What are the drone laws in Finland?
The rules and regulations are quite clear and concise compared to many countries, and if you make sure to respect the following rules, you're good to go.
Any other rule I might have left out can be downloaded.
150m max height
Avoid Crowds
1km from airports
Need Insurance
This is a guide for Finnish drone laws in 2023 (updated every year) where you'll get a clue about what you can or shouldn't do while flying and traveling through this country.
Yes. Drones are legal in Finland. Finland stands out as a good place for drone pilots as its laws are liberal. You can easily socialize with the drone community in Rovaniemi, Inari, and Helsinki.
The town of Kemi is off-limits to drone users. For questions on the regulatory requirements of Finnish drones, check out info@dronerules.eu.
The body overlooking Finnish drone laws is Traficom
For any inquiries, Contact
Email kirjaamo@trafi.fi
Tel: +358-295345000
The rules and regulations are quite clear and concise compared to many countries, and if you make sure to respect the following rules, you're good to go.
Any other rule I might have left out can be downloaded.
You must maintain a visual line of sight when flying the drone.
You cannot fly closer than 1km to the airport without getting approval from a control tower.
Do not fly over any person or moving vehicle
Do not fly your drone above 150 meters. Fly within the airport control zone but maintain a 3 Km distance away from the runways. The maximum distance of flight is 50 meters. Do not fly your drone above a crowd of people. Always maintain a 50-meter gap.
Drones should be marked with numbers and contact information
Take insurance on third-party damage
Do not fly at night unless your drone has lighting
Flying over any gathering of people is a preserve of the security agencies. This covers sports areas, concerts, and events. However, there are special situations where it can be allowed.
There is an app developed by the Finnish Transport Safety Agency, which gives you all the information necessary when flying your drone.
To qualify for the professional drone category, one must:
Areas that are off access for drone pilots are oil refineries, nuclear plants, military installations, and government areas.
To fly your drone close to an aerodrome, you will require permission from a watchtower operator. You can get this authorization here.
DJI drone owners will find that their drones are unable to take off when around restricted drone areas.
New stricter aviation laws are expected to go into effect this March. The new laws will give police the ability to stop drones from flying around emergency sites, nuclear sites, and other strategic installations like airports.
Drone registration is once a year and must be done before you fly within the country. As part of the process, you are to enter the personal details of you and the drone on an application form available online.
The amount fined or the extent of your punishment will be arrived at based on the severity of your infringement.
The best way to figure out what areas you can fly in, while you're here is by consulting DJI's official map.
They do a great job mapping the places that one should avoid while flying in every country:
These would be the current updated drone laws for Finland. I suggest checking my full map with all the countries' drone laws to see where it's best to travel.
If you are considering visiting Finland, make sure you’ve learned all the dos and don’ts of flying drones in this region. This will help you have a safe journey and enjoy flying your drone without getting yourself into trouble.
Also, keep in mind that, commercial and recreational drones are treated differently in most countries therefore you will need to prepare yourself accordingly. Last but not least, always follow rules and regulations and make sure to respect the laws of every country.