Many of both locals and tourists alike are either unaware of Iceland’s laws regarding drone use or ignore them, RÚV reports. That being the case, here’s what you need to know.
There are limits to drone use in Iceland, pertaining specifically to how high you can fly it, and how close to other things. In terms of height, it is prohibited to fly your drone to a height of more than 120 metres, but you can apply for an exemption to this rule here.
In terms of proximity, you cannot fly a drone within two kilometres of an international airport nor within 1.5 km from any other kind of airport. You will also need to stay at least 150 metres away from public buildings; 50 m away from residential buildings in an urban area; and 150 m away in rural areas without the approval of the property owner. Further, drones should not be flown over crowds of people or animals—that includes flocks of sheep, herds of horses, and bird nesting areas.
For your own peace of mind and others, mark your drone with your name, address and phone number. This will help get your machine back to you in the event of loss or damage, but you should keep the drone within sight at all times anyway.
The rules are slightly different for commercial use of drones, but all the rules for drone use, for both leisure and commercial purposes, can be read and downloaded here.
You can also watch this video for a general overview of how to use drones in Iceland.
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