Can I fly a drone in Funchal?
Drone zones in and around Funchal
The zones below are the ones nearest the centre of Funchal, measured from 32.6657, -16.9255. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parque Natural da MadeiraPT-Consultar a página web do IFCN, IP-RAM. EN-Consult IFCN, IP-RAM website. | Requires authorisation | 2 km | 120 m AGL |
| RN Parcial do Garajau e MN da Ponta do GarajauPT-Consultar a página web do IFCN, IP-RAM. EN-Consult IFCN, IP-RAM website. | Requires authorisation | 4 km | 120 m AGL |
| Aeroporto da Madeira - Área 1PT-Cat Aberta ate 30mSFC ou obstaculo raio 75m. Obrigatorio Funcao no UA para indicar altura SFC. EN-Open Cat up to 30mSFC or obstacle in… | Conditional | 5 km | 600 m AGL |
| Aeroporto da Madeira - Área 2PT-Cat Aberta ate 60mSFC ou obstaculo raio 75m. Obrigatorio Funcao no UA para indicar altura SFC. EN-Open Cat up to 60mSFC or obstacle in… | Conditional | 5 km | 600 m AGL |
| PNM, MN, PP do Cabo GirãoPT-Consultar a página web do IFCN, IP-RAM. EN-Consult IFCN, IP-RAM website. | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 120 m AGL |
| Monumento Natural do Maciço Montanhoso CentralPT-Consultar a página web do IFCN, IP-RAM. EN-Consult IFCN, IP-RAM website. | Requires authorisation | 6 km | 120 m AGL |
| Aeroporto da Madeira - Área ProíbidaPT -Categoria aberta: todos os voos proibidos na categoria aberta EN -Open category: all flights prohibited in the open category | Prohibited | 7 km | 600 m AGL |
Who to ask for permission
The zones around Funchal name 2 different responsible bodies, so who you ask depends on which zone you are flying in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fly a drone in Funchal?
No published drone zone covers the exact centre of Funchal, but 7 restricted zones fall within 10 km of it, the nearest 2 km away. Check your exact take-off point before you fly. Funchal is in Portugal, where the UAS geographical zones are published by ANAC - Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. Always confirm against the official source before a flight.
Where can't I fly a drone in Funchal?
Inside Funchal's UAS geographical zones. Within 10 km of the centre canfly? tracks 7 restricted zones: 4 requiring authorisation, 2 conditional, 1 prohibited. They are published by ANAC - Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil and shown on the map at https://canfly.io/map.
How high can I fly a drone in Funchal?
The EU open category caps you at 120 m above ground across Portugal, and lower where a zone says so. No zone over the centre of Funchal 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 Funchal?
The zones around Funchal name 2 different responsible bodies, so it depends which zone you are in. The most frequently named are IFCN IP RAM - Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza (ifcn@madeira.gov.pt); ANAC - Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil (uas.spec@anac.pt). Each zone's authority is listed on this page.
How this page was worked out
- Zones published by
- ANAC - Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil
- Official source
- https://dnt.anac.pt/
- Data version
- 2026-04-22
- Last refreshed by canfly?
- 2026-08-01
- Area covered
- Within 10 km of 32.6657, -16.9255
- Legal basis
- Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15
Zone counts are measured from the point above, which is Funchal's centre as recorded by GeoNames; a zone counts if any part of it falls within 10 km of it. That radius scales with population and is not Funchal'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 105,795 (GeoNames, record updated 2026-04-14). City data from GeoNames, licensed CC BY 4.0. Zone data is the official Portugal dataset, unmodified except for normalisation to ED-269.
Other cities in Portugal
canfly? has zone pages for 6 cities in Portugal. See the whole country, or another city: