Drone Laws in Finland

Finland Drone Regulations

According to Finland’s national aviation authority, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (TRAFI), flying a drone is legal in Finland, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.

If you’d like to contact the TRAFI directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: kirjaamo(at)trafi.fi / +358 29 534 5000

Why fly a drone in Finland? To get aerial shots of locations like this!

General Rules for Flying a Drone Within the European Union

Finland is a part of the European Union and therefore must abide by the drone regulations put in place by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In addition to these regulations, Finland also has regulations that are country-specific.

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone within the European Union.

There are three operational categories that determine drone regulations based on the weight of the drone and the intended operation. This section will only cover the Open Category, to see all European Union laws and categories, click here.

A drone can be operated in the “Open “category if:

• The drone has one of the class identification labels 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
• The drone was purchased before 1 January 2023, with no class identification label as above.
• The drone has a maximum take-off mass of less than 25 kg (55 lbs).
• The remote pilot keeps the drone at a safe distance away from people.
• The drone will not be operated directly over people unless it has a class identification label or is lighter than 250 g (0.55 lbs). (Please refer to subcategories of operations: A1, A2, and A3 to find out where you can fly with your drone).
• The remote pilot will maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) or the remote pilot will be assisted by a UA observer.
• The remote pilot will not operate the drone above 120m (400ft).
• The drone will not carry any dangerous goods and will not drop any material.

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Finland

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Finland.

• Drones may not be flown over 150 meters above the ground.
• Drone pilots must maintain a direct visual line of sight with their drone while flying. If flying FPV you may apply for a permit to fly beyond visual line of sight, but you will need to have a visual observer present to assist in the flight.
• Drones being flown in Finland may not weigh more than 25 kilograms.
• Drones may not be flown within 1 kilometer of any airport runway without permission from the air traffic control tower.
• Flying at distances between 1 kilometer to 3 kilometers from an airport runway is allowed up to the height of surrounding obstacles. In close vicinity to an obstacle, you may fly 15 m over the obstacle height with permission from the obstacle owner.
• Flying in the control zone of an airport but still further away than 3 km from the airport runways, the maximum allowed flight altitude is 50 meters.
• Drones may not be flown over people or crowds. Commercial pilots may do so with special permission from TRAFI.
• Drones should be kept 50 meters from people and crowds.
• Drone pilots flying for commercial purposes are required to hold drone insurance for liability.
• For commercial drone operations the drone pilot must be 18 years of age or older. There are no age restrictions for recreational flying.
• Drones being used for commercial purposes must attach a sticker to their drone with their name and contact information, as well as documenting their operations in a flight logbook.

For more information on Finland’s drone laws, see this page on the TRAFI website. You can also use this map for a visual representation of where it is safe or unsafe to fly a drone in Finland.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Finland? Send us an email at support[at]horizonap[dot]com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Finland can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

Want to get a feel for the kind of footage you could get flying a drone in Finland? Here you go: