Drone flying over Tromsø
©Avinor/Luftfartstilsynet

Drones and photography

Below, we've gathered information on how to responsibly and legally use drones and photograph in and around Tromsø.

 
Droneguide by Luftfartstilsynet

Luftfartstilsynet has made a guide for the use of drones for play and leisure. Using drones for activities that exeed these guidelines, will get you fined. Shortened guides have been made in several languages and are available on Luftfartstilsynets webpages:

Droneguide 
玩空拍机 
Vuelos recreativos con drones 
Hobbydrohnen 

Main rules:
1. The drone should always be kept within your sight and operated in a mindful and considerate manner. Never fly near accident sites.
2. Never fly closer than 5 km from airports unless you have explicit clearance to do so.
3.  Never fly higher than 120 meters off the ground
4. Never fly over festivals, military facilities or sporting events. Keep a distance of 150 meters.
5. Be considerate of others privacy. Take note of the rules concerning photos and films of other people.
 
Important to note:
The island of Tromsø city centre, Tromsøya, is less than 5 kilometers from Tromsø Airport.
Are you planning to take photos/film with your drone? Then you have to follow the privacy guidelines. Read more here (only in Norwegian).
There are separate rules and guidelines for drones used for commercial work. More information and details can be found here.

Check out the restiction areas of Tromsø in this map

Photography guidelines

A lot of people visit Tromsø every year and many are very keen on photography. It is usually fine taking photos everywhere, including at most of the attractions.
However, photographing children or around schools and kindergartens is not accepted. Photographing groups of people is usually ok, but if you are photographing an unknown individual you should ask permission first.

At museums, galleries and exhibitions you also might find signs indicating that photography is not permitted. 
For photography/filming for commercial purposes, we recommend that you get permission in advance. This most relates to filming/photography inside buildings or museums.