dronetravel.guideBriefings checked 8 Oct 2026

Countries · Western Europe · EASA rules

Netherlands

Open-category flight needs no permission, but the Netherlands layers three hard national rules on the EU baseline: daylight only, no open-category permit or exemption of any kind, and a statutory no-fly map that closes every main control zone outright.

Open after a step for this profile · checked 8 October 2026

26 rules · 60 sources, 50 of them official · 20 fields unconfirmed · Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT), ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit · RDW operator-number application (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) (English)

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Your answer

Every engine field and the workflow rest on official pages.

What decides it

  • An operator number is required for a drone with a camera, or weighing 250 g or more. ILT notes this means an operator number is required in almost every case in practice.confirmed on the cited page
  • The operator number is valid for one year. Renewal costs EUR 13,00 and requires registration in the Dutch population register or the Chamber of Commerce trade register, so a non-resident has no renewal route and applies afresh. An expired number cannot be renewed at all.confirmed on the cited page
  • Affix the operator number visibly to the outside of the drone, leaving off the final three characters.confirmed on the cited page
  • Someone under 16 may fly only when accompanied by a person aged 16 or over who holds a pilot licence.partly confirmed
  • Remote ID is required. A C0 drone weighing less than 250 g is exempt. C1, C2 and C3 drones carry direct Remote ID, which broadcasts the operator number, the serial number, the drone's position and height, the pilot's position, and the route and speed.confirmed on the cited page
  • When flying with a camera, take account of other people's privacy and do not casually make recognisable images of people.confirmed on the cited page

Permits tied to a place or a time

These do not change the country's colour; they decide whether a particular flight is legal where and when you want it.

  • Open-category flight is prohibited in the Schiphol, Maastricht, Lelystad 1, Lelystad 2, Eelde and Rotterdam control zones, the Dutch part of the Niederrhein CTR, and the Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, Leeuwarden, Volkel, Woensdrecht, Deelen, de Peel and de Kooy military control zones plus the Dutch part of Kleine-Brogel. ILT states that a drone is allowed in a control zone only with a permit, an approved flight plan and a clearance from air traffic control.
  • The zoning regulation closes a long list of designated areas to open-category flight: circles of 1,200 m around roughly 40 named uncontrolled airfields and hospital heliports; designated port areas including Westpoort Amsterdam, Eemshaven, Delfzijl, Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Papendrecht, Vlissingen, Terneuzen and Moerdijk; 211 industrial circles of 500 m in Annex 1; secured areas and vital infrastructure at 500, 400, 200, 150 and 100 m plus 20 coordinate polygons in Annex 2; and, in low-flying routes and areas, any flight above 30 m, with subcategory A3 excluded from those zones altogether. The regulation names no exemption or permission route.
  • Flying is prohibited in some Natura 2000 areas, not all of them, and the province or the area manager decides which. On the official map the green areas are Natura 2000 and may not be flown; a permit can be requested from the relevant province.
  • Flying outside the daylight period is prohibited. The daylight period runs from fifteen minutes before sunrise to fifteen minutes after sunset. There is no exemption in the open category; an exemption exists only in the specific category, where the decision period is 8 weeks and an operating permit is needed as well.
  • A specific-category operation needs an operational authorisation from ILT, or an STS declaration, or a Light UAS Operator Certificate. A visitor who already holds a generic Operational Authorisation from their own aviation authority applies for a cross-border operation instead. Evidence of suitable insurance is part of the application.

Before you fly, in order

  1. An operator number is required for a drone with a camera, or weighing 250 g or more. ILT notes this means an operator number is required in almost every case in practice.
  2. A resident of the EU or an EASA state registers as an operator in their own country and uses that registration here. RDW will not process their application.
  3. The operator number is valid for one year. Renewal costs EUR 13,00 and requires registration in the Dutch population register or the Chamber of Commerce trade register, so a non-resident has no renewal route and applies afresh. An expired number cannot be renewed at all.
  4. Affix the operator number visibly to the outside of the drone, leaving off the final three characters.
  5. Remote ID is required. A C0 drone weighing less than 250 g is exempt. C1, C2 and C3 drones carry direct Remote ID, which broadcasts the operator number, the serial number, the drone's position and height, the pilot's position, and the route and speed.
  6. A specific-category operation needs an operational authorisation from ILT, or an STS declaration, or a Light UAS Operator Certificate. A visitor who already holds a generic Operational Authorisation from their own aviation authority applies for a cross-border operation instead. Evidence of suitable insurance is part of the application.
  7. Flying higher than 120 m above the nearest point of the earth's surface is prohibited. Within 50 m horizontally of an obstacle taller than 105 m the ceiling may rise to 15 m above that obstacle.
  8. A1: no flying over people or crowds. A2: no flying over people, keep sufficient distance. A3: stay well away from people and keep at least 150 m from residential, retail, industrial and recreational areas.
  9. Keep the drone in sight. A flight beyond visual line of sight is a specific-category flight and a permit is mandatory for it.
  10. Flying outside the daylight period is prohibited. The daylight period runs from fifteen minutes before sunrise to fifteen minutes after sunset. There is no exemption in the open category; an exemption exists only in the specific category, where the decision period is 8 weeks and an operating permit is needed as well.
  11. Keep 50 m from motorways and major roads in subcategories A1 and A2, and 150 m in A3. Keep 25 m from railway lines in A1 and A2, and 150 m in A3.
  12. Open-category flight is prohibited in the Schiphol, Maastricht, Lelystad 1, Lelystad 2, Eelde and Rotterdam control zones, the Dutch part of the Niederrhein CTR, and the Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, Leeuwarden, Volkel, Woensdrecht, Deelen, de Peel and de Kooy military control zones plus the Dutch part of Kleine-Brogel. ILT states that a drone is allowed in a control zone only with a permit, an approved flight plan and a clearance from air traffic control.
  13. Flying within 150 m horizontally of objects or areas forming part of the electricity transmission system is prohibited.
  14. The zoning regulation closes a long list of designated areas to open-category flight: circles of 1,200 m around roughly 40 named uncontrolled airfields and hospital heliports; designated port areas including Westpoort Amsterdam, Eemshaven, Delfzijl, Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Papendrecht, Vlissingen, Terneuzen and Moerdijk; 211 industrial circles of 500 m in Annex 1; secured areas and vital infrastructure at 500, 400, 200, 150 and 100 m plus 20 coordinate polygons in Annex 2; and, in low-flying routes and areas, any flight above 30 m, with subcategory A3 excluded from those zones altogether. The regulation names no exemption or permission route.
  15. The ministry lists where open-category flight is not allowed: government buildings, military terrain and exercise areas, events and other temporarily cordoned areas, roads with a speed limit of 80 km/h or higher, railway lines, areas around airports, some Natura 2000 areas, hospital helipads, high-voltage cables, drinking-water areas, major seaports, sites with hazardous substances, secured terrain, areas where emergency services are active, and low-flying routes and areas. Check GoDrone and the Aeret Kaartviewer before flying.
  16. Flying is prohibited in some Natura 2000 areas, not all of them, and the province or the area manager decides which. On the official map the green areas are Natura 2000 and may not be flown; a permit can be requested from the relevant province.
  17. Give way to other air traffic, do not obstruct emergency services, and keep watch on the drone's battery and connection.
  18. Most drones use spectrum that is exempt from licensing. Where licence-free use is not enough, the Dutch radio regulator can issue a custom licence, including for higher transmit power than licence-free use allows.
  19. When flying with a camera, take account of other people's privacy and do not casually make recognisable images of people.
  20. Someone under 16 may fly only when accompanied by a person aged 16 or over who holds a pilot licence.
  21. 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).

