Free SORA checklist
SORA checklist: 10 things to check before you apply
A SORA is the custom risk assessment behind a specific category operational authorisation. Authorities reject or return most first submissions for the same handful of reasons. Check these ten points before you submit and you avoid weeks of back and forth. If your operation needs one, our team prepares the full SORA operational authorisation and deals with the authority for you.
Before you submit
The 10 checks that decide your approval
Each one maps to a step of the SORA methodology. Miss one and the inspector will send the file back.
1. Is SORA the right route?
Check the standard scenarios and the PDRAs first. If your operation fits one, it is faster and cheaper than a full SORA.
2. A complete ConOps
Describe the operation, the organisation, the drone, the crew, the area and the procedures. The ConOps is the base of everything else.
3. The right SORA version
Confirm which version your authority accepts, SORA 2.0 or 2.5. Mixing the two methods is a common reason for return.
4. Ground risk with evidence
Justify the population density and the size and speed of the drone. Claim ground risk mitigations only when you can prove them.
5. Air risk and the right ARC
Determine the initial air risk class for the airspace you use and support any strategic mitigation with real coordination arrangements.
6. The correct SAIL
The SAIL follows from final ground and air risk. A wrong SAIL changes every requirement after it.
7. Every OSO at the right robustness
Address each operational safety objective at the integrity and assurance level your SAIL demands, with evidence.
8. Containment
Show how the drone stays inside the operational volume and what happens if it does not, including the adjacent area.
9. An operations manual that matches
Procedures, training, maintenance and emergency response must match what you claimed in the risk assessment.
10. A clean, consistent file
Same drone, same figures, same names in every document. Inconsistencies are the fastest way to a return.
Do not copy a template
Authorities spot generic SORA files quickly. Every mitigation must describe your operation, your area and your evidence.
What you’ll get
The free SORA checklist
- The 10 checks in submission order
- What authorities expect for each SORA step
- How to choose between SORA, PDRA and STS
- The evidence that supports mitigations
- Common reasons for a return
Get the Free SORA Checklist
10 things to check before you submit, from ConOps to OSOs.
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From risk assessment to approval
EU Drone Port prepares SORA and PDRA applications and supports you with the authority until approval.
Most requested
SORA Operational Authorisation
For operations outside the standard scenarios and PDRAs, we prepare the SORA documentation, submit it and defend it with the authority.
- Documentation ready in 30 days
- 98% approval rate
- Approvals in 28 of 31 EASA countries
- Support until approval
From €2,950 + VAT
PDRA Authorisation
We prepare the full PDRA application, submit it with you and answer the inspector until the authorisation is granted.
- All PDRA types
- 100+ PDRAs approved
- Operations manual included
- Support until approval
From €1,950 + VAT
Flight Coordination
Send us date, time, coordinates, drone and pilot. We handle the airspace coordination until you have clearance, including in restricted zones.
- Per-flight coordination
- Authority and airspace notifications handled
- Restricted zones included
- 31 countries
€95 per flight + VAT, billed monthly
More free guides
More free guides for SORA applicants
FAQ
Questions about the SORA process
What is SORA?
The Specific Operations Risk Assessment is the JARUS methodology used in EASA countries to assess drone operations in the specific category that do not fit a standard scenario or a PDRA.
When do I need a SORA?
When your operation is outside the open category limits and is not covered by STS-01, STS-02 or a PDRA. Typical cases are BVLOS beyond 2 km, heavier drones and flights over populated areas.
What is a SAIL?
The Specific Assurance and Integrity Level, from I to VI. It results from the final ground and air risk and sets how robust your safety objectives must be.
What are OSOs?
Operational safety objectives covering the operator, the drone, the crew and the environment. Each must be met at the robustness level required by your SAIL.
How long does a SORA approval take?
It depends on the authority and the complexity of the operation, usually several months. EU Drone Port prepares the documentation in 30 days.
Can EU Drone Port prepare my SORA?
Yes. We prepare, submit and defend your SORA with the authority from €2,950 + VAT, with a 98% approval rate and approvals in 28 of 31 EASA countries.
Last updated: October 2026. Source: Regulation (EU) 2019/947, EASA AMC and GM to the regulation, and JARUS SORA.
Check your SORA before the authority does.
Ten checks that decide a first-time approval.
98%
Approval rate
28 of 31
EASA countries with approvals
30 days
Documentation ready
€2,950 + VAT
SORA from