What decides it
- Operators should not be registered with more than one authority in Europe.
- Children under 16 may fly drones under 250 g (C0).
Countries · Europe (EEA, non-EU) · EASA rules
Iceland runs EASA rules: an EEA pilot flies on their home registration, a visitor from outside Europe registers on Flydrone.is first, and since 2026-05-17 no recreational drone permit is available at 27 protected areas including Gullfoss, Geysir and Skógafoss.
Open after a step for this profile · checked 7 October 2026
Every engine field and the workflow rest on official pages.
Spare lithium batteries in cabin baggage only: up to 100 Wh without approval, 100 to 160 Wh with airline approval and two spares, over 160 Wh not allowed (IATA passenger guidance; airlines may be stricter).
Each step as the authority describes it, with who may apply, what it costs and how long it takes.
Step 1
Determine whether the operator already holds an EASA-state registration. Do not create a second European registration.
Step 2
If resident outside Europe, register on Flydrone.is before operating. For a UK operator the eligibility conflicts between S3 and S12, so confirm with Samgöngustofa at flydrone@samgongustofa.is.
Step 3
For a drone over 250 g, study the material and pass the A1/A3 exam.
Step 4
If relying on A2 privileges, pass the special A2 exam. Exam dates are published on the authority hub. No official page names an approved institution as an alternative route.
Step 5
Check Samgöngustofa's website, the Drónakort drone map linked from the authority hub, and the Icelandic AIP at eaip.isavia.is.
Step 6
Check whether the location is inside a protected area, nature reserve, bird-sensitive site or national park, and whether it is outside every protected area, in which case no agency permit is needed.
Step 7
Submit the protected-area application. An applicant without an Icelandic kennitala applies through the English version of the site. Since 2026-05-17 this permit is granted only for commercial purposes at the 27 areas listed in rules R21 and R22, so a recreational applicant cannot buy it there.
Step 8
No permit is issued for recreational drone use in Vatnajökull; follow the park's five published categories instead. A commercial project applies through the park's website, and the park-manager route runs through the Nature Conservation Agency.
Step 9
Þingvellir issues its own permits and is not supervised by the Nature Conservation Agency. Personal-use flying inside the red-marked core area is allowed before 09:00 or after 18:00. No fee is stated on the page.
Step 10
Keep the permit letter on site, notify a ranger 24 hours before arrival and again before departure, stay on authorised paths, wear marked clothing, keep away from people and wildlife, keep flight time to a minimum, and credit the permission in any published material.
The engine's inputs, each with the verdict our verification pass gave it and the sources it rests on.
| Field | What the pages say | Verdict | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| May a visiting pilot fly at all | Yes, after a registration or a notification.Subject to operator registration, pilot competency, airspace and geozone restrictions, and separate protected-area or national-park permission. Registration does not override airport restrictions, geozone restrictions, protected-area bans, bird-protection closures or national-park permit requirements. | confirmed on the cited page | S1S2S3S12 |
| EU or EEA registration recognised | YesAll European operators must register with their local aviation authority, and operators should not be registered with more than one authority in Europe. Iceland issues no second registration to a European operator, so the brief records the row effect as a condition satisfied at home. | confirmed on the cited page | S3S12 |
| UK registration recognised | Not establishedTwo official English pages conflict: S3 lets visitors from outside of Europe register on Flydrone.is, S12 lets visitors from outside the EU register. The UK is outside the EU but inside Europe, so the pages give opposite answers. The Icelandic pages S2 and S15 both say utan Evrópu. Route the question to flydrone@samgongustofa.is. | not confirmed | S3S12 |
| US registration recognised | NoA US operator is eligible to register on Flydrone.is under either wording, because the US is outside both the EU and Europe. No official page states that FAA registration alone is recognised for Icelandic open-category flying. | partly confirmed | S3S12 |
| Local registration | Required. Cost: 5,863 ISK individual, 7,462 ISK legal entity, both valid 5 years.Icelandic operators and visitors from outside Europe (S3, S15, S2) or from outside the EU (S12) register on Flydrone.is; all European operators register at home. No weight threshold: all drone operators must register regardless of the drone's weight. S12 states the registration is valid for five years. Processing time is absent from every official page. The old commercial-only registration page S25 is withdrawn and now returns HTTP 404, though the research index still quotes it. | confirmed on the cited page | S2S3S10S12S15S25 |
