# Drone laws in Finland

> Structured, citation-backed drone regulation information for Finland, published by Drone Assistant from official sources. Every claim below links to the official material it came from. This is not legal advice, coverage is not exhaustive, and the linked official source governs.

> Limited guide. Drone Assistant's coverage of Finland is still under review, so this page summarises only the published rules we can cite to an official source. It is not a complete statement of Finland's drone law; check the linked sources or ask the assistant about your own flight.

Canonical page: [https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/finland](https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/finland)

This Markdown file is a machine-readable representation of that page. It is generated from the same published data; it is not a separate content source.

## Regulatory framework

- Jurisdiction: Finland
- Responsible aviation authority: [Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom)](https://www.droneinfo.fi/en)
- Framework type: national rules within an inherited framework
- Inherited from: EU/EASA framework — [https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/europe](https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/europe)
- Published rules held for this jurisdiction: 78

Finland applies the inherited EU/EASA framework. Rules below marked as framework rules are inherited rather than uniquely national, and a national rule may add to, restrict or clarify them.

Legal status is stated for every rule below: binding law, AMC/GM (acceptable means of compliance and guidance material), authority guidance or other non-binding material. Guidance is never a statutory maximum in itself.

## Registration and pilot requirements

### Registration

- Question: Do I need to register my drone in Finland?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether a drone or its operator must be registered before flying, and under which threshold.

Registration in Finland 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.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 0.25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: certified, open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Kinetic energy above 80 joules (other)
- Take-off mass at or above 250 g (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Carrying Remote Pilot Competency Certificate** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Remote pilots must carry their certificate of remote pilot competency in either electronic or paper format at all times when flying. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Display of Operator Registration Number** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. The operator registration number received during registration must be attached to the side of the drone being used. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Drone Operator Registration Fees** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Registration fees for drone operators in Finland are structured as 40€ for 1 year, 95€ for 3 years, or 125€ for 5 years. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Non-EU Citizen Registration via Finnish Authenticator** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Non-EU citizens can register as operators using the 'Finnish Authenticator' application for strong authentication, which can be requested starting January 8, 2026. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Online Theoretical Examination Fees and Waiver** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. The online theoretical examination for A1 and A3 categories costs 35€, but private individuals can take it for free when registering online as an operator. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Operator Registration Requirement** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Drone operators must register in the national register if flying a drone weighing 250 g or more, or a drone equipped with a camera. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Registration Exemption for Aircraft Under 250g Without Sensors** (Article 14) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS operators must register themselves for an unmanned aircraft operated in the 'open' category with a MTOM of 250 g or more, or which in the case of an impact can transfer to a human kinetic energy above 80 Joules. [Official source](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/celex/02019R0947-20250501)
- **Registration Exemption for Control Line Model Aircraft** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Operators of control line model aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of no more than 1 kg are exempt from registration. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)

Limitations of this coverage:

- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-08-28.

### Remote pilot competency

- Question: What training do I need to fly a drone in Finland?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: What training, examination or proof of competency a remote pilot must hold.

Remote pilot competency in Finland scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.

Published figures:

- Minimum age: 16 years (binding law)
- Weight-based trigger: 0.25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: a1, a2, a3, open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or below 120 m (altitude)
- Examination questions at or above 30 questions (other)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Carrying Remote Pilot Competency Certificate** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Remote pilots must carry their certificate of remote pilot competency in either electronic or paper format at all times when flying. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Display of Operator Registration Number** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. The operator registration number received during registration must be attached to the side of the drone being used. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Drone Operator Registration Fees** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Registration fees for drone operators in Finland are structured as 40€ for 1 year, 95€ for 3 years, or 125€ for 5 years. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Non-EU Citizen Registration via Finnish Authenticator** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Non-EU citizens can register as operators using the 'Finnish Authenticator' application for strong authentication, which can be requested starting January 8, 2026. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Online Theoretical Examination Fees and Waiver** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. The online theoretical examination for A1 and A3 categories costs 35€, but private individuals can take it for free when registering online as an operator. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Operator Registration Requirement** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Drone operators must register in the national register if flying a drone weighing 250 g or more, or a drone equipped with a camera. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Registration Exemption for Control Line Model Aircraft** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Operators of control line model aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of no more than 1 kg are exempt from registration. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Class C0 Safe Controllability** (Annex Part 1 (4)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C0 UAS must be safely controllable by a remote pilot following the manufacturer's instructions under all anticipated operating conditions, including system failures. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Last verified: 2026-08-22.

## Operating rules

### Altitude limits

- Question: What is the maximum drone altitude in Finland?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: The general height limit that applies to drone flights, and what changes it.

Drone flights in Finland 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.

