Drone Flying In Iceland: All You Need To Know In 2024

Which Drone Categories Are There Within The Regulations?

There are essentially two categories of drones according to the law: the Open and the Specific category. The Open category involves all low-risk drone operations involving drones below 25 kilograms, which is what all consumer and prosumer drone users fall under. Most drone photographers and videographers use C0, C1 or C2 classified drones, which are all below one kilogram.

The specific requirements to be in the Open category are:

• The drone must weigh less than 25 kilograms.
• The drone pilot needs to maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) with the drone at all times.
• You can not fly higher than 120 metres above the ground (not above the take off point).
• You can not fly over crowds of people.
• Dangerous goods can not be flown with them.
• You are not allowed to release objects from the drone.
• The drone must be marked with the registration number of the drone operator.

Which Subcategories Exist In The Open Category?

The Open category is divided into three subcategories: A1, A2 and A3. These categories are separated as follows:

• Subcategory A1: Fly light drones (up to 900 grams) with few distance restrictions to uninvolved people.
• Subcategory A2: Fly drones in built-up areas with a minimum of 50 metres from uninvolved people (30 metres with a C2 class drone).
• Subcategory A3: Fly drones up to 25 kilograms with a minimum of 150 metres from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.

Depending on which drone you own, and how you will use it, you will need a specific license.

Which Drone License Do I Need?

In order to fly in the Open category, all drone pilots must be registered on the Icelandic Transport Authority’s website (flydrone.is). Depending on which drone you fly, you may need additional licensing:

• If you are flying a sub-250 gram drone, such as the DJI Mini 3 Pro or the DJI Mini 4 Pro, you do not need further licensing. This only applies to drones with the C0 label.
• If you are flying a drone which weighs more than 250 grams, you must pass the A1/A3 exam. After passing the exam, drone pilots can fly drones up to 900 gr in subcategory A1 and up to 25 kg in subcategory A3. Such drones are labeled with a C1, C2 or C3 label.
• In subcategory A2 it is allowed to fly closer to people and therefore it is considered the subcategory in the Open category with the most risk. There are more requirements for pilot competency in the A2 subcategory and drone pilots must pass an additional A2 exam.

A more detailed explanation of the various drone categories and the accompanying rules and requirements, can be found on the Icelandic Transport Authority’s website.

If you are still looking into buying a drone, make sure to check out my drone buyer’s guide which details what you should buy as a photographer.

Where & When Can I Fly My Drone In Iceland?

You can fly anywhere, and anytime, in Iceland as long as you stick to the new European regulations. However, there are a few exceptions and things to keep in mind:

• You can not exceed 120 metres of altitude above the ground. It’s good to know that the altitude shown on your drone’s remote controller is the altitude from the takeoff point, not from the ground. This means that, in some cases, it can be difficult to know exactly whether you’re within the letter of the law or not.
• You can not fly within a 2 kilometre radius of airports. If you are using a DJI drone, these are well marked on the map and in most cases, they will even prevent you from flying there. If you need to fly within this two kilometre radius, you can ask for an exception via the Isavia website.
• You can not fly your drone near any government buildings.
• In Reykjavík, you are not allowed to fly higher than any of the building’s near your drone.
• You are allowed to fly at night but need to have a green strobe light on the drone to maintain VLOS (visual line of sight).
• You can not fly closer than 150 metres to any building in rural areas. In urban areas, this is limited to only 50 metres.
• It is forbidden to fly your drone near bird cliffs, birds and other wildlife.
• Taking off from private land is only allowed with permission from the land owner.
• Finally, for some specific areas in Iceland additional permits are required, which I delve into further in this article.

Do I Need Any Additional Permits To Fly My Drone In Iceland?

The short answer is ‘yes’, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Aside from the European drone regulations, there are also many local regulations in effect. These can be found in certain protected areas and national parks around Iceland. Applying for a permit for drone flying can easily be done but can, in some cases, also cost you money. To help you figure out where and when you need permits, I have collected the four main entities with some explanations below.

It’s also important to note that many of the more popular locations may not have any specific drone regulations but might be visited by a large number of tourists. This means in many cases that you can not fly your drone as this would mean you are flying over a crowd of people. However, if you fly outside the most crowded times, you can fly your drone if no local regulations are enforced.

Vatnajökull National Park

Vatnajökull National Park is the largest national park in Iceland and stretches from the southeastern part of the country all the way to Ásbyrgi in the north. This enormous area protects all natural wonders surrounding Vatnajökull glacier. It contains many popular locations such as, but not limited to, Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon), Fjallsárlón, Fellsfjara (Diamond Beach), Ásbyrgi, Dettifoss, Selfoss, Askja, Langisjór, Eldgjá, and many other locations. A complete map of the whole Vatnajökull National Park is available on their website.

