Costa Rica CR
Costa Rica regulates drones (RPAS) through the DGAC's RAC-RPAS regulation, a weight-based framework: drones under 250 g face few formal requirements, drones from 250 g up to 25 kg must be registered with DGAC and carry an identification plate, and anything over 25 kg needs full aircraft-style certification. Commercial use of any drone needs a separate DGAC operator permit and liability insurance. Flying is banned by default inside SINAC-managed national parks and reserves (Manuel Antonio, Corcovado, Arenal, Tortuguero, Monteverde, etc.) without prior authorisation — a rule that catches out many tourists.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
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 Costa Rica.
- Bringing your drone in
Tourists must declare drones at customs on arrival. Costa Rica's general sales tax (IVA) is 13%; no drone-specific customs duty rate or a confirmed personal tourist exemption amount for drones was found in available sources — treat a personal camera drone carried as travel gear as generally low-risk but be ready to declare it. 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, in visual line of sight, in daylight and good weather only · Keep at least 8 km from aerodromes/airports without specific authorisation · Keep at least 30 m from uninvolved people, animals and buildings
Flying
- Fly at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL, in visual line of sight, in daylight and good weather only
- Keep at least 8 km from aerodromes/airports without specific authorisation
- Keep at least 30 m from uninvolved people, animals and buildings
- Drones from 250 g up to 25 kg must be registered with DGAC and carry a legible, durable identification plate
- Do not fly inside SINAC national parks, biological reserves or wildlife refuges (e.g. Manuel Antonio, Corcovado, Arenal, Tortuguero, Monteverde) without a specific SINAC/MINAE and DGAC authorisation
- Night flights need specific prior DGAC authorisation
Commercial use: Any paid or business use (aerial survey, real estate, agriculture, filming, etc.) needs a DGAC commercial RPAS operator permit — proof of operator training/competency and liability insurance — regardless of the drone's weight, in addition to the normal registration rules.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 250 g) Under Costa Rica's RAC-RPAS regulation, drones from 250 g up to 25 kg must be registered with DGAC (aircraft specifications plus operator data) before flying, and drones over 25 kg require full aircraft certification. Secondary sources disagree on how strictly this is enforced for short-stay recreational tourists — some describe a de facto exemption ('no recreational registration process' for visitors), others state registration applies to any flight, recreational or commercial. No official fee amount or processing time was found (DGAC's own FAQ page blocked automated access). Treat the 250 g threshold as binding and confirm current practice directly with DGAC before travelling with a heavier drone. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (in person) DGAC RPAS operator/pilot competency requirement (commercial operations). Not required for recreational flying. Commercial RPAS operator permits require proof of operator training/competency, typically via a DGAC-recognised training provider; no single standardised public exam name or fee schedule was found. Confirm current course/permit requirements with DGAC or a local certified operator before planning commercial work. |
| Remote ID | No No broadcast Remote ID requirement was found. Traceability for registered drones (250 g+) relies on the physical DGAC identification plate/registration number, not an electronic broadcast system. |
| Insurance | Depends Liability insurance covering damage to third parties is described as mandatory/indispensable for commercial RPAS operations. No source confirmed a statutory insurance requirement for purely recreational flying, and no minimum cover amount was found. |
| Foreign registration accepted | Unknown The 250 g registration threshold applies regardless of nationality; no separate foreign-visitor registration track or processing-time estimate was found. If your drone is under 250 g, you can generally avoid the registration question entirely while still following the general flight rules. Given conflicting secondary-source guidance on how registration is actually enforced for short-stay tourists, confirm current requirements with DGAC before travelling with a drone of 250 g or more. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Under 250 g | < 250 g | No DGAC registration found to be required. General operating rules (altitude, VLOS, daylight, distances, no-fly zones) still apply. |
| 250 g – 25 kg | 250 g – 25 kg | Must be registered with DGAC and carry a legible identification plate. Commercial use additionally needs an operator permit, training proof and liability insurance. |
| Over 25 kg | > 25 kg | Treated as a conventional aircraft: full airworthiness/aircraft-style certification required. |
Import & export
- Tourists must declare drones at customs on arrival. Costa Rica's general sales tax (IVA) is 13%; no drone-specific customs duty rate or a confirmed personal tourist exemption amount for drones was found in available sources — treat a personal camera drone carried as travel gear as generally low-risk but be ready to declare it.
- Whether SUTEL (Costa Rica's telecom regulator) requires homologation/type-approval for drone radio equipment was not confirmed in available sources.
- 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 drone-specific import duty percentage was found; general IVA (13%) applies to commercial imports.
- Bringing a personal camera drone as carry-on/checked luggage for tourism is common practice, but DGAC registration rules (250 g+) apply once you fly it in the country, independent of customs treatment on entry.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls were found; general Costa Rican foreign-trade and any applicable dual-use/strategic-goods rules would apply to specialised or military-grade UAV technology, not ordinary consumer drones.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not specified in available sources |
|---|---|
| DGAC RPAS operator/pilot competency requirement (commercial operations) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 13 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Costa Rica as a tourist Visitors
- Check your drone's weight
Under 250 g: no DGAC registration found to be required. 250 g or more: registration and an identification plate are required before flying.
- Register with DGAC if 250 g or heavier
Contact DGAC or check the RAC-RPAS regulation well before your trip; no official fee or processing time is published, so allow extra time. Open
- Plan around national parks
Assume drones are banned inside SINAC parks and reserves (Manuel Antonio, Corcovado, Arenal, Tortuguero, Monteverde) unless you have obtained both a SINAC/MINAE and a DGAC authorisation in advance.
- Keep to the basic flight rules
Stay at or below 120 m AGL, in sight, in daylight, at least 8 km from airports and 30 m from uninvolved people, animals and buildings.
- Never fly for pay without a permit
Accepting payment for footage (real estate, weddings, tours) requires a DGAC commercial operator permit and liability insurance, regardless of drone weight.
Sources
- DGAC — Reglamentos Aeronáuticos Costarricenses (RAC), incl. RAC-RPAS · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- SCIJ (Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica) — Reglamento RAC-RPAS, texto completo · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- DroneSurveyCR — Costa Rica Drone Laws 2026: Rules, Permits & No-Fly Zones · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−10
- Pilot test (in-person)−10
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight permit−6
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Duty + VAT ≈ 18 %−11
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works