Published figures:

- General height limit: 120 m (binding law)
- Reference datum: above_nearest_obstacle (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or below 120 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or above 1000 ft (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or above 150 m (altitude)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Minimum flight altitude for night VFR flights** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.3) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Night VFR flights must be flown at an altitude of at least 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the highest obstacle within an 8-kilometer radius of the aircraft's estimated position. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Minimum VFR flight altitude in other areas** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. In areas other than congested areas or crowds, VFR flights must not be conducted at an altitude of less than 150 meters (500 feet) above the ground or water, or 150 meters (500 feet) above the highest obstacle within a 150-meter (500 feet) radius of the aircraft. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Minimum VFR flight altitude over congested areas and crowds** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. VFR flights must not be conducted over congested areas of cities, towns, or settlements, or over an open-air assembly of persons, at an altitude of less than 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the highest obstacle within a 600-meter radius of the aircraft. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Night lighting requirement for heavy unmanned free balloons** (2.39) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Heavy unmanned free balloons must not be operated below a pressure altitude of 18,000 meters (60,000 feet) at night unless the balloon, its auxiliary parts, and its payload are illuminated. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.3 - section overview** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.3) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section establishes the minimum flight altitude for night VFR flights in Finland, requiring aircraft to fly at least 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the highest obstacle within an 8 km radius, except during takeoff, landing, or when operating under aviation regulation OPS M1-15. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5 - section overview** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section defines the minimum flight altitudes for VFR flights in Finland, implementing national rules under SERA.5005(f). It establishes a minimum altitude of 300 meters (1,000 feet) over congested areas or crowds, and 150 meters (500 feet) elsewhere, with exceptions for take-off, landing, and operations under OPS M1-15. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Article 4 - section overview** (Article 4) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section establishes the classification requirements for UAS operations in the 'open' category, defining limits on aircraft class, maximum take-off mass, operational distance from people, visual line of sight, maximum altitude, and cargo restrictions, as well as dividing the category into three sub-categories. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Last verified: 2026-08-22.

### Night operations

- Question: Can I fly a drone at night in Finland?
- Answer state: No
- Scope: Whether flying at night is allowed, and which lighting or authorisation applies.

No. A published rule in Finland prohibits night operations for the operations covered here.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or above 1000 ft (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or above 300 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude below 18000 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude below 60000 ft (altitude)
- Radius of 8 km (location)

Rules behind this answer:

- **2.39 - section overview** (2.39) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section regulates unmanned free balloons in Finland. It clarifies that no additional national regulations apply to light unmanned free balloons used solely for meteorological purposes beyond Appendix 2, and mandates lighting for heavy unmanned free balloons operated at night below 18,000 meters pressure altitude. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Minimum flight altitude for night VFR flights** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.3) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Night VFR flights must be flown at an altitude of at least 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the highest obstacle within an 8-kilometer radius of the aircraft's estimated position. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Night lighting requirement for heavy unmanned free balloons** (2.39) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Heavy unmanned free balloons must not be operated below a pressure altitude of 18,000 meters (60,000 feet) at night unless the balloon, its auxiliary parts, and its payload are illuminated. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.3 - section overview** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.3) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section establishes the minimum flight altitude for night VFR flights in Finland, requiring aircraft to fly at least 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the highest obstacle within an 8 km radius, except during takeoff, landing, or when operating under aviation regulation OPS M1-15. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Green Flashing Light for Night Operations** (UAS.OPEN.060(2)(g)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. When operating at night, the remote pilot must ensure that a green flashing light on the unmanned aircraft is activated. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Lights for Night Conspicuity** (Annex Part 3 (18)(b)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. The UA must be equipped with lights for conspicuity at night, designed to allow a person on the ground to distinguish the UA from manned aircraft. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Part 3 - section overview** (Part 3) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. This section outlines the product requirements for Class C1 Unmanned Aircraft Systems, specifically detailing requirements for low battery warnings, controllability and night conspicuity lighting, user manual contents, and the inclusion of an EASA information notice. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

- Binding law and official guidance disagree on night_operations.pilot_requirement; the binding position is published.
- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-08-22.

### Operational authorisation

- Question: When does a drone operation need authorisation in Finland?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: When an operation needs prior authorisation, and how that authorisation is obtained.

Whether an operation in Finland needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.

