Indonesia ID
Nationally, drones from 250 g to 25 kg must be registered and the pilot certified through the free SIDOPI-GO portal; under 250 g needs neither. Bali has repeatedly tightened its own rules on top of this — reportedly requiring registration at any weight and local consent near sacred sites — so re-check Bali specifically just before you travel.
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 Indonesia.
- Bringing your drone in
USD 500 per traveler, duty-free, for personal effects carried on arrival (covers a personal drone along with other goods) — value above that can be taxed. This traveler allowance is separate from Indonesia's very low (~USD 3.50) de-minimis threshold for goods sent by post or courier, which does not apply to items carried in your own luggage. Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100–160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
- Before each flight
Under 250 g: no national registration or pilot certificate needed, but VLOS, daylight-only and altitude limits still apply · 250 g – 25 kg: register the drone and get a free Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) through SIDOPI-GO before flying · Stay well clear of airports, military installations and other controlled/restricted airspace without prior approval
Flying
- Under 250 g: no national registration or pilot certificate needed, but VLOS, daylight-only and altitude limits still apply
- 250 g – 25 kg: register the drone and get a free Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) through SIDOPI-GO before flying
- Stay well clear of airports, military installations and other controlled/restricted airspace without prior approval
- Recreational flights: daylight hours only, continuous visual line of sight, roughly 120 m maximum altitude in uncontrolled airspace (some sources instead cite 150 m — confirm locally)
- In Bali specifically, regional rules layered on top of national law reportedly require pre-registering every drone regardless of weight, and getting written consent from the local village council (banjar) to fly within about 5 km of a sacred site (Perda Bali No. 12/2024)
- Penalties for flying in restricted airspace or endangering an aircraft can reach very large fines and years of imprisonment under Indonesian aviation law
Commercial use: Commercial/professional operation needs an RPC plus operational approval for the specific work. Foreign companies cannot get an Indonesian remote pilot licence directly — they must partner with a locally licensed drone operator or obtain a special DGCA permit.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Covers drones 250 g–25 kg under DGCA's CASR Part 107-style rules; over 25 kg faces additional airworthiness-style requirements closer to manned aircraft. Bali's regional rules reportedly require pre-registration for ALL drones, including sub-250 g models — this has changed more than once since 2024, so confirm the current Bali process separately before traveling there. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (online, from 250 g) Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) via SIDOPI-GO. Required for drones 250 g–25 kg; not required under 250 g. Issued free through the national portal alongside registration. The exact exam format (pure online knowledge check vs. any practical component) was not confirmed from official sources found — treat as an online process unless told otherwise. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No specific electronic Remote ID broadcast mandate was confirmed. The SIDOPI-GO registration and RPC numbers appear to be the main accountability mechanism instead. |
| Insurance | Unknown No confirmed mandatory liability insurance requirement for recreational flying. Commercial operators likely need liability cover as part of their operational approval, but this was not verified from official sources found. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Nationally, only 250 g–25 kg drones need registration/RPC via SIDOPI-GO (free); some tourist guides claim short-term visitors aren't actually checked outside Bali, but treat registration as the safe legal default rather than relying on lax enforcement. Bali layers stricter regional rules on top: recent policy reportedly requires pre-registering every drone regardless of weight before you fly there, plus written local (banjar) consent within about 5 km of a sacred site. Because Bali's rules have changed repeatedly since 2024 and secondary sources disagree on the exact system name and scope, re-check an official Indonesian government or Bali provincial tourism source shortly before your trip if Bali is on the itinerary. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Under 250 g | < 250 g | No national registration or RPC needed. Still must fly VLOS, in daylight, at or below roughly 120 m. In Bali, reportedly still needs regional registration regardless of weight. |
| 250 g – 25 kg | 250 g – 25 kg | Register the drone and get the free Remote Pilot Certificate via SIDOPI-GO. Follow VLOS/altitude/no-fly-zone rules; operational approval may be needed for some airspace or purposes. |
| Over 25 kg | > 25 kg | Treated closer to a manned aircraft: additional airworthiness and operational-approval requirements apply. |
Import & export
- USD 500 per traveler, duty-free, for personal effects carried on arrival (covers a personal drone along with other goods) — value above that can be taxed. This traveler allowance is separate from Indonesia's very low (~USD 3.50) de-minimis threshold for goods sent by post or courier, which does not apply to items carried in your own luggage.
- No confirmed radio type-approval (Postel/SDPPI) requirement specific to a single traveler-owned drone was found. Indonesia does require SDPPI certification for telecom/radio equipment placed on the domestic market, so bringing multiple units or reselling would likely trigger it — verify with Indonesian Customs (Bea Cukai) or SDPPI before importing more than one drone.
- Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100–160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
- No personal-import ban or drone brand ban was found for a single drone carried by a tourist; declare it on the customs form on arrival.
- Bringing several drones, or new/unopened units, risks being treated as a commercial import and taxed or scrutinized at customs.
- Import duty varies widely by HS code (roughly 0–40% generally in Indonesia); no drone-specific rate was confirmed, so treat dutyPct as unverified.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls were found; standard Indonesian customs/export rules for consumer electronics apply.
Costs
| Operator registration | Free Validity: Reported as 3 years, though this was confirmed for the Bali-specific process rather than the national SIDOPI-GO registration directly — verify before relying on it. |
|---|---|
| Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) via SIDOPI-GO | Free |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 11 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Indonesia as a visitor Visitors
- Check your drone's weight class
Under 250 g needs no national registration; 250 g–25 kg does. Over 25 kg is treated much like a manned aircraft.
- Register and get the free RPC if 250 g+
Apply through SIDOPI-GO before your trip and allow several business days for processing. Open
- Re-check Bali's rules separately if it's on your itinerary
Bali has tightened drone rules more than once since 2024, reportedly including registration at any weight and local consent near sacred sites — confirm the current status close to your travel date.
- Fly within the basic limits
Visual line of sight, daylight only, roughly 120 m maximum altitude, and well clear of airports and military sites.
- Get local consent near sacred sites in Bali
Written banjar (village council) consent is reportedly required within about 5 km of sites such as Besakih or Tanah Lot.
Sources
- SIDOPI-GO – Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) drone and pilot registration portal · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation Indonesia – UAS/AAM regulatory framework (ICAO APAC UAS-RPAS webinar presentation) · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- SIP Law Firm – Indonesia's Customs Rules on Passenger-Carried Imported Goods · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Your Happiness Tours – Bali drone laws, SIPP-TA registration and no-fly zones (secondary source, verify against official Bali government guidance) · accessed 23 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (online)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−5
- Duty + VAT ≈ 16 %−10
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works