What does an A2 drone certificate cost in Norway? (Complete price guide 2025)

Direct answer: 1,170 kr the first year, then 230 kr/year

This is the minimum cost if you take the exam without a preparation course. Most choose to prepare digitally (399-600 kr) or with a physical course (2,150-6,250 kr) to increase the chance of passing the first time.

Cost breakdown for the first year

*Liability insurance is legally required for drones over 250g or with a camera but is often already included in your home insurance. Check with your insurance company before purchasing additional coverage.

Why prepare? The A2 exam requires 75% correct answers (23 out of 30 questions). If you fail, you pay 940 kr again for each attempt. Most save on preparation costs by passing the first time.

Is the investment worth it? With A2 you can fly 30 meters from people (vs 150m without), 5 meters from buildings (vs 150m), and access all drones under 4kg. Read more about the specific benefits → 4 reasons why the A2 license pays off (even if you only fly for hobby)

Complete cost breakdown

Let's go through each cost in detail so you know exactly what you're paying for and what you need.

A2 exam: 940 kr

Theory test with 30 multiple-choice questions at the traffic station. You need 75% correct answers (23 out of 30) to pass. Booked on the Norwegian Road Administration's website – the same place as the theory test for a car.

If you fail, you must pay 940 kr again for each attempt. There is no limit to the number of attempts.

Read more about the exam itself and what it tests → Complete guide: How to pass the A2 drone exam (2025)

Preparation: 0-6,250 kr (optional, but pays off)

Do you need preparation? Not legally required, but most prepare. The reason is simple: The exam costs 940 kr each time you take it. If you spend 400-600 kr on digital preparation and pass the first time, you potentially save several thousand kroner in repeated attempts.

Your options:

Self-study (free): Read the curriculum on the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority's website. Works if you are used to studying theoretical documents and have good time.

Digital preparation (399-600 kr): Apps or online courses with exam simulator. Study whenever and wherever you want, repeat unlimited. Most popular choice.

Physical course (2,150-6,250 kr): Classroom instruction, typically 1 day. Good structure and the opportunity to ask questions directly. Most expensive option.

Is it worth it? If you fail once without preparation, you have spent 1,880 kr (two exam attempts). With digital preparation at 400-600 kr and passing the first time, you save 940-1,280 kr.

Operator registration: 230 kr/year

Operator registration is simply a number that identifies you as a drone operator. You register at flydrone.no after you have passed the exam, and the number must be visible on your drone.

The registration costs 230 kr per year and must be renewed annually. If you forget to renew, you fly illegally and risk a fine. We have set an annual reminder in the calendar – it takes 5 minutes to renew, but it is easy to forget when it is only once a year.

Whether all drones must be registered depends on weight and purpose. We have written a separate guide about the registration requirements → What do the drone rules in Norway actually say? (Complete guide 2025)

Liability insurance: 0-1,190 kr/year

This is often the most misunderstood cost, so let's clarify this with "insurance".

Who needs liability insurance?

• ✅ Drones over 250 grams: Legally required

• ✅ Drones with cameras: Legally required (even under 250g)

• ⚠️ Drones under 250g without cameras: Not legally required, but recommended

Coverage requirements: Minimum 750,000 SDR (approx. 10.7 million kroner). Covers damage to other persons, animals, and others' property.

Important: Check your home insurance first!

Many home insurances (SpareBank 1, Tryg, and several others) already include liability insurance for drones in the open category. Call your insurance company and ask.

If yes: You do not need to purchase additional insurance.
If no: You must purchase separate drone insurance (approx. 1,190 kr/year).

Two types of insurance – do not confuse them:

Liability insurance (legally required): Covers damage you cause to OTHER persons, animals, and property. Does NOT cover your own drone.

Hull insurance (optional): Covers damage to YOUR own drone. Does NOT cover damage you cause to others.

Examples of what liability insurance covers:

• The drone hits a car → Insurance covers the car damage

• The drone injures a person → Insurance covers medical expenses

What liability insurance DOES NOT cover:

• ❌ Damage to your own drone (that is hull insurance)

• ❌ Damage to another aircraft

• ❌ Damage to things belonging to your immediate family

We are creating a separate, thorough insurance guide that will be available soon. It will cover everything from how to check your home insurance to which companies offer the best coverage.