| Remote ID | Not establishedRemote ID and fjarkenni appear on none of the six official rule or hub pages fetched across both passes. | not confirmed | S2S3S12S15S18S24 |
| Insurance | Mandatory · maximum take-off mass exceeding 20 kg, or operating in subcategory A2, the specific category or the certified category under Regulation (EU) 2019/947No minimum monetary cover amount is stated on any official page. | confirmed on the cited page | S3S15S18 |
| Altitude ceiling | 120 mMeasured from the nearest point of the earth. | confirmed on the cited page | S2S3S12S15 |
| Distance from people | A1 with C0 and C1 drones: few distance restrictions, over people but never over crowds. A2 with C2 drones: 30 m from uninvolved persons without low-speed mode, 5 m with low-speed mode. A3 up to 25 kg: minimum 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas. | confirmed on the cited page | S3S12S15 |
| Line of sight | The pilot must maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) with the drone at all times. | confirmed on the cited page | S3S12S15 |
| Night | Night flying is allowed as long as the pilot can see the drone, and a green flashing light on the drone is mandatory at night. | confirmed on the cited page | S3S15 |
| Class marks | C0 under 250 g, C1 under 900 g, C2 under 4 kg, C3 and C4 under 25 kg. Legacy drones without a C-class mark fly in A1 if under 250 g and in A3 if under 25 kg. | confirmed on the cited page | S2S3S12S15 |
| FPV | Not establishedNo open-category FPV or spotter rule exists on any official page fetched in either pass. The specific category defines an Airspace Observer, a person who assists the remote pilot to visually scan the airspace, and uses the role to set distances of 2 km with an Airspace Observer and 1 km without one. | not confirmed | S2S3S12S15S18 |
| Commercial use | A flight that does not fall within the open category, or a drone over 25 kg, needs a specific-category operational authorisation from the Icelandic Transport Authority through the SORA, PDRA or STS route: an hourly rate of 18,358 ISK plus an annual oversight fee of 21,939 ISK. Cinematography and photography inside a protected area need a Nature Conservation Agency permit at the higher fee tier.The gap pass closed the trigger, the authorisation route and the fees on S18. Processing time for a specific-category authorisation is not stated. | partly confirmed | S18S11S6S4S5 |
Grouped by what they govern. A general rule decides the country's colour for a profile; a situational one applies in a place, a zone or a season.
European operators must register with their local aviation authority, regardless of drone weight.
The brief records the row effect as a condition, satisfied by the home registration. Iceland asks a European operator for no further registration, so the engine-level effect is open.
Icelandic operators and visitors from outside Europe, or from outside the EU (S12), may register on Flydrone.is.
The brief scopes the row to registration=other. The uk limb is the documented conflict between two official English pages: a UK operator is outside the EU but inside Europe, so S3 and S12 give opposite answers. Route the question to flydrone@samgongustofa.is.
Operators should not be registered with more than one authority in Europe.
Pilots flying drones over 250 g must read the study material and pass the A1/A3 exam. A1/A3 online exams are free.
A competency rule; the schema has no competency category. A2 privileges need a separate A2 exam at 7,462 ISK. The brief found no official page naming approved institutions as an exam route.
Operators with a maximum take-off mass over 20 kg, or operating in subcategory A2, must hold insurance covering liability for damages to third parties.
The weight bound carries the 20 kg trigger only. The same obligation applies at any weight when operating in subcategory A2, in the specific category or in the certified category under Regulation (EU) 2019/947. No minimum cover amount is stated.
Children under 16 may fly drones under 250 g (C0).
A Section 1 field of the brief with no rule id of its own; the id is local to this file.
Nature-protection permit processing: the processing time is 15 days, but for the Mývatn area the processing time is 30 days. The time depends on the availability and submission of all the data necessary for decision-making.
Protected-area permit fee: 41,600 ISK for recreational drone use in up to two protected areas, and 83,200 ISK for three or more areas, cinematography and photography.
The figures are confirmed on S6 and in both 2025 permits under tariff 354/2025. S1, a live official FAQ page, still publishes 38,000 and 76,000 ISK, and four official pages cite three different tariff numbers for the same figures. Publish the figures, never the tariff number, and confirm on the application page before applying.
