Cambodia KH
Cambodia has no comprehensive codified civil-aviation drone law; the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) treats drones as largely unregulated for flight purposes, but a February 2025 Inter-Ministerial Prakas (Interior, Agriculture and Civil Aviation), issued after a foiled drone-based attack plot, requires local-police registration for drones able to carry a 2 kg+ payload and sets basic operating hours. Separately, the country's biggest tourist draw — the Angkor Archaeological Park — is a drone no-fly zone unless APSARA Authority grants a case-by-case permit, which is rarely given to individual tourists and can take weeks and several hundred dollars.
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 Cambodia.
- Bringing your drone in
No published personal/tourist duty-free allowance specific to drones was found; general customs rules for personal electronics likely apply, but given the February 2025 security-driven registration rule for higher-capacity drones, do not assume automatic free entry — be ready to declare the drone if asked. Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
- Before each flight
No comprehensive codified civil-aviation drone law exists; a February 2025 Inter-Ministerial Prakas (Interior, Agriculture and Civil Aviation) introduced mandatory registration for higher-capacity drones and basic operating rules after a foiled drone-based attack plot · Any drone able to carry a payload of 2 kg or more must be registered at a local police station with its manufacturer, model, serial number, top speed and payload capacity · Operators must be 18 or older
Flying
- No comprehensive codified civil-aviation drone law exists; a February 2025 Inter-Ministerial Prakas (Interior, Agriculture and Civil Aviation) introduced mandatory registration for higher-capacity drones and basic operating rules after a foiled drone-based attack plot
- Any drone able to carry a payload of 2 kg or more must be registered at a local police station with its manufacturer, model, serial number, top speed and payload capacity
- Operators must be 18 or older
- Flights are allowed only between 6:00 and 18:00; a permit is required for night flights
- No flying within 3 km of a civil or military airport
- Flying 5 or more drones together needs prior permission
- The Angkor Archaeological Park (Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples) is a drone no-fly zone without a special written permit from the APSARA Authority; permits for individual tourists are rarely granted, applications can take 2-4 weeks, and reported fees run USD 500-1,000 case-by-case plus separate air-traffic-control clearance because of the nearby airport
- Phnom Penh needs separate permission from the Cinema and Cultural Diffusion Department; other historic/cultural sites need Ministry of Culture approval; government and military buildings need written permission
- 150 m altitude and 50 m distance from people/property are commonly cited as general (ICAO-based) guidelines rather than codified Cambodian limits, since no detailed national aviation rule for drones was found
Commercial use: No published standard commercial-operator certificate exists; professional or commercial work is expected to be arranged case-by-case with the SSCA and, on top of that, with whichever site-specific authority controls the location (APSARA, the Cinema and Cultural Diffusion Department, Ministry of Culture, etc.).
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use The February 2025 Inter-Ministerial Prakas requires local-police registration for drones capable of carrying a payload of 2 kg or more (payload capacity, not necessarily total aircraft weight) — most ordinary consumer camera drones (DJI Mini/Air/Mavic-class) fall below this and are not covered by this specific rule. Separately, flying at protected or sensitive sites (Angkor, Phnom Penh, government buildings) needs its own site-specific permit regardless of weight. It is not confirmed whether foreign tourists can complete police registration themselves or need a local sponsor/agency. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public pilot exam or licence scheme found. No SSCA pilot test or licence scheme was found. Cambodia has no comprehensive codified civil-aviation drone law, so ICAO guidance is referenced informally rather than enforced through a binding local exam. |
| Remote ID | No No Remote ID broadcast requirement was found. |
| Insurance | Unknown No public information found on insurance requirements for hobbyist, tourist or commercial drone use. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Cambodia has no single unified drone framework for foreigners: general flying away from protected sites, with a drone under 2 kg payload capacity, has few documented formalities, but the country's major tourist draws are exactly where drones are hardest to fly legally. Angkor Archaeological Park requires a written APSARA Authority permit that is rarely granted to individual tourists, can take 2-4 weeks to process, and reportedly costs USD 500-1,000 case-by-case plus separate air-traffic-control clearance. Treat drone flying at any major Cambodian tourist site as effectively off-limits without a pre-arranged permit; there is no walk-up or online process for tourists. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| General/all drones | any weight | Basic operating rules apply to all drones: operator 18+, visual line of sight, flights only 6:00-18:00 (permit needed at night), no groups of 5+ drones without permission, no flying within 3 km of an airport. |
| Payload capacity 2 kg or more | ≥ 2 kg payload capacity (not aircraft weight) | Must be registered at a local police station under the February 2025 Inter-Ministerial Prakas, declaring manufacturer, model, serial number, top speed and payload capacity. |
| Angkor Archaeological Park or other protected/government sites | any weight | Banned without a specific written permit from the relevant authority (APSARA for Angkor; Cinema and Cultural Diffusion Department for Phnom Penh; Ministry of Culture for other heritage sites). Permits for individual tourists are rarely granted, take weeks, and can cost several hundred US dollars. |
Import & export
- No published personal/tourist duty-free allowance specific to drones was found; general customs rules for personal electronics likely apply, but given the February 2025 security-driven registration rule for higher-capacity drones, do not assume automatic free entry — be ready to declare the drone if asked.
- No information was found on whether a drone's radio equipment needs separate import or type-approval certification.
- Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
- No comprehensive published customs procedure for bringing a personal drone into Cambodia was found.
- Given the February 2025 security-driven registration requirement for higher-payload drones (introduced after a foiled attack plot), expect extra scrutiny of drones at the border even though no explicit blanket import ban is documented.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls were found; standard Cambodian customs/export rules for consumer electronics apply.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not documented; this is a security-driven registration requirement introduced in February 2025 rather than a standard aviation registry with a published renewal period. |
|---|---|
| No public pilot exam or licence scheme found | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Cambodia as a visitor Visitors
- Check if your destination is a protected or sensitive site
Angkor Archaeological Park, government buildings, military sites and areas near airports all need separate permits; if you're headed to Angkor Wat or Siem Reap's temples, budget weeks, not days.
- Apply to APSARA well in advance for Angkor
Submit a written request to the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap at least a month ahead. Expect a case-by-case fee (reportedly USD 500-1,000) plus required air-traffic-control clearance; approval for individual tourists is uncommon.
- Register with local police if your drone's payload capacity is 2 kg or more
Bring the drone's manufacturer, model, serial number, top speed and payload capacity to a local police station, per the February 2025 Inter-Ministerial Prakas.
- Keep to the basic operating rules everywhere else
Operator 18+, visual line of sight, flights only 6:00-18:00 (apply ahead for night flights), no more than 4 drones together without permission, and stay at least 3 km from any airport.
- Consider a locally licensed operator for Angkor footage
Given the cost, uncertainty and multi-week timeline of an individual APSARA permit, many visitors get aerial footage through a local production company that already holds site clearance instead of applying themselves.
Sources
- State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), Cambodia · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Cambodianess - Drones Required to be Registered in Cambodia after Attack Plot Foiled · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com - Cambodia Drone Laws · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Khmer Times - Flying drones in Cambodia · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (none)−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight permit−6
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−5
- Long lead time (14 days)−8
- Import restricted−25
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works