Application for flying in geographical drone zones

On this page, you can read more about the process for applying for drone operations in areas critical to flight safety, areas critical to security or near castles, cultural properties and palaces, and within Natura-2000 sites.

How to apply

If you want to operate your drone in airspace-critical, security-critical, or Natura 2000 areas, you must apply for permission to the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority.

It is important to note that since permissions for flying in geographical drone zones are issued to the drone operator, only you as the drone operator—not, for example, your client—can apply for permission.

Application procedure:

  • Fill out the application form, which can be accessed via the link below.
  • The application is automatically sent for processing by the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority.
  • After submitting the application form, you will receive a case number, which must be used for future correspondence regarding the application.
  • A caseworker will contact you if additional information is needed.
  • The expected processing time is 30 days—read more below. 

Access the form here (with personal MitID/NemID)

Note: Applications for drone operations in or near military areas and vessels cannot be approved through the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority. Permission must be obtained from the Defense Command in accordance with § 13 of the drone ordinance.

If you are exempt from using Digital Post, you can fill out an application form below for the relevant geographic drone zones:

Application to fly drones in areas critical to flight safety

Application to fly drones in areas critical to security

Application to fly drones within Natura-2000 sites

Obtaining consent and comments

For drone operations in security-critical and Natura 2000 areas, the caseworker at the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority will obtain consent and any relevant comments from the appropriate authority, unless you have already obtained written consent and attached it to your application.

However, note that as the applicant, you are not required to obtain prior consent from the Environmental Protection Agency or Copenhagen Police, as the consent process is handled through the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority.

Decision

The caseworker will grant approval or issue a denial based on the application and the information obtained from other authorities or sources.

Processing time

The expected processing time is 30 days.

For applications regarding permission to operate in geographic drone zones, the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority has a service goal of 30 calendar days.

The service goal assumes the case is fully documented upon receipt, meaning it contains all necessary information for the authority to make a decision. Time spent subsequently on dialogue with the applicant or gathering additional information to complete the case is not included in the calculation of the service goal.

As part of the application process, the authority must consult with other authorities and/or owners of objects protected by geographic drone zones and restricted areas. Since the authority does not control the response times of these external parties, the service goal of 30 calendar days may be exceeded. Applicants should therefore account for the possibility of receiving a decision after more than 30 calendar days.

Fee for application

Processing and issuance of the above type of permit is subject to a fee in accordance with the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority's fees and charges for aviation-related matters.

The fee is billed at a rate of 1,100 DKK per hour, based on the time spent processing the case. Fees are charged regardless of whether the application is approved or denied.

 

External fees

Authorities processing applications for operations in or near their areas or properties may charge fees for processing time or required imaging. This is applicable, for example, when operating near properties managed by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties.

 

Legislation for restricted areas

Airspace-Critical areas

Refer to § 9-10 of the Drone Ordinance.

Security-Critical areas

Refer to § 11-12 of the Drone Ordinance

Natura 2000 areas

Refer to § 14 of the Drone Ordinance

 

Senest opdateret 09-04-2025