To fly a drone in Turkey you need Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) registration, flight permission where required, and often a licence. This guide covers registration, Form-19, banned areas, fines, under-500 g rules, and İHA-0 to İHA-3 licence classes.
You must register the aircraft whether you bought it in Turkey or brought it from abroad. After that, you also register as the operator so SHGM can approve you to fly. Alongside those permissions, you usually need a drone operator certificate or licence.
Licences fall into four weight-based classes. Choose the class that matches your aircraft’s weight. You earn the licence by completing training that follows the SHGM curriculum, delivered by authorised private organisations.
How to register a drone
SHGM’s website explains the registration steps in detail. Individual users and commercial organisations have separate application screens. Individual tabs include:
- Individual operations (sport and amateur production, sales, and flights)
- I want to record UAV purchase or sale transactions (individual)
- I produced a UAV and want to register it (individual)
- I bought a UAV abroad and want to register it (individual)
- I bought a UAV and want to fly (individual)
- I have a registered UAV and want to fly (individual)
Fines for flying without permission
Under the communiqué on administrative fines issued pursuant to Civil Aviation Law No. 2920, published in the Official Gazette on 31.12.2021, flying an unmanned aircraft outside permitted areas can cost between 2,679 TL and 26,786 TL.
Where drone flights are banned
Some areas ban drone flights to protect air traffic and prevent accidents. Those areas include police and military zones, public institutions, and similar sensitive sites. Crowded public places such as concert venues, stadiums, and markets are also risky. Flying without a drone flight permit creates a safety hazard.
Rules for drones under 500 g
Rules depend on the aircraft’s weight and how you use it. Drones of 500 g and above must register in the SHGM system. Aircraft under 500 g fall outside those registration duties.
Drones with a maximum take-off weight under 500 g, bought in Turkey or abroad, sit outside SHGM’s relevant legislation. You do not need to register them, and other İHA registration requirements do not apply. Owners can still apply for flight permission with Form-19 (İHA Flight Permission Request Form) when they plan to fly.
How to get drone flight permission
To get drone flight permission in Turkish airspace, register on the SHGM site. First check that your planned area appears on iha.shgm.gov.tr. If the area shows green, you can register through the system. If it is not green, fill in Form FR.19 (İHA Flight Permission Request Form) under Forms → Air Navigation Department / Air Traffic Management Directorate on the SHGM site, then send it to SHGM by PTT or cargo.
Articles 17, 18, and 19 of the İHA Instruction require complete documents and forms with every application. Wrong or missing information can delay permission.
İHA-0 and İHA-1 applications
For all flights below 400 feet, submit the form at least 5 business days ahead. For special-permission (red) zones, submit at least 10 business days ahead with a stated reason.
İHA-2 and İHA-3 applications
For flights in any area, submit the form at least 10 business days ahead.
Minimum age for a drone licence
The minimum age to hold a drone licence is 12, but each weight class has its own floor:
- İHA-0: minimum age 12
- İHA-1: minimum age 15
- İHA-2: age 18, with no disqualifying health issues (including psychiatric, vision, or hearing)
- İHA-3: age 18, plus completion of an SHGM licence programme valid for 3 years
How to get drone training
Hobby and sport amateur use does not require drone training. If you still want a licence, pass SHGM’s 20-question exam with at least 70 points. That path covers İHA-0 and İHA-1.
İHA-2 and İHA-3 cover more professional aircraft. You attend training from private companies that follow the SHGM curriculum, then pass a 20-question exam with at least 70 points. A score of 70 or above qualifies you for a drone licence.
Do not confuse drone training with drone flight permission. Completing training does not let you fly whenever you want. Before you fly, register with SHGM and set your flight date and location.
What İHA-0 and İHA-1 cover
SHGM licence rules split unmanned aircraft into four groups. The first two are İHA-0 and İHA-1.
İHA-0 covers hobby or commercial drones from 500 g up to 4 kg. The certificate programme is 12 hours. Flying without a certificate attracts a fine.
İHA-1 also covers hobby and commercial use. These drones weigh from 4 kg up to 25 kg. The certificate programme is 36 hours. Flying without a certificate attracts a fine.
What İHA-2 and İHA-3 cover
İHA-2 and İHA-3 programmes cover more professional aircraft. Private companies teach the SHGM syllabus.
İHA-2 covers drones from 25 kg to 150 kg. Training totals 126 hours: 90 hours theory and 36 hours flight. Using an İHA-2 aircraft without a licence can lead to imprisonment that cannot be converted to a fine.
İHA-3 covers drones of 150 kg and above. It requires more specialist training. To renew the 3-year licence, you must document at least 12 hours of flight and at least 12 take-offs and landings in the last 12 months. If you miss those criteria, you may need to retake parts of the training. To fly İHA-3 aircraft, apply to SHGM at least 10 days ahead with the İHA Flight Permission Request Form. After you receive permission, fly only in the approved time and area.