What can you actually not do without A2?

Here are the specific limitations:

In practice, this means:

Without A2, you cannot fly close to people or buildings. This makes it almost impossible to take:

• Property photos (houses, cabins, apartments)

• Wedding or event photography

• Landscape photos in popular areas

• Commercial assignments

With A2, you can fly 30 meters from people and 5 meters from buildings. This opens up virtually all types of hobby use and most commercial assignments.

For us photographers

People buy drones to take photos or videos (64% state this as the main reason), but realize afterwards that they cannot use it as they planned – without A2, you are limited to mountain tops and remote areas.

We both took A2 after we bought our first drone when we discovered the rights the A2 certificate granted. It cost us 1,569 kr each, but it opened up all the assignments we have taken since, including commercial projects for clients like Helly Hansen.

Digital preparation vs physical course – what do you save?

Let's look at the real costs depending on how you choose to prepare.

Total cost the first year

What is the difference between 1,770 kr and 7,420 kr?

Digital preparation gives you:

• Study whenever and wherever you want (we studied a lot during shifts and night shifts)

• Repeat exam simulator unlimited

• Access to all material as long as you need it

• Save 5,650 kr

Physical course gives you:

• Classroom instruction

• Instructor you can ask questions directly

• Structured program with set times

• Social learning environment with other course participants

What does the exam actually test?

The A2 exam tests theoretical knowledge of aviation regulations, drone operation, and safety. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions where there is only one correct answer. This form of testing is similar to that done for a car license, for example. It is not difficult, but the question format can sometimes "trick" you a bit. Often because one does not read the question accurately enough or that it is set up as a negation question where you have to think "oppositely".

The exam is taken on the traffic station's computer and has 30 multiple-choice questions. You must have 23 correct answers (75%) to pass.

Our experience

We both took A2 with digital preparation. I spent about 3 hours spread over a few evenings, Åse Johanne spent a bit more time since she wanted to be sure. We both passed the first time.

For us, the flexibility was crucial – with full-time jobs alongside taking courses etc., it is difficult to block an entire day/days for a physical course. But it is individual. Some learn best in a structured classroom with an instructor, others prefer to go at their own pace.

Read more about how to prepare effectively → Complete guide: How to pass the A2 drone exam (2025)

Can you earn back the cost?

This section is only relevant if you are considering making money with your drone. If you are only flying for hobby, skip to the next section.

What do typical drone assignments cost in Norway?

We do not have a complete market survey, but based on what we see in the market and our own experience, the prices are approximately here:

Property photos: 2,500-5,000 kr per assignment
Wedding video: 5,000-15,000 kr (often as part of a larger package)
Promotional video/Single scenes: 10,000-50,000 kr (depending on the scope and client and post-production)
Inspection/roof evaluation: 3,000-8,000 kr

One simple property photo assignment thus covers the entire investment in an A2 certificate with digital preparation (1,570-1,770 kr). The prices stated are absolutely the lowest price and for short assignments that can be solved quickly.

Our experience

We are both A2 certified photographers and work on commercial projects alongside full-time jobs in emergency medicine/rescue. A2 has given us the opportunity to take assignments we could not handle without A2 – among others for clients like Helly Hansen.

A2 is the foundation – it allows you to fly close enough to take the pictures that clients and you actually want. Do you want to see what is possible? Check out "M Creative Studio" for examples from our commercial assignments.

Summary: What does A2 cost?

Minimum cost: 1,170 kr the first year (940 kr for the exam + 230 kr for registration), then 230 kr/year.

With digital preparation: 1,569-1,770 kr the first year. Most choose this to increase the chance of passing the first time.

Here's how to get started:

1. Prepare for the exam – We created DroneKlar specifically for this: a practice app with an exam simulator that makes it easier to pass the first time

2. Pass the A2 exam at the traffic station

3. Register at flydrone.no

4. Check insurance – call your home insurance first, liability insurance is often already covered

Useful resources:

• Read more about the exam itself and how to prepare → Complete guide: How to pass the A2 drone exam (2025)

• Wondering what you can actually do with and without A2? → What do the drone rules in Norway actually say? (Complete guide 2025)

Good luck with A2!