Greenland GL
Greenland is not part of the EU or EASA, so Danish/EU drone certificates (A1/A3, A2) and EASA class markings are not valid there — its own rule (BL 9-4, applied to drones under 25 kg) governs instead. Private drones up to 7 kg can fly without a permit outside urban areas, staying at or below 100 m, at least 5 km from public aerodromes (8 km from military airbases) and 150 m from built-up areas/major roads. Larger or commercial drones need a dispensation from the Danish Civil Aviation Authority, plus insurance. Three nature reserves are strictly no-fly, and filming polar bears with a drone is banned outright.
Your plan
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You're good to go, just follow the local rules
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Greenland.
- Bringing your drone in
No drone-specific import ban or permit was found for bringing a personal drone into Greenland. Greenland is outside the EU customs union and does not apply Danish/EU VAT, but no confirmed drone-specific duty rate or personal allowance figure was found — treat as a standard personal electronics item and confirm with your airline and Greenlandic customs if in doubt. Batteries: Confirm battery rules directly with the airline serving Greenland (commonly Air Greenland or Icelandair) before travelling; standard international carry-on lithium battery limits are expected to apply, and cold temperatures cause rapid battery drain in the field, so bring spares.
- Before each flight
Private/recreational drones up to 7 kg can fly without a permit, outside urban areas, under BL 9-4 · Maximum altitude 100 m AGL without a special exemption · Stay at least 5 km from public aerodrome runways and 8 km from military airbase runways
Flying
- Private/recreational drones up to 7 kg can fly without a permit, outside urban areas, under BL 9-4
- Maximum altitude 100 m AGL without a special exemption
- Stay at least 5 km from public aerodrome runways and 8 km from military airbase runways
- Stay at least 150 m from built-up areas and major roads; no flying within urban areas recreationally
- Do not fly over densely populated areas or large outdoor gatherings
- No-fly zones cover three protected nature areas: the National Park of Greenland, Melville Bay, and Angujaartorfiup Nunaa (southwest of Kangerlussuaq)
- Using a drone to film or pursue polar bears is prohibited
- Maintain visual line of sight at all times
- EU/Danish A1/A3 and A2 remote pilot certificates, and EASA C-class markings, are NOT valid in Greenland since it sits outside the EU/EASA area
Commercial use: Commercial flights, and any flight with a drone of 7 kg or more, need a dispensation from the Danish Civil Aviation Authority even if the operator already holds an EU-approved drone certificate — Greenland's exemption regime is separate. Dispensation applicants are commonly expected to hold drone liability insurance and may need a locally-relevant operations manual/course (e.g. via Arctic Unmanned/Arctic Aviation).
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use No registration/permit is needed for private drones up to 7 kg flown outside urban areas and outside the listed no-fly zones. Flying in an otherwise-restricted zone, using a drone of 7 kg or more, or flying commercially requires a dispensation (exemption) from the Danish Civil Aviation Authority — this is a case-by-case approval, not a standard registration system. Denmark's own droneregler.dk operator-registration scheme is noted elsewhere as nominally covering Greenland, but Greenland's practical framework runs on BL 9-4 exemptions rather than the EASA-style Open-category registration used in Denmark itself; treat this as an area of some ambiguity and confirm directly with Trafikstyrelsen before a complex flight. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | No No knowledge test for basic recreational flying under 7 kg. Larger/commercial flights go through the dispensation process instead of a standard exam.. EU/Danish A1/A3 or A2 certificates are explicitly not valid in Greenland, so passing the Danish or another EASA-state exam does not qualify you to fly there without a separate Greenland dispensation for anything beyond the basic 7 kg recreational allowance. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No Remote ID broadcast requirement specific to Greenland was found; the framework relies on the 7 kg/urban-area threshold and case-by-case dispensations rather than in-flight identification. |
| Insurance | Depends (min. Not specified in available sources) Drone liability insurance is described as a requirement for dispensation applications (larger drones, restricted zones, commercial use). Not clearly required for basic recreational flying under 7 kg outside restricted areas, but recommended given remote conditions and difficulty of support/repair. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No A drone up to 7 kg can be flown recreationally without a permit outside urban areas and the listed no-fly zones — no advance paperwork needed for this basic case. EU/Danish drone certificates (A1/A3, A2) and EASA class markings are not valid in Greenland; don't assume a Danish or other EU registration carries over. For anything beyond the basic case (heavier drone, restricted zone, commercial work), apply for a dispensation from the Danish Civil Aviation Authority well before your trip. Many day-hike areas and scenic spots fall inside 150 m-of-built-up-area or 5 km-of-aerodrome exclusion zones — check a geozone map (e.g. DJI's Fly Safe map) before assuming you can fly. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Private drones up to 7 kg | ≤ 7 kg | No permit needed outside urban areas and no-fly zones. 100 m AGL ceiling, VLOS, 5 km from public aerodromes, 8 km from military airbases, 150 m from built-up areas/roads. |
| 7 kg and above, or commercial | ≥ 7 kg or any commercial use | Requires a case-by-case dispensation from the Danish Civil Aviation Authority, generally expecting liability insurance; EU/EASA certificates do not substitute for this. |
Import & export
- No drone-specific import ban or permit was found for bringing a personal drone into Greenland. Greenland is outside the EU customs union and does not apply Danish/EU VAT, but no confirmed drone-specific duty rate or personal allowance figure was found — treat as a standard personal electronics item and confirm with your airline and Greenlandic customs if in doubt.
- No separate radio/type-approval scheme for drones was confirmed for Greenland specifically.
- Batteries: Confirm battery rules directly with the airline serving Greenland (commonly Air Greenland or Icelandair) before travelling; standard international carry-on lithium battery limits are expected to apply, and cold temperatures cause rapid battery drain in the field, so bring spares.
- Propellers and spare parts are hard to source locally — bring backups.
- No confirmed VAT or duty rate specific to drones; Greenland is outside the EU customs/VAT area, unlike mainland Denmark.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls beyond standard Danish/EU dual-use rules were identified as applying distinctly to Greenland.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not applicable to basic recreational flying under 7 kg outside restricted zones |
|---|---|
| No knowledge test for basic recreational flying under 7 kg. Larger/commercial flights go through the dispensation process instead of a standard exam. | Not needed |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Greenland as a tourist Visitors
- Confirm your drone is 7 kg or under
This is the threshold for permit-free recreational flying outside urban areas. Open
- Check the no-fly zones before you travel
Stay 5 km from public aerodromes, 8 km from military airbases, 150 m from built-up areas, and avoid the National Park of Greenland, Melville Bay and Angujaartorfiup Nunaa entirely.
- Don't rely on your EU/Danish drone certificate
A1/A3, A2 and EASA class markings are not valid in Greenland; anything beyond the basic recreational case needs a separate Greenland dispensation.
- Never film polar bears with a drone
This is prohibited outright regardless of drone size or context.
- Prepare for the environment
Bring spare batteries and propellers (hard to buy locally), expect rapid battery drain in cold weather, check airline battery rules, and get permission before flying from a boat.
Sources
- droneregler.dk — Drone Flying in Greenland · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Visit Greenland — Flying Drones in Greenland · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- hiking.gl — Use of drones in Greenland · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight unknown−3
- Low ceiling (100 m)−5
- Visitors must register locally−5
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works