Drone Ops Consultants

EASA certified category

Certified operations and design verification

The EU rules for drones set out three categories of operation: Open, Specific and Certified. The Certified category is for the highest-risk flights, such as carrying people, and treats the drone, the operator and the remote pilot much as manned aviation treats an aircraft, an airline and a pilot.

This guide explains when an operation falls in the Certified category under Regulation (EU) 2019/947, what certification involves and how far the EU rules have got. It also covers the design verification report (DVR), which EASA issues for drones used in higher-risk Specific category operations that stop short of the Certified category.

Vetted consultants

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The Drone Office

London, GB

Expert regulatory support for complex drone operations.UK & Europe. Commercial & Defence.

Our mission: SORA drone regulations made accessible. The Drone Office supports drone operators, UAS manufacturers and technology providers secure their operational authorisations and access strategic markets. From SORA compliance to partnerships and funding, we turn regulatory and market complexity into a competitive advantage. We bring clarity to complex challenges. We help frame the operation, prepare the SORA documentation, engage with the regulator, and remain committed until the authorisation is secured.

CAAEASA
Design Verification ReportCertified category

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions Ltd

Cranfield, GB

From Concept to Certification. Trusted UK SORA, Airworthiness & Design Engineering Experts.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) is one of the UK's leading aviation engineering and certification organisations, providing independent consultancy services for UK SORA, RPAS airworthiness, aircraft design, modification, and regulatory approval. With over 30 years of aerospace engineering excellence, CAeS supports clients across civil, defence, and uncrewed aviation sectors, helping organisations navigate complex regulatory challenges and bring innovative aircraft and UAV systems into operation safely and compliantly. Our multidisciplinary team delivers end-to-end support, from operational concept development and UK SORA assessments through to aircraft design, safety analysis, flight test programmes, certification planning, and regulatory engagement. We combine practical engineering experience with deep airworthiness expertise to reduce programme risk, accelerate approvals, and enable successful deployment. CAeS has contributed to more than 750 air vehicle programmes, including conventional aircraft, rotorcraft, advanced air mobility platforms, defence systems, and next-generation uncrewed aircraft. Recent projects have included the development of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and hydrogen-native UAV platforms, placing CAeS at the forefront of sustainable aviation innovation. As a holder of UK CAA Part 21J Design Organisation Approval, BCAR A8-21 approval, and MAA DAOS approval covering aeroplanes, helicopters, and RPAS, CAeS offers a unique combination of regulatory authority, practical engineering capability, and operational experience. Our team regularly supports compliance strategies across CS-23, CS-25, CS-27, CS-29 and equivalent international certification frameworks, working closely with authorities including the UK CAA, EASA, FAA, TCCA, GACA, and military airworthiness organisations worldwide. Whether you require a UK SORA submission, certification strategy, aircraft modification approval, flight-test support, or complete design engineering services, CAeS provides the expertise to take your programme from concept to certified operation.

CAAEASA
Design Verification ReportCertified category

When an operation falls in the Certified category

Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 sets two routes into the Certified category. The first applies when the drone must be certified under Article 40(1)(a) to (c) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the operation is conducted over assemblies of people, transports people, or carries dangerous goods that may result in high risk for third parties in case of an accident.

The second route is through the risk assessment. If the competent authority decides, based on the Article 11 risk assessment, that the risk cannot be adequately mitigated without certifying the drone and the operator and, where applicable, licensing the remote pilot, the operation is classed as Certified.

The regulation defines assemblies of people as gatherings where people are unable to move away because of how densely they are packed. Article 40(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/945 requires certification for these drones:

  • A drone with a characteristic dimension of 3 m or more that is designed to fly over assemblies of people
  • A drone designed to transport people
  • A drone designed to carry dangerous goods that needs a high level of protection for third parties in case of an accident

What certification involves, and where the rules stand

EASA states that drones in the Certified category always need a type certificate and a certificate of airworthiness. The operator needs an air operator approval from the competent authority, and the remote pilot needs a pilot license. Article 40(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/945 applies the manned aviation rules on airworthiness certification (Regulation (EU) No 748/2012, known as Part 21) and continuing airworthiness to drones that need certification.

EASA describes the Certified category in three types of operation: instrument flight rules (IFR) cargo flights in airspace classes A to C between aerodromes, passenger or cargo flights on set routes in urban or rural areas where U-space services are provided, and that second type with a pilot on board, which EASA expects to cover the first air taxi services.

In April 2024 the European Commission adopted a package of rules (Regulations (EU) 2024/1107 to 2024/1111) based on EASA Opinion No 03/2023. It covers the initial airworthiness of drones that need certification, the continuing airworthiness of certified drones used in the Specific category, and operating rules for VTOL-capable aircraft with a pilot on board. Its operating rules do not cover unmanned Certified category flights. The Opinion says further requirements for the Certified category will follow in later proposals under EASA rulemaking task RMT.0230. Check EASA's rulemaking pages for the current position before planning a Certified category operation.

