Can you fly your drone in the Netherlands?
Whether you can fly depends on your drone, your registration and exactly where you fly. Here is what applies: key rules, no-fly zones and the official sources, in one place.
Regulator
Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT)
Framework
EU 2019/947 (EASA Open Category) + national enforcement framework
Pilot credential
A1/A3 Pilot's License
Mapped zones
952
KEY RULES (EASA OPEN CATEGORY)
- In the open category, the maximum height is 120 m, measured as the distance to the closest point of the Earth's surface — not simply straight down, so near a slope the ground next to you may also count. Within 50 m of a tall artificial obstacle (taller than 105 m), the maximum height may be increased up to 15 m above the height of the obstacle at the request of the entity responsible for the obstacle.
- You must register as a UAS operator if your drone weighs 250 g or more (or could transfer more than 80 J of kinetic energy in a collision) — this also applies to toys. Below 250 g, registration is still required if the drone has a sensor able to capture personal data, unless it qualifies as a toy under the EU Toy Safety Directive. Pilot training/certificate requirements are regulated separately and depend on the drone's class and subcategory.
- In the Netherlands, the minimum age for the A1/A3 certificate is 16. If you are younger, an observer (with a valid certificate) must keep the drone in sight at all times and stay in contact with you.
- The prohibited zone around Schiphol covers most of Amsterdam and surrounding areas — check the official map before every flight instead of relying on a fixed distance.
- In the open category, you must keep the drone within your own line of sight, with the naked eye (glasses/contact lenses are fine; binoculars or a screen do not count) — or fly with the help of an observer, with whom you communicate clearly and effectively at all times, so that together you can monitor the airspace and avoid collisions. Follow-me mode is a separate exception, permitted up to 50 m from the pilot.
- Do not fly over assemblies of people. Rules for uninvolved persons depend on subcategory, class mark and operating conditions; check the official matrix.
- Restrictions around airports are published as no-fly zones on the official drone map; a large buffer zone applies around Schiphol. Check the map before flying near an airport — there is no single fixed distance that applies everywhere.
- In the Netherlands, you may not fly at night in the open category. Flying is limited to the Uniform Daylight Period (Uniforme Daglicht Periode, UDP), which runs from 15 minutes before sunrise to 15 minutes after sunset. An exemption to fly outside the UDP can only be requested from the ILT for flights in the specific category — this option does not exist for the open category.
- Nature areas (Natura 2000): drone restrictions apply in some areas — these are set by the province or the area manager, not by a fixed season. Check the provincial rules and the zone information on the map before the flight.
- Densely populated urban areas in the Randstad: check local municipal regulations.
- Distance from roads, railways and the high-voltage grid (Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen art. 6 and 8, open category): not within 50 m (A1/A2) or 150 m (A3) of motorways, expressways and roads with a speed limit of 80 km/h that are in use; not within 25 m (A1/A2) or 150 m (A3) of railways; and not within 150 m of objects or areas that are part of the electricity transmission system (the high-voltage grid).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence or certificate to fly a drone in the Netherlands?
Two separate things are easily confused here. Registration as a drone operator is required as soon as your drone weighs 250 g or more, or has a camera or sensor able to capture personal data — so it covers many sub-250 g drones too, unless they qualify for the toy exemption. The remote pilot's certificate of competency (A1/A3 Pilot's License) is something else: you need it once your drone weighs 250 g or more, or carries a C1 or higher class mark. A camera drone under 250 g therefore needs registration, but no exam. You get the certificate by passing an online theory test with Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT), and it is then valid across the whole EASA area, not just here.
Can I fly a drone as a tourist or foreign visitor in the Netherlands?
Yes — EU drone rules apply to visitors too. If you are already registered as a drone operator in another EASA country, that registration and your A1/A3 certificate (also A2) are valid in the Netherlands as well. Coming from outside the EASA area, you register once — in the first EASA country where you plan to fly, here with Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT). The Netherlands only allows open-category drone flights in daylight — from 15 minutes before sunrise until 15 minutes after sunset — so night flying is off-limits even though the EU baseline allows it.
What are the most important drone rules in the Netherlands?
The short version: In the open category, the maximum height is 120 m, measured as the distance to the closest point of the Earth's surface — not simply straight down, so near a slope the ground next to you may also count. Within 50 m of a tall artificial obstacle (taller than 105 m), the maximum height may be increased up to 15 m above the height of the obstacle at the request of the entity responsible for the obstacle. On top of that: You must register as a UAS operator if your drone weighs 250 g or more (or could transfer more than 80 J of kinetic energy in a collision) — this also applies to toys. Below 250 g, registration is still required if the drone has a sensor able to capture personal data, unless it qualifies as a toy under the EU Toy Safety Directive. Pilot training/certificate requirements are regulated separately and depend on the drone's class and subcategory. Also: In the Netherlands, the minimum age for the A1/A3 certificate is 16. If you are younger, an observer (with a valid certificate) must keep the drone in sight at all times and stay in contact with you. These are central aviation rules — location-specific airspace, land, nature, privacy and photography requirements can also apply in the Netherlands, so always check the official sources.
Where am I not allowed to fly a drone in the Netherlands?
The no-go areas are the restricted zones — typically around airports, prisons, military sites and protected nature areas. In the Netherlands you can see every zone on the interactive map on this page, and in the DroneKoll app wherever you are standing.
Who regulates drone flying in the Netherlands?
Drone flying in the Netherlands is regulated by Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT). The airspace itself is managed by LVNL. You will find both organisations' official pages under Sources below — those are the links worth bookmarking.
Good to know
OFFICIAL SOURCES
- ILT — Drone RegulationsOfficial Rules of the Human Environment and Transportation Inspectorateilent.nl
- RDW — Register as an operatorRegistration as a UAS operator: €23 one-time, then €13 per year on renewal (operator number valid for 1 year; valid in all EU/EASA countries)rdw.nl
- ILT — Overview of the RulesOverview of the Rules for Flying Drones in the Netherlandsilent.nl
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Always check the official sources from ILT and RDW and the airspace map from IenW before you fly. This page is a guide — not a legal authority. The Netherlands follows EASA regulations.
The app
The whole picture, up to date — in your pocket
DroneKoll shows no-fly zones, weather and NOTAMs on one interactive map — with a flight log and checklists built in.
More in the app:Interactive zone map · Flight log · Planning & measuring · Pre-flight checklists · Flying abroad
