Maximum drone altitude in Iceland

What the rules say

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

• General height limit120 mConditional
• Reference datumabove_nearest_obstacleYes
• Category-specific limitsConditional
• Aerodrome-related limitConditional
• Structure exceptionConditional
• Authorised exceedanceConditional
• Conditional limitsConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the open category of operation.

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 120 m

• altitude

  Flight altitude below 120 m

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 15 m

• altitude

  Obstacle height above 105 m

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Exception for Flying Below Obstacles Near Scheduled Airports

  Flying within restricted zones around scheduled flight airports is permitted without special permission only if the unmanned aircraft is flown below the height of the highest obstacles and within 50 meters of its flight path.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Flight restrictions at airports and within airport no-fly zones

  Flying unmanned aircraft at airports, within airport areas, and within no-fly zones around scheduled airports is prohibited without permission from the airport operator, except when flying below the height of the highest obstacles and within 50 meters of the obstacle.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Flight restrictions at and around airports

  Flying at airports, within airport areas, or within no-fly zones around scheduled airports is prohibited without operator permission, unless flying below the height of the highest obstacles and within 50 meters of the flight path.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Article 4 - section overview

  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.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Class C0 Maximum Attainable Height Limit

  A class C0 UAS must have its maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Compliance with Open Category Operational Limitations

  UAS operations in the 'open' category must comply with the operational limitations set out in Part A of the Annex.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Criteria for Determining Unmitigated Ground and Air Risks

  The risk identification must determine the unmitigated ground risk and unmitigated air risk based on specified operational, environmental, and airspace criteria.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Samgöngustofa — Drónakort (Icelandic UAS geographical zones, official page) — Innanlandsflugvellir ehf.Open
• Reglugerð nr. 1360/2024 um ómönnuð loftför (Icelandic UAS Regulation) — Innanlandsflugvellir ehf.Open
• Samgöngustofa — Drónakort (geographical zones, IS) — Innanlandsflugvellir ehf.Open
• EASA Easy Access Rules for U-space (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664), May 2024Open
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945Open
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947Open

Known limitations

• Binding law and official guidance disagree on altitude.airport_related_limit; the binding position is published.

Other drone rules in Iceland

• Do I need to register my drone in Iceland?Registration in Iceland 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.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in Iceland?Drone flights near aerodromes in Iceland 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 Iceland?Whether an operation in Iceland needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in Iceland?Remote pilot competency in Iceland 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 Iceland?Drone insurance in Iceland is published with a minimum third-party cover of 0.75 million SDR. Whether cover is required for a given flight depends on the published conditions below.

All drone laws in Iceland