Drone laws in Finland: registration, tests and where you can fly

Finland applies Regulation (EU) 2019/947. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) registers operators, runs the remote-pilot exams and publishes Finland’s UAS geographical zones as open data.

You register as an operator — once, not per drone — if your drone weighs 250 g or more, or carries a camera or other sensor that can capture personal data, unless it is a toy. You register in the country where you live; the registration is recognised in every EASA country, and your operator number goes on every drone you fly.

• Register in Traficom’s drone e-service (Dronepalvelu), as an individual or for a company or organisation.
• Registration is paid by period: 40 € for one year, 95 € for three, 125 € for five.
• Mark every drone you fly with your operator number.

The A1/A3 proof of training and the A2 certificate are valid for five years and recognised in every EASA country. The EU minimum age for remote pilots is 16, with no minimum for a C0 drone that is a toy (Directive 2009/48/EC) flown in A1, a privately built drone under 250 g, or flying under the direct supervision of a qualified pilot; each country may set a lower age.

Sign up for the A1/A3 online exam in the same e-service: it costs 35 €, and is free for individuals together with their first registration. The A2 exam is a separate, supervised test. In Finland, remote pilots may be as young as 12.

The national UAS geographical zones — airports, military and state sites, protected areas — are on the drone map of Finland, with who published each one and when. To check a particular spot, click it on the map; for zones that switch on later, check your flight date.

Outside the zones, the open category’s own limits still apply: at most 120 m above the ground, the drone always in sight, and never over gatherings of people — as do any national rules, such as those on filming, privacy or local bylaws.

• Insurance: compulsory for drones over 20 kg (Regulation (EC) No 785/2004). For lighter drones it is not required but Traficom recommends it — the operator is liable for any damage caused.
• Zones around airports either prohibit flight or allow it only with permission from the airport or authority named in the zone.

This guide summarises the official sources listed below as they stood on the date at the top. Rules and fees change: check the authority’s own pages before you fly. GeoPilot is not an authorization.