Remote pilot competency 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.

• Competency requiredConditional
• Training requiredConditional
• Examination requiredConditional
• Proof of competency issuedConditional
• Operation-specific qualificationConditional
• Validity periodConditional
• Renewal or recurrent trainingConditional
• Minimum age16 yearsConditional
• Weight-based trigger0.25 kgConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the a1, a2, a3 and open categories of operation.

• location

  Horizontal distance at or above 1 km

• location

  Horizontal distance at or above 8 km

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Automatic Digital Logbook Requirement

  A drone operator must maintain a digital logbook of all drone operations using the data automatically logged by the drone itself, including the remote pilot's name and certificate details.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BEK nr 1649 af 12/12/2023, § 7 - section overview

  This section establishes the requirements for extending a remote pilot certificate in Denmark, specifying that it must be renewed every five years by passing a supplementary multiple-choice exam with at least 40 questions and a passing score of 75%.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Default Distance Limit from IMC Aerodromes and Military Air Stations

  Drone operations must not take place closer than 8 km horizontal distance from a runway at an IMC-flyveplads or a military air station, except as provided in stk. 2-4.

  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
• Binding lawNational rule

  Identification of Ground and Air Risks

  The operational risk assessment must identify ground and air risks, taking into account third-party safety, drone complexity, collision probability, airspace traffic, risk control of affected persons, weather, and pilot experience.

  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 pilot_competency.validity; 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.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in Denmark?Whether an operation in Denmark needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.
• 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