Can I fly a drone in Dublin?
Drone zones in and around Dublin
The zones below are the ones nearest the centre of Dublin, measured from 53.3331, -6.2489. Distance is to the edge of the zone, so “over the centre” means the city centre itself is inside it. Restricted up to is how far the zone reaches above the ground – the restriction applies from the surface to that height, so it is not an altitude you may climb to.
| Zone | Restriction | Distance | Restricted up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Control Zone (CTR) - Amber ZoneThe greater of 30M AGL or the height of the tallest obstacle within 50M. The maximum height may be increased up to 15M above the height of… | Requires authorisation | Over the centre | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Aviva StadiumAccess may be requested through the zone authority. State UAS Operated by An Garda Síochána or the Permanent Defence Forces shall be exempt… | Requires authorisation | 0.9 km | 3,000 ft AMSL |
| Cathal Brugha BarracksAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 1 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| Dublin Airport - Green ZoneHeight restriction of 90m applies. Access above the height restrictions may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category… | Requires authorisation | 1 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Garda Operation Dublin CastleAccess may be requested through the zone authority. | Requires authorisation | 1 km | 3,000 ft AMSL |
| Arbour Hill PrisonAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 2 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| EIP18 MOUNTJOY PRISON, DUBLINAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 3 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| Royal Hospital KilmainhamAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 3 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| EIP11 PHOENIX PARK, DUBLINRequest access through the zone authority. | Requires authorisation | 4 km | 1,000 ft AMSL |
| Dublin Control Zone (CTR) Casement TerrainThe greater of 60M AGL or the height of the tallest obstacle within 50M. The maximum height may be increased up to 15M above the height of… | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Dublin Control Zone (CTR)- Red ZoneAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Currency CentreAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Leinster Model Flying Club 1Model Aircraft are exempt from the restrictions of the UAS Geographical Zone within which the exemption zone resides. | Conditional | 6 km | 400 ft AGL |
| Bray AirshowAccess may be requested through the zone authority. | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 4,000 ft AMSL |
| EIR15 geozone adjustedAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. Allow at least three working days. UAS which has a… | Requires authorisation | 7 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| IPS BSDAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 8 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| Cloverhill & Wheatfield PrisonAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Open & Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 8 km | 550 ft AMSL |
| Dublin Control Zone (CTR) -Terrain 3Access may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 8 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| Casement AerodromeAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. | Requires authorisation | 9 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
| EIR23 extendedAccess may be requested through the zone authority for Specific Category operations. Allow at least three working days. | Requires authorisation | 12 km | 5,000 ft AMSL |
Showing the 20 nearest of 23. See all 23 on the map.
Who to ask for permission
The zones around Dublin name one responsible body, so who you ask depends on which zone you are flying in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fly a drone in Dublin?
The centre of Dublin sits inside a published drone zone (Dublin Control Zone (CTR) - Amber Zone), so you need authorisation or must meet stated conditions before flying there. 23 restricted zones fall within 15 km of the centre in total. Dublin is in Ireland, where the UAS geographical zones are published by Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. Always confirm against the official source before a flight.
Where can't I fly a drone in Dublin?
Inside Dublin's UAS geographical zones. Within 15 km of the centre canfly? tracks 23 restricted zones: 21 requiring authorisation, 2 conditional. They are published by Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland and shown on the map at https://canfly.io/map.
How high can I fly a drone in Dublin?
The EU open category caps you at 120 m above ground across Ireland, and lower where a zone says so. No zone over the centre of Dublin publishes a height at which its restriction stops, so treat 120 m as the limit and check the zones nearby before you launch.
Who do I ask for permission to fly a drone in Dublin?
Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland, which publishes Ireland's UAS geographical zones under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. Its official source is https://www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones/uas-geographic-zones.
How this page was worked out
- Zones published by
- Irish Aviation Authority / AirNav Ireland
- Official source
- https://www.iaa.ie/general-aviation/drones/uas-geographic-zones
- Data version
- 2026-07-25
- Last refreshed by canfly?
- 2026-08-01
- Area covered
- Within 15 km of 53.3331, -6.2489
- Legal basis
- Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15
Zone counts are measured from the point above, which is Dublin's centre as recorded by GeoNames; a zone counts if any part of it falls within 15 km of it. That radius scales with population and is not Dublin's administrative boundary, so a zone just outside the city limits still appears - which is what matters when you are deciding where to take off. Population 1,024,027 (GeoNames, record updated 2022-03-09). City data from GeoNames, licensed CC BY 4.0. Zone data is the official Ireland dataset, unmodified except for normalisation to ED-269.
Other cities in Ireland
canfly? has zone pages for 6 cities in Ireland. See the whole country, or another city: