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 closed off during the shot, 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.