Can you fly your drone in Sweden?

Yes, in almost every real-world case. If your drone weighs 250 grams or more — which nearly every camera drone does — you need the A1/A3 drone certificate. You get it by passing an online theory test with Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency); it costs a small fee and stays valid for five years across the whole EASA area. You also register as an operator and mark your drone with your operator ID. Since 1 January 2026, flying without a valid certificate is actually a punishable offence in Sweden — so this is not paperwork, it is the foundation.

Yes — and it is easier than many expect if you come from the EU. The EU's common drone rules apply to visitors too: if you are already registered as an operator in another EASA country, your registration and A1/A3 certificate are valid here as well, with nothing to redo. Coming from outside the EASA area, you register once with Transportstyrelsen. One thing that surprises people: to publish or share aerial photos or video of Swedish land — even a holiday clip on social media — you need a free dissemination permit (spridningstillstånd) from Lantmäteriet, and processing takes weeks, so apply in good time.

Three things take you far: stay below 120 metres above ground, keep the drone within your line of sight at all times, and never fly over crowds. Beyond that, your drone must carry your operator ID, and you need to check the airspace before take-off — that is where the zones around airports and protected sites come in. The full list above is worth two minutes of your time.

The hard stops are the control zones around airports, protected sites such as military bases, prisons and power plants, and many nature reserves and national parks where the county board has banned drones. All of it appears as zones on the map on this page — and the DroneKoll app shows you live exactly which zones apply where you are standing, including temporary restrictions (NOTAMs) that never show up on static maps.

Transportstyrelsen — the Swedish Transport Agency — sets the rules; that is where you take the drone certificate and register as an operator. LFV, the air navigation service, manages the airspace itself and runs the official drone map. The foundation is the EU's common drone regulation, which Sweden has complemented with national rules. Both authorities' official pages are linked under Sources below.