Drone rules in Denmark

On top of the EU rules, Denmark has its own rules in the Danish drone order (dronebekendtgørelsen). They are on the exam too. Keep at least this far away:

• Officially approved IMC airfields and military air bases8 km
• Officially approved VMC airfields4 km
• Air ambulance (HEMS) landing sites2 km
• Sites where police or emergency services are working1,000 m
• Police stations150 m
• Railways and light rail (without permission)15 m
• Buildings on land without a fence, hedge or wall2.5 m

You also may not fly over public roads with a speed limit above 70 km/h. To fly over someone else’s land that has a fence, hedge or wall, you need their consent. See where you can fly.

The subcategory depends on the drone’s class mark and weight, and on how close to people you fly.

A1 – over people

C0, C1 or under 250 g with no class mark. C0 drones and drones under 250 g may fly over individual people, though you should avoid it. With C1 you must not deliberately fly over uninvolved people.

A2 – close to people

C2 drones under 4 kg. At least 30 metres horizontally from uninvolved people, or 5 metres in low-speed mode. Requires the A2 certificate.

A3 – far from people

C2, C3, C4 and drones with no class mark up to 25 kg. At least 150 metres from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas, with no uninvolved people in the area.

In A2 and A3 the 1:1 rule applies: your distance from uninvolved people must be at least your flying height. 50 metres up means 50 metres away.

• Drone certificate: required from 250 grams. A1/A3 is taken online with Trafikstyrelsen. Read about the drone exam.
• Registration: required if the drone weighs over 250 grams, or has a camera or another sensor. Toy drones are exempt. How to register.
• Insurance: every drone operator needs liability insurance unless they only fly toy drones. Over 250 grams the minimum cover is 0.75 million SDR (about DKK 7 million).
• Age: you must be at least 15 to fly a drone over 250 grams on your own, or fly under the supervision of someone with the right certificate.

The same EU rules apply across the EU and the other EASA countries. If you are registered and certified in another EASA country, that registration and certificate are valid in Denmark, but the Danish distance rules and drone zones still apply. If you live outside the EU, you register with the authority of the first EASA country where you plan to fly. More for visitors.

Almost all recreational flying is in the open category: drones under 25 kg, below 120 metres and within sight. Higher-risk flights belong in the specific category and need permission, for example through a risk assessment (SORA) or a standard scenario (STS). The certified category is for the riskiest operations.