Filming with a drone above 25 kg: TUG and permits

If you want an ARRI Alexa, RED or Sony Venice with your own lenses in the air, you end up with a heavy-lift drone. It often stays below 25 kg, but with a heavier gimbal or a large camera it goes over — and from that point different rules apply. This guide shows what's needed, how long it takes and how to keep your shoot day from stalling on a permit.

Why 25 kg is the line

Below 25 kg a lot of work can be done in the Open category or under a standard Specific authorisation. Above it you are always in the Specific category, with an operational authorisation from the Dutch ILT. The Netherlands adds something most other countries don't have: to take off and land outside an airfield you need a TUG exemption (Temporary and Exceptional Use) per province.

The weight is always the total: drone, batteries, gimbal, camera, lenses and accessories. A Freefly Alta X with a Movi gimbal and a cinema camera often still stays below 25 kg. With a heavier gimbal such as the Ronin it gets tight, and with an IMAX camera it ends up around 32 kg.

The TUG in practice

Twelve provinces, twelve offices: each with its own form and fee — from free to €2,823 per year (Noord-Holland).
Official lead time 4 weeks; eHerkenning is often required to apply.
Allowed take-offs per day range from 3 to 50 per province. With a cinema drone flying about 10 minutes per battery, 3 take-offs is tight.
No take-off inside Natura 2000 areas, even with the manager's consent.
Some provinces only grant a TUG outside built-up areas.
Groningen and Overijssel are trialling a generic drone TUG for 25–150 kg until mid-2028.

What we run into, and what we think should improve, Tom Oudijk described in Dronewatch in 2023. Fees and offices per province are on our TUG page with map.

Planning: from shot list to shoot day

6+ weeks beforeLock location and shot

Location(s), shot list and camera/lenses. With camera and gimbal known we can tell whether the drone ends up above 25 kg — and so whether a TUG is needed.

5–6 weeks beforeApply for a TUG per province

Official lead time is 4 weeks, sometimes longer in practice. Each province has its own office, form and fee, often behind eHerkenning.

2–4 weeks beforeLandowner, municipality, recce

Written permission for the take-off and landing spot, arrangements with the municipality when we fly over public space, and a technical recce.

48 hours beforeCTR: flight plan with LVNL

If the location is inside a CTR (e.g. around Schiphol or Rotterdam) we file the flight 48 hours ahead; 24 hours ahead LVNL confirms which hours are allowed.

Shoot dayCordon, brief, fly

Take-off and landing area clear, the area under the flight line cordoned off during the shot (if needed, we flag it in advance so the production can arrange it), RT contact where needed, and a weather and wind check.

Besides the TUG

Landowner — written permission for the take-off and landing spot. We keep about 25 metres clear around the drone.
Municipality and public space — if we fly over streets or places with people, the area under the flight line is closed off during the shot, with traffic marshals. A field or open ground is often the smarter take-off spot.
CTR (around airports) — flight plan 48 hours ahead with LVNL, an RT operator on set, and the tower can always still say no. From 26 November 2026 the zoning around five airports changes — see CTR zoning and the CTR pages.
Weather — rain and drones don't mix. We can fly in winds up to 14 m/s (Beaufort 7), but for steady images we keep to 8 m/s (Beaufort 4) — less between buildings. Plan a backup day if you can.

Checklist for the production

Location(s) as precise as possible, with the preferred take-off and landing spot
Shoot date and backup day
Camera, lenses and accessories (determines the weight)
Shot list or storyboard: height, movement, distance to people and buildings
Contact for the landowner and (if needed) the municipality

Frequently asked questions

When is a drone 'above 25 kg'?

It's the maximum take-off mass (MTOM): drone, batteries, gimbal, camera and lenses together. A Freefly Alta X with a Movi gimbal and a cinema camera often stays below 25 kg; with a heavier gimbal (Ronin) it gets tight, and with an IMAX camera it's around 32 kg.

Which permits do you need for a drone above 25 kg?

Two things. An EU authorisation in the Specific category from the Dutch ILT (the Open category stops at 25 kg), plus a TUG exemption per province to take off and land outside an airfield. Inside a CTR, coordination with air traffic control comes on top.

How long does a TUG exemption take?

Officially 4 weeks, sometimes longer in practice. For a heavy-lift shoot day, allow at least 5 to 6 weeks of preparation if there's no TUG for that province yet.

What does a TUG cost?

It varies a lot per province: from free (e.g. Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant, Utrecht, Limburg) to €2,823 per year for a continuous TUG in Noord-Holland. The per-province overview is on our TUG page.

Can you film with a heavy drone in a nature area or a city?

Taking off inside a Natura 2000 area isn't allowed under a TUG, even with the manager's consent; we take off outside the area instead. Some provinces only grant a TUG outside built-up areas. In cities it's often possible, with a cordoned take-off and landing spot and arrangements with the municipality.

Can it be done lighter, without a TUG?

Often, yes. With the Alta X and the Movi gimbal we stay below 25 kg with many cinema cameras, so no TUG is needed; only when we switch to a heavier gimbal such as the Ronin does it get tight. For lighter work there's the DJI Inspire 3 (8K full-frame). Per shot we look at what gives the best image with the least permit overhead.