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).

How a visitor gets legal

Each step as the authority describes it, with who may apply, what it costs and how long it takes.

  1. Step 1

    Classify the flight

    Establish the take-off mass, the class mark or legacy status, whether the aircraft carries a camera, the subcategory, and whether the operation stays inside the open category.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Drone details

    Open the official page

  2. Step 2

    EU and EASA residents: use your home registration

    Carry your home operator number. RDW will not register you and there is no Dutch procedure to complete.

    Visitors eligible · Home state fee · Home state procedure

    • Home operator number
    • Identity document

    Open the official page

  3. Step 3

    UK, US and other residents: email RDW for the application form

    If the Netherlands is the first European country you will fly in, request the operator-number application form from RDW by email. RDW sends it within five working days.

    Visitors eligible · Included in the EUR 23,00 fee · Form sent within 5 working days

    • Email request

    Open the official page

  4. Step 4

    Return the form and pay

    Send the completed form back with the attachments, then pay the request RDW issues. RDW names an application form and valid ID. The two forms RDW publishes are the domestic ones and demand a Dutch personal number or a Chamber of Commerce number, so expect the emailed foreign form to differ.

    Visitors eligible · EUR 23,00 · Not stated for the document review

    • Signed application form
    • Valid identity document

    Open the official page

  5. Step 5

    Wait for the operator number, then affix it

    The number arrives up to ten working days after payment. Attach the part before the dash visibly to the outside of the drone and leave off the final three characters.

    Visitors eligible · Included · Up to 10 working days after payment

    • Operator number

    Open the official page

  6. Step 6

    Hold a pilot licence at 250 g and above

    At 250 g and above a pilot licence is required. On the RDW route the exam must be passed at a recognised Dutch flight school, including from abroad, where the school applies on your behalf. The licence costs EUR 10,00 and lasts five years.

    Visitors eligible · EUR 10,00 plus exam and training costs · Not stated

    • Exam result from a recognised Dutch flight school
    • Identity document

    Open the official page

  7. Step 7

    Insure the aircraft from 20 kg

    Insurance is mandatory for private users from 20 kilograms. Below that it is strongly recommended but not required, and no minimum cover is published.

    Visitors eligible · Insurer dependent · Insurer dependent

    • Policy number
    • Insurer

    Open the official page

  8. Step 8

    Check the maps and the statutory zones before every flight

    Check GoDrone and the Aeret Kaartviewer for the picture, and the zoning regulation for what is actually prohibited. The maps are the tools the ministry and ILT name; the regulation is what binds.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Location
    • Date

    Open the official page

  9. Step 9

    Plan the flight inside the daylight period

    Fly only between fifteen minutes before sunrise and fifteen minutes after sunset. There is no way to be allowed outside that window in the open category.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Sunrise and sunset times

    Open the official page

  10. Step 10

    Natura 2000: ask the province, and expect no for a recreational flight

    The province is the competent authority for the Natura 2000 activity, alongside the area manager. In Gelderland the province states that a recreational pilot may not fly in or above a Natura 2000 area or within 100 m of one, and describes no recreational route.

    Eligibility not stated · Not stated · Not stated

    • Site-specific application

    Open the official page

  11. Step 11

    Red zones and the specific category: there is no Dutch open-category permit

    The aviation authority cannot grant permits in the open category and no exemption is possible there. To reach a prohibited area you obtain a generic Operational Authorisation from the aviation authority of your own country of registration, then apply to ILT for a cross-border operation with an operational plan, operations manual sections and insurance evidence.

    Visitors eligible · Not stated · Not stated for a cross-border application; a temporary restricted area request takes 16 weeks and an exemption decision 8 weeks

    • Generic Operational Authorisation from your own authority
    • Application form for cross-border UAS operations
    • Operational plan
    • Relevant sections of the operations manual
    • Evidence of suitable insurance

    Open the official page

The numbers

The engine's inputs, each with the verdict our verification pass gave it and the sources it rests on.

FieldWhat the pages sayVerdictSources
May a visiting pilot fly at allYes, after a registration or a notification.ILT says both EU and non-EU operators may hold open-category operations in the Netherlands without prior approval. The conditions are operator registration, a pilot licence from 250 g, the statutory zoning prohibitions, and the daylight period.confirmed on the cited pageS1
EU or EEA registration recognisedYesRDW states it can only register people who live outside the EU or EASA, and tells an EU or EASA resident to apply in their own country. The operative set is EU or EASA residence, not the aircraft.confirmed on the cited pageS2S3
UK registration recognisedNoA UK resident is outside both the EU and EASA, so they register in the first European country they will fly in. If that is the Netherlands, RDW processes it.confirmed on the cited pageS1S2
US registration recognisedNoSame route as the UK: register in the first EU member state you wish to fly in.confirmed on the cited pageS1S2
Local registrationRequired from 250 g. Cost: EUR 23,00. Time: The application form arrives within 5 working days of the email request; the operator number arrives up to 10 working days after payment.. Non-residents: RDW names an operator-number application form and valid ID, and says a business registration number is not mandatory if you do not have one. The two application forms RDW actually publishes are the domestic no-DigiD forms and make a Dutch BSN or a KvK number a mandatory field, with one of them asking for a copy of a Dutch identity document. The form emailed to a foreign applicant is not published, so its fields could not be read..Registration is required for a drone with a camera or weighing 250 g or more, which ILT's own 2026 report says means almost every case in practice. The number is valid for one year. S30, the open-data fee table the research brief used for the EUR 23 figure, now returns HTTP 410 Gone; the fee is confirmed instead on RDW's own pages.confirmed on the cited pageS2S3S19S27S28S30
Remote IDRequired, with one stated exemption: a C0 drone weighing less than 250 g does not need Remote ID. C1, C2 and C3 drones carry direct Remote ID. It broadcasts the operator number, the drone serial number, the drone's position and height, the pilot's position, and the drone's route and speed.The research query's premise was Remote ID on C1 and above. The ministry draws the line differently: the exemption is tied to a C0 label AND a weight under 250 g, and the page never mentions C4 at all.confirmed on the cited pageS11
InsuranceMandatory · Take-off mass of 20 kilograms or more, for private users, under EU rulesBelow 20 kg RDW does not require insurance but strongly recommends cover for bodily or material damage to third parties. No minimum cover amount is stated on any official page. The RDW application form carries the field label insurance not mandatory, which is a form label on the domestic form, not the rule.confirmed on the cited pageS7S8
Altitude ceiling120 mArticle 5(1) of the Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen: measured from the nearest point of the earth's surface, so the ceiling follows the terrain. Article 5(2) allows up to 15 m above an obstacle taller than 105 m when flying within 50 m horizontally of it.confirmed on the cited pageS13
Distance from peopleBy subcategory. A1: flying over people and over crowds is not allowed. A2: no flying over people, and keep sufficient distance. A3: stay well away from people and keep at least 150 m from residential, retail, industrial and recreational areas.No numeric A2 separation distance appears on any fetched Dutch page. S34, the ILT decision-tree data file the gap brief relied on for the 150 m figure, now returns HTTP 404; the figure was re-sourced to the ministry's own page.partly confirmedS10S34
Line of sightRequired: keep the drone in sight. A flight beyond visual line of sight is a specific-category flight and needs a permit from ILT.confirmed on the cited pageS12S18
NightNot allowed. Flying outside the daylight period is prohibited, and the daylight period runs from fifteen minutes before sunrise to fifteen minutes after sunset. No exemption is available in the open category; an exemption exists only in the specific category, where the decision period is 8 weeks and an operating permit is needed as well.This is the Dutch rule that most surprises a visitor used to the EU baseline. It sits in article 18(1) of the Besluit luchtverkeer 2014, with the period defined in article 1, and ILT states it in English as the Uniform Daytime Period.confirmed on the cited pageS1S15S16S17
Class marksClass marks with Dutch weight bands: C0 up to 250 g, C1 up to 900 g, C2 up to 4 kg, C3 and C4 up to 25 kg. A drone placed on the market before 1 January 2024 falls under the legacy arrangement. The licence bands are separate: under 250 g no licence, 250 to 500 g A1/A3, 500 g to 2 kg A1/A2/A3, 2 to 25 kg A1/A3.confirmed on the cited pageS1S10
FPVNot establishedNot established. No fetched Dutch official page states an FPV or observer rule for the open category. The only observer wording found sits in the specific category's exemption list, which is a different thing.not confirmedS16
Commercial usePurpose changes nothing by itself; the category does. No flight permit is required in the open category, and a flight permit is required in the specific category. ILT's stated concern is businesses running specific-category operations without applying for the permit.confirmed on the cited pageS8S19

