Maximum drone altitude in Sweden
What is the maximum drone altitude in Sweden?
Limited guide. Drone Assistant's coverage of Sweden 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 Sweden's drone law; check the linked sources or ask the assistant about your own flight.
Drone flights in Sweden 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.
- General height limit
- 120 m
- Reference datum
- above_nearest_obstacle
The general height limit that applies to drone flights, and what changes it.
Sweden applies the European Union / EASA framework. Rules marked as framework rules below are inherited, not uniquely national — see the European Union / EASA answer.
What the rules say
Each line is resolved from published facts of Sweden. "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 below 10 m
- altitude
Flight altitude at or below 15 m
The rules behind this answer
- Binding lawNational rule
Prohibition of aerial photography in restricted areas during heightened readiness
During heightened readiness or other times decided by the government, aerial photography or similar registration must not be performed within or of military restricted areas without a permit.
- 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.
- 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.
- Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule
Clearance required for flight in controlled airspace (category 2 equivalent)
Flight in controlled airspace may only take place after specific permission (clearance) from, and on the conditions given by, the air traffic control unit responsible for that airspace. No height-based exemption applies to this category.
- 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.
- 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.
- Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule
Direct Remote Identification
A class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification that allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number required in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, performs a consistency check on that registration string, and broadcasts directly and periodically in real time throughout the flight — using an open and documented transmission protocol receivable by existing mobile devices within range — at least the UAS operator registration number and Member State verification code, the unique serial number of the UA, the time stamp, the geographical position of the UA and its height above the surface or take-off point, the route course and ground speed, the geographical position of the remote pilot or, if not available, the take-off point, and an indication of the emergency status of the UAS; the direct remote identification must also reduce the ability of tampering with its functionality.
Official sources
Other drone rules in Sweden
- Do I need to register my drone in Sweden?Registration in Sweden 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 Sweden?Drone flights near aerodromes in Sweden 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 Sweden?Whether an operation in Sweden 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 Sweden?Remote pilot competency in Sweden scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.
Built around official regulatory sources
- Official sources
- Regulation-level citations
- Coverage and freshness checks
- Location-aware data where available
Built from 8 published facts (8 binding), each resting only on the 27 citable published rules for Sweden (8 shown above). Sources last verified 2026-08-23. Page built 2026-10-07 (dataset ds_4w2tpw7xmph8a92vstdt6prfbm).
Ask Drone Assistant about altitude limits in Sweden
This page answers "What is the maximum drone altitude in Sweden?" for the general case. Ask about your own aircraft, weight and location to see which of the 8 rules above actually apply to you.
This page gives general regulatory information. It is not flight clearance, operational authorisation or legal advice, and it does not guarantee that a flight is legal. See sources and methodology and terms.