Flying a drone in Norway as a visitor

EU/EEA, Switzerland, Liechtenstein

Register in your home country (or another EASA member state). Your operator number is valid in Norway, so you do not register again.

Outside the EU/EEA (e.g. USA, UK)

Register in the first EU/EEA country you will fly in. If that is Norway, use flydrone.no (NOK 230 a year).

The only drones exempt from registration are those under 250 g without a camera and those marked as toys. Mark the drone with your operator number (not the pilot’s certificate number); a QR code containing it also works. Read more about registration.

Only EASA certificates are valid. A US FAA certificate (such as Part 107) or a UK CAA certificate is not enough. The online course and exam for A1/A3 are free and available in English on flydrone.no.

The A2 course is also on flydrone.no, but the A2 exam must be taken in person at a Statens vegvesen (Norwegian Public Roads Administration) traffic station. To sit it you must show valid ID, pay the fee and give a Norwegian national ID number (fødselsnummer) or D-number. Read about the drone exam.

You need liability insurance covering at least 750,000 SDR. Drones under 250 g in the open category and CE-marked toy drones are exempt. Check that your policy is valid in Norway. Damage cover for the drone itself (such as DJI Care) does not cover damage you cause to others.

The Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) bans aerial photos and video over certain sites, whoever you are. Luftfartstilsynet also asks visitors to register their use of cameras and sensors with NSM before they fly. The map and the registration form are on NSM’s website, also in English.

The same rules apply to everyone: max 120 metres, visual line of sight and permission within 5 km of airports. Check the no-drone zones on dronesoner.no before take-off, and note that many national parks ban drones. Follow the pre-flight checklist, and use NinoxDrone2 near airports. The app uses an authenticator app instead of BankID (the Norwegian electronic ID), so it works for foreign users.

The minimum age is 16. Younger pilots who have passed the course can fly under the supervision of someone over 16.