Flying a drone in Madeira: the rules
Can you fly a drone in Madeira? The EU drone rules that apply in Portugal, registration, height limits, no-fly zones around the airport and Funchal, protected areas and aerial photography permissions.
Madeira’s cliffs and valleys look spectacular from the air, and many visitors bring a drone. Portugal applies the European Union’s drone rules, with some national additions. This is a summary, not legal advice; check the official sources before flying.
The basics
- Register as an operator with the aviation authority of your EU country of residence (in Portugal, ANAC) if your drone weighs 250 g or more, or has a camera and is not a toy. Visitors from outside the EU register in the first EU country where they fly. Put your operator number on the drone.
- Online training and test: required for most drones above 250 g in the open category.
- Height: fly no higher than 120 m above the ground.
- Line of sight: always keep the drone in view.
- People: don’t fly over crowds or uninvolved people.
- Insurance: recommended, and required for heavier drones.
Where you can’t fly
- Around Madeira and Porto Santo airports: there are large restricted zones around the airports, which include much of the east coast. Drone flights here need special permission.
- Over Funchal: much of the city lies in controlled airspace and has restrictions.
- Protected areas: the Madeira Natural Park covers large parts of the island, including the laurel forest, the high mountains and nature reserves such as Ponta de São Lourenço and the Desertas. Flights may need authorisation from the forest service, IFCN.
- Near military sites, prisons and emergency operations, including wildfire-fighting flights.
Aerial photography
In Portugal, capturing and publishing aerial images can require authorisation from the national aeronautical authority, depending on where and how you fly. Check the current requirements before posting footage commercially.
Practical tips
- Use an official drone map app or the authority’s maps to check zones before each flight.
- Wind in the mountains is strong and gusty; drones are lost here every year.
- Respect other visitors at viewpoints like Pico do Arieiro and Fanal, where buzzing drones spoil the experience.
Sources: ANAC, Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority, drones, EASA, drones in the EU