Key information outlining the procedure for requesting the designation of a geographical zone for entities authorized to submit such a request.
PLEASE NOTE!
An authorized entity or a representative acting on its behalf who wishes to designate, extend, or redesignate a geographical zone must contact PANSA EVERY TIME to obtain a case number and a transfer title:
Correspondence sent to other addresses will not be considered as part of the geographic zone application process.
The authority responsible for designating geographical zones is the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA).
PANSA may designate a geographical zone:
According to Article 156h (4) of the Aviation Law Act, the following entities are authorized to request the designation of a geographical zone:
Geographical zones may also be designated on PANSA’s own initiative if necessary to ensure aviation safety, including the safety of operations using unmanned aircraft systems.
STAGE 1 – SUBMITTING A REQUEST
Before an authorized entity—or a representative acting on its behalf—can apply for the designation of a geographical zone, it must first contact PANSA (by email: geozones@pansa.pl or via ePUAP: inbox address /PANSA/SkrytkaESP) to confirm that it is indeed an authorized entity, and the person acting on its behalf (if applicable) is properly authorized to do so.
Once PANSA confirms this, the authorized entity may submit one of the following three types of applications (click to download the appropriate template):
Applications, questions, explanations regarding designating geographical zones should be submitted to
Correspondence sent to other addresses will not be considered as part of the geographic zone application process.
All documents must be signed with a qualified electronic signature, and the application must be signed in accordance with the representation rules of the applying entity.
If submitted by a representative, a power of attorney document must be attached, granted in line with the applicant’s representation authority.
If applicable, a stamp duty fee for the power of attorney (PLN 17) must be paid, and the proof of payment must be attached to the application. The payment should be made to:
City of Warsaw – Taxpayer Service Center
Account Number: 21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070
Payment Title (recommended): “Stamp duty for power of attorney from AAA for XYZ regarding…”
The application must be submitted:
Before submitting the application, the applicant must pay a fee for the preliminary assessment of the application, in accordance with the current fee schedule.
Payment Information for PANSA Services
Fees for the designation, extension, or re-designation of a geographical zone must be transferred to:
Bank Account Number: 55 1130 1017 0025 0094 4820 0047
Polish Air Navigation Services Agency
ul. Wieżowa 8
02-147 Warsaw
The transfer title will be specified during the initial contact with PANSA.
When paying, the applicant must clearly indicate the type of service for which the payment is being made.
The maximum validity period for a geographical zone is 3 months.
In urgent cases justified by public or social interest, an application may be submitted without the required 7-day notice period by:
In the application for geographical zone designation, the authorized entity may specify proposed conditions for conducting UAS operations within the requested zone.
If such conditions are not provided, or if adjustments are needed, PANSA will provide the applicable conditions following the preliminary assessment.
STAGE 2 – PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT and STAGE 3 – FEEDBACK TO THE APPLICANT
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) conducts a preliminary assessment of the application and based on the outcome, sends feedback to the applicant:
Upon designating a geographical zone, PANSA specifies:
The types of zones, operating conditions, horizontal and vertical boundaries, and the cost of designation are included in an Annex to the Preliminary Assessment.
After reviewing the preliminary assessment, the applicant confirms acceptance of the conditions by sending the signed document back to PANSA.
PANSA will then:
EXTENDING A ZONE’S VALIDITY
An authorized entity may extend the validity of a geographical zone before it expires.
If the zone has already expired, it may be re-designated. In such a case:
Each request (extension or re-designation) must be preceded by payment for the preliminary assessment, unless the applicant is:
Pursuant to Article 156j(1) of the Aviation Law:
The following activities are subject to fees:
Fee schedule effective as of February 13, 2026.
| 1. Fee for the preliminary assessment of an application for the designation of a geographical zone | PLN 122 per each application (deducted from the final fee for the actual designation of the zone) |
| 2. Fee for the designation of a geographical zone: | |
| 1) Designation of 1 to 10 geographical zones: | PLN 420 per zone |
| 2) Designation of 11 to 49 geographical zones: | PLN 277 per zone |
| 3) Designation of more than 49 geographical zones: | PLN 168 per zone |
| 3. Fee for extending the validity period of a geographical zone: | |
| 1) 1 to 10 geographical zones: | PLN 109 per zone |
| 2) 11 to 49 geographical zones: | PLN 84 per zone |
| 3) More than 49 geographical zones: | PLN 43 per zone |
| 4. Opłata za ponowne wyznaczenie strefy geograficznej: | |
| 1) 1 to 10 geographical zones: | PLN 205 per zone |
| 2) 11 to 49 geographical zones: | PLN 139 per zone |
| 3) More than 49 geographical zones: | PLN 84 per zone |
The fee for conducting a preliminary assessment of the application for the designation of a geographical zone, the fee for extending the validity period of a geographical zone, and the fee for re-designating a geographical zone must be paid before submitting the respective application.