Vatnajökull National Park charges 50,000 ISK for processing a permit application, under regulation 324/2025 on rates and tariffs in the national park.
S9 is a filming and helicopter-landing permission, so the 50,000 ISK is a commercial processing fee. The park issues no recreational drone permit at all (R24).
Permit conditions are enforceable: under art. 89 of the Nature Conservation Act no. 60/2013 the agency may change or add conditions, or withdraw the permit if conditions are not complied with; under art. 87 it may order damage repaired or stop the project.
Confirmed in all three permit documents.
If an area is not listed on the agency's drone page, the permit requirement follows the rules of that area. Commercial permits are applied for through island.is.
A specific-category authorisation is required if the drone weighs more than 25 kg or the nature of the flight does not fall within the open category. It is issued by the Icelandic Transport Authority through the SORA, PDRA or STS route, at an hourly rate of 18,358 ISK plus an annual oversight fee of 21,939 ISK.
The weight bound carries the over-25 kg trigger. The authorisation is also required at any weight when the flight falls outside the open category. Processing time is not stated.
No-fly zones and restrictions for unmanned aircraft are published on Samgöngustofa's website and in the Icelandic AIP (Flugmálahandbók Íslands), and must be checked before each flight.
The brief records the effect as closed or conditions: the restriction depends on the individual zone, so the country-level effect is the duty to check.
Flying is prohibited without the operator's permission at airfields, inside airport areas, and inside restricted zones around scheduled airports.
Inside those restricted zones flight is allowed without special permission if flown below the height of the highest obstacles and within 50 m of the drone's flight path. At runways of other airfields the rule is utmost safety and extreme caution, with no numeric distance given.
S3's English text measures the 50 m from the drone's own flight path, which resolves the Icelandic flugferli loftfars of S2.
Flying is prohibited within 150 m of sensitive sites, namely power stations, substations, Alþingi, the presidential residence, ministries, embassies, police stations, prisons and hospitals, without the owner's or occupier's permission.
The brief records the effect as closed or permit: the prohibition lifts with the owner's or occupier's permission.
Airport-operator permission has a published route: Keflavík through the airport's own online application form, and the domestic airports through the Innanlandsflugvellir request form beiðni um drónaflug í nágrenni flugvallar. Both are linked from the authority's drone-map page.
Drones may be flown in protected areas unless otherwise stated in the conservation conditions of the area in question, or in special rules published in the relevant management and protection plan.
The brief records the effect as conditions or closed: whether the area is closed depends on its own conservation conditions and management plan.
Operating a drone within a protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland, area by area.
The nature-protection agency does not grant drone permission for Vatnajökull or Þingvellir National Parks; S7 adds Jökulsárlón to that list. An applicant must apply to the park instead.
S6 states this only for Þingvellir. Post-reorganisation the Vatnajökull route runs through the same agency with the park manager as decision-maker: S9 is issued on Nature Conservation Agency letterhead and signed by the park manager.
Skógafoss: drone flying within the natural monument is prohibited, unless given permission from the Environment Agency. Search and Rescue operations and Coast Guard operations are exempt from the ban.
The brief records the effect as closed or permit. Since 2026-05-17 the permit at Skógafoss is granted for commercial purposes only (R21).
Flying drones in the canyon in front of the waterfall at Skógafoss is forbidden for wildlife protection.
A standing condition repeated in all three permit documents.
Jökulsárlón and Fellsfjara: due to bird protection, drone flying is not allowed from 15 April to 15 July. In the period 15 July to 21 September a special permit is not needed.
The effect is closed inside the bird window and open in the 15 July to 21 September window. A separate permission of 2025-10-16 allowed flying only before 11:00 or after 15:00, which is permit-specific and date-specific.
Svínafellsjökull: from 1 May to 15 September drone flights are permitted before 09:00 or after 18:00.
S4, issued seven days later by the same agency, states that using a drone at Svínafellsjökull is permitted with no window. The conflict is carried, not resolved.
It is forbidden to fly drones nearer than 200 m to bird cliffs during nesting season, or nearer than 50 m if birds are on the cliffs. If falcons or eagles are seen in the area, flying there is not allowed.
Since 2026-05-17 the Nature Conservation Agency grants drone permits only for commercial purposes at 15 named protected areas where drone flight is prohibited: research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events. The agency does not grant permits for drone use for any other projects, so no recreational permit is obtainable.
