Brunei BN
Sources conflict on whether tourists can fly at all: most detailed guidance describes a free Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) registration (form UAS001, up to a week to process) that visitors can complete, alongside a separate AITI Personal Import Permit needed to bring the drone's radio equipment into the country — but at least one source states foreign visitor drone flights are simply not allowed. Given this conflict, a tourist should treat Brunei as requiring pre-arranged registration and an import permit before flying, and should contact the DCA/AITI directly to confirm visitor eligibility rather than assuming either extreme.
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 Brunei.
- Bringing your drone in
No drone-specific duty-free personal allowance was confirmed. Bringing a drone's radio-equipped components into Brunei requires a Personal Import Permit (PIP) from the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) — without it, Royal Brunei Customs & Excise can seize the equipment. AITI regulates the drone's remote controller/radio link and requires a Personal Import Permit application (via the AITI Online Services Portal) with the equipment's technical specification/brochure and shipping details or airway bill; approved applications process in about 2 working days but the resulting ePermit is valid for only 14 calendar days from issuance, so time your application close to travel. The first 5 units per equipment category are fee-exempt; a 6th unit onward costs BND 50 each, and equipment on a licensable frequency (e.g. some radio-linked models) costs BND 20 per unit. Batteries: Standard international air-travel lithium-battery rules are expected to apply (carry-on only); no Brunei-specific restriction was found.
- Before each flight
Sources conflict on tourist eligibility: one detailed guide describes visitors as needing to register and declare a drone (no permit needed beyond that) if they wish to fly, while another states foreign visitor drone flights are 'not allowed' outright — confirm directly with the DCA before travelling · Register using DCA Form UAS001 (private) or Form 21A (commercial); registration is free but can take up to a week to process · Maximum altitude approximately 60 m (200 ft)
Flying
- Sources conflict on tourist eligibility: one detailed guide describes visitors as needing to register and declare a drone (no permit needed beyond that) if they wish to fly, while another states foreign visitor drone flights are 'not allowed' outright — confirm directly with the DCA before travelling
- Register using DCA Form UAS001 (private) or Form 21A (commercial); registration is free but can take up to a week to process
- Maximum altitude approximately 60 m (200 ft)
- Fly only during daylight hours and in good weather
- Stay at least 5 km clear of airports, heliports/helipads and military airbases
- Avoid temples, mosques, historical/religious sites, government buildings and private property
- Keep the drone within visual line of sight at all times
- Unregistered operators are described as solely responsible for any resulting damage or legal violations, on top of standard penalties
Commercial use: Commercial operators need both DCA registration (Form 21A) and a pilot licence, in addition to the same AITI import permit requirement for the drone's radio equipment as any other importer.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 250 g) Drones under 250 g fall into a less-regulated category; drones between 250 g and 25 kg require DCA registration via Form UAS001 (private) or Form 21A (commercial). No foreigner-specific exemption or restriction was confirmed on an official page, but conflicting secondary sources describe tourist flying as either permitted-with-registration or 'not allowed' outright. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes Pilot licence (commercial/government operators only). No pilot licence is required for hobbyist/recreational registration; commercial and government operators need one in addition to registration. No details on the exam format were found. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No Remote ID broadcast requirement was confirmed in available sources. |
| Insurance | No Not required for hobbyist, commercial or government operators, though recommended for hobbyists. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Conflicting sources: one describes tourists as able to register and fly freely (no permit needed beyond registration), another states foreign visitor drone flights are not allowed — this was not resolved from available sources, so confirm directly with the DCA before travelling. Even if flying is permitted, DCA registration can take up to a week, and the separate AITI Personal Import Permit's ePermit is valid for only 14 days from issuance — so timing the import permit close to your travel dates matters. For a brief transit without intending to fly, sources suggest registration is not mandatory, but the drone should still be declared to customs. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Under 250 g | < 250 g | Falls into a less-regulated category; general flight rules (VLOS, daylight, distance from airports) still apply. |
| 250 g – 25 kg | 250 g – 25 kg | DCA registration required (Form UAS001 private / Form 21A commercial); AITI import permit needed for the radio equipment. |
Import & export
- No drone-specific duty-free personal allowance was confirmed. Bringing a drone's radio-equipped components into Brunei requires a Personal Import Permit (PIP) from the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) — without it, Royal Brunei Customs & Excise can seize the equipment.
- AITI regulates the drone's remote controller/radio link and requires a Personal Import Permit application (via the AITI Online Services Portal) with the equipment's technical specification/brochure and shipping details or airway bill; approved applications process in about 2 working days but the resulting ePermit is valid for only 14 calendar days from issuance, so time your application close to travel. The first 5 units per equipment category are fee-exempt; a 6th unit onward costs BND 50 each, and equipment on a licensable frequency (e.g. some radio-linked models) costs BND 20 per unit.
- Batteries: Standard international air-travel lithium-battery rules are expected to apply (carry-on only); no Brunei-specific restriction was found.
- Two separate authorities are involved: AITI for the radio/remote-control equipment (Personal Import Permit) and DCA for the aircraft itself (registration).
- Modifying the drone beyond its original manufactured technical parts is strictly not allowed.
- No official drone-specific customs duty or VAT rate was confirmed.
Export
- No drone-specific export control information was found; general Brunei customs rules would apply when taking a drone back out of the country.
Costs
| Operator registration | Free Validity: Not confirmed from official sources; budget up to one week for initial processing. |
|---|---|
| Pilot licence (commercial/government operators only) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing or flying a drone in Brunei as a tourist Visitors
- Contact the DCA to confirm current visitor eligibility
Sources conflict on whether tourists can legally fly at all — confirm directly before committing to bring a drone. Open
- Apply for an AITI Personal Import Permit close to your travel date
Submit the equipment's technical spec and shipping/airway bill via the AITI Online Services Portal; approval takes about 2 working days but the ePermit is valid only 14 days from issuance. Open
- Register the drone with the DCA if you plan to fly
File Form UAS001 for private use; registration is free but can take up to a week to process.
- Fly within the rules
Stay under 60 m altitude, in daylight only, at least 5 km from airports/military bases, within visual line of sight, and away from religious sites and private property.
- Declare the drone at customs even if just transiting
If not planning to fly, registration may not be mandatory for a brief transit, but the drone should still be declared.
Sources
- Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Brunei — official site · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- AITI — Personal Import Permit · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Brunei Drone Laws · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Southeast Asia Backpacker — Drone Laws in Brunei · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−10
- Pilot test (unknown)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Night flight banned−8
- Low ceiling (60 m)−5
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- 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