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MoD approval and the request flow in Drone Log

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What the official sources say about the Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MApN) approval for photography, filming and mapping flights — and which part of the flow Drone Log covers. The app helps you prepare and document the request; filing it and the decision stay with the authority.

1. When do you need the approval?

General rule: flights with civil aircraft for photography, filming and mapping may be carried out only if you obtain an approval from the Ministry of National Defence, issued through the Overflight, Relations and Aeronautical Regulations Section (S.S.R.R.A.) of the National Military Command Centre — art. 5 (1) (e) of Government Decision no. 859/2021.

The exemption that covers most pilots: photography and filming flights carried out with unmanned aircraft in the open category, outside the zones restricted for drone operations, do NOT require MoD approval.

Mind the two limits of this exemption: it covers only photography and filming (mapping is not included) and only the open category. If you operate in the specific or certified category, or fly inside a restricted zone, the approval is still required.

The MoD restriction applies only to zones whose point of contact is [email protected]. Drone Log shows the zone contact address directly in the request flow, so you can check whether your zone falls under the MoD or under another authority.

2. What do you need to prepare?

The request is accompanied by copies of:

  • the air operator certificate;
  • the identity document;
  • the aircraft registration/identification certificate;
  • where applicable, the special authorisation issued by O.R.N.I.S.S. under the legislation on the protection of classified information.

3. What do you fill in?

The request is filled in with data identifying the air operator, the aircraft, the flight and onboard sensor recording parameters, and the areas of operation.

The generator maps your data onto the document sections, in this order:

  1. Air operator information;
  2. Aircraft information — including the row for camera/LiDAR/sensor details (resolution, field of view);
  3. Flight / series of flights information;
  4. Applicant.

4. Where do you send the request?

Since 22 August 2022, the approval request under art. 5 (1) (e) of Government Decision no. 859/2021 is filed through the MoD's AEROFOTO application. This is the primary channel.

aerofoto.mapn.ro — the official AEROFOTO application, where you file and track the approval request.

Only if AEROFOTO is unavailable: fill in the standard form published by the MoD and send it to [email protected], respecting the deadlines set out in annex no. 2 to Government Decision no. 859/2021.

Authority contact

  • MoD — Overflight, Relations and Aeronautical Regulations Section (S.S.R.R.A.), National Military Command Centre.
  • E-mail: [email protected]
  • Phone: +40 21 410 01 43
  • Working hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00–15:00.

5. What do you receive?

The approval may be issued for a single flight, for a series of flights or for defined periods, without exceeding one calendar year.

Authorities may request additional documents. The data you enter must be accurate; in flight, stick strictly to what you declared and to what was approved.

6. How long does it take?

  • The approval request for photography, filming and mapping flights is addressed to the MoD through S.S.R.R.A. at least 7 working days before the flight — art. 5 (6).
  • Over the municipality of Bucharest, the AEROFOTO portal asks for the request at least 12 working days before take-off, not 7. The difference comes from the overflight authorisation for Bucharest below 3,000 m (zone LRR3), filed 5 working days in advance (art. 5 (1) (a) of annex no. 2). For LRR3 you must also attach documents justifying the request.
  • If the request is incomplete you will be asked to revise it, and the issuing deadline only starts from the receipt of a complete request — so do not leave fields approximate.

The deadlines above are the ones published by the MoD. Check them before every request — do not plan a flight on the last day of the deadline.

7. Official source

Official guide on Defense.ro (Romanian Defence Staff): Aerial filming / photography approval

  • Government Decision no. 859/2021 approving the procedure for authorising flights with aircraft in the national airspace — art. 5 (1) (e), art. 5 (6) and annex no. 2.
  • Law no. 21/2020 on the Air Code.
  • Law no. 182/2002 on the protection of classified information and Government Decision no. 585/2002 approving the national standards for the protection of classified information.
  • Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945.

Always check the current text of the legal acts — the references above are indicative, not legal advice.

The information on approval, deadlines and documents is taken from the official "Aviz filmare / foto aeriană" page of the Romanian Defence Staff and from Government Decision no. 859/2021, verified on 07.08.2026.

What Drone Log does in this flow
  1. You complete the pilot profile and register the drone under "My drones" — your name, phone, operator number and country, plus the drone manufacturer, serial number and mass, are carried automatically into the generated document.
  2. On the Airspace map you run the check for the operation point, with the UAS zone and NOTAM layers. The result shows whether the zone requires extra steps and what the zone contact address is.
  3. When the zone requires it, you open the request flow from the map and fill in: EASA category, operation mode, flight purpose, time interval, maximum altitude and coordinates. Part of the data already comes from the check.
  4. On completion, the app generates the email subject and body, plus the HG859 document for download in PDF and DOCX. You send the message yourself, from your own email client, to the zone contact address — Drone Log does not send email on your behalf.
  5. Under "Approval requests" you mark the request as sent, record the reply you received and move it to "Approved" or "Rejected". Sent requests that receive no reply move automatically to "Expired" after 30 days.
  6. If your flight falls under MoD approval, you file the request in AEROFOTO — the document generated by Drone Log serves as a source of prepared data, not as a replacement for the official filing.

The app does not replace the legislation, nor the authorities' decision; it is a tool for organising and documenting.

Operation category in the form

In the map flow you fill in two separate fields, which reach the request together:

  • EASA category: "Open category — A1", "Open category — A2", "Open category — A3", "Specific category" or "Certified category".
  • Operation mode: VLOS (within visual line of sight) or BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight).

The open, specific and certified categories are those defined in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. The in-app flow covers unmanned aircraft only.

Area of operation in the app

The coordinates and the area description may come from the map check or from manual entry in the flow; always verify that they match the actual operation.

  • Manual entry or adjustment of the coordinates and of the associated text in the form.
  • The point checked on the map (Airspace) is used as a reference for the message and for the export.

In Drone Log you keep the request record up to date yourself. Any change or renewed request to the authorities follows their replies and their own rules.