Every rule we could confirm

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.

Registration

Remote ID

Insurance

Minimum age

Permits

Airspace zones

Parks and protected areas

Towns and cities

Altitude

Distance from people

Line of sight

Night

Commercial use

Privacy

Radio conformity

Parks and protected areas

Who decides, what they decided, and whether there is a way in.

Where the no-fly zones are published

The authority's own map is the one that counts on the day; an app is a convenience, not a source.

There is no single radius. Controlled airports sit inside control zones that are closed to the open category outright under article 7 of the Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen. Uncontrolled airfields and hospital heliports carry circles of 1,200 m under article 3 of the zoning regulation.

Official map
godrone.nl
Updated
Not stated. The GoDrone site carries no update cadence, data format, licence, download or API statement, and no accuracy disclaimer.
Apps named
GoDrone, Aeret Kaartviewer, Drone PreFlight

Customs and the border

Declaration
Not established
Import authorisation
Not established
Radio conformity
The Dutch radio regulator states that most drones use spectrum that is exempt from licensing, and that where licence-free use is not enough it can issue a custom licence, including for higher transmit power than licence-free use allows.

On the ground

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.

Enforced18 confirmed cases · 2016-04-12 to 2026-03-13 · practice pass 8 October 2026

18 dated cases from 2016 to 2026, most from the prosecution service's own releases: pilots are detected and fined from a EUR 250 starting point in airport and military zones, ports, events and the NATO summit, and night flying is charged as its own offence. Nothing located covers countryside, Natura 2000 or customs.

How people fly
The prosecution record reproduces the defendants' own explanations, and three recur. The drone's own app said it was fine: four confirmed cases turn on it, from the Royal Palace and the NATO prohibition zone in The Hague to the Polish pilot in the Schiphol control zone, and at the Scheveningen beach case the prosecutor said the controller app's information is not always in line with current law and named GoDrone and Aeret instead. The Schiphol restriction ends at 6 km: two pilots independently believed it, and it does not. Under 250 g is safe: the Royal Palace drone was a three-day-old 249 g DJI Mini 3 with a camera on its owner's first flight, and flying it over a demonstration still produced a registration charge, a specific-category charge, a seizure and a EUR 350 transaction. The motive is almost always photography: a departing cruise ship at Eemshaven, Sail Amsterdam, a party boat at Amsterdam Centraal, the Efteling's rides while the park was closed, a demonstration, a football match.
Police and rangers
Police both approach pilots they can see and trace them afterwards. Officers saw a pilot in the NATO prohibition zone in The Hague and spoke to him; two officers wrote up a pilot over a nature area at Otterlo inside the Deelen military control zone; officers at Amsterdam Centraal followed a drone to the party ship it landed on; in Groningen a senior officer stopped a car leaving the scene and found three men and two drones. Detection equipment located the Polish pilot in the Schiphol control zone, the Sail Amsterdam pilot and most of the 31 NATO-summit pilots, and Amsterdam runs its own detection system that shows where a controller is switched on and the drone's height, speed and flight time. The Marechaussee holds the police task at civil airports and military sites, states that it seizes both the drone and its controller and holds equipment to ground a flight, and arrested a man near Eindhoven Airport in January 2026. It acted on 22 reported drone sightings in airport no-fly zones up to 27 September 2025, against 25 in all of 2024. Rangers appear in one dated case only, at Spaarnwoude near Schiphol in 2016, acting on the aviation police's instructions. A Brabant ranger describes regularly finding pilots in protected areas, with penalties often of hundreds of euros, but gives no dated case. Bystanders matter: Efteling staff called the police, and a palace roof sweep found the 249 g drone. On why the law block reads enforcement low: ILT says criminal enforcement in the open category rests with the police, who have little capacity, and the record agrees, since nothing located arises from ordinary flying away from a restricted area.
At the border
No usable report.
Fines actually reported
Three different things circulate and are kept apart here. The prosecutors' sentencing guideline sets starting points, not ceilings: around EUR 250 for a first offence of flying where it is not allowed, EUR 250 for a control zone or prohibited zone, EUR 500 where emergency services are working, EUR 250 to EUR 350 for flying without the right certificate, EUR 100 for not carrying it, and EUR 250 for the specific category without authorisation, adjusted case by case and stacked per offence. Amounts actually imposed by a court, all read off official pages: EUR 100 at the Efteling (the EUR 250 offer was refused), EUR 250 in the Schiphol control zone, EUR 350 twice, EUR 400 in Groningen, EUR 450 on Scheveningen beach in three instalments, EUR 600 half suspended in The Hague, EUR 1,500 at Amsterdam Centraal, EUR 1,500 with EUR 750 suspended plus two EUR 250 fines half suspended over a Rotterdam emergency scene, and EUR 1,000 with EUR 500 suspended plus two EUR 250 fines at Eemshaven. Transaction offers: after the 2025 NATO summit, 29 offers from EUR 350 to EUR 1,350, the only published distribution; EUR 350 for the 249 g drone on the palace roof; EUR 2,500 accepted by the company that hired a videographer over a football stadium. Seizure is common and forfeiture happened once: a repeat offender at Sail Amsterdam and on the IJ got 34 hours' community service and lost the drone for good. Night flying is the strongest pattern in the data, charged as a separate count in six decisions, the four in the law block plus Rotterdam and Amsterdam Centraal, which is the practice behind the night rule reading closed.

The law's own penalty schedule is separate: Rarely acted on, 5 published fine ranges below.

Where reports cluster

  • Amsterdam inside the Schiphol control zone

    Confirmed, and the densest cluster: the Polish pilot in 2024, the Royal Palace drone, Amsterdam Centraal in 2026 and Amsterdam Zuid caught by the city's detection system. Two pilots believed the restriction stopped at 6 km; it does not.

  • Amsterdam during major events

    Confirmed at three events: 750 jaar Amsterdam in June 2025 over the A10 and a crowd, Sail Amsterdam in August 2025, and a demonstration in 2024. The only forfeiture in the record came from an event flight.

