of "grab the drone and shoot". That's why many of the videos you see online are, technically, not legal.
01 · AESA regulations, made clear
In Spain, drones are governed by the European (EASA) regulations applied and supervised by AESA (the State Aviation Safety Agency). Most everyday commercial work falls under the open category. To operate legally, you need, as a minimum:
- UAS operator registration with AESA. It's free and done online. The operator number must be displayed on the drone.
- A remote pilot licence. The basic one (A1/A3) is obtained through a free online exam with AESA. To fly closer to people (A2), additional training and an exam are required.
- Civil liability insurance covering third-party damage on every flight.
- Respecting the distances and altitudes (a maximum of 120 m altitude, with distances depending on the subcategory) and not flying over crowds.
So far, that's the "driving licence". But having the licence doesn't mean you can fly anywhere: it depends on the airspace. And that's where ENAIRE comes in.
02 · ENAIRE: where can I fly?
Since Royal Decree 517/2024, ENAIRE is the single official source for checking UAS geographical zones in Spain. Before every flight you must consult its map, which shows:
- Control zones around airports and heliports (CTR/TMA).
- Prohibited, restricted and dangerous areas (P / R / D).
- National parks, natural areas and aeronautical easements.
- Active NOTAMs (temporary notices).
For each point, the map tells you who you need to send your request to: ENAIRE, AENA, the military authority or another manager.
03 · Map of flight zones
Here's Barcelona as a visual reference. For the official, up-to-date check, always use the ENAIRE Drones map —it's the only valid one before you fly.
Open the official ENAIRE Drones map →
04 · Why Barcelona is special (CTR)
The entire Barcelona area is controlled airspace (CTR) because of its proximity to the airports. This means that, for a professional flight in the city, you normally need:
- Coordination with air traffic control (the tower) through ENAIRE.
- Notification to the Generalitat Police – Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Department of the Interior) well in advance (at least 5 calendar days) for flights in an urban setting.
- An Operational Risk Aeronautical Study (EARO/EAS) for many urban or CTR operations.
- An impact-limitation device (a parachute, for example) in urban areas.
- In certain specific areas, additional authorisation: for instance, the Port of Barcelona area requires a permit from the Port Authority.
A "simple" aerial video in Barcelona can involve 3 or 4 procedures with different authorities and deadlines of several weeks. It's easy to get it wrong, and the fines are steep. The good news: it can be done, and done properly.
For a single point in the Barcelona area, ENAIRE's official tool can return several UAS geographical zones at once: the RACC heliport (LERA), the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I (LEJC), the Fira M2 L'Hospitalet (LEFR), the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (LEJD) and the Barcelona-El Prat CTR (LEBL). In each case the flight is usually not allowed except by coordination with the heliport or operator, and you often have to coordinate with ENAIRE (Planea). On top of that, a temporary NOTAM can activate restrictions with coordination via coordinacio.vol@mossos.cat. A single point, up to 5 or 6 separate coordinations.
We already hold authorisation at the hospital heliports operated by the Generalitat (such as Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), which lets us speed up many of these procedures.
05 · The steps to request a permit
In simplified terms, the path to a professional flight in a controlled zone usually looks like this:
- Register as a UAS operator with AESA and hold your pilot licence.
- Take out civil liability insurance.
- Check the ENAIRE Drones map and identify the manager of the zone.
- Prepare the technical documentation (operation, EARO if required, safety measures).
- Submit the coordination request to ENAIRE/AENA in advance.
- For an urban setting, send the notification to the Generalitat Police – Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Department of the Interior).
- Wait for confirmation, publish a NOTAM if applicable and fly within the approved conditions.
This guide is for guidance only and may become out of date. The rules change and every flight is different. Always confirm with the official sources (AESA and ENAIRE) before flying, or get in touch with us.
06 · Or leave it in our hands
At drone.barcelona we're already an AESA-authorised operator, with operator licences, certified pilots and €1,500,000 of insurance cover. We handle all the permits and coordination for you, and deliver the video or photos without you having to worry about a single procedure. You bring the project; we bring the altitude and the paperwork.
What's more, we hold permanent authorisation for the hospital heliports operated by the Government of Catalonia (the Generalitat), an advantage that lets us speed up the paperwork and operate more quickly in sensitive areas.
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