EASA rules on top of Swiss law — registration from 250 g or with a camera, 120 m ceiling, CHF 1 m liability cover

Updated July 2026

🚁 Can I fly my drone over Liechtenstein?

With conditions

Quick answer

Yes, but under EASA rules applied through Swiss law — and "under 250 g means I am free" is not true. Registration is required for any drone from 250 g or carrying a camera; the only exemption is flying under 250 g without a camera. Maximum altitude: 120 m above ground. The Landespolizei requires liability cover of at least CHF 1 million, issued in the pilot's name and carried during the flight. The myth: "Liechtenstein requires nothing — up to 30 kg in sight, no registration." That comes from the pre-2023 Swiss regime and is obsolete. Fly a permit-requiring operation without a permit and LFG Art. 19 exposes you to a fine of up to CHF 50,000 — imposed by the Landgericht.

📋 The rules

The applicable law is doubly derived: the Aviation Act of 11 April 2024 (LFG, in force since 1 June 2024) declares Swiss aviation legislation applicable (2003 exchange of notes) and expressly refers to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. It is enforced by the Swiss FOCA (BAZL) and the Office of Building and Spatial Planning.
Registration — the camera is the trigger: operator registration is mandatory; the only exemption is a drone under 250 g WITHOUT a camera. A sub-250 g drone with a camera therefore must be registered. Cost CHF 10, minimum age 12; it is the operator who is registered, not the drone.
Open category — the distances: maximum altitude 120 m above ground. A1 (under 250 g): overflight of uninvolved persons permitted. A2: minimum horizontal distance of 30 m from uninvolved persons (5 m in low-speed mode). A3: at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas. Over crowds, above 120 m, beyond visual line of sight or above 25 kg: only with a permit.
Proof of competence: the A1/A3 online theory exam takes 60 minutes, costs CHF 20 and is valid for 5 years across all EASA states; A2 is an in-person exam. No certificate is needed for drones under 250 g in A1. Minimum age for a remote pilot: 12 years.
Liability cover — and at 250.0 g the authorities contradict each other. The Landespolizei writes that anyone operating a drone "of more than 250 grams" must maintain liability cover of at least CHF 1 million, with proof issued in the pilot's name and carried during operation. The Swiss FOCA, by contrast, says "250 g or more". At exactly 250.0 g the two official sources diverge — we do not average them.

🔓 Exceptions

Permanent no-fly zone over Vaduz: the area covering the Government Building, Parliament and Vaduz Castle is, according to the Landespolizei, closed all year round. The postcard shot from the air is an offence.
Balzers — even though Liechtenstein has no airport: "Parts of the municipality of Balzers … lie within a no-fly zone owing to the proximity of the helicopter landing site and Bad Ragaz airfield" (Landespolizei). The authoritative reference is the Swiss FOCA drone map, which the Landespolizei says "also applies in Liechtenstein".
Camera on = data protection law on: according to the Data Protection Authority you are within the scope of the GDPR and the national DSG "as soon as a camera is in operation" — even for a mere live transmission without recording. Recordings of publicly accessible spaces also trigger the notification duty under Art. 5(7) DSG.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

LFG Art. 19: the Landgericht punishes as a contravention, with a fine of up to CHF 50,000 or up to six months imprisonment in default, anyone who carries out permit-requiring activities without a permit — and the ceiling is halved for negligence. For companies, the business is jointly liable (Art. 20). On top come GDPR fines and civil claims. Not obvious: (a) without liability cover in the pilot's name you are personally liable in a crash. (b) This is a court contravention, not an administrative procedure. Whether the drone is confiscated as a matter of course could not be established from any official source — so we do not claim it.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Do I have to register a drone under 250 g?

Yes, as soon as it has a camera. The only exemption from registration is a drone under 250 g without a camera, so a small camera drone falls squarely within the duty to register.

Does the liability rule bite at exactly 250.0 grams?

That is contradictory, and we say so openly. The Landespolizei writes "more than 250 grams" while the Swiss FOCA writes "250 g or more" — at exactly 250.0 g the two official sources diverge.

How high am I allowed to fly?

A maximum of 120 metres above ground in the open category. Anything higher — as with flights over crowds, beyond visual line of sight, or above 25 kg — is permitted only in the specific category with a permit.

Can I film Vaduz Castle from the air?

No. The area covering the Government Building, Parliament and Vaduz Castle is closed all year round according to the Landespolizei. Parts of Balzers are also a no-fly zone because of the heliport and Bad Ragaz airfield.

What does flying without a permit cost?

Under LFG Art. 19, a fine of up to CHF 50,000 imposed by the Landgericht, or up to six months imprisonment in default. Where the breach is merely negligent, the maximum is halved.

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