  • The Hague and Scheveningen during the June 2025 NATO summit

    Confirmed, and the largest single action: 31 reports and 29 transaction offers from EUR 350 to EUR 1,350, plus two court cases including the only beach prosecution located.

  • Military air bases: Gilze-Rijen, Volkel and Deelen

    Confirmed: seizures near Volkel and Gilze-Rijen within three days in January 2026, and the Otterlo nature-area prosecution inside the Deelen control zone. The Marechaussee says it seizes drone and controller at military sites.

  • Airport no-fly zones, including Eindhoven Airport

    Confirmed: a Marechaussee arrest and seizure near Eindhoven Airport in January 2026, and 22 sightings acted on up to late September 2025 against 25 in all of 2024.

  • Seaports, for example Eemshaven

    Confirmed. A pilot photographing a departing cruise ship drew the second-highest amount in the record, after earlier warnings.

  • Active emergency scenes

    Confirmed. The guideline doubles to EUR 500, and a flight over the Rotterdam explosion site after dark produced the highest demand in the record.

  • Prisons, for example Heerhugowaard

    Confirmed, but as contraband delivery rather than filming: the drone carried phones and a charger over the wall.

  • Efteling, Kaatsheuvel

    Confirmed, and the only prosecution located at a Dutch leisure attraction. Park staff called the police; the pilot flew in the part of the park outside the Gilze-Rijen restriction and was still convicted for losing sight of the drone.

  • Kinderdijk World Heritage Site

    No dated case found. The site bans drones on its own authority, citing Natura 2000 and the lived-in windmills, and states a EUR 410 municipal ordinance fine. A map app will not show this ban.

  • Zaanse Schans and the Kalverpolder

    No dated case found. The site bans drones over nuisance to residents and animals; its exception names a certificate that no longer exists under the EU framework.

  • Protected nature areas in Brabant, such as the Loonse en Drunense Duinen

    Partial. A ranger describes regularly finding pilots and penalties of hundreds of euros, but no dated case was located.

  • Keukenhof, Giethoorn, Texel, the Wadden Sea and the Veluwe outside the Deelen control zone

    No dated case found, in Dutch or in English. The absence is the finding.

  • Airport customs on arrival or departure

    No dated case found at any Dutch airport, and no customs page addresses drones.

  • Open countryside and coast away from any restricted area

    No dated case found. Whether that reflects tolerance or ILT's small chance of being caught cannot be told apart from this record.

Dated reports

  • 2016-04-12 · Spaarnwoude recreation area, Halfweg, near Schiphol · press

    Forest rangers acting on instructions from the aviation police caught drone operators in the recreation area, after three airline pilots had reported drones near their aircraft on approach to Schiphol earlier that month.

    The aviation police seized two drones and filed reports against the pilots. report

  • 2020-04-11 · Efteling theme park, Kaatsheuvel · official

    A 44-year-old flew his newly bought drone over the park while it was closed for the pandemic, filming Joris en de Draak and de Python, and lost sight of it behind the trees. Park staff spotted it and called the police.

    A EUR 250 transaction was offered and refused; the court imposed EUR 100 for losing sight of the drone and no penalty for the built-up-area count, because the EU rules had changed in the meantime. report

  • 2024-01-30 · Rotterdam, Schammenkamp, inside the Rotterdam control zone · official

    A 34-year-old from Delft flew at about 20:00 over a crime scene where rescuers were still searching the rubble after an explosion the day before, inside the control zone and outside the daylight period.

    EUR 1,500 of which EUR 750 suspended, plus two EUR 250 fines each half suspended. The prosecutor: 'Dat hij niet wist dat hij daar niet mocht vliegen, komt geheel voor zijn eigen rekening'. report

  • 2024-02-19 · Groningen, over the police station · official

    A 21-year-old flew over the police station courtyard and a nearby evidence depot, inside a control zone and the prohibited zone around a hospital. A senior officer walked towards the drone and stopped a car leaving the area with three men and two drones inside.

    The transaction offer was refused and EUR 400 was imposed in his absence. report

  • 2024-05-25 · Heerhugowaard prison · official

    A drone flew over the prison without authorisation to drop two mobile phones and a charger; the operator was unregistered for a camera drone over 250 g.

    Convicted of the unauthorised flight and of smuggling the phones in. Contraband, not a recreational flight. report

  • 2024-08-21 · Amsterdam, inside the Schiphol control zone · official

    A 44-year-old from Poland flew inside the control zone. Police located the flight and his exact position in Amsterdam with equipment. He believed flying was allowed outside a 6 km radius, and said his app had not shown a restriction.

    EUR 250, with five days' detention in default; an alcohol count was dropped for want of evidence. The only confirmed case involving a foreign pilot. report

  • 2024-08-21 · Amsterdam Zuid · press

    The city's drone-detection system caught several people breaking the drone ban in one afternoon; a drone team and a motorcycle officer attended.

    Several fined; police said amounts can run to hundreds of euros. Possibly the same action as the Schiphol control-zone case of the same date, but the two sources do not confirm each other. report

  • 2025-06 · The Hague and around the June 2025 NATO summit · official

    Pilots breached the temporary flight bans in the days before and during the summit. Some were on paid jobs such as solar panel fitting or wedding shoots; most were flying for pleasure, and many said they did not know about the ban, which the prosecution service says makes no difference.

    31 reports reached the prosecution service: 29 transaction offers from EUR 350 to EUR 1,350 and two minors' cases dropped. Detection equipment found the pilot in most cases; non-payment leads to a summons. report

  • 2025-06-18 · The Hague, inside the NATO prohibition zone · official

    A 29-year-old flew where flying was prohibited because of the upcoming NATO summit, with no operator number. Police saw him and spoke to him; he said his app had not shown the zone.

    The transaction offer went unpaid; the court imposed EUR 600 with half suspended, so EUR 300 payable and EUR 300 due on a further offence within two years. report

  • 2025-06-18 · Scheveningen beach, The Hague · official

    A 31-year-old flew a camera drone over the beach during the NATO-summit airspace closure and was not registered as an operator. He said he knew neither rule and had checked an app on his remote controller.

    EUR 450 (EUR 400 plus EUR 50), payable in three instalments. The prosecutor told him the controller app is not always in line with current law and to use GoDrone or Aeret. report

  • 2025-06-21 · Amsterdam, over the A10 during 750 jaar Amsterdam · official

    A pilot with six years' experience and certificates flew over the A10 and a large crowd without safe distance, above 120 m and out of sight, and was not registered.

    EUR 350 imposed, as demanded. report

  • 2025-08-20 · Sail Amsterdam, over De Groene Draeck and a crowd · official

    A 64-year-old Amsterdam man flew out of sight over a gathering, without specific-category authorisation, unregistered and with no operator number. He was detected in prohibited airspace, traced, arrested and questioned.

    Tried together with his December repeat: 34 hours' community service and the drone declared forfeit. report

  • 2025-10-20 · Eemshaven seaport area · official

    A 41-year-old from Delfzijl flew to photograph a departing cruise ship, without authorisation for the port area, unregistered and with no operator number, after earlier warnings and a previous fine.

    Summoned directly rather than offered a transaction: EUR 1,000 of which EUR 500 suspended, plus two EUR 250 fines. report

  • 2025-12-22 · Amsterdam, both banks of the IJ · official

    The Sail Amsterdam pilot was found flying again before his first case was decided, with the drone over six kilometres away and out of sight, still unregistered. He told the court the drone was a toy and the rules were nonsense.