The answer at these sites is no permit available and no flight, not apply and pay. Every ust.is page still advertises a 41,600 ISK recreational fee that a recreational applicant can no longer obtain here.
The same commercial-only practice applies seasonally at 12 further protected areas, so no recreational permit is obtainable there in season.
Vatnajökull National Park issues no recreational drone permit at all: special permits for recreational drone usage are not issued, and users are asked to follow the guidelines on the park's webpage instead. A project that is in any way commercial, such as filmmaking, advertising or research, must apply for a permit through the park's website.
The park publishes five categories instead of a permit: prohibited areas, areas subject to the verbal permission of rangers, Skaftafellsjökull time windows, Jökulsárlón, and the western side of Dettifoss. Governing instrument cited: regulation 1360/2024.
Þingvellir, personal use: drone flying shall be done in the early morning, before 09:00, or late in the afternoon, after 18:00, inside the red-marked area between Leirar in the north and Þingvallavatn in the south. Elsewhere in the park the administration is more lenient regarding drone flying.
No fee is stated on the page, so the Þingvellir fee stays unknown.
Open-category flights are limited to 120 m above the nearest point of the earth.
C0 drones under 250 g may operate in A1, with few distance restrictions to uninvolved persons, over people but never over crowds.
Legacy drones without a C-class mark and under 250 g may be flown in A1; under 25 kg in A3.
A3 permits drones up to 25 kg, minimum 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.
A2: C2 drones in built-up areas must stay 30 m from uninvolved persons without low-speed mode, and 5 m with low-speed mode.
The open category covers low-risk operations with drones under 25 kg, within visual line of sight, up to 120 m.
Night flying is allowed while visual line of sight is maintained, and a green flashing light on the drone is mandatory at night.
No fetched source establishes a drone-specific Icelandic import authorisation or declaration requirement.
Skatturinn (customs) and Fjarskiptastofa (the telecom regulator) are absent from the entire source set across both passes, so this is an evidence gap and not evidence that no rules apply.
Who decides, what they decided, and whether there is a way in.
Protected under act no. 60/2007. Art. 15(b) and art. 38 of regulation 300/2020: permission must be obtained from the park manager for landing aircraft and for the use of drones within the national park. No special permit is issued for recreational drone use; the pilot follows the park's five published categories instead, under regulation 1360/2024.
Using a drone in Skaftafell is prohibited. The park's category I prohibition covers Svartifoss, Skaftafellsheiði, Morsárdalur, Kjós and Skaftafellsfjöll. The single exception is flying in front of Skaftafellsjökull at the published times.
Flying drones in front of Skaftafellsjökull is allowed only early in the morning or in the evening: before 09:00 or after 18:00 from 1 May to 15 September, before 10:00 or after 17:00 from 15 September to 31 October and from 1 March to 30 April, and before 11:00 or after 15:00 from 1 November to 29 February.
For safety reasons and to ensure a high-quality experience for visitors, drone flying is prohibited in this area. The 2025-07-10 permit refused the applicant's request to fly here while granting 14 other sites.
In the park's category I, areas where the use of drones is prohibited due to the experience of tranquillity or bird protection.
Drone use for recreational purposes is not permitted in Jökulsárgljúfur outside the western side of Dettifoss. The park's category I prohibition names Ásbyrgi, Vesturdalur, Hljóðaklettar and Hafragilsfoss.
The use of drones at Dettifoss on the western side of the river is permitted at certain times of the day: from 1 May to 31 August, before 08:00 or after 18:00. Within the park boundaries flying is allowed only over the canyon itself, and not further north than the northernmost viewing platform west of Dettifoss.
Due to bird protection, drone flying is not allowed from 15 April to 15 July. In the period 15 July to 21 September a special permit is not needed. The Nature Conservation Agency does not supervise Jökulsárlón; the park manager does. A separate permission of 2025-10-16 allowed flying only before 11:00 or after 15:00, which is permit-specific.
The use of drones in front of Svínafellsjökull is permitted at certain times of the day: from 1 May to 15 September, flights are permitted before 09:00 or after 18:00. A permit issued seven days later by the same agency states that using a drone at Svínafellsjökull is permitted, with no window.