Published figures:

- Application model: permit (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Flight visibility at or above 800 m (other)
- Flight visibility below 1500 m (other)
- Speed at or below 140 kt (other)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Eligibility for Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC)** (Operations subject to authorisation in the ‘specific’ category | Traficom — LUC OPERATOR CERTIFICATE) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. An operator in the ‘specific’ category may apply for a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) if they have experience operating in the ‘specific’ category, a mature organisational management system, and have completed several operational authorisation processes. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/operations-subject-authorisation-specific-category)
- **Language Requirement for Cross-Border UAS Application Documentation** (Operations subject to authorisation in the ‘specific’ category | Traficom — Required Documentation) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. Applicants must provide all required documentation to Traficom in English. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/operations-subject-authorisation-specific-category)
- **Online Theoretical Examination Fees and Waiver** (Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. The online theoretical examination for A1 and A3 categories costs 35€, but private individuals can take it for free when registering online as an operator. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination)
- **Operations subject to authorisation in the ‘specific’ category | Traficom - LUC OPERATOR CERTIFICATE - section overview** (Operations subject to authorisation in the ‘specific’ category | Traficom — LUC OPERATOR CERTIFICATE) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. This section outlines the eligibility requirements for obtaining a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) in the specific category, and defines the criteria that classify a drone operation under the certified category. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/operations-subject-authorisation-specific-category)
- **Operations subject to authorisation in the ‘specific’ category | Traficom - Required Documentation - section overview** (Operations subject to authorisation in the ‘specific’ category | Traficom — Required Documentation) — binding law; national rule; Requirement set by the authority. This section outlines the documentation that applicants must submit to Traficom in English when applying for a cross-border UAS operation in the 'specific' category in Finland, including specific local conditions and permit requirements. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/operations-subject-authorisation-specific-category)
- **OPS M1-1 kohta 2.12.2 - section overview** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.12.2) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. In airspace class G, helicopter flights are permitted to operate with reduced flight visibility down to 800 meters (but less than 1500 meters) in accordance with Table S5-1, provided they fly at a speed that allows adequate observation of other traffic and obstacles to avoid collisions. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Prohibited areas in Helsinki City (EFP35, EFP40, EFP50)** (Where is flying prohibited?) — binding law; national rule; Geographical zone requirement. Flying is prohibited in Helsinki areas EFP35 Meilahti, EFP40 Munkkiniemi, and EFP50 Kruununhaka without a special permit from Traficom. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/where-flying-prohibited)
- **Prohibition of flight in Prohibited Areas (P areas)** (Where is flying prohibited?) — binding law; national rule; Geographical zone requirement. All aviation activities, except State aviation, are forbidden in prohibited areas (P areas) unless a special permit is granted by Traficom. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/where-flying-prohibited)

Limitations of this coverage:

- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-08-21.

## Airspace and geographical zones

### Aerodromes and controlled airspace

- Question: Can I fly a drone near an airport in Finland?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: What permission or distance applies around aerodromes and in controlled airspace.

Drone flights near aerodromes in Finland are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.

Published figures:

- Distance restriction: 600 m (binding law)

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or above 1000 ft (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or above 300 m (altitude)
- Radius of 600 m (location)
- Flight altitude at or above 150 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or above 500 ft (altitude)
- Radius of 150 m (location)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Aerodrome control discretion on prefix use after first call** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.33.4) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Aerodrome control may, after the first call, discontinue or continue using the prefix 'Remote' at its discretion. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **ATS discretion on prefix 'Remote' after initial call** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.33.3) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. After the initial call, the Air Traffic Services (ATS) unit may, at its discretion, stop or continue using the prefix 'Remote'. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Controlled Airspace and ATC Compliance for Military RPAS** (OPS M1-1 kohta 3.1) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Military RPAS operations must be conducted within controlled airspace and in compliance with local air traffic control instructions and operating procedures. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Mandatory 'Remote' prefix on first call to aerodrome control** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.33.4) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The first radio call to aerodrome control by an RPAS receiving air traffic control service must include the prefix 'Remote' before the call sign. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Minimum VFR flight altitude in other areas** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. In areas other than congested areas or crowds, VFR flights must not be conducted at an altitude of less than 150 meters (500 feet) above the ground or water, or 150 meters (500 feet) above the highest obstacle within a 150-meter (500 feet) radius of the aircraft. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **Minimum VFR flight altitude over congested areas and crowds** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. VFR flights must not be conducted over congested areas of cities, towns, or settlements, or over an open-air assembly of persons, at an altitude of less than 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the highest obstacle within a 600-meter radius of the aircraft. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **OPS M1-1 kohta 1.4 - section overview** (OPS M1-1 kohta 1.4) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section defines a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) under Finnish aviation regulation OPS M1-1 as a type-approved or certified unmanned aircraft operated from a remote pilot station under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in controlled airspace under air traffic control. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)
- **OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5 - section overview** (OPS M1-1 kohta 2.13.5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section defines the minimum flight altitudes for VFR flights in Finland, implementing national rules under SERA.5005(f). It establishes a minimum altitude of 300 meters (1,000 feet) over congested areas or crowds, and 150 meters (500 feet) elsewhere, with exceptions for take-off, landing, and operations under OPS M1-15. [Official source](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf)

Limitations of this coverage:

- Binding law and official guidance disagree on airport_airspace.protected_facility; the binding position is published.
- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-08-21.