    Arrested and the drone seized; the court declared it forfeit, the only forfeiture in the record. He announced an immediate appeal. report

  • 2026-01-15 · Volkel air base · press

    Police found a drone flying near the air base; the operator was treated as a suspect.

    Drone seized. report

  • 2026-01-17 · Gilze-Rijen air base, inside its controlled traffic zone · press

    Police found a drone flying inside the air base's control zone.

    Drone seized. report

  • 2026-01-22 · Near Eindhoven Airport · press

    The Marechaussee arrested a man flying a drone in the airport's no-fly zone, carrying a large camera and a rucksack.

    Drone seized for investigation and the man treated as a suspect. A spokesperson said it was not a heavy case but that a criminal investigation was being run. report

  • 2026-03-13 · Amsterdam Centraal, De Ruijterkade and the IJ · official

    A 33-year-old professional photographer from Tilburg flew after dark, out of sight and low over people, unregistered. Officers followed the drone to a party ship; he handed over a drone that lacked the lights they had seen.

    EUR 1,500 imposed; acquitted on the operator-number count only because the drone actually flown could not be examined. report

What the law says it costs

Published penalty ranges. What has actually been charged, where anyone reported it, is in the section above.

OffenceRangeSources
Flying outside the daylight period, about one minute, while not registered as an operatorEUR 100 settlement, accepted. Decision of 18 April 2023.S24a
Flying in the Rotterdam control zone in the open category and outside the daylight periodEUR 150 settlement offered; EUR 180 fine imposed, with three days' detention in default. Decision of 15 August 2023.S24b
Flying in the Schiphol control zone in the open category during a fireworks display and outside the daylight periodEUR 1,500. Decision of 9 December 2024.S24c
Flying in a port area, outside the daylight period, while not registered as an operatorEUR 600 settlement. Decision of 17 April 2025.S24d
A national tariff for drone offencesNo fine schedule, maximum administrative penalty or tariff was found on any official page. The four amounts above are what was imposed in located cases, not a scale.S19

Confiscation: Seizure is documented in several prosecution cases and forfeiture in one. Police seized a 249 g DJI Mini 3 that had been flown over a demonstration inside the Schiphol control zone (EUR 350 transaction); police arrested a repeat offender in Amsterdam in December 2025 and seized his drone, and the court declared it forfeit, so he does not get it back; a court ordered a drone seized in a prison contraband case. The Marechaussee states it may seize the drone and its control equipment at civil airports and military sites. No official page states a general confiscation power for the rest of the country.

Criminal liability: Breaching the daylight rule is a criminal offence in terms: article 33 of the Besluit luchtverkeer 2014 states that acting contrary to article 18 is a punishable act. All located cases were handled by the Public Prosecution Service, three by settlement and one through the courts, which in the penitentiary case went to appeal.

What we could not confirm

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.

5 cited pages refused our checks and are marked unreachable in the source list.

Sources that disagree

  1. FPV, and whether an observer arrangement is permitted in the open category. Nothing on any fetched Dutch official page.
  2. The numeric A2 separation distance from uninvolved people. The official wording is sufficient distance only.
  3. Whether carrying dangerous goods is prohibited in the Dutch open category. The only source for it was an ILT decision-tree data file that now returns HTTP 404, and no replacement was found.
  4. The minimum pilot age as a figure. The supervision rule for under-16s is published, but no fetched page states 16 as the minimum in its own words.
  5. Any minimum insurance cover amount. No official page states one.
  6. The text of the prosecutors' sentencing guideline, the Richtlijn voor strafvordering luchtvaartwet- en regelgeving, and any statutory maximum penalty. The practice pass found its starting points quoted in the prosecution service's own decisions (EUR 250 for a control zone or prohibited zone) and reproduced by Omroep Brabant, but the guideline document itself was not opened.
  7. A general confiscation power outside airports and military sites. The Marechaussee states it may seize the drone and controller there, and police seized drones in seven confirmed cases, but no official page states the power for the rest of the country.
  8. Whether any Dutch customs declaration duty, import authorisation, or lithium-battery carriage rule applies to a drone. Only the negative finding that drones are absent from the customs list of restricted goods, and the practice pass found no report of customs checking a drone at any Dutch airport either.
  9. Whether radio equipment bought outside the EU needs anything in the Netherlands. The regulator's pages were opened and do not address it.
  10. The official map's data format, licence, update cadence, download or API, and whether it is legally authoritative. The air navigation service provider's pages, which would say, return HTTP 403 to this project.
  11. What proportion of the country is restricted by default. No official page states a figure, and the zoning regulation lists zones by coordinate rather than by area.
  12. Site rules for the Veluwe, the Wadden Sea, Keukenhof, Giethoorn and Texel. No official site-specific drone rule was found for any of them. Kinderdijk and the Zaanse Schans publish their own bans (found in the practice pass), but those are the site foundations' pages, not government rules, and no enforcement case was located at either.
  13. How a visiting pilot is handled when stopped. The practice pass confirmed eighteen dated Dutch cases but only one involves a pilot from abroad, a Polish pilot in the Schiphol control zone, and the prosecution service's decisions redact nationality.
  14. Whether anyone has been penalised for a drone flight in a Natura 2000 area or by a ranger since 2016. A Brabant ranger describes regularly finding pilots, and the one nature-area prosecution located (Otterlo, inside the Deelen military control zone) has its year redacted.
  15. Amsterdam's municipal position, and Staatsbosbeheer's. Both pages were unreachable.
  16. Whether any province runs a recreational Natura 2000 permit route, and what it costs or how long it takes. One province of twelve was read in full.
  17. Whether a pilot certificate issued in another EU member state satisfies the Dutch licence requirement for an inbound visitor. The RDW route names a recognised Dutch flight school; the inbound direction is not stated.
  18. Whether the operator-number form emailed to foreign applicants is available in English. Both published forms are in Dutch, including the one served from the English media path.
  19. What replaces the part of the zoning regulation, and article 7 of the Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen, that is marked to lapse on 26 November 2026.
  20. Whether the Wet onbemande luchtvaart BES is in force, and therefore what the current rule is in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. On the explanatory memorandum's own terms unmanned flight was not permitted there.

What changed, and when

Dated changes to the rules, newest first.

  1. 26 November 2026

    A part of the zoning regulation, and article 7 of the Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen with it, is marked to lapse. What replaces it is not established.

    S13S14

  2. 1 January 2026

    Current versions of both Dutch drone regulations take effect.

    S13S14

  3. 12 March 2024

    The Wet onbemande luchtvaart BES passes the Eerste Kamer, to create a drone framework for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. It enters into force on a date set by royal decree, and no page was found stating that date. The Caribbean Netherlands is not EU territory and Regulation (EU) 2019/947 does not apply there, so nothing in this brief covers the islands.

    S25

  4. 1 January 2024

    Class-mark cut-off: a drone placed on the market before this date falls under the legacy arrangement. EASA standard scenarios become usable from the same date.

    S1S10

  5. 31 December 2020

    The Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen and the Regeling zonering onbemande luchtvaartuigen enter into force alongside the EU framework, setting the Dutch altitude, control-zone, infrastructure-distance and zoning rules.

    S13S14S20

Checked 8 October 2026. Newer than that? Look here:

Rules move between our checks. The official pages publish the change; the community pages are where someone notices it first.

Official pages

Where pilots report

Sources

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.

