Laos LA
Flying a drone above roughly 200 g in Laos needs two separate approvals: a frequency certificate from the Department of Frequencies and a location-specific flight permit from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), each listing exact coordinates, heights and time windows. UNESCO sites such as the Luang Prabang old quarter add a third layer (written consent from the site manager), and official information is thin, so treat the details here as a starting point rather than the final word.
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 Laos.
- Bringing your drone in
No published personal/tourist duty-free allowance specific to drones was found; customs discretion applies, and some visitors have reported a drone being held at the airport for collection on departure rather than allowed to circulate freely during the trip. Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
- Before each flight
Very small/toy drones (sources give thresholds of both 100 g and 200 g) can generally be flown for recreation without a permit, but the general limits below still apply · Drones above that micro threshold need a frequency certificate from the Department of Frequencies (Ministry of Post, Telecommunications, Transportation and Communications) plus a location-specific flight permit from the DCA before flying · Maximum altitude 120 m (400 ft) AGL
Flying
- Very small/toy drones (sources give thresholds of both 100 g and 200 g) can generally be flown for recreation without a permit, but the general limits below still apply
- Drones above that micro threshold need a frequency certificate from the Department of Frequencies (Ministry of Post, Telecommunications, Transportation and Communications) plus a location-specific flight permit from the DCA before flying
- Maximum altitude 120 m (400 ft) AGL
- Visual line of sight and daylight only; no flights over crowds or ceremonies
- No flying near government, military or border facilities, or within roughly 5 km of any aerodrome, controlled airspace, or a restricted/danger/protected area
- UNESCO sites such as the Luang Prabang old quarter, Mount Phousi, the riverside temples and the morning alms-giving route have extra restrictions: written consent from the site manager is needed in addition to aviation paperwork, and legal flights may only be possible from pre-agreed points outside the historic peninsula at quiet times
- Unauthorised flights can reportedly be fined around 1,000,000 LAK per drone, with equipment confiscated
Commercial use: Same Department of Frequencies / DCA approval path applies, with more detailed applications (proposal letter, frequency form, ID/passport copies, business licence, and a drone technical-specification document) expected for heavier drones or commercial work such as broadcast, mapping or survey flights.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Aircraft registration with the DCA was confirmed to apply above roughly 1 kg. Separately, and at a lower threshold (roughly 200 g), any drone needs a frequency certificate from the Department of Frequencies before it can legally be used: reported fees are 50,000 LAK to inspect/validate the drone's technical specifications and 100,000 LAK to certify the radio equipment. Sources are not fully consistent on the exact weight cut-offs, and no confirmed online registration portal exists for foreigners. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public pilot exam or licence scheme found. No documented Laos-specific pilot test or licence scheme was found. The combined frequency-certificate and flight-permit process appears to be the main gatekeeping mechanism instead of a personal exam. |
| Remote ID | No No Remote ID broadcast requirement was found. |
| Insurance | No Not required for hobbyists or tourists; recommended only. No mandatory minimum cover amount was found. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Basic recreational approvals reportedly take at least several working days; multi-province itineraries or flights over towns/villages take longer. Two separate approvals are typically needed for drones above the micro-drone threshold: a frequency certificate from the Department of Frequencies and a location-specific flight permit from the DCA. There is no confirmed self-service online portal for foreign visitors — contact the DCA and Department of Frequencies directly, or ask your hotel/tour operator for help reaching the right office. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Micro/toy drones | roughly ≤ 100-200 g (sources vary) | Can generally be flown for recreation without a frequency certificate or DCA permit, but the general altitude, VLOS, daylight and no-fly-zone rules still apply. |
| Small drones | roughly 200 g - 1 kg | Needs a frequency certificate from the Department of Frequencies and a location-specific flight permit from the DCA listing coordinates, heights and time windows. |
| Over 1 kg | > 1 kg | Same frequency certificate and DCA flight permit as above, plus DCA aircraft registration. |
| Over 2 kg / commercial use | > 2 kg or professional use (broadcast, filming, survey) | Same approvals as above with more detailed applications and likely additional sign-off; treated as commercial/professional operation rather than recreational. |
Import & export
- No published personal/tourist duty-free allowance specific to drones was found; customs discretion applies, and some visitors have reported a drone being held at the airport for collection on departure rather than allowed to circulate freely during the trip.
- Whether the drone's radio equipment needs separate customs/import certification, beyond the frequency certificate needed to fly it, was not confirmed from official sources.
- Batteries: Carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares).
- No confirmed personal/tourist import exemption was found; treat a drone as an item that may draw customs attention on arrival.
- Carrying printed proof of a pending or approved flight-permit application may help demonstrate legitimate purpose if questioned.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls were found; standard Lao customs/export rules for consumer electronics apply.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not documented in public sources. |
|---|---|
| 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 Laos as a visitor Visitors
- Plan exact locations and dates before arriving
List specific coordinates, proposed flight heights and time windows for each place you want to fly — both approvals below require this level of detail.
- Apply for a frequency certificate
Submit a proposal letter, frequency form, passport copy and the drone's technical specifications (brand, serial number, weight, transmitter frequency) to the Department of Frequencies. Open
- Apply for a DCA flight permit
Submit your location plan, passport details and aircraft serial number to the Department of Civil Aviation; allow at least several working days, more for multi-province plans.
- Get written site consent for temples and UNESCO areas
For Luang Prabang and similar sites, secure separate written consent from the site manager even if your aviation paperwork is already approved.
- Fly within limits
Stay under 120 m, within visual line of sight, in daylight, away from crowds, ceremonies, and government/military/border areas, and carry your permit documents.
Sources
- Department of Civil Aviation (Laos), Ministry of Public Works and Transport · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Lao Trade Portal - UAS/drone licensing requirements · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com - Laos Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Flying Glass - Drone laws Laos: 2026 permits, rules and where to fly · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (none)−3
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- 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