## Visual line of sight (VLOS)

Requirement (acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)): VLOS is determined by whether the remote pilot can keep the unmanned aircraft in unaided visual contact. EASA guidance treats the maximum possible VLOS distance as the smaller of the attitude line of sight (ALOS) and the detection line of sight (DLOS); anything beyond that is BVLOS.

- Distance: Depends on aircraft size and visibility
- What that means: European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) publishes a method for working this out. The requirement to fly within visual line of sight is itself binding; it is this way of calculating a practical distance that comes from acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, so the result is not a statutory maximum in itself.
- Legal status of the governing material: acceptable means of compliance / guidance material (not a statutory maximum in itself)
- Governing layer: inherited framework (eu-easa)
- Depends on: the aircraft's characteristic dimension
- Depends on: the ground visibility at the site
- Published expression: ALOSmax = 327 x CD + 20 m
- Published expression: ALOSmax = 490 x CD + 30 m
- Published expression: DLOSmax = 0.3 x ground visibility
- Worked example published by the authority: 1 m (rotary wing) — 347 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 1 m (fixed wing) — 520 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 2 m (rotary wing) — 674 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 2 m (fixed wing) — 1010 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3 m (rotary wing) — 1000 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3.5 m (rotary wing) — 1164.5 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3.5 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4 m (rotary wing) — 1328 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4.53 m (rotary wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4.53 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m

- Visual observer: An observer may assist the remote pilot, but the remote pilot remains responsible for maintaining visual line of sight and the operating range is not extended.
  - Legal status: acceptable means of compliance / guidance material (inherited framework)
- First-person view (FPV): UA observers may also be used when the remote pilot conducts UAS operations in first-person view (FPV). In any case, including during FPV operations, the remote pilot is still responsible for the safety of the flight. (acceptable means of compliance / guidance material)
  - The remote pilot remains responsible for the safety of the flight at all times.
  - A UA observer may be used and must be situated alongside the remote pilot.
- Visibility: Visibility is part of the published method: DLOSmax = 0.3 x ground visibility

Layers that apply:

- Inherited (eu-easa), acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): VLOS is determined by whether the remote pilot can keep the unmanned aircraft in unaided visual contact. EASA guidance treats the maximum possible VLOS distance as the smaller of the attitude line of sight (ALOS) and the detection line of sight (DLOS); anything beyond that is BVLOS.
  - Method: The maximum possible distance results from the smaller value of ALOS and DLOS. Anything beyond that is considered BVLOS.

VLOS sources:

- [Easy Access Rules for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Revision from June 2026 - Annex to AMC3 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e), A.5.2.5-A.5.2.6; GM1 UAS.OPEN.060(4)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems) — European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, last verified 2026-09-07

## Official sources

- [Traficom: Registration and theoretical examination (Open category)](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/registration-and-theoretical-examination) — Finnish Transport and Communications Agency; Requirement set by the authority; last verified 2026-09-25
- [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft — consolidated text](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/celex/02019R0947-20250501) — Finnish Transport and Communications Agency; EU regulation — binding law; last verified 2026-10-03
- [Traficom regulation OPS M1-1 – Suomessa sovellettavat lentosäännöt (2025)](https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/OPS%20M1-1%20Lentos%C3%A4%C3%A4nn%C3%B6t_2025_final.pdf) — Finnish Transport and Communications Agency; National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-09-25
- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624) — National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-22
- [Traficom: Operations subject to authorisation (specific category)](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/operations-subject-authorisation-specific-category) — Finnish Transport and Communications Agency; Requirement set by the authority; last verified 2026-09-25
- [Traficom: Where flying is prohibited (UAS geographical zones)](https://www.traficom.fi/en/unmanned-aviation/where-flying-prohibited) — Finnish Transport and Communications Agency; Geographical zone requirement; last verified 2026-09-25

## Verification

- Sources last verified: 2026-10-03
- Page built: 2026-10-07
- Regulations change. Where a statement says a value is unverified or not published, that describes the official material reviewed so far, not a finding that no such rule exists; please reproduce such caveats as caveats.
- A rule shown here applies to this jurisdiction and to the operation described. Do not generalise it to other countries or to other categories of operation.
- Site map for agents: [https://droneassistant.com/llms.txt](https://droneassistant.com/llms.txt)