Areas where the use of drones is subject to the verbal permission of rangers.
Þingvellir is not supervised by the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland and issues its own permits. For personal use inside the red-marked area between Leirar in the north and Þingvallavatn in the south, drone flying shall be done before 09:00 or after 18:00; elsewhere in the park the administration is more lenient regarding drone flying. Protected under Act No. 47/2004 and managed by the Þingvellir Committee answering to Parliament.
Named in the 1 May to 15 September list of protected areas where drone flight is prohibited and a permit is granted only for commercial purposes. No park-wide drone rule is published for the rest of the year, and no park-specific tariff exists, so the agency's general tariff governs. The park is mandated by the environment agency under the auspices of the Ministry for the Environment.
It is forbidden to fly drones next to bird cliffs in a closer proximity than 200 m during nesting season, or than 50 m if birds are on the cliffs. If falcons or eagles are seen in the area, it is not allowed to fly the drone there. Icelandic law forbids flying close to cliffs where birds nest.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
A nature reserve under regulation 101/1978. According to the management plan regulations, permission must be obtained from the Nature Conservation Agency for operating an unmanned aircraft or drone within the area. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Geysir is a natural monument under regulation 660/2020 and operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit. For safety reasons, unmanned aircraft are not allowed to fly below 50 m above Strokki. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 110/2020 and subject to a Nature Conservation Agency permit. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 647/2020 and subject to a Nature Conservation Agency permit. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 141/1979 and subject to a Nature Conservation Agency permit. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 110/2020 and subject to a Nature Conservation Agency permit. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 110/2020 and subject to a Nature Conservation Agency permit. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable. The bird-cliff distances of 200 m during nesting season and 50 m when birds are on the cliffs also apply here.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable. Processing time for a Mývatn-area application is 30 days rather than the usual 15.
Drone flying within the natural monument is prohibited, unless given permission from the Environment Agency; Search and Rescue operations and Coast Guard operations are exempt from the ban. Natural monument under regulation 477/1987. Flying in the canyon in front of the waterfall is forbidden outright for wildlife protection. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 850/2021 and subject to a Nature Conservation Agency permit. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Fjallabak nature reserve under regulation 354/1979: the use of unmanned aircraft within the nature reserve from 15 June to 15 September is subject to a permit. It is forbidden to fly drones above or in the vicinity of the visitor centre, the campsite and the pools in Landmannalaugar. Permission has been granted for Framvötn, Bláhylur, Ljótipollur, Stútur crater and Landmannalaugar on specified dates. Drone flight is prohibited and, since 2026-05-17, the Nature Conservation Agency grants a permit only for commercial purposes (research, monitoring, surveillance, construction, film projects, professional photography and permit-required events), so no recreational permit is obtainable.
Protected under regulation 555/2024. Operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland.
Protected under regulation 822/2020. Operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland.
Protected under regulation 1391/2024. Operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland.
Protected under the regulation the permits cite as 2017/1975. Operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland.
Protected under regulation 520/1975. Operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland. In several of these areas permission is given only for organised events.
Protected since 1987. Operating a drone within the protected area is subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply. Two separate official permits list it among sites that are not within protected areas and are therefore not subject to a permit from the Nature Conservation Agency.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
Not a protected area, so no Nature Conservation Agency permit is required. A landowner or municipality permit may still be needed, and the national aviation and geozone rules still apply.
The authority's own map is the one that counts on the day; an app is a convenience, not a source.
Flying is prohibited without the operator's permission at airfields, inside airport areas and inside restricted zones around scheduled airports. Inside those zones flight is allowed without special permission below the height of the highest obstacles and within 50 m of the drone's flight path. At runways of other airfields the rule is utmost safety and extreme caution, with no numeric distance. Permission is applied for through the Keflavík form or the Innanlandsflugvellir request form.
What pilots, police and the press report actually happening. This is evidence about behaviour, not law: it never changes the status above, and it is dated and linked so you can judge it yourself.
Too few confirmed reports to say1 confirmed case, 2 we could not open · 2025-12-25 to 2025-12-25 · practice pass 7 October 2026
The only practice report we could open is a press piece from December 2025 about visitors flying past a no-drone sign; no check, fine or seizure of a visitor's drone is documented anywhere we looked, and three reports are too few to read the country either way.
