Bolivia BO
Bolivia's DGAC regulates drones mainly through Regulatory Bulletin DGAC/107/2020 and Law 2902, with the DGAC website in 2026 referencing a newer bulletin (BR-108-2026) whose full text was not available in reviewed sources. Drones from 200 g up to 35 kg must be registered (a Google-Form-based online process); recreational flying under 6 kg needs no separate DGAC authorization beyond registration, while commercial 'aerial work' needs prior DGAC approval. Enforcement is reported as inconsistent, but rules still formally apply to tourists, including at popular sites like the Salar de Uyuni.
Your plan
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1 thing to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Bolivia
Registration is submitted through a DGAC-published Google Form (drones 200 g – 35 kg); drones over 10 kg reportedly require in-person registration instead. No official fee was found. The DGAC website in 2026 references a new bulletin, 'BR-108-2026 — Uso y Operación de Sistemas de Aeronaves no Tripuladas (UAS)', apparently superseding the 2020 bulletin, but its full text and any changed thresholds were not available in reviewed sources — confirm current requirements directly with DGAC (dgacbol@dgac.gob.bo) before travelling.
Open official page - Bringing your drone in
No drone-specific customs ban or special tourist procedure was found; a drone carried as personal luggage would be expected to follow Bolivia's general traveler customs declaration rules. Bolivia's general VAT (IVA) rate is 13%; exact duty treatment for a separately imported/shipped drone was not confirmed against the current tariff schedule. Radio-transmitting equipment marketed or used in Bolivia falls under ATT (Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes) homologation. This is a manufacturer/importer-level process (certificate valid 5 years, reported lead time around 12 weeks) rather than something an individual tourist would complete for a single personal drone; mainstream consumer models are typically already homologated by their official distributor. 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
Drones under 200 g and model aircraft are excluded from the registration regime; drones from 200 g up to 35 kg must be registered with DGAC and carry a visible registration number · Recreational flying with a drone under 6 kg needs no separate express DGAC authorization beyond registration, but must follow general operating rules · Fly within visual line of sight (VLOS), at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL
Flying
- Drones under 200 g and model aircraft are excluded from the registration regime; drones from 200 g up to 35 kg must be registered with DGAC and carry a visible registration number
- Recreational flying with a drone under 6 kg needs no separate express DGAC authorization beyond registration, but must follow general operating rules
- Fly within visual line of sight (VLOS), at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL
- No flying over public events, construction sites, or private/public residences without consent
- The minimum operator age is 18
- No explicit night-flight rule was found in reviewed sources; treat night flying as not permitted for ordinary recreational use, consistent with the region's general daylight-only norm, and confirm with DGAC if you need to fly after dark
- Report any incident to DGAC within 72 hours
- Flying at the Salar de Uyuni for personal use is generally accepted with no separate national permit, though some tour operators restrict or discourage drones on shared group tours — tell your driver/guide in advance
- No official source confirming special restrictions at Tiwanaku or other archaeological sites was found in reviewed sources; treat any archaeological or cultural site with the same caution as elsewhere (avoid crowds, ask site staff) pending confirmation
Commercial use: Commercial 'aerial work' (filming, topography, cargo transport, and similar) needs prior DGAC authorization via a submitted form (drones up to 6 kg: online form, reportedly at least 12 hours ahead of the flight; over 10 kg: in-person registration with DGAC), plus an RPAS operation certificate, an approved operations manual, and mandatory civil liability insurance.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 200 g) Registration is submitted through a DGAC-published Google Form (drones 200 g – 35 kg); drones over 10 kg reportedly require in-person registration instead. No official fee was found. The DGAC website in 2026 references a new bulletin, 'BR-108-2026 — Uso y Operación de Sistemas de Aeronaves no Tripuladas (UAS)', apparently superseding the 2020 bulletin, but its full text and any changed thresholds were not available in reviewed sources — confirm current requirements directly with DGAC (dgacbol@dgac.gob.bo) before travelling. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No confirmed public pilot-certification exam for recreational flying. No recreational pilot test/license requirement was found; commercial 'aerial work' operators need an RPAS operation certificate as part of the DGAC authorization process, but the certification format (exam type, provider) was not detailed in reviewed sources. |
