If the basic online exam is the entry ticket to drone flying in Europe, the A2 Certificate of Competency is the next rung up. It's what you need to fly a mid-weight drone in the A2 subcategory — meaning closer to uninvolved people than the A3 "far from people" rules allow.
What it lets you do
The A2 certificate unlocks flying mid-sized drones in built-up settings while keeping a safe horizontal distance from people who aren't part of your operation. Many drones with a low-speed mode let you reduce that distance when the mode is switched on. In practice, the A2 certificate is what makes useful work — inspection, photography near buildings — possible without stepping up to the more involved Specific category.
How it's different from the basic exam
The basic A1/A3 training is an online course and an online theory test you can do from home. The A2 certificate adds a further theoretical exam, generally sat with your national aviation authority or an entity it has approved, on top of some self-practical training you declare you've completed. It goes deeper into meteorology, drone performance, and how to reduce risk to people on the ground.
The jump from A3 to A2 isn't about flying a bigger drone. It's about being trusted to fly near people — and the exam reflects that added responsibility.
Do you actually need it?
Not everyone does. If you're happy flying the lightest drones, or flying well away from people, the basic exam covers you. The A2 certificate matters specifically when you want a mid-weight drone and you need to operate near people. Because the details — exact distances, which drone class maps to A2, where to sit the exam — vary slightly by country, our platform confirms what your national authority requires before you book anything.