The law's own penalty schedule is separate: Acted on sometimes.
Landmannalaugar
The one confirmed report: visitors flying a drone past the no-drone sign at the entrance, with no response recorded. A second visitor in the same thread said they saw drones in restricted areas repeatedly over two weeks.
Popular waterfalls, the Golden Circle, Fjaðrárgljúfur and Kerið
[unverified] A 2026 r/dji thread is reported to list these as the places pilots treat as off-limits. The thread could not be opened, and the legal rules for each site are in the rules and parks sections.
Ring Road countryside away from tourist parking
[unverified] The same 2026 r/dji thread is reported to describe open flying away from the tourist stops. The thread could not be opened.
2025-12-25 · Landmannalaugar · press
A press piece reported a photo posted to r/VisitingIceland of tourists flying a drone at the site despite the no-drone sign at the entrance; a commenter said they saw someone flying in a restricted area every time over a 14-day trip.
No police, ranger or penalty response is recorded in the report. report
2026-07-05 · Iceland, and air travel through Boston · community
[unverified] A traveller's r/dji post is reported to say they flew to and from Iceland with a drone, registered in advance, and were not questioned.
No inspection or seizure reported. The thread could not be opened from our checking tools. report
2026-07-31 · Iceland, locations not named · community
[unverified] A pilot's r/dji post is reported to say they registered, labelled the drone, took the test for their category, checked Iceland's drone map and flew early or late to avoid people.
No intervention reported. The thread could not be opened from our checking tools. report
Each spot carries the rule that applies on that ground, which can be stricter than the country's.
A 60 m fall you can walk behind, on public land outside every protected area; open-category rules apply and no agency permit is needed.
South Coast · checked 2026-10-07
A nature reserve with a sea arch and nesting cliffs; since 17 May 2026 the agency grants drone permits here for commercial purposes only.
South Coast · checked 2026-10-07
One of the most photographed falls in the country; the canyon above is closed to drones and the site is on the agency's commercial-only list since May 2026.
South Coast · checked 2026-10-07
Printed rather than hidden. A brief that answers everything has usually guessed somewhere, and a gap here is a real gap in the official pages or a page we could not reach.
3 cited pages refused our checks and are marked unreachable in the source list.
UK operator eligibility to register on Flydrone.is
S3, the English open-category page: Icelandic drone operators and visitors from outside of Europe may register on Flydrone.is.
S12, the English rules-on-drones page: Icelandic operators and visitors from outside the EU can register on flydrone.is.
The Icelandic pages S2 and S15 both say utan Evrópu, outside Europe. A UK operator falls on opposite sides of the two English pages. Do not resolve by preference; route the question to flydrone@samgongustofa.is.
Protected-area permit fee
S6 and both 2025 permits S4 and S5: 41,600 ISK and 83,200 ISK under tariff 354/2025.
S1, a live official FAQ page: 38,000 ISK and 76,000 ISK.
Publish 41,600 and 83,200 with a note to confirm on the application page before applying; never average. The stale figures sit on a current official page, not on an old permit.
Tariff number cited for the same protected-area figures
S6, the drone and photography page, cites tariff no. 1410/2023.
S16 and S23 cite tariff no. 206/2023 while printing the new figures, and the 2025 permits S4 and S5 cite tariff 354/2025.
The figures 41,600 and 83,200 ISK are stable across four official pages; the tariff number attached to them is not. Publish the figures, never the tariff number.
Svínafellsjökull time window
S4, dated 2025-07-17: using a drone at Svínafellsjökull is permitted, with no window.
S5, dated 2025-07-10: permitted from 1 May to 15 September only before 09:00 or after 18:00.
Seven days apart, same agency.
Jökulsárlón and Fellsfjara time conditions
S5: closed 15 April to 15 July, and no permit needed 15 July to 21 September.
S9, dated 2025-10-16: flying only before 11:00 or after 15:00, for a project running 22 October to 21 November.
Model as permit-specific and date-specific, never as a standing rule.
Registration scope across regulation generations
S7, dated 2023-11-10 under regulation 990/2017: all drones used for commercial flight need to be registered.
S4 and S5, 2025 under regulation 1360/2024: all drones need to be registered.
The 2024 regulation governs. The 2023 permit must not be quoted for registration scope, and the withdrawn page S25 carried the same superseded wording.