UPDATE 15/07/2024: For recreational use, a drone permit is no longer required. However, it is required to follow these guidelines, whilst also keeping in mind restricted areas:

• Flight times should be kept to a minimum and flights should be avoided during the area’s busiest times of day. A drone must never be flown near or over people, unless approval has been obtained (e.g. in organized group tours). Disturbing the experience of tranquillity, guest safety and personal privacy should be avoided.
• It is not allowed to disturb wildlife. If the flight unexpectedly disturbs birds or other wildlife, it must be stopped immediately.
• The conductor of the drone is fully responsible for the use of the drone. It must not harm people, wildlife, or nature, and it must not leave any permanent traces. If a drone is damaged or crashes, it and all its components must be collected and removed. If it is dangerous to recover a crashed drone, or it cannot be found, it must be reported to the national park.
• Many popular destinations in the national park are close to the national park boundary. The National Park has no jurisdiction outside of them, and therefore it is always the responsibility of the drone operator to check if a permission from landowners is needed.
• In other respects, the flight of unmanned aircraft shall be conducted in accordance with regulation no. 990/2017, on the operation of remotely piloted aircraft and instructions on the Icelandic Transport Authority’ website.
• Regional restrictions still apply. Please check the Vatnajökull National Park website for an updated list of restricted areas.

Applying for a drone permit for commercial use within Vatnajökull National park, can be done via a special online application form. All applications have to be made with at least 10 days notice, but recommends giving them at least 4 weeks.

Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park

Thingvellir (Þingvellir in correct Icelandic) National Park is one of the most visited areas in Iceland, as it is considered to be a part of the Golden Circle. Regardless of this, the local rules in Þingvellir National Park are pretty straightforward. There are no specific permits required. There is, however, one restriction that covers the most popular locations within the park.

From the Service Centre at Leirar in the north to Þingvallavatn in the south of the national park, drone flying is not allowed between 9:00 and 18:00. This area is marked with a red circle on the map. This is due to the large amount of visitors in this area. This contains locations such as Hak, Almannagjá, Lögberg, Flosagjá, Öxarárfoss, the Þingvellir Church, Silfra and more.

In other areas of the national park, this limitation does not apply regarding drone flying. Though, they ask to keep in mind other visitors and especially animals.

More information can be found on the Þingvellir National Park website.

Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park is located on the western side of Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This national park is under the maintenance of the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun). Within Snæfellsjökull National Park, drone flying is prohibited between April 15th and September 15th, within the area between the road (Nesvegur) & the ocean, unless you have a permit from the Environment Agency of Iceland. Outside of those dates, and that specific area, you do not need a permit to fly your drone.

Requesting a drone permit can be done on the website of the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun). Please be aware that requesting such a permit is quite costly and comes with a set of rules you will need to follow!

Other Protected Areas by the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun)

Outside of these national parks, there are many other protected areas such as nature reserves, known breeding grounds for specific bird species, and more. Not all these areas have limitations in regards to drones and not all of them have limitations that apply all year.

Popular areas include, but are not limited to, the following locations in Iceland:

• West Fjords: Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Látrabjarg, Dynjandi (banned between May 1st and September 15th)
• West Iceland: Flatey, Arnarstapi (banned between April 15th and September 15th), Hellnar (banned between April 15th and September 15th), Snæfellsjökull National Park (as mentioned before)
• South Iceland: Dyrhólaey, Skógafoss, Gullfoss, Geysir
• North Iceland: Góðafoss, Hverfjall (Mývatn), Mývatn, Dimmuborgir (Mývatn)
• Central Highlands: Þjórsárdalur (Háifoss, Gjáin, …), Þjórsárver (banned between May 10th and August 10th), Fjallabak nature reserve (banned between June 15th and September 15th), Landmannalaugar (banned between June 15th and September 15th)
• Reykjavík: Grótta (Reykjavík)

A more complete list can be found on the website of the Environment Agency of Iceland. There is also a map available of all protected areas.

Requesting a drone permit can be done on the website of the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun). Please be aware that requesting such a permit is quite costly and comes with a set of rules you will need to follow!

Temporary Restrictions & Regulations

On occasion, temporary and regional drone bans may also be enforced in Iceland. On several occasions such a ban has been invoked in the past when, for example, a prominent individual visits Iceland or when authorities want to clear the area for rescue and scientific efforts (such as during the disaster in Grindavík on November 10th or the first hours of a volcanic eruption).

While it’s difficult to stay updated on those specific drone bans, they are generally communicated via the Transport Authority of Iceland or on the Isavia website.

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