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Drone rules: Netherlands

Last checked: October 5, 2026

Travel check for NetherlandsChecklist for your trip: registration, insurance, drone and batteries on the plane.
Maximum altitude
120 m
Registration
Required

Required from 250 g or with a camera or sensor; registration in your country of residence is valid throughout the EASA area – with a German operator ID you do not need a second one.

Insurance
Not required

Only legally required from 20 kg; liability insurance that covers drones is still advisable.

For tourists

You fly with your German operator ID and EU competency certificate. The Netherlands has many control and restricted zones around airports and cities; check them in advance in the GoDrone app.

Further rules

  • If you live in the Netherlands, you register with the RDW (rdw.nl/drone) – mandatory from a take-off mass of 250 grams or for any drone with a camera or other sensors, even if it is lighter. To register, you need DigiD (individuals) or eHerkenning (businesses).
  • You only register once, in the EASA state where you live – the EASA area comprises the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Your operator ID is then valid throughout the EASA area: if you are already registered in another EASA country, you don't need a second registration in the Netherlands. Only if you live outside the EASA area do you register in the EASA state where you first fly.
  • In the Netherlands, third-party liability insurance is only legally required from a take-off mass of 20 kilograms; for most commercially available drones below that, it is recommended but not mandatory.
  • For flight preparation, the supervisory authority ILT offers the GoDrone app as the official tool for checking no-fly zones. The minimum age for flying unsupervised in the open category is 16.
  • In the open category, the maximum flight altitude is 120 metres above ground level, as uniformly regulated across the EU.

Sources

This overview is not legal advice and not an official statement — laws change, and we cannot guarantee that every entry is fully up to date. Before your flight, please also check the official source or the local civil aviation authority.