# Agricultural drone spraying rules in Spain

> What you need to spray crops with a drone in Spain: legal status, authorities, permits, requirements and operating limits, with links to the official sources.

- Canonical URL: https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/spain
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-09-18
- Path: Home › Drone spraying rules by country › Agricultural drone spraying rules in Spain
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## Legal status

**Restricted or by exception.** Spraying plant protection products by drone is prohibited as a rule. Drone treatments count as aerial applications under Real Decreto 1311/2012, so each treatment needs prior authorisation from the regional government (comunidad autónoma), on top of an AESA operational authorisation.

## Who regulates it

- **Aviation:** [State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA)](https://www.seguridadaerea.gob.es/es/ambitos/drones/operaciones-uas-drones/operaciones-con-uas-drones---categoria-especifica)
- **Agriculture:** [Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA)](https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/agricultura/temas/sanidad-vegetal/productos-fitosanitarios/uso-sostenible-de-productos-fitosanitarios)
- **Agriculture:** [Regional government plant health service (example: Junta de Castilla y León) (CCAA)](https://agriculturaganaderia.jcyl.es/web/es/produccion-agricola-sanidad-vegetal/aplicaciones-aereas-productos-fitosanitarios.html)

## Legal basis

- [Real Decreto 1311/2012, arts. 27–29 and annexes VI–VII](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2012-11605): Sustainable use of plant protection products. Bans aerial application except special cases authorised by the regional government, and sets the general conditions and the content of the application plan.
- [MAPA information note on aerial treatments with drones (16 August 2018)](https://www.mapa.gob.es/dam/mapa/contenido/agricultura/temas/medios-de-produccion/productos-fitosanitarios/uso-sostenible-de-productos-fitosanitarios/180816notainformativatratamientosaereoscondrones--aesa.pdf): States that drone treatments are aerial treatments for all purposes: the product must be authorised for aerial use, the pilot needs the pilot applicator card and ROPO registration, and each treatment needs regional authorisation.
- [Real Decreto 517/2024 (civil use of UAS)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2024-11377): Spanish rules for unmanned aircraft that complement the EU drone regulations.
- [Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/947/oj): EU rules for drone operations. Spraying falls in the specific category and needs an operational authorisation.
- [Directive 2009/128/EC, art. 9](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/128/oj): EU ban on aerial spraying of pesticides, with national derogations under strict conditions.

## What you need

- Register as a UAS operator with AESA. ([seguridadaerea.gob.es](https://www.seguridadaerea.gob.es/es/ambitos/drones/registro-de-operador-de-drones-uas))
- Hold an AESA operational authorisation in the specific category. AESA has a predefined risk assessment for phytosanitary operations (PDRA-S01 [F]). ([seguridadaerea.gob.es](https://www.seguridadaerea.gob.es/es/ambitos/drones/operaciones-uas-drones/operaciones-con-uas-drones---categoria-especifica))
- The pilot needs the professional user card for plant protection products at pilot applicator level (carné de piloto aplicador, art. 18 RD 1311/2012). ([boe.es](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2012-11605))
- The pilot or the company must be registered in the ROPO register, treatment services sector. ([mapa.gob.es](https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/agricultura/temas/sanidad-vegetal/productos-fitosanitarios/ropo/))
- Use only products authorised for the crop and pest and specifically approved for aerial application (check the MAPA product register). ([mapa.gob.es](https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/agricultura/temas/sanidad-vegetal/productos-fitosanitarios/registro/menu.asp))
- Get prior authorisation for each treatment from the regional government, with an application plan signed by a university-qualified treatment director. ([agriculturaganaderia.jcyl.es](https://agriculturaganaderia.jcyl.es/web/es/produccion-agricola-sanidad-vegetal/aplicaciones-aereas-productos-fitosanitarios.html))
- The treatment company must hold civil and chemical liability insurance for the aircraft (annex VI). ([boe.es](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2012-11605))
- Keep a daily flight record (product, dose, area, times, georeferenced data) for at least 3 years (annex VI). ([boe.es](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2012-11605))
- Since 1 January 2026, professional users must keep treatment records in electronic, machine-readable form (Regulation (EU) 2023/564). ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/564/oj))

## How to get authorised

1. Register with AESA and apply for a specific-category operational authorisation (PDRA-S01 [F] for phytosanitary work). ([seguridadaerea.gob.es](https://www.seguridadaerea.gob.es/es/ambitos/drones/operaciones-uas-drones/operaciones-con-uas-drones---categoria-especifica))
2. Obtain the pilot applicator card and register in ROPO. ([mapa.gob.es](https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/agricultura/temas/sanidad-vegetal/productos-fitosanitarios/ropo/))
3. Check that the product is approved for aerial application. ([mapa.gob.es](https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/agricultura/temas/sanidad-vegetal/productos-fitosanitarios/registro/menu.asp))
4. Prepare the application plan (annex VII): crop, pest, products, doses, dates, SIGPAC plots, 1:25,000 maps, exclusion zones, and a justification that there is no viable alternative or that aerial application has clear advantages. ([boe.es](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2012-11605))
5. Submit the request to the regional authority. The maximum decision period is six months unless regional rules say otherwise. ([agriculturaganaderia.jcyl.es](https://agriculturaganaderia.jcyl.es/web/es/produccion-agricola-sanidad-vegetal/aplicaciones-aereas-productos-fitosanitarios.html))
6. Put up warning signs on access roads, spray only as the authorised plan says, and keep the records. ([boe.es](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2012-11605))

## Operating limits for spraying

- Keep a safety strip of at least 100 m from towns, water bodies (rivers, lagoons, reservoirs), apiaries and non-target organic crops. The authorised plan may reduce it in justified cases (RD 1311/2012, annex VI).
- Spray only in suitable weather, check the forecast beforehand and stop if conditions worsen significantly. The decree sets no fixed wind figure (annex VI).
- PDRA-S01 [F]: visual line of sight up to 500 m, below 30 m above ground, maximum characteristic dimension 3 m, over a controlled ground area in sparsely populated zones, and no overflying people while spraying.
- PDRA-S01 [F] ground risk buffer: at least 10 m when flying up to 10 m high, and 20 m up to 30 m high.

## Good to know

- MAPA's note says drone treatments with biological control organisms notified or authorised under Real Decreto 951/2014 are not subject to these plant protection product rules.
- In August 2025 the Government of Aragón reminded farmers that drone spraying without prior authorisation is prohibited.
- An EU proposal of December 2025 (COM(2025) 1021) would let Member States exempt some drone types from the aerial-spraying ban. It is still under discussion and does not apply yet.

> Checked against official sources on 2026-09-18. Rules change: confirm with the authorities before operating. This page is a planning summary, not legal advice. The product label and the official rules always prevail.

## Other countries

- [Australia](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/australia)
- [Brazil](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/brazil)
- [Canada](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/canada)
- [China](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/china)
- [France](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/france)
- [Germany](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/germany)
- [Greece](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/greece)
- [Indonesia](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/indonesia)
- [Italy](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/italy)
- [Japan](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/japan)
- [Netherlands](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/netherlands)
- [Portugal](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/portugal)
- [South Korea](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/south-korea)
- [Switzerland](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/switzerland)
- [Taiwan](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/taiwan)
- [Turkey](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/turkey)
- [United Kingdom](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/united-kingdom)
- [United States](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/united-states)
- [Uruguay](https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/uruguay)

## Check the spray window before you go to the field

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