Find here a summary of the laws & regulations for flying recreational drones in Finland. With one of the most relaxed and common-sense rules for drone flights, Finland sets a positive example not only for Europe but in the world. This northern European country has found a perfect balance between allowing space for a new technology to be explored and grown while ensuring safety for others.

Drone use in Finland is regulated by the Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) which also operates a useful website with information about these rules.

Drone rules in Finland

Everyone may operate drones without registering them or seeking approval, as long as the following clear rules are respected:

• Drones must be flown within visual line of sight (VLOS) at all times.
• Stay away from airports and aerodromes – within 1 km of the runway, ATC permission is necessary. Between 1 and 3 km of the runway, flight is allowed until the height of surrounding obstacles.
• Maintain a flight altitude of maximum 150 m above ground. Within an airport control zone, a maximum of 50 m is allowed.
• Do not fly over crowds of people and maintain a distance of at least 50 m.
• Stay away from emergency service operations (fire, police, medical).
• Avoid restricted “no-drone” zones which are listed on the Traficom website. These are mainly around sensitive areas like airports, military installations, nuclear power plants and dense areas in central cities.
• Flying over populated areas (cities) is allowed for drones under 3 kg, provided that you operate safely and respect people’s privacy, safety, and comfort.
• Drones need to be marked clearly with name and contact information.
• Insurance is recommended but not mandatory.

 

These rules seem easy to follow and empowers drone pilots to take responsible decisions at all times while setting clear boundaries around unsafe behavior.

You can find an information page by Traficom at droneinfo.fi/en

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