Ireland · Country guide
Ireland charges €220 in fees before a single lesson
Ireland runs the same EU rules as every other member state, but it is one of the few that charges for the online test other countries hand out free. Registration, the A1/A3 proof of training and the A2 certificate come to €220 in IAA fees — and the A2 course itself is extra, bought from a training organisation.
New to this? Ireland sits inside the EU regime, so the categories, the syllabus and the exam lengths are the ones set out on our European Union page. What is specifically Irish is the price list, and the fact that the entry-level online test is charged for.
The short answer
Flying for fun
Register as an operator with the IAA and complete the online training and test on their MySRS platform. The training takes about fifteen minutes; the test is 40 questions with a 75% pass mark and takes about ten.
Flying closer to people
Subcategory A2 needs a UAS Remote Pilot Competency Certificate from a drone training organisation — 30 questions at 75%, plus a practical assessment.
Flying commercially at scale
The Specific category is where Irish fees get serious: €514 for a standard scenarios declaration, €1,797 for a PDRA, €3,595 for a SORA.
Who runs it and what it's called
- Regulator
- Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)
- Official guidance
- iaa.ie drones ↗
- Framework
- Regulation (EU) 2019/947, as applied in Ireland
- Qualification names
- UAS Proof of Online Training (A1/A3) · UAS Remote Pilot Competency Certificate (A2)
- Where you sit the first test
- The IAA's MySRS platform
- Where you get the A2
- A drone training organisation, not the IAA directly
- Language
- Training courses are conducted in English
- Fees effective
- 1 January 2026, VAT exempt
The Irish price list
This is the part worth reading twice. The IAA publishes a schedule of charges for unmanned aircraft, and unlike most of the countries on this site, almost every step has a price attached to it.
| Item | Fee | Valid for | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator registration | €41 | 2 years | Registering yourself or your business as a UAS operator |
| Online training proof, A1/A3 | €51 | 5 years | The entry-level test. Free in a number of other member states |
| A2 certificate of competency | €128 | 5 years | The IAA fee. The course itself is charged separately by the training organisation |
| STS theoretical knowledge | €205 | 5 years | Standard scenarios theory, for Specific category work |
| Standard scenarios declaration | €514 | 2 years | Declaring an operation against a standard scenario |
| PDRA, initial or renewal | €1,797 | 2 years | Predefined risk assessment authorisation |
| SORA, SAIL I–II | €3,595 | 2 years | Full operational risk assessment |
| SORA, SAIL III and above | €3,595 more | 2 years | Charged in addition to the above |
What a hobbyist actually pays. €41 to register plus €51 for the online proof is €92 before you fly at all — and the registration lasts two years while the training proof lasts five, so they fall due on different cycles. Add the A2 certificate at €128 and the IAA has taken €220 before any training organisation has invoiced you.
What the two exams involve
| Step | Where | The exam | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAS Proof of Online Training | IAA MySRS platform | 40 questions · 75% pass mark · around 10 minutes, after about 15 minutes of training | 5 years |
| UAS Remote Pilot Competency Certificate | A drone training organisation | 30 questions · 75% pass mark · plus a practical assessment | 5 years |
Ireland adds a practical assessment to the A2. The EU regulation asks for self-practical training in A3 conditions that you declare yourself. Ireland's route goes through a training organisation and includes an assessment, which is a meaningfully higher bar than a declaration — and part of what the €128 and the course fee buy.
Already qualified somewhere else?
From another EU state
Ireland applies the same regulation, so the categories and certificates are the same instrument. Check with the IAA before assuming a certificate issued elsewhere needs no action — we have not confirmed the mechanics.
From the UK
A GVC or A2 CofC is not an EU certificate. The UK left the EASA system, so a UK qualification does not carry into Ireland.
From outside Europe
A US Part 107 or a Canadian certificate has no standing here. Both of those countries take the same view of Irish certificates.
Where every figure on this page came from
| Claim | Value | Primary source | Checked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every fee in the table above | €41–€3,595 | IAA Schedule of Charges, Schedule 6 — UAS Operations, effective 1 January 2026 | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| A1/A3 online test format and pass mark | 40 q · 75% | IAA, drone training and remote pilot competency | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| A2 exam format, pass mark and practical assessment | 30 q · 75% · practical | IAA, drone training and remote pilot competency | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| Both certificates valid five years | 5 years | IAA, as above, consistent with Regulation (EU) 2019/947 | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| A1/A3 is free in other member states | — | We know Ireland charges €51. We have not surveyed the other 26 authorities, so "free elsewhere" is an impression, not a finding | — | Not yet checked |
| Cost of an A2 course from a training organisation | — | No survey of Irish training organisations done | — | Not yet checked |
| How a certificate from another EU state is treated | — | Not yet read on the IAA site | — | Not yet checked |
Questions people ask about flying in Ireland
Do I need a licence to fly a drone in Ireland?
You need to register as an operator with the IAA and hold proof of online training for A1 and A3 flying. For subcategory A2 you need a UAS Remote Pilot Competency Certificate from a training organisation.
How much does it cost?
€41 to register for two years, €51 for the A1/A3 online training proof for five, and €128 for the A2 certificate for five. That is €220 in IAA fees, before any training organisation charges you for the A2 course itself.
Why does Ireland charge for the online test?
Because the EU regulation sets no fees at all — it leaves every charge to the national authority. Ireland has chosen to charge €51 for the step that some other member states provide free.
Is a UK GVC valid in Ireland?
No. The UK left the EASA system, so a UK qualification is not an EU one.
What is the pass mark?
75%, on both the 40-question A1/A3 test and the 30-question A2 exam.
We will tell you when this changes
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