Drone laws in Montenegro 2026: registration with the CAA, the 120 m rules, the Podgorica and Tivat airport zones, national parks and fines

In Montenegro the operator of a drone weighing 250 g or more, or of a lighter drone with a camera or other sensor that is not a toy, must register with the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) on the dron.caa.me portal. Registration is valid for two years, and it requires an insurance policy. In the open category a drone flies no higher than 120 m above the ground, within the pilot's sight and never over crowds, and the pilot must be at least 16. In the controlled zones of Podgorica and Tivat airports you may fly without approval only up to 50 m above the ground. A pilot who breaks the rules faces a fine of 500 to 2,000 euros.

The rules are set by the Rulebook on conditions for the safe use of unmanned aircraft systems (Official Gazette 24/2023, amended by 117/2023, 75/2025 and 73/2026), which adopts the EU rules of Regulation 2019/947, while registration, foreign operators and fines are covered by the new Air Transport Law (52/2026). This guide explains who registers, what training a pilot needs, how to fly, where you need approval and what the fines are.

Do you have to register your drone?

• It is the operator that registers, not each drone: a person or company receives one electronic registration number (e-ID) and displays it on all of their drones.
• To register as an individual you need your full name, date of birth, a scanned ID card or passport, address, email, phone number and the name of your insurer with the policy number.
• Registration and pilot tests are done on the dron.caa.me portal, and the CAA helps at dron@caa.me.
• Operators registered before 1 July 2024 had to register again.
• Licences and registrations of operators and pilots from EU countries are recognised in Montenegro. An operator from a third country who is not registered in the EU, or at home under the same conditions, must register in Montenegro.

What are the flying rules?

• The drone flies no higher than 120 m above the nearest point of the ground, and the pilot keeps it in sight at all times, except in follow-me mode or with an observer.
• The drone carries no dangerous goods and drops nothing, and in the open category it must weigh less than 25 kg.
• The pilot must be at least 16. There is no age limit for a class C0 toy drone or a privately built drone under 250 g, and under-16s may also fly under the direct supervision of a pilot aged at least 16.
• Drones without a class C label fly under transitional rules until 11 January 2027; after that they may fly only in subcategory A1 if lighter than 250 g and in A3 if lighter than 25 kg.

Where do you need approval?

• In the controlled zones of Podgorica and Tivat airports you may fly without approval only up to 50 m above the ground; from 50 to 120 m you need approval from the airspace management cell AMC Montenegro, which publishes a NOTAM.
• In the inner area around Podgorica and Tivat airports, bounded by arcs with a 4 km radius, flying is allowed only with approval from AMC Montenegro.
• The request is filed on the prescribed form at least two working days before the flight, by 10:00 UTC, separately for each flight, and during the flight the pilot must be reachable on the mobile number given in the request.
• Drone geographical zones are published at the address given in the Aeronautical Information Publication, section ENR 5.3.1, and the pilot must check up-to-date information on them before flying.
• Filming with a drone in a national park requires a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency, a CAA permit if the drone weighs more than 249 g and approval from the Public Enterprise for National Parks. For a feature or commercial film the park charges €200 a day, and for music videos and adverts €400 a day.

What are the fines?

The kind of photos that sell a property is covered in our article on writing a listing, and if you have neither a drone nor the experience, you can find a photographer for your listing through the Glatko platform. Podgorica and Tivat airports are described in our article on airports, and tickets and rules in the parks in our article on national parks.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to register my drone in Montenegro? You do if the drone weighs 250 g or more, or if it is lighter but has a camera or other sensor and is not a toy. You register as an operator on the dron.caa.me portal, for two years.

Does a drone under 250 g need registration? Not if it has no camera or other sensor that captures personal data, or if it is a toy. If it has a camera, the operator registers.

How high can I fly a drone? No higher than 120 m above the nearest point of the ground, and in the controlled zones of Podgorica and Tivat airports no higher than 50 m without approval.

Can I fly a drone in Montenegro as a tourist? Yes. Registrations and certificates from an EU country are recognised, and an operator from a third country who is not registered under the same conditions registers with the CAA.

Can I film with a drone in a national park? Only with a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency, a CAA permit for a drone over 249 g and approval from the Public Enterprise for National Parks.

What is the fine for flying a drone illegally? A pilot pays from 500 to 2,000 euros, for example for flying in a zone without approval or without the required competence.

Sources

The flying rules, categories and registration are set by the Rulebook on conditions for the safe use of unmanned aircraft systems, as amended up to 73/2026, and foreign operators and fines by the Air Transport Law (Articles 98, 100, 235 and 238). Registration, training and documents are published on the CAA drone page, the conditions around airports in safety order 2017/001 rev 03, and the park rules by the Public Enterprise for National Parks. The information was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this article is not legal advice.