Dated changes to the rules, newest first.
17 May 2026
The Nature Conservation Agency's changed administrative practice takes effect: in the listed protected areas a drone permit is granted only for commercial purposes, so no recreational permit is obtainable at 15 areas year-round and 12 more in season.
5 December 2024
Regulation 1360/2024 took effect and replaced regulation 990/2017, making drone registration universal rather than commercial-only.
Rules move between our checks. The official pages publish the change; the community pages are where someone notices it first.
Temporary drone bans are posted here; 3 of the 7 newest items on 2026-10-07 were drone restrictions, including central Reykjavík on 5 and 6 October 2026.
The page that announced the changed permit practice effective 2026-05-17 and lists the protected areas it covers.
Where special flight restrictions are published; it links the viewer at kort.gis.is.
The park's own page: no recreational permits are issued, zone guidance instead.
The park's time windows and area map for personal flights.
English-language Icelandic newsroom; the drone search listed 193 dated items when we looked, newest 2026-06-10.
An Iceland-based drone photographer who holds permits and re-dates the guide as rules change; updated 2026-09-28.
Photography operator posting dated Iceland access, park and drone guides, newest 2026-10-03.
Updated 2026-06-01 and carries a reader comment thread where travellers post what they met on site.
Every page this brief rests on, with the date we opened it and, where the page carries one, the date printed on the document itself.
S1official
Drones may be flown in protected areas unless otherwise stated in the conservation conditions of the area in question, or in special rules published in the relevant management and protection plan.
Rule page, undated apart from a 2002 to 2026 copyright line. Still publishes the superseded 38.000 and 76.000 ISK fees.
S2official
Bannsvæði og höft fyrir flug ómannaðra loftfara eru auglýst á heimasíðu Samgöngustofu og í Flugmálahandbók Íslands (AIP).
Rule page, undated.
S3official
Drone Regulations, Open Category
Icelandic drone operators and visitors from outside of Europe may register on the Icelandic Transport Authority's registration website, Flydrone.is.
Rule page, undated.
S4official
Permit to use a drone within protected areas in Iceland (ref. 202506-0108)
Using a drone in Skaftafell is prohibited. An exception is made for flying drones in front of Skaftafellsjökull, but only early in the morning or in the evening, before 9 am or after 6 pm.
Individual permit decision, not a rule page. PDF, read with local PDF rendering.
S5official
Permit to video- and photograph with a drone within protected areas (ref. 202506-0096)
Jökulsárlón and Fellsfjara: Due to bird protection, drone flying is not allowed from April 15th to July 15th. In the period July 15th – September 21st special permit is not needed.
Individual permit decision. The URL filename says 10. júní; the document itself says Garðabær, 10. júlí 2025, with an application dated 19.6.2025.
S6official
Photography, cinematography and drone flying
The processing time is 15 days but for the Mývatn area the processing time is 30 days.
Rule and fee page, undated. Prints the 41.600 and 83.200 ISK figures while citing tariff no. 1410/2023.
S7official
Permit to fly a drone in protected areas (ref. UST202309-006)
Kirkjufellsfoss, Reynisfjara, Seljalandsfoss, and Ytri Tunga in Snæfellsnes are not protected areas. The applicant might need permit from landowner/municipality of the areas.
Individual permit decision on the superseded 206/2023 tariff, the oldest source in the set. It cites the repealed regulation 990/2017 and must not be quoted for current fees or for registration scope.
S8official
The Environmental Agency of Iceland, under the auspices of the Ministry for the Environment, mandates Snæfellsjökull National Park and other protected areas in Iceland.
Protected-area hub, undated. Carries a live banner announcing new websites for Umhverfis- og orkustofnun and Náttúruverndarstofnun.
S9official
Permission for filming and helicopter landing within Vatnajökull National Park (ref. 202509-0152)
Permission must be obtained from the park manager for landing aircraft and for the use of drones within the national park.
Individual permit decision for a commercial filming project, issued on Nature Conservation Agency letterhead and signed by Þórhallur Jóhannsson, park manager.
S10official
Nýjar reglur um drónaflug taka gildi á Íslandi
Allir drónanotendur þurfa nú að skrá sig á www.flydrone.is.
News item announcing regulation 1360/2024.
