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DRONES

Five things to know if you want to fly a drone in Switzerland

So you've got your brand new drone and you're ready to take it out to take amazing footage of majestic alpine scenery? Not so fast. Flying a drone is a serious matter in Switzerland. 

Published: 3 July 2024 18:11 CEST
Five things to know if you want to fly a drone in Switzerland
Drone flights are highly regulated in Switzerland. Photo: DLeon1994

With some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, drone flying is an increasingly popular hobby in Switzerland. 

Approximately 100,000 drones were zooming around the country in 2023, but only half were registered – something we’ll get to shortly. 

Rapidly improving drone technology has required a lot of rules and regulations to keep everybody safe, and if you’re not careful you could find yourself with a large fine – or worse. 

Here are five important things to keep in mind before you fly.  

Get certified and registered

If you are flying a drone over 250g, you will need to obtain a certificate after taking an online exam. 

This exam takes around four hours and if your drone weighs over 900g it must take place at a specified training centre. 

Be aware: If you’ve completed drone certification in an EU country, it is valid in Switzerland and you won’t have to retake the certification. 

READ MORE: Switzerland plans to launch drone register in 2020

You’re also legally obligated to register your drone at UAS Gate if your drone features a device capable of recording images and video – a camera, essentially. 

While only half of Switzerland’s drones are currently registered, enforcement of the requirement will strengthen over time, and it’s always a good idea to remain on the good side of the authorities. 

Get insured

If your drone weighs over 250 grams, yes, you’ll need to take out civil liability insurance worth up to one million Swiss francs. 

This is known as Haftpflichtversicherung in German or Assurance responsabilité civile and is offered by all major insurers.

Please note: this insurance only covers damage to others caused by your drone. 

Some companies will insure your drone in case of a crash – it’s worth asking your current insurer if you’re with one. 

Know where you’re allowed to fly

Understandably, there are plenty of areas that you can’t fly your drone, due to security concerns, or the potential damage that they could cause if they lose control.

Such locations include airports, for obvious reasons, as well as prisons, power stations, large infrastructure works and historical buildings. 

Fines for straying into such areas can be astronomical, and you can also have your certification (and your drone) taken away.

READ MORE: Call for ban on ‘annoying’ drones at iconic Swiss cliff face restaurant

Cantons can impose their own ‘no-fly zones’ to protect the natural environment.

Keeping track of all the different federal and cantonal restrictions can be overwhelming – luckily Swissdronemap collates all of them in an easy-to-understand map. It is also available as an app, so you can stay informed on the go. 

Know what (or who) you can film

The Swiss are a privacy-conscious country, and it’s important to note that you should never film anybody without their permission. 

The unauthorised filming of people leaves you liable to potential prosecution under the Data Protection Act with a successful prosecution leading to fines of up to 250,000 Swiss francs. 

READ MORE: ‘It’s OK to shoot down drones’ say Swiss legal experts

If you’re flying over groups of people, those fines can stack up. 

Additionally, your drone certification level will determine how far from uninformed individuals – that is to say, people and premises that you haven’t asked for permission – you can fly.  

If you’re unsure – ask!

With all the rules and regulations involved with flying a drone in Switzerland, keeping track of what you can and can’t do can be hard. 

If you are unsure whether your planned flight to take in some mountain vistas is permitted, simply ask. 

Police or local communal offices can be an invaluable resource, and you may find a few new hobbyists along the way. Happy flying!

Are you a drone pilot in Switzerland? Have we missed any important considerations? Let us know in the comments!

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LEARN ABOUT SWITZERLAND

COMPARE: Maps reveal the areas of Swiss cities with best access to services

A recent landmark study has placed Paris and Milan as being closer to the goal of being a ‘15 minutes city’ than any other cities worldwide - but how do Swiss cities Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern and Lausanne compare?

Published: 18 September 2024 09:12 CEST
COMPARE: Maps reveal the areas of Swiss cities with best access to services

The study, published in the journal Nature Cities earlier this week, analysed data from over 10,000 cities globally. It assessed how far residents need to walk or cycle to reach essential services including shops, restaurants, education, exercise and healthcare.

The ’15-minute city’ concept, which gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on enhancing accessibility and sustainability by ensuring that basic services are within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.

The online tool allows you to click on an area of the city to see ho accessible services are by bike or by foot.

READ MORE: Paris and Milan judged closest in the world to becoming ’15-minute cities’

The study also introduced an online tool that visualises the distances residents must travel, using a colour scale from dark red (long distances) to blue (short distances).

“A lot of people already live in a 15-minute city,” study co-author Hygor Piaget Monteiro Melo told AFP.

But it depends on where you look within a city, he said, because of the inequality in access to services between the centre and periphery. This in equality can be seen when examining Switzerland’s major cities.

As the maps below show, while some cities in Switzerland are making significant progress toward the 15-minute city goal, others still have considerable work to do.

BASEL (View on page)

Historic Basel has kept much of the shape and size that it has for centuries, with urban spread distributed almost consistently in each direction. This means that public transportation and community services have kept pace with the growth of the city. 

READ MORE: The nine maps you need to see to understand Switzerland

BERN (View on page)

While much of the ‘federal city’ demonstrates excellent mobility for its citizens, recent expansion into the south-west has not kept pace with the development of basic public services, meaning a long walk for those doing their shopping or visiting a doctor. 

GENEVA (View on page)

Geneva’s status as a diplomatic and scientifc capital is reflected in its excellent public transportation and distribution of shops and basic services. Only areas towards the small hamlet of Carouge in the southeast score over 18 minutes on the accessibility scale. 

LAUSANNE (View on page)

 

Lausanne’s growth in recent decades as part of the life sciences focused ‘Health Valley’ has meant that newly-developed urban area to the northeast and northwest are poorly served by public amenities, necessitating long commutes for those shopping or visiting healthcare. 

ZURICH (View on page)

Zurich is Switzerland’s most expensive city, so it’s no surprise that citizens of the city enjoy excellent access to public transport, amenities and shopping. That said, recent expansion to the east and west has led to bands of relative inaccessibility, particularly concentrated around Wettswil am Albis to the west and Fallanden to the east. 

Readers of The Local who are cyclists in Zurich have criticised the city’s lack of infrastructure for cycling such as bike lanes.

READ ALSO: ‘There are no cycle paths’ – How Zurich could improve safety for cyclists?

Earlier this year The Local also reported how Swiss cantons were criticised for dragging their heels in implementing new bike lanes.

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