  1. S1official

    Flying drones in the Netherlands

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · opened 2026-10-08

    You do need to register as a drone operator in the first EU Member State where you wish to fly. [...] No, the Civil Aviation Authority the Netherlands (CAA NL) cannot grant permits in the OPEN category.

    Rule page, English, written for foreign pilots. No date printed. It carries the daylight-period rule, the licence weight bands, the toy-drone carve-out, the province route for Natura 2000 and the two map names, none of which either research brief reported.

  2. S2official

    Applying for an operator number

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    apply for the operator number in the first European country where you will be flying. If that country is the Netherlands, we can process your application.

    Procedure page, English. The URL the research brief cited, ending in -nummer, now returns HTTP 404; this live page was reached from the RDW drone index.

  3. S3official

    Exploitantnummer aanvragen (registreren)

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    U kunt bij ons alleen een exploitantnummer aanvragen als u buiten de EU of EASA woont. [...] Het kan tot 10 werkdagen na uw betaling duren voordat u het exploitantnummer ontvangt.

    Procedure page, Dutch. No date printed.

  4. S4official

    Applying for a pilot licence

    RDW · document dated 2021-11-29 · opened 2026-10-08

    You are only required to apply for a pilot licence if your drone or other unmanned aircraft weighs 250 grams or more.

    Procedure page, English. The only date printed is 29 November 2021, for the introduction of the QR-code licence model. It carries the Dutch-flight-school condition, the five-year validity and the under-16 supervision rule.

  5. S5official

    Drone

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    Your operator number expires after one year. Renew your number here.

    Index page, English. No date printed.

  6. S6official

    Renewing an operator number

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    You must be registered in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP). Or the company is registered in the trade registry of the Chamber of Commerce (KvK). [...] Operator number renewal €13.00

    Procedure page, English. No date printed. It also states that an expired number cannot be renewed and a new one must be applied for.

  7. S7official

    Drone: verzekeringen en vluchtvergunningen

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    Voor particuliere gebruikers met een drone vanaf 20 kilogram is een verzekering verplicht op basis van EU-regelgeving.

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed. It also carries the strong recommendation to insure below that threshold.

  8. S8official

    Insurance and flight permits

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    No flight permit is required to fly in the open category. If you fly in the specific category, a flight permit is required.

    Rule page, English, the counterpart of S7. No date printed.

  9. S9official

    Waar kan ik vliegen?

    Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat · opened 2026-10-08

    sommige Natura 2000-gebieden. De provincie of gebiedsbeheerder bepaalt waar je niet mag vliegen

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed. The URL the research brief cited, on rijksoverheid.nl, returns HTTP 301 to this page, so the ministry moved its drone content to a dedicated site.

  10. S10official

    In welke categorie vlieg jij?

    Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat · document dated 2024-01-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Je blijft ver van mensen en houdt minimaal 150 meter afstand van woon-, winkel-, industrie- en recreatiegebieden. [...] C0 tot 250 gram, C1 tot 900 gram, C2 tot 4 kilogram en C3 en C4 tot 25 kilogram.

    Rule page, Dutch. The only date printed is 1 January 2024, as the legacy cut-off. The rijksoverheid.nl open-category rules URL returns HTTP 301 to this page.

  11. S11official

    Remote ID

    Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat · opened 2026-10-08

    Voor drones met een C0-label die minder dan 250 gram wegen, is Remote ID niet verplicht. [...] Drones met een C1-, C2- of C3-label beschikken over directe Remote ID.

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed. The rijksoverheid.nl Remote ID URL returns HTTP 301 to this page. C4 is not named anywhere on it.

  12. S12official

    Algemene regels

    Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat · opened 2026-10-08

    Houd je drone in zicht. [...] Vlieg je met een camera? Houd dan rekening met de privacy van anderen. Maak niet zomaar herkenbare beelden van mensen.

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed.

  13. S13official

    Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen

    Government of the Netherlands · document dated 2026-01-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Het is verboden een vlucht uit te voeren hoger dan 120 meter boven het dichtstbijzijnde punt van het aardoppervlak.

    Statute. In force since 31 December 2020; the version read is valid from 1 January 2026, and article 7 is marked to lapse on 26 November 2026. Neither research brief cited it, although it is where the altitude ceiling, the control-zone prohibition, the road and railway distances, the power-line distance and the one-year registration validity actually live.

  14. S14official

    Regeling zonering onbemande luchtvaartuigen

    Government of the Netherlands · document dated 2026-01-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Het is verboden een vlucht uit te voeren met onbemande luchtvaartuigen in de open categorie in de geografische zones zoals bedoeld in bijlage 1

    Statute, the Dutch no-fly structure. In force since 31 December 2020; the version read is valid from 1 January 2026, with a part marked to lapse on 26 November 2026. Neither research brief cited it.

  15. S15official

    Besluit luchtverkeer 2014

    Government of the Netherlands · document dated 2024-07-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Het uitvoeren van een VFR-vlucht buiten de daglichtperiode is verboden. [...] het gedeelte van het etmaal tussen vijftien minuten voor zonsopgang en vijftien minuten na zonsondergang

    Statute, article 18(1) with the definition in article 1 and the criminal-offence provision in article 33. Version read is valid from 1 July 2024. Neither research brief cited it, although it is the legal basis for the night prohibition that four of the located prosecutions rest on.

  16. S16official

    Ontheffingen drones

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · opened 2026-10-08

    De operatie vindt plaats in de categorie Specifiek. Ontheffing in de categorie Open is niet mogelijk. [...] U moet rekening houden met een beslistermijn van 8 weken.

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed on the page itself.

  17. S17official

    Vliegen buiten de Uniforme Daglicht Periode

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · document dated 2022-11-11 · opened 2026-10-08

    U mag met uw drone niet op zicht in het donker vliegen.

    Rule page, Dutch. The date is that of the declaration form linked from it, not of the page.

  18. S18official

    Nationale voorschriften categorie Specifiek

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · opened 2026-10-08

    Een vergunning is verplicht voor BVLOS-vluchten.

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed on the page itself.

  19. S19official

    Staat van de luchtvaart 2026

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · document dated 2026 · opened 2026-10-08

    De strafrechtelijke handhaving voor de categorie Open ligt primair bij de politie. [...] Omdat er bij de politie weinig capaciteit is voor handhaving, is de pakkans bij overtredingen klein.

    Report PDF, read directly. Cited by the first research brief and never read; it is the only official source for the Dutch enforcement posture and for the control-zone permission requirement.

  20. S20official

    Domeinprofiel Onbemande luchtvaart (UAS) 2024-2025

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · document dated 2025-02-26 · opened 2026-10-08

    Toezicht is beperkt tot voorlichting en handhaving op excessen.

    Report PDF, read directly. The URL the gap brief cited, under /binaries/ilt/documenten/, returns HTTP 404; this is the live path.

  21. S21official

    Recreatief en professioneel dronegebruik

    Province of Gelderland · document dated 2026-10-07 · opened 2026-10-08

    U mag niet vliegen in of boven N2000 gebieden plus een bufferzone van 100 meter hier omheen.

    Rule page, Dutch, last modified 7 October 2026. One province of twelve; published as a worked example of how a province applies the Natura 2000 rule.

  22. S22secondary

    Drones en natuur

    Natuurmonumenten · opened 2026-10-08

    het gebruik van drones in en boven natuurgebieden van Natuurmonumenten niet toegestaan

    Landowner house rule, not a government page: Natuurmonumenten is a private conservation association. Typed secondary for that reason, although it is authoritative for its own land. No date printed.

