# Can I fly a drone in Lugano, Switzerland?

The centre of Lugano sits inside 2 published drone zones (LSZA Lugano, CTR LUGANO), so you need authorisation or must meet stated conditions before flying there. 7 restricted zones fall within 8 km of the centre in total.

## Key facts
- Restricted zones within 8 km of the centre: **7**
  - Requires authorisation: 7
- Zones covering the city centre: **2**
- No zone over the centre states a height at which its restriction stops; the EU open-category limit of 120 m applies
- 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
- Measured within 8 km of 46.0101, 8.96

## Zones nearest the centre of Lugano

| Zone | Restriction | Distance from centre | Restricted up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSZA Lugano | Requires authorisation | over the centre | not stated |
| CTR LUGANO | Requires authorisation | over the centre | not stated |
| Substation Manno | Requires authorisation | 3 km | 200 m AGL |
| LSZA Lugano (Airport perimeter) | Requires authorisation | 3 km | not stated |
| Carcere Penale Lo Stampino | Requires authorisation | 4 km | not stated |
| Substation Pian Scairolo | Requires authorisation | 4 km | 200 m AGL |
| Carcere Penale La Stampa e Carcere Giudiziario La Farera | Requires authorisation | 4 km | not stated |

## Who to ask for permission

- **FOCA (BAZL)** - info@bazl.admin.ch (7 zones near Lugano)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I fly a drone in Lugano?
The centre of Lugano sits inside 2 published drone zones (LSZA Lugano, CTR LUGANO), so you need authorisation or must meet stated conditions before flying there. 7 restricted zones fall within 8 km of the centre in total. Lugano 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 Lugano?
Inside Lugano's UAS geographical zones. Within 8 km of the centre canfly? tracks 7 restricted zones: 7 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 Lugano?
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 Lugano 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 Lugano?
The zones around Lugano 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 was worked out

A zone counts if any part of it falls within 8 km of 46.0101, 8.96 - Lugano's centre as recorded by GeoNames. That radius scales with population and is NOT the administrative city boundary, so a zone just outside the city limits still appears. Population 63,185 (GeoNames record updated 2025-06-13).

City names, coordinates and populations from GeoNames (https://www.geonames.org/), licensed CC BY 4.0. Zone data is the official national dataset, unmodified except for normalisation to ED-269.

Full country picture: https://canfly.io/drone-zones/switzerland
Interactive map: https://canfly.io/map?country=CHE&lat=46.0101&lon=8.96&radius=8000

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**Citing this page:** canfly?, “Can I fly a drone in Lugano?”, https://canfly.io/drone-zones/switzerland/lugano (data as of 2026-07-31).
canfly? aggregates the official UAS geographical zones that EU and EEA states publish under
Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 15. It is not an air-traffic or flight-authorisation service;
critical flights must be confirmed against the national authority.