S11official
Ýmsar reglur gilda um drónaflug á Íslandi
Icelandic navigation hub; links the Drónakort and eaip.isavia.is.
S12official
Registration fee (individuals): 5.863 ISK (valid for 5 years)
Rule page, undated.
S13official
Access and management, Skógafoss
Drone flying within the natural monument is prohibited, unless given permission from the Environment Agency.
Management plan of 2019 with measures running to 2028.
S14official
Protected in accordance with Act No. 47/2004
Does not mention drones anywhere in the page body; links out to thingvellir.is.
S15official
Skylda er að hafa grænt blikkandi ljós á drónanum að nóttu til.
Icelandic equivalent of S3, undated.
S16official
41.600 ISK for processing applications for recreational use of drones within up two protected areas.
Rule and fee page. Prints the new 41.600, 83.200 and 62.400 ISK figures while citing tariff no. 206/2023. Cited by the gap report.
S17official
Act on air travel, no. 80/2022
Statute index carrying no penalty, fine, confiscation or criminal-liability provision. It still lists the repealed regulation 990/2017 and ICETRA Decision 1/2017, and does not list regulation 1360/2024 at all.
S18official
Drone Regulations, Specific category
Operational Authorization (SORA/PDRA process): Hourly rate 18.358 ISK as per Annex I, Article 1(a).
Rule and fee page, reached by link from S24.
S19official
a comprehensive view of areas where special flight restrictions on drones are in place
Map portal page, reached by link from S24. The viewer is at https://kort.gis.is/mapview/?app=dronar and the page offers no downloadable dataset.
S20official
Stofnunin veitir ekki leyfi til notkunar dróna vegna annarra verkefna.
Rule page on the agency's new nattura.is website, reached by link from S19. It announces a changed administrative practice effective 2026-05-17 and is the only self-dated page in the set.
S21official
Droneflying shall be done in the early morning, before 09:00, or late in the afternoon, after 18:00
Park rule page, reached by link from S19 and named verbatim in S5.
S22official
Special permits for recreational drone usage are not issued, but users are asked to follow the guidelines on this webpage instead.
Park rule page, reached by link from S19. Undated, and cites regulation 1360/2024.
S23official
The fee is according to the agency's tariff no. 206/2023.
Rule and fee page with no drone content, cited by the gap report's citation list.
S24official
Various rules apply to drone flights in Iceland, below you can find information about the operation of drones in Iceland.
English navigation hub.
S25officialcould not be opened
Registration of drones for commercial purposes
Withdrawn page returning HTTP 404 Not Found. The research index still quotes it as stating that it is not necessary to register drones used for recreational purposes, which regulation 1360/2024 superseded.
S26press
Onlooker captures photo of tourists' upsetting actions at natural site
I guess they missed the no drones sign at the entrance to Landmannalaugar.
Press piece reporting an r/VisitingIceland post, the one confirmed practice report. It records no police, ranger or penalty response. The article body does not call Landmannalaugar a national park, although the outlet's URL does.
S27communitycould not be opened
Reddit cannot be fetched by our checking tools: www.reddit.com and old.reddit.com are both refused, and reddit.com is excluded from our web search. The thread was not read, so the report's account of it, dated 2026-07-31, stays [unverified].
S28communitycould not be opened
Unreadable for the same reason as S27. The report's account of it, dated 2026-07-05, and the hotspot list it carries stay [unverified].
S29secondary
Drone Rules in Iceland, Regulations & Permits Guide
The Icelandic prosecution service has brought cases against tourists who flew near airports, with fines reaching 500,000 ISK or more.
Travel-operator guide carrying no date. It names no case, court or press report for the prosecutions or the fines, so the figures are published only as unverified claims.
S30secondary
What Not To Do In Iceland: 8 Critical Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Trip
DJI Mini 3 Pro operator fined ISK 450,000 near Jökulsárlón
The figure is a cell in a violations table labelled Real 2023 Incident Example, with no case name, date, court or press report. The same table claims the Transport Authority logged 89 drone-related incidents in 2023, also unsourced.
S31secondary
Flying a Drone in Iceland: Rules, Permits, and the Best Spots
Authorities have significantly stepped up enforcement in recent years, especially at tourist hotspots.
Travel-app guide. It also states fines up to 500,000 ISK and that police can seize a drone on the spot, with no case, date or primary record behind any of it.