TechnicalGIS

LiDAR and elevation data for France

National open LiDAR Openly licensed LiDAR covers about 70% or more of the land area.

IGN's LiDAR HD programme acquires at least 10 pulses/m² over metropolitan France and the overseas departments except French Guiana, with full coverage expected by the end of 2026; classified point clouds and 0.5 m MNT, MNS and MNH are open data under Licence Ouverte 2.0. The older RGE ALTI provides a nationwide 1 m terrain model.

Best open resolution
0.5 m
Open LiDAR coverage
–
Datasets
5 · 5 open · 5 free
Region
Europe
Last reviewed

Datasets 5

Free is not the same as open. Cost is what you pay to get the data; the licence says what you may do with it. How cost and licence are defined

  • MNH LiDAR HD (opens in a new tab)

    Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Canopy height
    Resolution
    0.5 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Progressive coverage of metropolitan France and DROM
    Licence
    Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • MNS LiDAR HD (opens in a new tab)

    Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DSM
    Resolution
    0.5 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Progressive coverage of metropolitan France and DROM
    Licence
    Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • MNT LiDAR HD (opens in a new tab)

    Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DTM
    Resolution
    0.5 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Progressive coverage of metropolitan France and DROM
    Licence
    Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • RGE ALTI (opens in a new tab)

    Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DTM
    Resolution
    1 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Metropolitan France and overseas departments
    Licence
    Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    ASC, GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • Nuages de points LiDAR HD (opens in a new tab)

    Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    10 pts/m²
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2021–2026
    Coverage
    Metropolitan France and overseas departments except French Guiana (completion expected end 2026)
    Licence
    Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAZ, COPC
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

Elsewhere in Europe