If, because of the preliminary assessment of the application for extension of the validity period of a geographical zone or the application for re-designation of a geographical zone, the Agency determines that:
If the deadline referred to in point 2 passes without payment, the Agency will reject the request for extension or re-designation and will refund the fee paid by the applicant prior to submitting the application.
Fees for activities related to the designation, extension, or re-designation of a geographical zone shall be paid into the Agency’s bank account:
55 1130 1017 0025 0094 4820 0047
When making a payment for activities related to the designation, extension, or re-designation of a geographical zone, the applicant must indicate the type of activity the payment concerns.
For the preliminary assessment of an application, a single geographical zone is defined as an area in the shape of:
A geographical zone is designated for the purpose of securing operations involving unmanned aircraft systems, operational activities of services, the protection of safety, health and human life, or the protection of no more than one facility.
In cases where the application for designation of a geographical zone concerns an area of significant complexity, particularly due to terrain features or structures located within it—the Agency may apply different criteria for assessing the application than those indicated above.
(Guidelines of the President of the Civil Aviation Authority No. 4/2025))
In accordance with Article 156h (10) of the Aviation Law Act, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) shall refuse to designate a geographical zone in the following cases:
Applicants are not entitled to a refund of the fee paid for the preliminary assessment of the application for designation of a geographical zone.
Right to Appeal
If PANSA refuses to designate a geographical zone, the entity entitled to submit such an application may file a “request for reconsideration” of the application with the President of the Civil Aviation Authority (ULC).
This request must be submitted to the President of the ULC via PANSA within 14 days of receiving the notification of refusal.
Requests submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Upon reviewing the request, the President of the ULC issues a written decision either upholding the refusal to designate the geographical zone or specifying how the request will be implemented. This decision is then immediately forwarded to PANSA and the applicant.
According to Article 156h (20) of the Aviation Law Act, PANSA is authorized to suspend the validity of a geographical zone or introduce changes to it. These may include adjustments to the area, operational conditions within the zone, or the duration of its validity to ensure air traffic safety and the efficient and continuous provision of air navigation services. This particularly applies when public safety, public order, critical infrastructure, state security and defense, border protection, or search and rescue/firefighting operations require it, considering regulations issued under Articles 156g(9) and 156k.
According to the Guidelines of the President of the Civil Aviation Authority of 21 February 2025, PANSA is also authorized to modify existing geographical zones by designating new ones. This includes defining new boundaries, operational conditions, or periods of validity.
When making such changes or introducing new elements into the airspace structure in each part of airspace where geographical zones have already been designated under Article 156h(2) or (3), PANSA must inform the entity managing the geographical zone about the planned changes or new operational conditions for unmanned aircraft operations.
Similarly, when changes are made or new zones designated in an area where geographical zones already exist (based on Article 156h (1)(2) of the Aviation Law Act), PANSA must inform the managing entity of the planned changes or new conditions for drone operations.
If the managing entity does not agree to the proposed changes or conditions, and the circumstances referred to in Article 156h (20) apply, the zone’s validity will be suspended.
If the changes or new operational conditions introduced by PANSA prevent the manager from carrying out drone operations, they may submit a request to PANSA to amend the proposed conditions for using the zone.
If PANSA finds that the amendments proposed by the zone manager cannot be implemented due to reasons referred to in Article 156h (20) of the Aviation Law Act, the validity of the zone will be suspended.
According to the Guidelines of the President of the Civil Aviation Authority dated 21 February 2025,in cases where a geographical zone is designated for the purpose of conducting operations based on an operational authorization referred to in Article 12(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947, the Agency, upon request of the operator of an unmanned aircraft system intending to carry out an operation under such authorization, performs a preliminary analysis of the airspace in which the operation is to take place.
In the case of designating a geographical zone for the purpose of an operational authorization referred to in Article 12(2) and Article 16(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947, the Agency designates and publishes a geographical zone whose geometry is based on the flight volume, the safety volume, and the ground risk buffer.
The Agency may modify the horizontal geometry of the designated geographical zone to the extent established during the analysis conducted for the issuance of the preliminary assessment document.
When modifying the geometry of the designated geographical zone, the Agency considers the availability of airspace for unmanned aircraft operations for other unmanned aircraft system users, excluding the entity that received the operational authorization.
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2019/947 OF 24 MAY 2019 (consolidated version of 4 April 2022) on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft;
COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 (consolidated version of 9 August 2020) on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems;
Act of 3 July 2002 – Aviation Law (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 2110; of 2024, items 731 and 1222; and of 2025, items 31 and 179);
Act of 8 December 2006 on the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1272; and of 2025, item 179);
Guidelines No. 7/2024 of the President of the Civil Aviation Authority dated 20 May 2024 on the methods of conducting operations using unmanned aircraft systems in connection with the entry into force of the provisions of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft;
Guidelines No. 4/2025 of the President of the Civil Aviation Authority dated 21 February 2025 on the designation of geographical zones for unmanned aircraft systems.
