Australia AU
Flying purely for fun currently needs no registration and no licence in Australia — just following the standard safety rules. Flying 'for work' (any commercial or business purpose, including content shot for a client) always needs myCASA registration plus at least Operator Accreditation (sub-2 kg) or a Remote Pilot Licence/Remote Operator's Certificate (over 2 kg or non-standard operations).
Your plan
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You're good to go, just follow the local rules
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Australia.
- Bringing your drone in
Travellers get a general AUD 900 duty/GST-free concession (AUD 450 for under-18s) for goods including electronics carried in accompanied baggage for personal use. A drone bought new and imported/shipped separately is ordinarily subject to 10% GST (Australia removed the old low-value import GST exemption in 2018, so GST applies from the first dollar on goods sold to Australian consumers). Radio-transmitting drones must comply with ACMA rules and carry a Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) covering both radiocommunications (EMC/spectrum) and electrical safety (EESS); the responsible supplier must be on the ACMA/EESS supplier registration database. Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares); over 160 Wh not permitted on passenger aircraft.
- Before each flight
Fly at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL and keep the drone within visual line of sight · Daylight hours only (civil twilight to civil twilight) unless you hold a specific CASA approval for night flight · Stay at least 30 m away from other people not helping you fly
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Flying
- Fly at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL and keep the drone within visual line of sight
- Daylight hours only (civil twilight to civil twilight) unless you hold a specific CASA approval for night flight
- Stay at least 30 m away from other people not helping you fly
- Don't fly over crowds or populous areas, and fly only one drone at a time
- Stay 5.5 km+ away from controlled aerodromes/airports unless authorised
- Respect state/territory and local rules — many national parks and reserves ban drones outright
- Drones over 25 kg need specific CASA approval regardless of purpose
Commercial use: Flying 'for work' always needs registration. Sub-2 kg commercial drones only need Operator Accreditation (free short online course); drones over 2 kg, or operations outside standard conditions (BVLOS, over people, at night, in controlled airspace, etc.), need a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL), usually under a Remote Operator's Certificate (ReOC).
Official airspace mapRegistration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Only required if the drone is flown for a commercial/business purpose ('for work'), from 250 g up. Purely recreational ('for fun') flying currently needs no registration at all — a planned recreational registration scheme for drones over 250 g (due to start 1 July 2023) was paused by the government and has not been reintroduced as of this writing; confirm current status before travelling since this has been reported inconsistently. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (mixed, from 250 g) RPA Operator Accreditation (sub-2 kg) / Remote Pilot Licence (RePL, over 2 kg or non-standard ops). Only required for commercial/business flying. Operator Accreditation is a free ~30 minute online course and quiz, valid 3 years. Recreational flyers need no accreditation or licence, though CASA recommends hobbyists take the accreditation quiz voluntarily. |
| Remote ID | No Australia has no broadcast Remote ID mandate. Registered (commercial) drones are tracked against the myCASA registration number rather than an in-flight broadcast signal. |
| Insurance | No Not nationally mandated by CASA for recreational or standard commercial operations, though third-party liability cover is strongly recommended and is often required by ReOC conditions, clients, landowners or event organisers. |
| Foreign registration accepted | Unknown CASA's rules apply equally to visitors and residents — there is no separate foreign-tourist regime. If you are only flying for fun, no Australian registration or accreditation is needed at all, regardless of nationality — just follow the standard flight rules. If you plan to fly 'for work' (e.g. as part of a paid shoot) while visiting, you need myCASA registration and Operator Accreditation or a RePL/ReOC like any commercial operator; how a foreign-registered commercial operator/ReOC interacts with Australian requirements was not fully verified here — confirm directly with CASA before a commercial trip. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational — any weight up to 25 kg | any weight ≤ 25 kg, flown purely for fun | No registration, no licence/accreditation required. Follow the standard safety rules (altitude, VLOS, distance from people, daylight, no-fly zones). |
| Excluded category (commercial, sub-2 kg) | ≤ 2 kg, flown for work/business | Register on myCASA and hold Operator Accreditation. No RePL/ReOC needed if staying within standard operating conditions. |
| Commercial, over 2 kg or non-standard ops | > 2 kg, or any weight operating outside standard conditions | Register on myCASA and hold a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL), typically operating under a Remote Operator's Certificate (ReOC). |
| Over 25 kg | > 25 kg | Requires specific CASA approval regardless of recreational or commercial purpose. |
Import & export
- Travellers get a general AUD 900 duty/GST-free concession (AUD 450 for under-18s) for goods including electronics carried in accompanied baggage for personal use. A drone bought new and imported/shipped separately is ordinarily subject to 10% GST (Australia removed the old low-value import GST exemption in 2018, so GST applies from the first dollar on goods sold to Australian consumers).
- Radio-transmitting drones must comply with ACMA rules and carry a Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) covering both radiocommunications (EMC/spectrum) and electrical safety (EESS); the responsible supplier must be on the ACMA/EESS supplier registration database.
- Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares); over 160 Wh not permitted on passenger aircraft.
- Exact customs duty rate (dutyPct) for drones was not confirmed against the current Australian tariff schedule — verify with Australian Border Force/the current Working Tariff before a commercial import.
- Some Australian government agencies have restricted specific foreign-made drone brands for their own procurement; this does not affect personal ownership or import by travellers or the public.
Export
- Defence-grade or military-specification UAV technology can fall under Australia's Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL) and require an export permit; ordinary consumer/prosumer camera drones are not affected.
Costs
| Operator registration | 40 AUD (≈ €24) · Recreational commercial-adjacent/'excluded category' rate; standard commercial/ReOC registration runs roughly AUD 100-190 depending on structure. Figures vary by source — confirm current myCASA pricing. Validity: 12 months (recreational/excluded-category registration); renewed annually |
|---|---|
| RPA Operator Accreditation (sub-2 kg) / Remote Pilot Licence (RePL, over 2 kg or non-standard ops) | Free |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 10 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Australia as a tourist Visitors
- Confirm you're flying 'for fun'
If it's purely recreational (not for a client, business or job), Australia currently requires no registration and no licence at all.
- Check your drone's weight
Recreational flying is unrestricted by registration up to 25 kg; over 25 kg needs specific CASA approval before you fly.
- Learn the standard operating conditions
Max 120 m altitude, VLOS, daylight only, 30 m from people, no flying over crowds, 5.5 km clear of controlled aerodromes. Open
- Check local no-fly zones
Use a CASA-verified drone safety app (e.g. OpenSky) to check controlled airspace, and check state/territory and national park rules separately. Open
- Only register if flying for work
Planning any paid or business flying? Register on myCASA and get Operator Accreditation (or a RePL for bigger drones) before you fly. Open
Sources
- CASA — Drones · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- CASA — Drone registration requirements · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- CASA — Drone weight categories and requirements · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- CASA — Know your drone: drone rules · accessed 23 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (mixed)−8
- Night flight permit−6
- Visitors must register locally−5
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works