Flying a Drone

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2025 1:43pm

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Janet Isabella

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Does anyone else fly their Drone (legally) here on the Costa Blanca?

I've now registered myself and now looking at the Enaire Drones map to see where I can fly my DJI Mini 4k (which is under 250g) and am somewhat confused. It looks like there are a few places in the Vega Baja region where I can fly without permissions. I live in Torrevieja.

I understand that to fly over Urban Areas I have to submit a request to the Ministry of the Interior at least 5 days before the intended flight. I've got Clave Mobile and Digital Certificate, but when I get to the Electronic Office of the Interior Ministry I cannot find the section to submit permission. I know I can download a request form but it's a hassle having to go to the relevant office in person to hand it in!

So, can anyone point me in the right direction, give advice on inerpretation of the Enaire Map etc., etc?

Thanks in advance,

Yours,

Janet

(Lost in space) 🤦

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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2025 8:22am

The Sat and PC Guy

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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2025 8:22am

What you are looking for is under the "all" section:

https://sede.interior.gob.es/portal/sede/tramites?codAgrupacion=Drones

Where you can log your flight 5 days in advance.

Plenty of youtube videos from drone flyers about how fly and to use and check app (ok they are in spanish, but translate the subtitles), and the rules and where you can fly or not, but main rules are:

if drone has a camera you need to register with AESA (get your operator ID), no flying over property / building without permission of the owners, use the enaire app to make sure no flight restrictions or "nature zones", no flying above 120m AGL (the drone should stop this anyway by default), always VLOS, no flight over "groups" of people (defined by large groups that may not be able to get out of the way quickly if the drone falls from the sky!) etc

A quick (but not definitive, so check yourself, and also just before you fly incase there are any updates or daily flight restrictions !) check on Enaire app says that in the Torrevieja area there is a limit of altitude of 60m AGL due to the airport (yellow circle) , and an area of no flight at all (red box to the north), a nature area along the coast (Espacio Marino de Cabo Roig. - special permission needed, rarely given for "hobbyist"), and another nature zone inland (Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja). And of course the "urban area" check (most of spain is under it!), so the 5 days prior notice (which is a pain as means you cannot fly spontaneously!)

And as I have seen, just because there may be drone footage online of a certain area, does not mean you can fly there! Seen many videos where the drone has been flying in nature zones....

Hope this helps

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2025 6:50pm

Angela25

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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2025 6:50pm

My husband flies his drone occasionally but he belongs to Elche flying club and has a licence. If you fly over houses you have to be a certain height, the licence should give you all the details of flying

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 9:06am

The Sat and PC Guy

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 9:06am

Angela25 wrote on Sat Nov 29, 2025 6:50pm:
My husband flies his drone occasionally but he belongs to Elche flying club and has a licence. If you fly over houses you have to be a certain height, the licence should give you all the details of flying

"If you fly over houses you have to be a certain height"

Not sure this is correct. I have not seen anything anywhere that says anything about minimum distances from buildings for a sub 250g drone. No minimum distances, but must fly with awareness and caution and responsible.

Larger drones, yes, there are more restrictions. A “C1 drone (i.e. a drone like 500 g)” in an urban area, you must keep a minimum horizontal distance of 5 metres from buildings or similar constructions.

Capturing images / video of peoples faces in houses does come under GDPR and privacy rules, so flying high so not to identify faces / people in their gardens maybe what you are thinking of.

But for sub 250g(in fact all) drones you need building owners permission to fly over them. And no higher than the standard 120m AGL

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 12:27pm

Angela25

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 12:27pm

The Sat and PC Guy wrote on Sun Nov 30, 2025 9:06am:
"If you fly over houses you have to be a certain height"
Not sure this is correct. I have not seen anything anywhere that says anything about minimum distances from buildings for a sub 250g drone. No minimum distances, but must fly with awareness and caution and responsible.

Read more...

Larger drones, yes, there are more restrictions. A “C1 drone (i.e. a drone like 500 g)” in an urban area, you must keep a minimum horizontal distance of 5 metres from buildings or similar constructions.
Capturing images / video of peoples faces in houses does come under GDPR and privacy rules, so flying high so not to identify faces / people in their gardens maybe what you are thinking of.
But for sub 250g(in fact all) drones you need building owners permission to fly over them. And no higher than the standard 120m AGL

Just asked my husband and it's 50 meters from houses according to his licence for all drones. If he flies from our house he goes straight up then continues to fly

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 4:54pm

The Sat and PC Guy

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 4:54pm

Angela25 wrote on Sun Nov 30, 2025 12:27pm:
Just asked my husband and it's 50 meters from houses according to his licence for all drones. If he flies from our house he goes straight up then continues to fly

Dont know what type is licence your husband has, but all current documentation from AESA that i can find on the subject says "The “50 m vertical horizontal” rule is only for “critical infrastructure / essential service infrastructure”, not for ordinary houses or private buildings for a sub 250g drone. I think pre 2021 (?) it may have different...?

