The drone laws in the Netherlands are quite simple in nature. However, disobeying the law may incur heavy penalties or legal impediments. It is legal to fly a drone in the Netherlands, but both recreational and commercial drone pilots need to adhere to the drone rules. Let us understand the general rules, insurance, and additional information pertaining to the drone regulations:
Recreational Drone Laws
The Netherlands has categorized its drone laws into recreational and commercial. Some of the most rules for recreational drone pilots are as follows:
- Drones cannot weigh over 25 kgs (including cargo)
- Drones cannot be flown above 120 meters (394 feet)
- Fly your drone in only designated areas: Drone pilots can only fly their drones in the uncontrolled airspace in the Netherlands. Drone pilots cannot fly over crowds, near airports, and require a permit to fly in protected natural reserves. Using a suite of applications called GoDrone, one can view all the restricted and unrestricted areas in the Netherlands.
- Always fly your drone in a visual line of sight.
- Flight in the dark is not permitted
- Land immediately in the vicinity of manned aircraft and keep your drone away from accident scenes and the way of emergency responders.
- Violation of privacy or photographing someone without consent is not permitted
Commercial Drone Pilots
The Government of the Netherlands mentions that if you make money through your drone, you qualify under the commercial drone pilots guideline. This includes any photography, videography, or other businesses involving drones. Additionally, commercial drone pilots must follow all the regulations levied on recreational pilots. Also, they require certain licenses:
- Drone pilots need to hold a valid pilot’s license.
- Drone insurance is required for all commercial operations
- Drone pilots can obtain their operator registration number and apply for permits by contacting the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT)
Learn about all the requirements for a commercial drone pilot here.
Drone Insurance
Drone insurance is not mandatory for recreational drone pilots but the Government recommends having at least third-party liability insurance. Additionally, pilots must remember to get insurance that covers drone-related damage. For commercial drone pilots, drone insurance is mandatory. They must get good third-party liability insurance to cover any drone-related damages, medical costs, etc.
Penalties Involved
For recreational drone pilots, any offense may attract fines from law enforcement agencies. The amount of fine depends on the nature of the offense. Finally, commercial offenders may have to pay fines, have their drones confiscated, or even be imprisoned.
For more information refer to the Government’s official drone regulations web page here.