  23. S23officialcould not be opened

    Vliegen met drones in de gebieden van Staatsbosbeheer

    Staatsbosbeheer · opened 2026-10-08

    HTTP 404 on both the lower-case and the capitalised URL that search surfaces. The state forestry service's position could not be established.

  24. S24aofficial

    ELOM:2023:009

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2023-04-18 · opened 2026-10-08

    transactievoorstel van € 100,--

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page.

  25. S24bofficial

    ELOM:2023:019

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2023-08-15 · opened 2026-10-08

    Overtreding van art. 7 lid 1 Regeling onbemande luchtvaartuigen en art. 18 lid 1 Besluit luchtverkeer 2014. [...] € 180,-- subsidiair 3 dagen vervangende hechtenis

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page. It is also the evidence that the control-zone prohibition in article 7 is enforced.

  26. S24cofficial

    ELOM:2024:044

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2024-12-09 · opened 2026-10-08

    boete van € 1.500,--

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page. Schiphol control zone during a fireworks display, outside the daylight period.

  27. S24dofficial

    ELOM:2025:023

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2025-04-17 · opened 2026-10-08

    een transactievoorstel van € 600,--

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page. Port area, outside the daylight period, unregistered operator.

  28. S24eofficial

    ELOM:2024:035

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2024-02-14 · opened 2026-10-08

    taakstraf van in totaal 60 uur, subsidiair 30 dagen vervangende hechtenis [...] drone en het toebehoren in beslag te nemen

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page; decided on appeal 22 July 2025. The first located case with a seizure (S37 and S43 added more on 2026-10-08), and it also carried a Criminal Code offence about a correctional facility, so it is not a model for an ordinary breach.

  29. S25official

    Kamerstuk 36447 nr. 3, memorie van toelichting, Wet onbemande luchtvaart BES

    Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal · document dated 2023-10-16 · opened 2026-10-08

    In tegenstelling tot Europees Nederland, maakt het grondgebied van de BES-eilanden geen deel uit van het grondgebied van de Europese Unie.

    Explanatory memorandum, not a rule page. It is the basis for keeping this brief to the European Netherlands.

  30. S26official

    Vergunningen voor drones en modelvliegtuigen

    Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI) · opened 2026-10-08

    De meeste drones maken gebruik van frequentieruimte waarvan het frequentiegebruik vrij is gesteld van een vergunning.

    Rule page, Dutch. No date printed. Both research briefs reported that no radio-regulator page was reached; the page exists and was opened, and does not answer the import question.

  31. S27official

    Exploitantnummer drones aanvragen, form 3 E 2201e

    RDW · opened 2026-10-08

    Verplichte invulvelden: Burgerservicenummer (BSN) (9 posities) Of KVK-nummer [...] Verzekering (niet verplicht)

    Application form PDF, read directly with the Read tool. The domestic no-DigiD form. The gap brief cited it and did not read it.

  32. S28official

    Exploitantnummer drones aanvragen, form 3 E 2201a

    RDW · document dated 2021-06-15 · opened 2026-10-08

    Bij dit formulier voegt u een kopie van uw Nederlands legitimatiebewijs (identiteitskaart, paspoort of rijbewijs) toe.

    Application form PDF, read directly with the Read tool. Served from RDW's English media path but written entirely in Dutch; the date comes from the file name. The research brief quoted its insurance field label without noticing the Dutch identity-document requirement.

  33. S29official

    Dit mag u niet zomaar meenemen

    Douane · opened 2026-10-08

    Drank, Sigaretten en tabak, Geld en goud, Dierlijke producten en levensmiddelen [...] Wapens en munitie, Verdovende middelen, Medicijnen

    Rule page, Dutch, recorded for the negative finding only: drones, unmanned aircraft, radio equipment and lithium batteries do not appear on the list. No date printed.

  34. S30officialcould not be opened

    RDW open-data fee table

    RDW Open Data · opened 2026-10-08

    HTTP 410 Gone, with a body reading feature_deprecated. This was the research brief's only source for the EUR 23 fee; the fee is confirmed instead on S2 and S3.

  35. S31official

    GoDrone

    GoDrone, operated by INDRA on GuardianUTM · document dated 2026 · opened 2026-10-08

    Powered By GuardianUTM

    Map portal, named as an official tool by both ILT and the ministry. It carries no accuracy disclaimer, no update cadence, no data format, no licence and no API or download statement, and no official page says it is legally authoritative.

  36. S32officialcould not be opened

    Dronevluchten

    Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland (LVNL) · opened 2026-10-08

    HTTP 403 to this project, in Dutch and on the English mirror. The air navigation service provider's own account of the map and of control-zone access could not be read.

  37. S33officialcould not be opened

    Filmen in de stad melden

    Gemeente Amsterdam · opened 2026-10-08

    HTTP 403 to this project. The municipal position for Amsterdam could not be established.

  38. S34officialcould not be opened

    Beslisboom Regelhulp Drones, data file

    Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) · document dated 2025-12-23 · opened 2026-10-08

    HTTP 404. The gap brief's single source for the 120 m ceiling, the VLOS wording, the 150 m zone distance, the person-danger rule and the dangerous-goods rule. All of those except dangerous goods were re-sourced to statute or to the ministry's own pages; dangerous goods is left in unknowns.

  39. S35official

    Zeven verdachten op luchtvaartzitting veroordeeld

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2026-03-17 · opened 2026-10-08

    De officier van justitie eiste voor het boven een gebied vliegen waar hulpverleners aan het werk zijn een geldboete van €1500,-, waarvan €500,- geheel voorwaardelijk.

    Aviation-hearing press release with four drone cases (Rotterdam, The Hague, 750 jaar Amsterdam, Eemshaven), each with its event date, the demand and the amount imposed. The quote is the Rotterdam demand; the court imposed EUR 1,500 with EUR 750 suspended. Also the source of the undatable Otterlo case, whose year is not stated.

  40. S36official

    Transactievoorstellen tot €1350,- voor 29 dronevliegers voor overtredingen NAVO-top

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2025-11-04 · opened 2026-10-08

    In het merendeel van de zaken is de drone met detectieapparatuur gedetecteerd en is de bestuurder vervolgens opgespoord.

    Press release, and the only published amount distribution for a Dutch drone enforcement action: EUR 350 x2, 500 x3, 600 x9, 650 x1, 750 x1, 850 x2, 1,000 x5, 1,100 x3, 1,350 x3.

  41. S37official

    Drie veroordelingen op luchtvaartzitting en man die droneregels aan laars lapt verliest drone

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2026-10-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    De rechter verklaarde de drone verbeurd. De man krijgt de drone dus niet meer terug.

    Aviation-hearing press release: the Sail Amsterdam and IJ repeat offender, the only forfeiture in the record, and the Amsterdam Centraal case.

  42. S38official

    Zes verdachten veroordeeld voor strafbare feiten binnen de luchtvaart

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2026-07-09 · opened 2026-10-08

    Hij vloog met een drone met een camera op 18 juni 2025 boven het strand van Scheveningen.

    Aviation-hearing press release. The Scheveningen case, the only beach prosecution located, including the prosecutor's warning about controller apps and the naming of GoDrone and Aeret.

  43. S39official

    Luchtvaartzitting: drie verdachten veroordeeld en een keer OM niet ontvankelijk verklaard

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2025-10-09 · opened 2026-10-08

    Een 44-jarige man uit Polen vloog op 21 augustus 2024 met een drone in de CTR (Controlled Traffic Region) Schiphol.

