EU Drone Port
STS is declarative: no CAA approval needed, just a compliant declaration and operations manual. STS-01 is for urban VLOS. STS-02 is for rural BVLOS. Picking the wrong one means your operations are not legal.
STS Scenario Decision Tool
3 questions to find your correct STS scenario before you file a declaration.
Select the environment that best matches your planned operations
Select the option that best describes your operations
Select the altitude range that matches your operations
Your STS scenario
STS-01 vs STS-02 comparison
The two STS scenarios have different environments, equipment, and altitude limits. Declaring the wrong one invalidates your operations.
Operations over or near uninvolved people in congested environments. Maximum 120m AGL. Requires C5-class drone. Visual line of sight mandatory. STS-01 training certificate required.
Beyond visual line of sight in sparsely populated areas. Maximum 30m AGL. Requires C6-class drone. Command and control link mandatory. STS-02 training certificate required.
C5 class drone with EU class identification label, geofencing, remote ID, certified parachute system if required. Limited market availability as of 2025.
C6 class drone with EU class identification label, geofencing, remote ID, C&C link monitoring. Even fewer C6 models currently certified.
Unlike PDRA or SORA, STS requires no CAA pre-approval. Submit your declaration and operations manual to your national CAA and start operations. CAAs can inspect at any time.
EU Drone Port issues STS-01 and STS-02 practical training certificates. Theoretical training is online and asynchronous. Practical assessment can be arranged across 31 countries.
Operators declare STS-02 for rural operations but their drone does not hold a C6 class identification label. Without a C6 label, your STS-02 declaration is invalid. EU Drone Port verifies equipment eligibility before any declaration is filed.
What you'll get
Pick the right scenario, get the right equipment, file a valid declaration.
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Browse STS Courses →EU Drone Port services
EU Drone Port covers STS certification, operations manuals, and flight coordination across all 31 EASA member states.
EU Drone Port writes your complete STS Operations Manual covering STS-01, STS-02, or both, tailored to your operation and country.
Online theory and practical assessment for STS-01 and STS-02. EU Drone Port issues the official STS practical certificate directly.
EU Drone Port coordinates airspace authorisation for individual STS flights across all 31 EASA member states.
FAQ
No. STS is declarative under EU 2019/947. You submit a declaration and your Operations Manual to your national CAA and can begin operations without waiting for approval. However, your declaration must be complete and your Operations Manual compliant. CAAs can inspect at any time.
No. STS-01 requires a C5-class drone and STS-02 requires a C6-class drone. These are different EU class identification labels. A drone cannot hold both classifications simultaneously. If you operate both STS-01 and STS-02, you need separate drones with the respective class labels.
STS pilot certificates do not have a fixed expiry date in the regulation, but operators must maintain currency records showing recent flight experience. Practical skills must remain current and are subject to recurrency requirements defined in the operator's own Operations Manual.
STS declarations are filed with your national CAA. If you want to operate in another EASA member state, you must file a cross-border declaration or notification with that country's CAA. EU Drone Port handles cross-border STS filing across all 31 EASA member states.
Inspectors typically verify your Operations Manual is current, your drone has the correct C5 or C6 class identification label, your pilots hold valid STS certificates, and your operational area matches your declaration. EU Drone Port's manuals and declarations are structured to pass these checks.
Yes. An operator can file separate declarations for both STS-01 and STS-02. Each requires its own Operations Manual section (or a combined manual covering both scenarios), and each requires the appropriate drone class (C5 for STS-01, C6 for STS-02).
STS scenarios are declarative: no CAA approval needed, just a compliant declaration. PDRA-S01 and PDRA-S02 are Predefined Risk Assessments that require CAA approval before operations begin. STS is generally faster to start, but has stricter equipment requirements (C5/C6 class labels). PDRA may allow some operations with drones that do not hold a class label.
Pick the right scenario, get the right equipment, file a valid declaration.
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