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REGULATIONS

Rules of the Air

Drone Legislation in the Netherlands
120
metres
max in Open category
3
categories
Open · Specific · Certified
EU
approved
Specific authorisation
15+
years
operating in CTR

Drones in the Netherlands fly under European EASA rules (Regulation (EU) 2019/947), which have applied since 31 December 2020 — in the Netherlands from 1 January 2021. On top of that come Dutch national rules: the daylight-only rule, no-fly zones, CTR procedures, provincial TUG exemptions and Natura 2000. The EU rules distinguish three risk categories: Open (low risk), Specific (medium risk) and Certified (high risk).

Drone Legislation Netherlands 2026

The category depends on the risk of the flight, not on whether the job is commercial. A light drone with a class label, flown away from people, can stay in the Open category. As soon as the drone gets heavier (always from 25 kg), you fly closer to people or buildings, inside a CTR, at night or beyond visual line of sight, the flight falls under the Specific category. That requires an operational authorisation from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) — based on a SORA risk assessment (SORA 2.5 for new and amended applications since 1 April 2026) or a PDRA — or a declaration under a European standard scenario (STS-01 / STS-02, in force since 1 January 2024). Heavy-lift cinema work and urban shoots are almost always Specific.

The three categories at a glance

Open — low risk, no ILT permit

Sub-categoryDronesMain rule
A1C0 (under 250 g), C1 (under 900 g), legacy drones under 250 gMay fly over individual uninvolved people (C1: not intentionally) — never over crowds.
A2C2 (under 4 kg)30 m from uninvolved people (5 m in low-speed mode). A2 certificate required.
A3C3/C4 and legacy drones under 25 kg150 m from residential, commercial and recreational areas; no uninvolved people nearby.

Always: max 120 m, daylight only (NL), minimum age 16, not inside a CTR — from 26-11-2026 the outer CTR zone (zone 3) is open for the Open category.

Specific — medium risk, ILT

  • STS-01 — within sight, over a closed-off area in a built-up environment, C5 drone. Declaration to the ILT.
  • STS-02 — beyond sight with airspace observers, over a closed-off area in a sparsely populated environment, C6 drone. Declaration to the ILT.
  • PDRA or SORA 2.5 — operational authorisation from the ILT for everything else (heavy-lift, urban, CTR). The ILT decides within 112 days.
  • LUC — certificate with which an operator may authorise certain flights itself.

Certified — high risk

Certified drones for carrying people, dangerous goods with high risk, or large certified drones (3 m or more) over crowds. Dutch implementation is still in development.

Key requirements for legal professional drone operations

RDW operator registration — mandatory if your drone has a camera or weighs 250 g or more. Renewed every year; the operator number must be on every drone.
Remote pilot certificates — A1/A3 and A2, plus STS theory and practical training at an ILT-recognised school. Valid for 5 years. In the Specific category, the authorisation sets the competence required.
Remote ID — mandatory for drones with a C1, C2 or C3 label and, in most cases, in the Specific category.
Liability insurance — legally mandatory from 20 kg and a condition of every ILT authorisation. Skymotion always flies fully insured.
ILT operational authorisation for Specific-category flights, with the conditions and privileges written in it.
Zones, NOTAMs & CTR — checked per location in the official maps: the GoDrone operator portal and the Aeret map viewer.

What drones are not allowed to do (without special authorisation)

Almost never permitted
Fly over crowds or assemblies of people. Prohibited in the Open category; exceptions are practically never granted.
Fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Over populated areas the ILT cannot currently authorise this at all.
Only with special authorisation
Fly higher than 120 m above the ground. Only in controlled or atypical airspace, when the authorisation allows it.
Only with special authorisation
Fly in a CTR — Schiphol, Rotterdam, Groningen, Maastricht, Lelystad and the military airfields — without a GoDrone flight plan, clearance and radio contact (RT). From 26-11-2026 some zones no longer need ATC: see below.
Only with special authorisation
Enter restricted zones — government buildings, military and secured sites, areas where emergency services are active, and vital infrastructure (extra privilege on the authorisation).
Only with special authorisation
Fly in restricted Natura 2000 areas. The province or site manager decides — not the ILT.
Only with special authorisation
Fly at night. In the Netherlands every drone — Open category included — may only fly from 15 min before sunrise to 15 min after sunset. At night only with a separate ILT exemption and notification 24 h in advance.
Only with special authorisation
Drop objects or carry dangerous goods.
Only with special authorisation
Breach the minimum distances to people or buildings set for the Open category.
Only with special authorisation
Take off or land a drone heavier than 25 kg (up to 150 kg) outside an airfield. That requires a provincial TUG exemption.
Only with special authorisation

With our Specific authorisation — which Skymotion holds — we can fly much of what is restricted here, within the limits the authorisation sets: heavy-lift ARRI Alexa shots, work close to buildings and flights inside the CTR. Night flights need a separate exemption, Natura 2000 a provincial permit and heavy-lift above 25 kg a TUG exemption — we arrange those.