| Remote ID | No No broadcast Remote ID mandate was found. Traceability relies on the physical registration number displayed on the aircraft. |
| Insurance | Depends Mandatory civil liability insurance applies to commercial 'aerial work' operations. Not confirmed as required for ordinary recreational tourist flying. |
| Foreign registration accepted | Unknown Reviewed sources do not confirm whether the DGAC Google Form registration process accepts a foreign passport in place of a Bolivian ID, or how long approval takes for a visitor — contact DGAC directly before travelling. Enforcement is reported as inconsistent, but flying without registering a drone 200 g or heavier is still technically a violation. The Salar de Uyuni is commonly described as workable for personal drone use without a special national permit, but check with your tour operator, since group tours sometimes restrict drones. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Under 200 g | < 200 g | Excluded from the DGAC registration regime, along with model aircraft; general safety rules still apply. |
| 200 g – 6 kg, recreational | 200 g – 6 kg | DGAC registration required; no separate express authorization needed for recreational flying within general operating rules. |
| Aerial work (commercial) | any weight, commercial use | Prior DGAC authorization via submitted form, RPAS operation certificate, operations manual, and mandatory liability insurance; over 10 kg needs in-person registration. |
| Up to 35 kg | ≤ 35 kg | Upper limit of the standard DGAC/107/2020 registration regime as described in reviewed sources; heavier RPA were not detailed. |
Import & export
- No drone-specific customs ban or special tourist procedure was found; a drone carried as personal luggage would be expected to follow Bolivia's general traveler customs declaration rules. Bolivia's general VAT (IVA) rate is 13%; exact duty treatment for a separately imported/shipped drone was not confirmed against the current tariff schedule.
- Radio-transmitting equipment marketed or used in Bolivia falls under ATT (Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes) homologation. This is a manufacturer/importer-level process (certificate valid 5 years, reported lead time around 12 weeks) rather than something an individual tourist would complete for a single personal drone; mainstream consumer models are typically already homologated by their official distributor.
- 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.
- No confirmed reports of drones being routinely seized at Bolivian customs when carried as ordinary personal luggage were found in reviewed sources.
- Enforcement of drone flying rules is described in some sources as inconsistent/lax in practice, but this is not a legal exemption — police can still intervene, and rules should be followed as written.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls beyond Bolivia's general rules were found; not expected to affect ordinary consumer/prosumer camera drones.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not stated as time-limited in reviewed sources |
|---|---|
| No confirmed public pilot-certification exam for recreational flying | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 13 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Bolivia as a tourist Visitors
- Check your drone's weight
Under 200 g: excluded from registration. 200 g and up: DGAC registration is required before flying.
- Register with DGAC ahead of your trip
Submit the DGAC drone registration form; processing details for foreign visitors are not published, so allow extra time and consider emailing DGAC first. Open
- Follow the core flight rules
Stay within visual line of sight, at or below 120 m AGL, and avoid public events, construction sites and private property without consent.
- Check with tour operators at popular sites
Flying at the Salar de Uyuni for personal use is generally accepted, but some group tours restrict drones — ask your guide beforehand.
- Confirm current rules directly with DGAC
The DGAC website references a newer 2026 drone bulletin (BR-108-2026) whose details were not fully available — email dgacbol@dgac.gob.bo to confirm current requirements before travelling.
Sources
- DGAC Bolivia — RPA's Drones · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- La Razón — La DGAC exhorta a operadores de drones a cumplir con normativas · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- FreeDrone — Normativa de Drones en Bolivia 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- ATT Bolivia — Homologación de Equipos · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Drone-Traveller — Drone rules and laws in Bolivia · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−15
- Pilot test (none)−3
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Duty + VAT ≈ 18 %−11
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works