Competent authority
The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), ΥΠΑ in Greek, is the authority for uncrewed aircraft. The air navigation service provider HASP supplies the zone information system.
Registration
Operator registration is done with the HCAA. The threshold is the one in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947: it is mandatory unless the aircraft weighs less than 250 g and carries no camera or personal-data sensor. Both conditions must hold to be exempt.
Remote pilot certification
Subcategories A1, A2 and A3 of the Open category apply, with European training and exams. A certificate obtained in another member state is recognised.
Operating categories
Open, Specific and Certified, under Regulations (EU) 2019/947 and 2019/945, applied since 1 January 2021. Greece adds its national rules on top.
Airspace and official resources
The DAGR system gives zone status in real time. It is the tool to consult, and it has no equivalent elsewhere under that name.
⛔ Greek military zones are marked in it and are absolute no-fly areas. The country has many, notably across the Aegean and near the borders, and their density surprises a visitor reasoning from Western European habits.
Some operations also require a prior application to the HCAA.
National specifics
Island geography multiplies the cases. A dense archipelago, many regional aerodromes and military areas close to the coast mean a single day of filming can cross several regimes. Checking one zone at departure does not cover the day.
⚠️ Archaeological sites fall under a permission separate from aviation. It does not appear on any zone map: it is a filming permission, obtained from the cultural authorities, and its absence has nothing to do with flight safety.