Bangladesh BD
Any drone with a camera (almost all consumer drones, regardless of weight) needs CAAB registration plus a flight permit that itself requires clearance from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and security/intelligence agencies. The formal application window is about 45 days, and foreign film crews additionally need a separate Ministry of Information permit first, for a combined lead time of 5-6 weeks. This is not realistic for a short tourist trip; undeclared or unauthorised drones are routinely confiscated at the airport.
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 Bangladesh.
- Bringing your drone in
General customs baggage rules exempt a tourist's personal, non-professional camera for duty-free entry, but drones are not clearly listed among those exempt personal effects and are treated as a controlled category in practice. A drone brought in without pre-arranged CAAB/Ministry of Defence clearance risks being confiscated at the airport (Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has publicly reported dozens of drone seizures). Import requires a Ministry of Defence no-objection certificate and Ministry of Home Affairs approval, on top of CAAB registration. Radio-equipped drones would also fall under BTRC's telecom-equipment No Objection Certificate regime, though BTRC's process is normally aimed at importing companies rather than individual travellers, and its application to a single personal drone was not confirmed from official sources. Batteries: Standard international air-travel lithium-battery rules are expected to apply (carry-on only, spare batteries under normal Wh limits), but no Bangladesh-specific confirmation was found.
- Before each flight
Only toy drones under about 248 g with no camera or audio-recording capability can fly without permission, and only below roughly 60 m (200 ft) — this excludes essentially every consumer camera drone regardless of its weight · Any other drone (CAAB Class A/B/C) needs CAAB registration with a unique UAS-ID physically marked on the airframe before it can be flown at all · Every individual flight needs a CAAB authorisation specifying date, time, exact coordinates and purpose, submitted about 45 days in advance
Flying
- Only toy drones under about 248 g with no camera or audio-recording capability can fly without permission, and only below roughly 60 m (200 ft) — this excludes essentially every consumer camera drone regardless of its weight
- Any other drone (CAAB Class A/B/C) needs CAAB registration with a unique UAS-ID physically marked on the airframe before it can be flown at all
- Every individual flight needs a CAAB authorisation specifying date, time, exact coordinates and purpose, submitted about 45 days in advance
- Flights are also screened against 'green/yellow/red' airspace zones; yellow (near airports, populated or government areas) and red (military/sensitive) zones require additional high-level clearance from the Ministry of Defence and security agencies (Air Defence Operations Centre, Defence Intelligence Agency, National Security Intelligence) plus local police
- Importing a drone requires a no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Defence and approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs, in addition to CAAB registration
- Flying without a valid CAAB permit can lead to equipment confiscation, temporary detention and possible expulsion, and applies to all drone sizes including sub-250g consumer models
Commercial use: Commercial/professional operators (Class C) and foreign production crews follow the same registration and CAAB flight-permit process, plus a separate Ministry of Information filming permit (about 10-21 working days) that must be approved before the CAAB application can even be submitted, and third-party liability insurance documentation.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Exempt only if the drone is under about 248 g and has no camera or audio-recording capability and no controller range over 100 m — a definition that excludes almost all tourist camera drones. Otherwise, register via CAAB form CAAB-UAS-REG-01 and obtain a unique UAS-ID before any flight. Registration fee amount was not found in official sources; treat as unconfirmed rather than free. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (from 248 g) CAAB certificate of competency for UAS operators. Operators must be at least 16 and hold a CAAB certificate of competency for any registered (non-toy) drone. The exact test format (online/in-person) and fee were not confirmed from official sources. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public broadcast Remote ID requirement was found; the CAAB UAS-ID is a physical marking on the airframe rather than an in-flight electronic broadcast standard. |
