Drone operational authorisation in Denmark

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of Denmark. "Not resolved" means the corpus does not answer it in a machine-checkable way — never that the law is silent.

• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Trigger statedConditional
• Issuing authorityConditional
• Application modelpermitYes
• Risk assessmentConditional
• Standard scenario routeConditional
• Declaration routeConditional
• Generic or organisational privilegeConditional
• ValidityConditional
• Repeat operationsNo
• Digital applicationConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the open and specific categories of operation.

• location

  Horizontal distance below 2 km

• other

  Speed at or below 19 m/s

• pilot certification

  Pilot age at or above 16 years

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Absolute prohibition near emergency medical helicopter bases

  Drone operations must not take place within a horizontal distance of 2 km from emergency medical helicopter bases.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BEK nr 1649 af 12/12/2023, § 5 - section overview

  This section establishes logbook requirements for drone operators in Denmark, mandating digital automatic logging or manual logging with specific details, a 5-year retention period, and exemptions for hobbyists with light/toy drones or those flying in model flying clubs.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BEK nr 527 af 20/05/2025, § 28 - section overview

  This section permits public and emergency authorities to conduct drone operations within restricted geographical zones, at higher altitudes, or closer than standard distance limits, provided they follow procedures agreed with Trafikstyrelsen or make documented on-site agreements with relevant stakeholders.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Defence and Emergency Services Exemption at Incident Sites

  The Defence and emergency services may conduct drone operations over or horizontally closer than the distance requirements established for incident sites in § 20.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exemption from commercial necessity test for hospital-ordered tasks

  The commercial necessity requirement for a deviation permit does not apply if the hospital where the HEMS airfield is located has ordered the task.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exemption from the IMC and military aerodrome distance rules

  Trafikstyrelsen may permit a derogation from the IMC aerodrome and military air station distance and altitude rules in § 9, stk. 1-3 where the drone operation serves a public-benefit, research or commercial purpose; where the purpose is commercial, the drone operation must be necessary and the task must be substantially frustrated, made more expensive or otherwise impaired if carried out other than by drone; and the remote pilot must hold a competency certificate. The necessity condition does not apply where the publicly approved aerodrome or the military air station itself commissioned the task.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exemption from the seaplane aerodrome rules

  Trafikstyrelsen may permit a derogation from the seaplane aerodrome rules in § 9 b, stk. 1-3 where the drone operation serves a public-benefit, research or commercial purpose; where the purpose is commercial, the operation must be necessary and the task substantially frustrated, made more expensive or otherwise impaired if carried out other than by drone; and the remote pilot must hold a competency certificate. The necessity condition does not apply where the publicly approved seaplane aerodrome itself commissioned the task.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exemption from the VMC aerodrome distance rules

  Trafikstyrelsen may permit a derogation from the VMC aerodrome rules in § 9 a, stk. 1-3 where the drone operation serves a public-benefit, research or commercial purpose; where the purpose is commercial, the operation must be necessary and the task substantially frustrated, made more expensive or otherwise impaired if carried out other than by drone; and the remote pilot must hold a competency certificate. The necessity condition does not apply where the publicly approved aerodrome itself commissioned the task.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• BEK nr 1649 af 12/12/2023 - supplerende bestemmelser til (EU) 2019/947 (konsolideret med BEK nr 527 af 21/05/2025) — Trafikstyrelsen (Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority)Open

Known limitations

• Binding law and official guidance disagree on operational_authorisation.digital_application; the binding position is published.

Other drone rules in Denmark

• Do I need to register my drone in Denmark?Registration in Denmark is governed by a published mass threshold of 0.25 kg, alongside the further conditions cited below. Whether it applies to a given flight depends on those conditions, each cited to its rule.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in Denmark?Drone flights in Denmark are held to a published general height limit of 120 m above_nearest_obstacle. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in Denmark?Drone flights near aerodromes in Denmark are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in Denmark?Remote pilot competency in Denmark scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.
• Do I need drone insurance in Denmark?Drone insurance in Denmark is published with a minimum third-party cover of 0.25 kg. Whether cover is required for a given flight depends on the published conditions below.

All drone laws in Denmark