REGULATIONS / DK

Denmark: drone rules for inspection

Denmark applies the EU drone rules through Trafikstyrelsen; a July 2025 amendment introduced 8 km zones with height limits around instrument aerodromes (4 km for visual-only aerodromes) and three-year registration renewal. After suspicious drone sightings, all civil drone flights were banned nationwide from 29 September to 4 October 2025, with ministerial dispensation only for urgent, socially critical flights. The DK-STS-03 transitional declaration for urban flights with legacy drones expired on 1 January 2026, leaving A3 or the Specific category (PDRA, STS, SORA).

Checked against official sources

Fields are recorded in the language of the research notes.

Authority	デンマーク交通庁 (Trafikstyrelsen)、運輸省 / Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority (Trafikstyrelsen); Ministry of Transport (emergency bans and dispensations, with the National Police assessing applications)
Main framework	EU Regulations 2019/947 and 2019/945, plus a 2023 Trafikstyrelsen executive order on drones as amended by amending order no. 527 (in force 1 Jul 2025); the Aviation Act (consolidated by LBK no. 570 of 19 May 2025) allows the minister to ban drone flights (§3(2), §149(8), §126a). The number of the 2023 base order was not confirmed (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Registration	Operator registration per EU thresholds with Trafikstyrelsen; since 1 Jul 2025 registration is no longer open-ended and must be renewed every 3 years. Private owners of mini drones no longer need the minimum liability insurance of 0.75 million SDR (1 Jul 2025 change); insurance duties for other drones (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Remote ID	EU direct Remote ID rules apply (EASA). Danish detail (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Pilot licensing	EU competencies by class: C0 none, C1 and C3/C4 A1/A3, C2 A2. Since 1 Jul 2025 an A2 certificate is required within the 8 km zone of IMC aerodromes and at the Aarhus and Copenhagen water aerodromes. Older Danish certificates (1A, 1B, 2) no longer support urban legacy-drone flights after DK-STS-03 expired on 1 Jan 2026.
Risk categories	Open / Specific (PDRA with operations manual; STS declaration to Trafikstyrelsen for C5/C6 drones; SORA) / Certified. The Danish transitional declaration DK-STS-03 (legacy drones 250 g-25 kg in built-up areas by holders of old Danish certificates) expired on 1 Jan 2026; since then legacy drones under 250 g fly as C0-like, 250 g-25 kg legacy drones only in A3 or via the Specific category.
BVLOS	BVLOS requires a Specific-category route (STS-02 with C6, PDRA or SORA) via Trafikstyrelsen. Danish BVLOS specifics (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Night & over people	Per EU rules; urban work with legacy drones over 250 g now needs the Specific category (DK-STS-03 ended). Danish night rules (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Near structures	From 1 Jul 2025 (order no. 527): safety distance around IMC aerodromes raised from 5 km to 8 km and around VMC-only aerodromes cut from 5 km to 4 km (Thisted 6 km); near IMC aerodromes flight is banned within 2 km (special permission needed), limited to 30 m at 2-3 km and 40 m at 3-6 km, and to 100 m in approach/departure zones or 120 m elsewhere at 6-8 km; Aarhus and Copenhagen water aerodromes became flight-safety-critical areas (A2 pilots only, no seaplane present; near buildings, not above building height and tethered). Tethered drones follow the same rules as free-flying ones. Emergency ban: executive order no. 1141 of 27 Sep 2025 (amended by no. 1149 to cover inner territorial waters) banned all civil drone flights over Danish territory from 29 Sep 2025 until its repeal on 4 Oct 2025, with state aviation and municipal/regional emergency and health operations excluded, ministerial dispensation for urgent, socially critical flights (e.g. health, environment, energy; applications 28 Sep-3 Oct 2025 to Trafikstyrelsen, assessed by the National Police and sector authorities), and penalties of fines or up to two years' imprisonment. Further bans after Oct 2025 (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22). Rules on distances to power or industrial facilities (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Indoor & confined	Treatment of indoor flights under Danish rules (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Imaging & privacy	GDPR and Datatilsynet guidance apply (not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22).
Recent changes	1 Jul 2025: amending order no. 527 (new aerodrome zones 8 km/4 km, A2 requirement near IMC aerodromes, water aerodromes as critical areas, tethered-drone rules, 3-year registration renewal, insurance relief for private mini drones). 29 Sep-4 Oct 2025: nationwide civil drone ban (orders no. 1141 and 1149) after drone sightings near airports and military sites (reason as reported; not verified against an official source, 2026-10-22). 1 Jan 2026: DK-STS-03 transitional declaration expired.

Sources

Sources checked: 2026-10-22