Also good to know

  • Indoor flights (studios, halls, arenas) fall outside the European drone rules. The venue's own safety rules and privacy law still apply.
  • Privacy (GDPR): as soon as people are recognisable in the footage, privacy law applies. We agree with the production who informs whom and how the footage is stored.
  • Incidents such as loss of control or a (near) collision are reported to the ILT.
  • Port of Rotterdam: flights in the port area outside the CTR are registered with the Port Authority's drone traffic system. The Netherlands has no official U-space airspace yet.
  • Coming up: the EU is preparing stricter registration and Remote ID from 100 g (EASA Opinion 06/2026). Not yet in force — we keep this page up to date.
UPDATE · 26-11-2026

New from 26 November 2026: CTR zoning

From 26 November 2026 the UAS zoning inside the controlled airspace (CTR) of Amsterdam (EHAM), Rotterdam (EHRD), Groningen (EHGG), Maastricht (EHBK) and Lelystad (EHLE) changes: zones are designated where the obligation to involve air traffic control (ATC/RT) lapses. Military airports do not change. The zoning is set by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) together with LVNL.

  • No ATC needed (Specific) — 2a · No ATC needed (Open + Specific) — 3
  • ATC/RT required — 1 · 2b · 4
  • ≤ 30 m from obstacle: no ATC (Specific)
Schematic, not to scale. Exact zones differ per airport — always check map.godrone.nl.
ZoneHeight / positionFrom 26-11-2026
Zone 10–120 m · ±0–2 km around the runwayNothing changes: Specific only, with mission plan, clearance and two-way radio contact (ATC/RT).
Zone 2a0–45 m · ±2–5 kmSpecific only, without ATC, mission plan or CTR privilege. Stay below 45 m, including the return-to-home height.
Zone 2b45–120 m · ±2–5 kmSpecific only, ATC required, except within 30 m (horizontally or vertically) of buildings, structures or obstacles: then only a mission plan, which is authorised automatically.
Zone 30–120 m · ±5 km to the CTR boundaryOpen (all classes) and Specific without ATC and without a mission plan.
Zone 4Above 120 m · whole CTROnly with an ILT exemption; otherwise as 2b: ATC required, except within 30 m of obstacles (mission plan only).

In practice

  • Mission plan via GoDrone: at least 2 days ahead, before 10:00. The regulation says "working days", but IenW confirmed it should read "days". If the drone is on the ground for more than 60 minutes, it counts as a new flight with a new plan.
  • If a flight crosses a zone with and a zone without ATC (for example 2a and 2b), file two plans. A single combined plan is rejected. Merely passing through 2a on the way to 2b needs no plan for 2a.
  • In zone 2a, zone 3 and within 30 m of obstacles, LVNL provides no traffic information: you see and avoid manned traffic yourself.
  • The CTR privilege on the operational authorisation remains required where you are in contact with ATC (zone 1, and 2b/4 more than 30 m from obstacles). Not in 2a and 3.
  • Lose control of the drone? In zone 3 you call the police, in the other zones air traffic control.
  • Outside the airport's opening hours the zoning still applies. Zones 1, 2b and 4 are then effectively unavailable.
  • BVLOS inside a CTR is for now only possible in zones with ATC. In zone 3, BVLOS in atypical airspace remains possible with the required permit.
  • Other UAS zones still apply on top, such as the Port of Rotterdam, helicopter landing sites and Natura 2000. The exact boundaries will be published before 26 November in the official zone file and on map.godrone.nl.

What it means for your production

  • Low Specific work up to 45 m in zone 2a and everything in zone 3: no mission plan, no RT and no CTR privilege needed. Faster planning, also at short notice.
  • Facade, rooftop and structure shots within 30 m of the object in zones 2b/4: only a mission plan (2 days ahead), authorised automatically. No RT. A big win for urban film work.
  • In zone 2a, 3 and within 30 m of obstacles there is no longer a maximum number of drones at the same time.
  • Zone 1, higher or free flight in 2b/4 and all BVLOS: RT and LVNL planning exactly as today. Skymotion checks the zone per location before deciding whether an RT operator is needed.

Source: Dutch UAS zoning regulation, Stcrt. 2026, 33389 · webinar by IenW, ILT and LVNL, 4 November 2026 · ILT Aviation Authority · zones: map.godrone.nl · updated 4 November 2026

Where to check which Dutch operators hold Specific authorisation

The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) publishes a public, up-to-date overview of all UAS operators in the Specific Category. You can filter, search and view the privileges and authorisations per operator: ilent.nl — UAS operators.

Official sources and useful links

At Skymotion we are fully compliant with all current EASA and Dutch requirements. We hold EU Specific authorisations, Enhanced Containment certification and many years of experience with complex film and commercial operations — from heavy-lift ARRI Alexa shoots to indoor FPV. Rules last checked: October 2026.

Where we fly

All CTRs in the Netherlands — click for the rules per area

Civil airportMilitary CTR

Click a dot for the rules and what is needed. The exact boundaries and zones of every CTR are on the GoDrone map ↗

Aeronautical radio (RT)

In the CTR around airports, radio telephony (RT) contact is required with, for example, Schiphol or Rotterdam Tower. We can take care of this for you. Learn more about RT →

Field photography
Rotterdam — port operations
Specific category authorisation
GoDrone — airspace map
Alta X · cinema payload
Aerial coordination
Heavy-lift ARRI shoot
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