Drone regulations in Norway

Flying drones in Norway

In this article, we collected all the relevant rules for the use of drones in Norway.

As a member of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Norway adopted the EU drone regulation on December 31, 2020.

As a result, the rules for remote pilots in Europe have been largely harmonized. You only have to register as an operator in one country (in most cases in the country in which you live) and your EU drone license is also recognized across national borders.

If you want to register in Norway, you can do so via this link .

Overview of the European rules that apply in Norway

In Norway, the regulations of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) apply. The following is a summary of the key facts. For a complete overview, read our article on the new EU drone regulation.

Is registration necessary? Registration is mandatory for all drone operators, unless the drone weighs less than 250 grams and is NOT equipped with sensors to collect personal data (e.g. camera, microphone). Drones that fall under the EU Toys Directive are also exempt. The registration is recognized in all countries that have also introduced the EU Drone Regulation.
LabelsAll drones must be visibly marked with the individual registration number (e-ID). If available, the number must also be loaded into the drones remote identification system. More info on drone badges
Drone licence:Depending on the category, pilots must take exams to obtain the EU drone licence. These are recognised in all countries that have also introduced the EU Drone Regulation.
Differentiation by category: Open Category (with three subcategories), Specific Category and Certified Category; no distinction between private and commercial pilots.
Maximum Altitude:120 Meter in uncontrolled airspace in Open Category.
Keep distance to airports
Respect the privacy of other people

National peculiarities in Norway

Each country can define certain aspects of its drone regulations. For Norway, the following requirements apply in addition to the European regulations.

Is drone insurance mandatory? Yes, for private and commercial drone flights. Learn more about drone insurance here.
Minimum age for remote pilots15 years

Further rules for drone pilots in Norway

All aircraft under 500 kilograms must be insured in Norway unless they are on the market as toys. There is a minimum coverage of 750,000 special drawing rights. Due to currency fluctuations, you should therefore take out insurance with a minimum cover of one million euros (this also applies in other European countries).

If you want to acquire a drone license for sub-category A2 in Norway, you use this portal. For the A1 / A3 certificate, flydrone.no is your point of contact.

Safety distances and flight bans

Your copter must keep a distance of 5 kilometers to Norwegian airports.

You are not allowed to fly with a drone within 1 mile of Oslo Castle. To find other No-Fly-Zones, you can use the map on safetofly.no. In particular, you should have “forbudsområder” and “vernesoner” displayed on the map.

Good to know: The same laws as in Norway apply in Svalbard.

We have researched the listed drone regulations for Norway to the best of our knowledge. We can not guarantee the correctness of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, please contact the competent aviation authority. Alternatively, you can also ask the embassy in your country for further information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment when you receive news and/or gain experience with your copter in Norway!

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About the author

Since January 2015, we travel around the world. In our backpack we carry a camera drone which we use to capture the best places from a bird’s perspective. First we travelled with a DJI Phantom 2. But now we use several drones like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ or the DJI Mini 3 Pro. On our blog we share the best tips for you about travelling with a drone. If you have questions about this article or new information, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment!

Discussions

  • Piankhi | 24.04.2017

    From looking this up online, I have been under the impression that for Norway, even if non-commerical, you still need to follow RO 1 rules and do the whole Operations Manual, flight log, Declaration form, etc.

    • Piankhi | 02.05.2017

      Never mind, I finally figured out how I was mistaken. Norway does indeed only have those RO1-3 requirements just for Commercial usage. Private/hobby fliers don’t have to worry about all that stuff.

  • Andreas | 06.04.2018

    This is an excellent blog! I’m impressed by all the work laid down to write about the drone regulations in so many countries. I’m from Norway myself and this looks absolutely right. 🙂 But I guess you knew that. A great resource for drone pilots.. Now I’m going to read about Spain which I’m going to this summer. Andreas

    • Niklas | 07.06.2018

      Hello,
      I’m a private person and I would like to make a travel to Norway this year with my drone. I found the “Declarationform RPAS-operator 1” but I do not have a company and I am not a manager. Do I need to send the Declaration form?

      • Steinar Eriksen | 22.03.2019

        Hopefully you have allready been in Norway with your Drone. You do not need any declaration for a normal photo Drone in Norway.
        I’m Norwegian and I have flew almost enywhere.
        Off not in the Citys and close to airport/military innstallation

    • Francis Markert | 29.06.2018

      Hello Andreas,
      Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. We’ll continue the work 😉
      Best regards, Francis

  • Izzat | 02.05.2018

    Where can we get the flight permit?

  • Ali | 14.05.2018

    kindly is there any rules or instruction in the fjords or sea cruise

    • Moi | 15.05.2018

      Also I’m planning to go to Preikestolen, is it allow to fly with Mavic Pro?

