Flying safely and in line with aviation law using unmanned aircraft requires qualifications appropriate to the type of operation. Obtaining the required licences, however, is only the first step – it is just as important to keep checking that they are valid and to follow the rules for renewing them. Neglecting this and flying after a licence has expired can have serious consequences, including high fines.
As the number of UAS operators and pilots in Poland and worldwide grows rapidly, so do the number of inspections and the importance of applying the rules correctly. Changing regulations make licence renewal one of the key issues for everyone who flies drones.
UAS operation categories
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, since the beginning of 2026 there have been three categories of operations with unmanned aircraft in Poland:
- Open, in which no operational authorisation is required, but the pilot must, among other things, keep the UAS within visual line of sight at all times, fly no higher than 120 metres above ground level, keep a safe distance from uninvolved people and not fly over assemblies of people.
- Specific, i.e. medium-risk operations that go beyond the limits of the “open” category. Flying in this category also requires an appropriate authorisation, certificate or a declaration of an operation conducted under a standard scenario.
- Certified, in which operations may only be carried out with a UAS that has been certified beforehand. These operations carry a high risk. The certified category is used, among others, to transport dangerous goods, to fly over assemblies of people or to carry people.
In this article we cover licences in the most popular and practical categories – “open” and “specific”.
Licence expiry date
UAS pilot licences are time-limited and expire after a set period. It is extremely important to keep track of your licence expiry date, because a flight made even one day after it expires is unlawful.
In both the “specific” and the “open” category, licences are issued for five years. Note that only certificates of theoretical knowledge have an expiry date. They are, however, essential for flying legally.
The easiest way to check your licence expiry date is in your pilot profile on the drony.gov.pl portal. By checking your competences regularly, you can be sure you will renew them in time.
Renewing licences in the open category
Licences in the A1/A3 subcategories are issued through the elearning.uav.pansa.pl training platform. Competences are granted immediately after passing the online theoretical knowledge exam. The same applies to renewing A1/A3 licences. Six months before the expiry date you get another chance to take the exam. All you need to do is take the test again, and your competences are renewed automatically.
The situation is slightly different in the A2 subcategory. This exam is held through approved training organisations. To renew your licence, contact one of them between 6 and 2 months before your qualification expires. After passing the exam within that period, the organisation sends confirmation to the Civil Aviation Authority, and on the expiry date your licence is extended for another five years.
Read more about the A2 open subcategory.
Renewing licences in the specific category
As with the A2 subcategory, licences in the specific category are issued on the basis of a certificate of theoretical knowledge issued by an approved training organisation.
The deadline for applying to renew licences in the STS-01 and STS-02 subcategories is the same as for A2: you must contact a training organisation no earlier than 6 months and no later than 2 months before the expiry date. After applying within that period, you will need to complete a short refresher course and retake the exam. If you pass, your specific-category licence is extended by five years from its expiry date.
Missed the renewal deadline – what next?
If you miss the renewal deadline and your licence expires, the validity of the certificate of theoretical knowledge can be restored. In the A1/A3 subcategories you simply pass the online test. In the A2 subcategory and the specific category (STS-01, STS-02), as with renewal, you need to contact a training organisation and pass the exam for the relevant subcategory after training. In some cases, however, you may have to complete the entire training path again, including the practical part.
Remember also that after expiry your licence does not keep its continuity. The regulations provide no transition period, so between the expiry of your licence and its restoration, all your flights will be unlawful. The best way to avoid a break in flying is to renew your certificate within the set deadline.
NSTS are no longer valid!
NSTS, the national standard scenarios, ceased to apply on 1 January 2026. This means that any flight based on these scenarios is treated as an operation without a valid authorisation.
While the national standard scenarios were in force, it was possible to convert licences from NSTS to the current standard scenarios (STS). At this point, however, this no longer matters. To operate legally in the specific category, you must complete a full course in the STS-01 or STS-02 subcategory, including practical and theoretical training and a theoretical knowledge exam.
Keep your licences valid
Keeping your UAS pilot licences valid is one of the key elements of safe and lawful drone operations. Checking deadlines regularly and planning certificate renewals early helps you avoid breaks in flying and unnecessary paperwork. If your licences are about to expire, or you plan to start flying in the A2 subcategory or the specific category, it is worth looking at the current training paths in advance. Depending on the type of operation, you can either renew your certificate or obtain new licences based on the current standard scenarios.
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