Section 7. Areas in which flying a model aircraft is not permitted Model aircraft may not be flown over or in the vicinity of military areas, embassies or prisons, except by permission from the local person in charge.
Model aircraft may not be flown in restricted areas established pursuant to the Aviation Act or the Police Act. Model aircraft may not be flown over or in the vicinity of a place where an incident site has been established by the emergency services or the Armed Forces in connection with an accident or other extraordinary event.
Except by permission from the local air traffic services unit, model aircraft may not be flown closer than 5 km to an aerodrome.
Section 8. Strict liability for damage to third parties etc. The operator of a model aircraft is invariably liable for damage or losses suffered outside the model aircraft as a result of the aircraft being used for flying.
Section 9. Under the influence of alcohol etc. Nobody must fly a model aircraft under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating or narcotic substance. Sections 6-11 and 6-13 of the Aviation Act shall apply correspondingly.
For further information, please contact the Civil Aviation Authority: www.caa.no / postmottak@caa.no
Other regulations
Flying with drones does not require a special permission from the Governor itself. Any flight activity using a UAV must however be in accordance with the general rules pursuant to the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act - Act of 15 June 2001 No. 79 relating to the protection of the environment in Svalbard. Compliance with the following rules is particularly important: Section 5. (duty of care and duty to provide information) first paragraph:
Any person who is staying in or operates an undertaking in Svalbard shall show due consideration and exercise the caution required to avoid unnecessary damage or disturbance to the natural environment or cultural heritage.
Section 73. (general provisions relating to access to and passage through the natural environment) second paragraph: All access and passage in Svalbard shall take place in a way that does not harm, pollute or in any other way damage the natural environment or cultural heritage or result in unnecessary disturbance to humans or animals.
Pursuant to Regulations pertaining to environmental pollutants in Svalbard section 7 first paragraph, it is prohibited to leave waste that may be unsightly or cause damage or nuisance
to the environment. Persons operating UAVs/drones on Svalbard must therefore ensure that the UAV/drone is not left behind in the wild.
We also remind you that:
- Photographing or filming using UAVs in some cases may require a permission from the Norwegian National Security (www.nsm.no / post@nsm.stat.no).
- Publishing or use of films or photographs, may require permissions according to the Personal Data Act. For further information, please contact the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (www.datatilsynet.no).
For further information on regulations or other matters, please see our website or contact the Governor on (+47) 79 02 43 00 or by e-mail to firmapost@sysselmannen.no.