Can I fly a drone in Bern?
Drone zones in and around Bern
The zones below are the ones nearest the centre of Bern, measured from 46.9481, 7.4474. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSZB Bern-Belp 2Exemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | Over the centre | not stated |
| CTR BERNExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | Over the centre | not stated |
| Regionalgefängnis BernExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 0.3 km | 300 m AGL |
| LSZB Bern-Belp 1Exemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 0.5 km | not stated |
| BernExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 1 km | not stated |
| BEWA InselspitalExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 2 km | 300 m AGL |
| Water Bird and Migratory Bird Reserves Wohlensee (Halenbrücke bis Wohleibrücke) (BE)Exemption permits may be applied for at the competent cantonal specialist office. | Requires authorisation | 3 km | not stated |
| Cantonal wildlife reserve Eichholz-Selhofen Zone 1bExemption permits may be applied for at the competent cantonal specialist office. | Requires authorisation | 4 km | not stated |
| IttigenExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 4 km | not stated |
| LSZB Bern-Belp 1 (Airport perimeter)Exemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 4 km | not stated |
| Polizeizentrum BernExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 5 km | not stated |
| ZimmerwaldExemption permits may be applied for at the competent authority. | Requires authorisation | 7 km | not stated |
| Cantonal wildlife reserve Aareufer-Kleinhöchstetten-JabergExemption permits may be applied for at the competent cantonal specialist office. | Requires authorisation | 8 km | not stated |
| Cantonal wildlife reserve Moossee Zone 1cExemption permits may be applied for at the competent cantonal specialist office. | Requires authorisation | 8 km | not stated |
| Cantonal wildlife reserve Moossee Zone 1bExemption permits may be applied for at the competent cantonal specialist office. | Requires authorisation | 9 km | not stated |
Who to ask for permission
The zones around Bern 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 Bern?
The centre of Bern sits inside 2 published drone zones (LSZB Bern-Belp 2, CTR BERN), so you need authorisation or must meet stated conditions before flying there. 15 restricted zones fall within 10 km of the centre in total. Bern is in Switzerland, where the UAS geographical zones are published by FOCA / BAZL (Switzerland), data via swisstopo under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. Always confirm against the official source before a flight.
Where can't I fly a drone in Bern?
Inside Bern's UAS geographical zones. Within 10 km of the centre canfly? tracks 15 restricted zones: 15 requiring authorisation. They are published by FOCA / BAZL (Switzerland), data via swisstopo and shown on the map at https://canfly.io/map.
How high can I fly a drone in Bern?
The EU open category caps you at 120 m above ground across Switzerland, and lower where a zone says so. No zone over the centre of Bern 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 Bern?
The zones around Bern name one responsible body, so it depends which zone you are in. The most frequently named is FOCA (BAZL) (info@bazl.admin.ch). Each zone's authority is listed on this page.
How this page was worked out
- Zones published by
- FOCA / BAZL (Switzerland), data via swisstopo
- Official source
- https://map.geo.admin.ch/?layers=ch.bazl.einschraenkungen-drohnen
- Data version
- 2026-07-31
- Last refreshed by canfly?
- 2026-07-31
- Area covered
- Within 10 km of 46.9481, 7.4474
- Legal basis
- Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15
Zone counts are measured from the point above, which is Bern'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 Bern'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 121,631 (GeoNames, record updated 2019-09-18). City data from GeoNames, licensed CC BY 4.0. Zone data is the official Switzerland dataset, unmodified except for normalisation to ED-269.
Other cities in Switzerland
canfly? has zone pages for 10 cities in Switzerland. See the whole country, or another city: