At a glance

Weight and main feature: Under 4 kg at take-off. It has a low-speed mode.
Open subcategory: A2, with the A2 certificate. Otherwise, A3.
Operator registration: It depends: yes if the drone weighs 250 g or more, or has a camera.
Course or exam: Yes. For A3: the online A1/A3 course and exam. For A2: an A2 certificate on top.
Height limit: No higher than 120 m above the ground.
People around you: In A2: at least 30 m horizontally from uninvolved people (5 m in low-speed mode). In A3: 150 m from built-up areas.

What to do before you fly

Drone, propellers and battery: check them before every flight. In the drone app, also check that remote identification (Remote ID) is on.
Weather and wind: check the forecast and stay within the wind limit in the drone manual.
People and obstacles: pick an open spot and look at what is around you: people, wires, trees, buildings.
Airspace: check whether the point is in a restricted geographical zone. In Romania, the zones are published by ROMATSA.
Approval: if the zone requires an approval, get it before you fly. For filming or photography in a restricted zone you also need the approval of the Ministry of National Defence.

In A2 you do not fly over uninvolved people and you keep at least 30 m horizontally from them.
The distance can go down to 5 m only with low-speed mode on (at most 3 m/s), after taking into account the weather, the drone and the area.
In A3: you fly only where you reasonably expect not to endanger uninvolved people, and at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
Remote identification (Remote ID) and the geographical-zone warning (geo-awareness) must be switched on and up to date. The first broadcasts, among other things, your operator number during the flight; the second shows you the restricted zones so you can take them into account.

You keep the drone in your visual line of sight at all times, with the naked eye (VLOS). An observer can help you.
The 120 m limit is measured from the closest point of the ground below the drone. Exception: near a structure taller than 105 m, the flight may go up to 15 m above it, within 50 m of it, only at the request of whoever is responsible for the structure.
You do not carry dangerous goods and you do not drop anything from the drone.
In Romania, the Open category needs no authorisation from AACR. Restricted geographical zones and the Air Code still apply.

When to register: if the drone weighs 250 g or more, or has a camera or another sensor able to capture personal data.
Where: once, as an operator, in the country where you live. In Romania, on the AACR portal: uas.caa.ro.
You display your operator number on the drone and upload it to the remote identification.
For A3, the online A1/A3 course and theory exam are enough.
For A2 you need the A2 certificate. The steps, in order: the online A1/A3 course and exam, practice on your own in A3 conditions, then a declaration that you did it and an extra theory exam.
In Romania, the official exams and certificates are issued by AACR. A diploma from a "drone pilot" course does not replace them.
The A2 certificate and the A1/A3 exam proof are valid for 5 years. Carry them when you fly.
The minimum pilot age is 16, except when flying under the direct supervision of a pilot who meets the requirements.

Choose the point where you want to fly. Drone Log checks the restrictions identified for that place and shows you what to do next.

Rules can depend on the country, the type of operation and the geographical zone. Always check the official information before you fly.