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 7:56pm

aitchc1401

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 7:56pm

The Sat and PC Guy wrote on Sun Nov 30, 2025 9:06am:
"If you fly over houses you have to be a certain height"
Not sure this is correct. I have not seen anything anywhere that says anything about minimum distances from buildings for a sub 250g drone. No minimum distances, but must fly with awareness and caution and responsible.

Read more...

Larger drones, yes, there are more restrictions. A “C1 drone (i.e. a drone like 500 g)” in an urban area, you must keep a minimum horizontal distance of 5 metres from buildings or similar constructions.
Capturing images / video of peoples faces in houses does come under GDPR and privacy rules, so flying high so not to identify faces / people in their gardens maybe what you are thinking of.
But for sub 250g(in fact all) drones you need building owners permission to fly over them. And no higher than the standard 120m AGL

"But for sub 250g(in fact all) drones you need building owners permission to fly over them. And no higher than the standard 120m AGL"

Maybe I am reading what you have written incorrectly but the above would seem to me that you can really only fly a drone over the sea or uninhabited areas, unlikely that many (if any) building owners would give permission to fly a drone over there property.

Aitch.

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 11:59pm

The Sat and PC Guy

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2025 11:59pm

aitchc1401 wrote on Sun Nov 30, 2025 7:56pm:
"But for sub 250g(in fact all) drones you need building owners permission to fly over them. And no higher than the standard 120m AGL"
Maybe I am reading what you have written incorrectly but the above would seem to me that you can really only fly a drone over the sea or uninhabited areas, unlikely that many (if any) building owners would give permission to fly a drone over there property....

Read more...

...
Aitch.

You are correct.

You can only fly over buildings if you have the permission from the owners / landlord. No exceptions.

Beaches, fields, parks, withing towns / urban areas along roads etc is fine, as long as you give the Ministry of Interior 5 days notification of the flight. This is not exactly asking for their permission, but they may contact you for clarification.

Sub 250g drones have no limits vertical of horizontal from building, unless they are critical infrastructure (hospitals, highways, railways, police, gas, electricity, etc). Heavier drones start to get limits.

And with many nature zones in Spain, many along the coasts, it is tricky to get good flying areas.

Which is why the Enaire app is the essential way to check things out.

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Posted: Mon Dec 1, 2025 12:11pm

Janet Isabella

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Posts: 103

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Location: Torrevieja

Joined: 15 Nov 2018

Posted: Mon Dec 1, 2025 12:11pm

The Sat and PC Guy wrote on Sat Nov 29, 2025 8:22am:
What you are looking for is under the "all" section:
https://sede.interior.gob.es/portal/sede/tramites?codAgrupacion=Drones

Read more...

Where you can log your flight 5 days in advance.
Plenty of youtube videos from drone flyers about how fly and to use and check app (ok they are in spanish, but translate the subtitles), and the rules and where you can fly or not, but main rules are:
if drone has a camera you need to register with AESA (get your operator ID), no flying over property / building without permission of the owners, use the enaire app to make sure no flight restrictions or "nature zones", no flying above 120m AGL (the drone should stop this anyway by default), always VLOS, no flight over "groups" of people (defined by large groups that may not be able to get out of the way quickly if the drone falls from the sky!) etc
A quick (but not definitive, so check yourself, and also just before you fly incase there are any updates or daily flight restrictions !) check on Enaire app says that in the Torrevieja area there is a limit of altitude of 60m AGL due to the airport (yellow circle) , and an area of no flight at all (red box to the north), a nature area along the coast (Espacio Marino de Cabo Roig. - special permission needed, rarely given for "hobbyist"), and another nature zone inland (Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja). And of course the "urban area" check (most of spain is under it!), so the 5 days prior notice (which is a pain as means you cannot fly spontaneously!)
And as I have seen, just because there may be drone footage online of a certain area, does not mean you can fly there! Seen many videos where the drone has been flying in nature zones....
Hope this helps