      • kuli | 20.07.2018

        since this year (2018) it is not allowed to fly drones at preikkestolen any more. 200M before you reach preikestolen a sing tells you that there are no drones allowed from this point.

        • Catalin Bogdan | 24.08.2018

          I can confirm. There’s a sign forbidding drone from that point.

          Drones are however allowed BEFORE the sign (the start of the narrow path), so you can still take nice videos in the area 🙂

          Besides, the rock itself is usually full of people, so the use of a drone would have been impossible/forbidden anyway.

    • leevai | 07.06.2018

      Hello Ali,

      This is certainly dependent on the Cruise operator. At most instances, you’re not allowed to launch your drone from the ship as it has the potential to damage important navigational aids. I would recommend checking with the ship operator as it depends upon the master (and will mostly NOT allow it).

      I am from the shipping business, working part time on Expedition Cruises.

      Best regards,

  • Daniel | 08.06.2018

    Hello, this is a great blog! Thanks for the good post. I’m a private person and I’ll go for a holiday trip to Bergen, Norway. Do you know that I need to fill the form on the following link (my drone is under RO-1 category) to get the flight permit or not? Thx, Daniel

    # link removed / no longer available #

    • Francis Markert | 29.06.2018

      Hi Daniel,
      Thank you! The RO1 category is only applicable for non-private drone flights.
      Cheers, Francis

  • Halfdan Hallseth | 11.07.2018

    Please note that there are no-fly zones over many national parks for example nesting areas for birds etc.
    This website has all the info but only in Norwegian
    https://www.safetofly.no
    Click the “forbudsområder” and the “vernesoner” boxes. That will show you all the protected areas as well as no fly zones. Some of the protected areas are still allowed to fly in but you have to do some digging in the particular regulation text of that area to 100% make sure its legal to fly in that area. Easiest way: avoid all protected zones.

    • Francis Markert | 13.07.2018

      Hello Halfdan,
      Thank you for your support and the valuable link. I added the source to the article. Happy flying!

  • Paul | 16.07.2018

    Hi Francis
    I hope you could help me please.
    I am due to go on a Cruise to the Fjords in 2 weeks time and would like to know when i am on land (not at sea) if i am able to use my DJI spark drone ? Are there any rules, instruction or even licenses required for Norway?
    Thank you

    • Francis Markert | 07.01.2019

      If you read the article above, you will find the answers 😉

  • John Waters | 29.10.2018

    I am hoping to take pictures of the railway between Flåm and Myrdal, strictly for private use, (although I have passed the PfCO) next year. Under 2.5Kg (Mavic pro). All this area is shown on ‘safetofly.no’ as restricted K6 or K6Z. Can anyone enlighten me? National Park? Military? Is one allowed to fly in this area?

  • Hofer Mario | 02.05.2019

    For commercial usage I need a registration. But is uploading my footage on Youtube or Dji’s SkyPixel without any commercial intention also forbidden?

    • Gajowy | 18.07.2019

      I am also waiting for the answer from the Norwegian office because it looks like, when your business is not registered in Norway you should not need RO license (but not sure atm).

  • Tifa | 07.07.2019

    Hi all! I am planning to take some video in Senja, maybe Segla and some other peaks, for private use. I can’t find any information of the regulation in that area. Could you give me some information regarding regulation? Thanks a lot.

  • Bradley | 14.09.2019

    Heya 🙂 It looks as if all RO1 pilots need to fill out this simple form before heading to Norway and flying, am I right in thinking that?
    https://luftfartstilsynet.no/globalassets/dokumenter/skjema/dronerpas/nf-1114e-declaration-form-ro1.pdf
    from: https://luftfartstilsynet.no/en/drones/commercial-use-of-drones/about-dronesrpas/ro1/

  • R.R.Vincent | 10.05.2020

    can i use drone my garden under 2m hight in Norway

    • Drone Traveller Team | 30.05.2020

      Hi,
      Using a drone on your own property at an appropriate height for private use shouldn’t be a problem as long as you don’t endanger other people, animals or aircraft.

  • Simon | 21.07.2020

    Hey Guys, thanks for the blog. I am drone pilot with a CAA license (UK version). If I was to fly commercially in Norway, would this be ok or would I need Norway specific authorisation? If so any ideas how I can get this? And anyone know of commercial drone pilots in Norway? Thank you, Simon

    • Drone Traveller Team | 30.07.2020

      Hi Simon,
      There are different categories for drone operations in Norway, which are defined by drone weight, speed, altitude, line of sight, etc. Each category has different requirements, so we can’t fully answer your questions without knowing what you’re planning. If you stay within the lowest category, for example, you don’t need a permit, but you have to notify the aviation authority. Have a look at their official website. It has a lot of information about the requirements for commercial pilots and also a list of registered operators.

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