Design verification reports for higher-risk Specific operations

In the Specific category, the design evidence a drone needs follows the specific assurance and integrity level (SAIL). EASA's SORA guidance sets it out as follows: at SAIL I and II, a declaration against the design-related operational safety objectives (OSOs). At SAIL III, compliance with the means of compliance EASA has published for that level. At SAIL IV, a DVR from EASA. At SAIL V and VI, a type certificate under Part 21.

A DVR records that a drone's design meets the applicable OSOs, along with any limits or assumptions for operating it. It is not a type certificate and is recognized only in EASA member states. It refers to the manufacturer's documents and states the suitable SAIL, ground and air risk classes and operating environment, with conditions such as minimum ground and air buffers and population density limits.

A DVR can also be needed below SAIL IV. If the drone relies on a ground risk mitigation (M2) claimed at a high level of robustness, EASA requires a DVR. For M2 claimed at a medium level of robustness, or for enhanced containment, the manufacturer can declare compliance using means of compliance EASA has published, otherwise a DVR should be used unless the national aviation authority decides otherwise. Holders of a Light UAS operator Certificate cannot assess a drone's design compliance themselves, so they may need a DVR-assessed drone depending on the SAIL.

Applying for a DVR

Any person or organization able to show the design complies can apply, and EASA's process is written with the manufacturer in mind. The national aviation authority states in the operational authorization whether a DVR is needed, and manufacturers may also apply for their own business reasons. EASA's process runs in these steps:

  • Complete EASA's application form for UAS design verification (FO.CSERV.00198)
  • Attend a pre-application meeting to describe the planned operations and timelines
  • Agree with EASA which requirements of the Special Condition for Light UAS apply
  • Propose means of compliance for those requirements for EASA to accept
  • Submit the compliance evidence, after which EASA issues the DVR if its evaluation is positive

What a consultant does, and what to ask before hiring

A consultant can tell you whether your operation belongs in the Specific or Certified category, what design evidence your SAIL and mitigations call for, and how to prepare the operational side of an application. Consultants listed on DOC are vetted (identity, legal entity, sanctions screening and professional indemnity insurance), and regulator experience is shown as verified only where it has been evidenced. A consultant cannot issue a DVR, type certificate or authorization, or promise an outcome: EASA and the national aviation authority decide.

Questions worth asking:

  • Which national aviation authorities have you worked with on SAIL III or SAIL IV operations?
  • Have you supported an operator or manufacturer through an EASA design verification, and at what stage?
  • How would you check whether our drone's existing design evidence matches our SAIL and mitigations?
  • How do you keep track of EASA rulemaking on the Certified category?

Common mistakes

These errors tend to cost the most time, especially those about design evidence, which often decides how long an application takes:

  • Assuming any high-risk flight is in the Certified category when it can be assessed in the Specific category with SORA
  • Claiming an M2 mitigation at a high level of robustness without a DVR to back it
  • Choosing a drone before checking what design evidence its manufacturer holds for the SAIL you need
  • Treating a DVR as a type certificate, or expecting it to be recognized outside EASA member states
  • Planning around Certified category operating rules for unmanned flights that have not yet been adopted

Common questions

Which drone operations are in the EU Certified category?

Under Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947, an operation is Certified when the drone must be certified under Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the flight is over assemblies of people, carries people, or carries dangerous goods that may cause high risk to third parties. An operation is also Certified when the authority decides, from the risk assessment, that the risk cannot be adequately mitigated without certifying the drone and operator and licensing the pilot where applicable.

What is a design verification report?

A design verification report (DVR) is a document EASA issues to record that a drone's design meets the applicable operational safety objectives for Specific category operations, with any limits on how it is flown. It is not a type certificate and is recognized only in EASA member states. EASA's SORA guidance points to a DVR for SAIL IV operations and for drones that rely on an M2 ground risk mitigation claimed at a high level of robustness.

Who applies for a DVR, the operator or the manufacturer?

Any person or organization that can show the design complies can apply. EASA's process is written with the manufacturer in mind, since the manufacturer holds the design data. The national aviation authority states in the operational authorization whether a DVR is needed. EASA charges for the assessment by the hour, so check its current fees before you apply.

Are the EU rules for carrying passengers in drones in force?

Partly. In April 2024 the European Commission adopted rules covering drone airworthiness certification and operations of VTOL-capable aircraft with a pilot on board, such as early air taxis. Operating rules for unmanned Certified category flights are still being developed under EASA rulemaking task RMT.0230. Check EASA's rulemaking pages for the latest position before planning such an operation.

Does a Certified category operation need an operational authorization?

EASA describes a different set of approvals for the Certified category. The drone needs a type certificate and a certificate of airworthiness, the operator needs an air operator approval from the competent authority, and the remote pilot needs a license. Specific category operations, including those using a DVR-assessed drone, are covered by an operational authorization from the national aviation authority instead.