Can you fly a drone at night?

In most of Europe and North America, yes, with lights on the drone. In France, in the Netherlands and, for recreational pilots, in Australia, no. Check your country below, and fly at night only where you have already flown by day.

The rules, country by country

Country	Flying at night
United States	Allowed for recreational flyers following a community-based organisation's safety guidelines, with the required lights.
United Kingdom	Allowed with a green flashing light switched on; an add-on light counts towards the drone's weight.
Spain	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Germany	Allowed without special permission, with the green flashing light and still in sight.
France	Not allowed in the open category. The local Préfet can grant a waiver; apply at least 30 days ahead.
Italy	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Portugal	Allowed day and night without ANAC authorisation, with the EU green flashing light.
Netherlands	Not allowed: only from 15 minutes before sunrise to 15 minutes after sunset.
Ireland	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Belgium	Allowed within all the open-category rules: in sight, with the green flashing light, in conditions that allow visual flight.
Austria	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Switzerland	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Poland	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Sweden	Allowed with a green flashing light on the drone.
Canada	Allowed if the drone has lights, switched on, that let you or your observer see it.
Australia	Not allowed for recreational flyers: daylight only.

Checked on 22 October 2026 on the website of each aviation authority. Each country's page has the rest of its rules.

The green light in Europe

In the open category of the EU, a drone flying at night must have a green flashing light switched on. Drones with the C1 or C2 class mark have it built in; on other drones, you can fit one.

What the camera sees in the dark

A normal camera sees lit streets, buildings and the sky, which is what makes night photos, and very little in a dark field.
A thermal camera sees heat: people, animals and engines stand out against the cold ground. It does not see through walls, glass or a dense tree canopy.
The AI of Animal Drone Rescue AI works on normal colour video, so at night it only helps in lit places. Thermal or normal camera?

Flying safely in the dark

Fly or walk the area in daylight first, and note trees, cables and poles.
Fly above everything around you and keep it simple: no low passes.
Obstacle sensors use cameras and work badly in the dark, or not at all. Do not count on them.
Set the Return to Home height above the tallest obstacle before you take off.
Keep the drone's lights in sight the whole time, and bring a torch for take-off and landing.

Looking for a lost pet at night

Lost dogs move at night, when it is quiet, but in the countryside a normal camera sees little in the dark. Search at dusk and dawn with a normal camera, and at night only with a thermal one, where night flights are allowed. How to search for a lost dog with a drone.

Questions