| Insurance | Depends Third-party liability insurance documentation is listed as a required part of the CAAB flight-permit application for registered drones; not required for the narrow sub-248g no-camera toy exemption. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Every drone with a camera needs the same CAAB registration and flight-permit process regardless of the pilot's nationality; there is no shortcut or reciprocity for foreign-registered drones. The formal CAAB application window is about 45 days in advance; foreign film/production crews additionally need a Ministry of Information filming permit first (10-21 working days) before the CAAB application can even be submitted, for a combined 5-6 week minimum lead time. This timeline makes flying a personal drone impractical for an ordinary short tourist visit; travellers planning to fly should apply well before departure or plan not to fly at all. Sources note that even sub-250g consumer drones (e.g. DJI Mini-class) are treated as requiring the full permit process once they have a camera, despite general 'toy drone' language suggesting a lighter-weight exemption — treat any camera drone as fully regulated. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Toy (no camera) | < 248 g, no camera/audio, controller range ≤ 100 m | No registration or permit needed; must stay below about 60 m (200 ft). Excludes drones with any camera, which almost all tourist drones have. |
| Class A | up to 5 kg, recreational | CAAB registration and a per-flight permit are required, including for camera drones under 5 kg. |
| Class B | over 5 kg, non-commercial | Same registration and permit process as Class A, with closer scrutiny given the larger size. |
| Class C | any weight, commercial/professional | Full registration, CAAB flight permit, insurance and (for foreign crews) a prior Ministry of Information filming permit. |
| Class D | state/military use | Exempt from the standard civilian permit process; not relevant to tourists. |
Import & export
- General customs baggage rules exempt a tourist's personal, non-professional camera for duty-free entry, but drones are not clearly listed among those exempt personal effects and are treated as a controlled category in practice. A drone brought in without pre-arranged CAAB/Ministry of Defence clearance risks being confiscated at the airport (Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has publicly reported dozens of drone seizures).
- Import requires a Ministry of Defence no-objection certificate and Ministry of Home Affairs approval, on top of CAAB registration. Radio-equipped drones would also fall under BTRC's telecom-equipment No Objection Certificate regime, though BTRC's process is normally aimed at importing companies rather than individual travellers, and its application to a single personal drone was not confirmed from official sources.
- Batteries: Standard international air-travel lithium-battery rules are expected to apply (carry-on only, spare batteries under normal Wh limits), but no Bangladesh-specific confirmation was found.
- Declare any drone to customs on arrival; scanners routinely detect undeclared drones and officers have confiscated dozens over short periods when paperwork was missing.
- Duty and VAT rates specifically for drones were not found in official sources; do not assume duty-free treatment beyond the general personal-camera allowance.
- MoD/Home Affairs import approval and CAAB flight authorisation are separate steps — completing one does not substitute for the other.
Export
- No drone-specific export control information was found; general Bangladesh customs and export rules for electronics would apply.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not clearly documented in public sources; CAAB authorisation appears to be issued per flight/project (specific dates, times and locations) rather than as a standing multi-year registration, so treat each trip as needing a fresh application. |
|---|---|
| CAAB certificate of competency for UAS operators | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing and flying a drone in Bangladesh as a visitor Visitors
- Assume you need a full CAAB permit, not just registration
Unless your drone is under 248 g with no camera at all, it is not exempt — plan for full registration plus a per-flight permit.
- Apply at least 6 weeks before travel
Foreign crews need a Ministry of Information filming permit first (10-21 working days), then the CAAB drone permit (about 2-3 more weeks, submitted up to 45 days ahead).
- Register the drone and get security clearance for your route
Submit CAAB form CAAB-UAS-REG-01 with exact flight coordinates and dates; flights near airports, government sites or sensitive areas need extra Ministry of Defence and security-agency sign-off. Open
- Declare the drone at customs on arrival
Carry your CAAB/MoD paperwork with you; undeclared or unauthorised drones are routinely confiscated at the airport.
- If your trip is short or unplanned, don't bring a drone
Hire a locally licensed operator or production company that already holds CAAB/MoD clearance instead of attempting a last-minute personal-drone trip.
Sources
- Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) — official portal · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- CAAB — Circular for UAV/Drone (operations) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- The Daily Star — New drone regulations in draft: licence and clearance to be mandatory · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Bangladesh Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Libanza Films — Drone Filming Permits in Bangladesh: Complete Guide for International Crews (2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Prothom Alo — 38 drones seized at airport in 3 months · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (unknown)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight permit−6
- Low ceiling (60 m)−5
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Long lead time (45 days)−8
- Import permit−40
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works