In 2019, EU Implementing Regulation 2019/947 came into force, establishing the framework for UAS operation in Europe. Among other things, the regulation stipulates the qualifications pilots must possess depending on the UAS operating scenario. The first certificates of competence and remote pilot certificates were issued starting at the end of 2020. They are valid for five years. Therefore, the first „drone licenses“ are expiring these days. Renewing them on time saves time and money.

Anyone planning a long-distance trip should check their passport well in advance. Entry into many countries is impossible without a valid identification document. Any necessary renewal should therefore be applied for well ahead of time. Many other official documents also have limited validity periods. For UAS pilots, it is therefore worthwhile to review their certificates for operating unmanned aerial systems, which were often acquired several years ago.

According to section UAS.OPEN.070 (Validity period of online theory knowledge and certificates for remote pilots) of the European „Drone Regulation“, these certificates are only valid for five years each. Renewal is only possible until the end of these five years. Anyone who misses the deadline essentially has to start from scratch. While this might be manageable with regard to the EU Certificate of Competence A1/A3, it can quickly lead to considerable effort, avoidable additional costs, and potentially even lost earnings with the EU remote pilot certificate A2 or STS if commissioned flights cannot be carried out on the scheduled date due to the lack of authorization.

The EU Proof of Competence A1/A3 can be extended via your individual user account at the competent authority, such as the German Federal Aviation Office (LBA), and requires confirmation of the necessary basic knowledge. The cost at