    Aviation-hearing press release, and the primary for the Groningen and Schiphol cases the research report had cited to a secondary blog (droneguideeu.com), which is superseded and not used.

  44. S40official

    Luchtvaartzitting: drie ordeverstorende passagiers en een drone-vlieger

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2024-12-18 · opened 2026-10-08

    op 25 mei 2024 als exploitant van een drone, zonder vergunning, boven de gevangenis in Heerhugowaard te hebben gevlogen

    Aviation-hearing press release. The Heerhugowaard prison case, a contraband delivery rather than a recreational flight.

  45. S41official

    ELOM:2025:035 (Vliegen in Schiphol CTR)

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2025-09-03 · opened 2026-10-08

    Voor het vliegen in een civiel luchtverkeersleidingsgebied is in de Richtlijn voor strafvordering luchtvaartwet- en regelgeving als uitgangspunt een geldboete van € 250,-- opgenomen.

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page. States the sentencing guideline's starting point verbatim, records the pilot's belief that flying was allowed beyond a 6 km radius, and the dropped alcohol count.

  46. S42official

    ELOM:2025:033 (Dronevlucht in verboden zone bij politiebureau)

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2025-04-29 · opened 2026-10-08

    Na afweging van deze omstandigheden acht de luchtvaartofficier van justitie een boete van € 400,-- passend.

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page. The facts behind the Groningen case: police station courtyard, evidence depot, control zone, and the prohibited zone around a hospital rather than a flight over one.

  47. S43official

    ELOM:2024:037 (Drone bij demonstratie binnen CTR belandt op dak van paleis)

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2024-05-31 · opened 2026-10-08

    Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat de drone een DJI Mini 3 betreft, die 249 gram weegt en is uitgerust met een camera.

    Individual prosecution decision, not a rule page, and the only located case on a sub-250 g drone. The event date is redacted beyond the year 2024, so it is not listed as an incident.

  48. S44official

    ELOM:2024:011 (Uitlokken overtreding drone boven voetbalstadion)

    Openbaar Ministerie · document dated 2024-04-18 · opened 2026-10-08

    Uitlokking overtreding. Transactie van € 2.500,-- aanvaard.

    Individual prosecution decision against the company that hired the pilot, not the pilot. The event date is redacted beyond the year 2023, so it is not listed as an incident. Relevant to commissioned work, not to a visitor flying for pleasure.

  49. S45official

    Geldboete voor man die met drone boven de Efteling vloog

    Rechtspraak, Rechtbank Noord-Holland · document dated 2021-05-20 · opened 2026-10-08

    Medewerkers van het park ontdekten de drone en waarschuwden de politie.

    Court press release, and the only confirmed prosecution at a Dutch leisure attraction. Event date 2020-04-11 read off the text.

  50. S46press

    Zo hoog is de boete voor het vliegen met een drone in een no-flyzone

    Omroep Brabant · document dated 2026-01-23 · opened 2026-10-08

    Mensen die voor het eerst de fout in gaan, kunnen een boete verwachten van rond de 250 euro voor het vliegen op een plek waar het niet mag

    Regional press. Reproduces the prosecutors' sentencing guideline in full and reports the Volkel and Gilze-Rijen seizures, whose event dates (2026-01-15 and 2026-01-17) were read off the text. Also records that no Dutch case has yet held a pilot liable for an airline's costs. Publication date from the page's own article:published_time.

  51. S47press

    Man opgepakt voor illegaal vliegen met drone bij Eindhoven Airport

    Omroep Brabant · document dated 2026-01-22 · opened 2026-10-08

    het niet om een 'zware' zaak gaat, maar er wordt wel strafrechtelijk onderzoek gedaan

    Regional press reporting a Marechaussee statement. The research report had folded this arrest into a single row with Volkel and Gilze-Rijen; it is a separate event on its own date.

  52. S48press

    Jacht op dronepiloten in natuurgebied: runderen kunnen echt in paniek raken

    Omroep Brabant · document dated 2018-06-15 · opened 2026-10-08

    We vissen ook regelmatig iemand uit het gebied die aan het vliegen is

    Regional press, a Brabants Landschap ranger describing practice in protected areas. No dated case, so carried as partial evidence only. Published 2018-06-15, updated 2025-10-13.

  53. S49press

    Overtreders drone-verbod gesnapt met hulp van 'dronedetectiesysteem'

    AT5 · document dated 2024-08-24 · opened 2026-10-08

    Zodra de controller/afstandsbediening van de drone wordt aangezet, is zichtbaar via het dronedetectiesysteem waar deze zich bevindt.

    Local press quoting the police on Amsterdam's own drone-detection system. Event on the Wednesday before publication, 2024-08-21.

  54. S50press

    Bestuurders van rondvliegende drones opgepakt in Spaarnwoude

    NH Nieuws · document dated 2016-04-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    LV politie tp gekomen welke bewijsmateriaal in beslag nam en proces verb opmaakt tegen de piloten

    Regional press. The only confirmed case involving rangers, who acted on the aviation police's instructions. The quote is reproduced as the page prints it, abbreviations included.

  55. S51press

    Politie en OM treden vaker op tegen drone-overtredingen

    NOS · document dated 2017-01-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    tot bedragen van duizend euro

    National press quoting the prosecution service: 23 drone settlements in 2016 against 16 in 2015, with 11 people refusing or summoned. The earliest located figures, carried for history only.

  56. S52press

    Aantal dronemeldingen bij luchthavens dit jaar hoger dan in 2024

    Welingelichte Kringen, via ANP · document dated 2025-09-28 · opened 2026-10-08

    gemelde waarnemingen waarop door ons is geacteerd

    Carries the ANP wire with the Marechaussee's own count: 22 reported drone sightings in airport no-fly zones up to 2025-09-27, against 25 in all of 2024.

  57. S53official

    Royal Netherlands Marechaussee enforces drone ban around airports during NATO summit

    Koninklijke Marechaussee · document dated 2025-06-22 · opened 2026-10-08

    Violation of these rules can result in a high fine, a summons, and confiscation of the drone.

    Announcement of the drone ban around airports from 23 to 25 June 2025 for the NATO summit, with the stated consequences.

  58. S54official

    Drones

    Koninklijke Marechaussee · opened 2026-10-08

    During this process, we have the authority to seize both the drone and its control equipment. We also possess specialist equipment to ground a drone flight if safety is compromised.

    Topic page, English. States that the Marechaussee holds the police task at civil airports and military sites and the ordinary police elsewhere. No date printed.

  59. S55secondary

    Frequently asked questions

    Stichting Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk · opened 2026-10-08

    Anyone who flies a drone without permission and causes inconvenience is subject to a € 410 fine under the General Municipal Ordinance.

    The site foundation's own ban, typed secondary because it is not a government page. The fine it names is a municipal ordinance fine, not an aviation one. kinderdijk.com redirects here. No date printed.

  60. S56secondary

    Frequently asked questions

    Stichting de Zaanse Schans · opened 2026-10-08

    Drones are not allowed on the Zaanse Schans or in the Kalverpolder due to nuisance for residents, entrepreneurs, visitors and animals.

    The site foundation's own ban, typed secondary. Its exception route requires an ROC, the pre-2021 Dutch operator certificate that no longer exists under the EU framework, so the condition is out of date. Footer reads 2026.