Myanmar MM
Myanmar has been in internal armed conflict since the military's February 2021 takeover, and both the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel (US: Level 4, Do Not Travel). Drones are treated as security-sensitive: import requires prior Department of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Transport and Communications authorisation obtained before travel, there is no functioning online tourist process, and undeclared or unauthorised drones are routinely confiscated at the airport on entry or exit. In practice a tourist cannot realistically bring in or fly a drone.
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Visitors can't fly drones in Myanmar
- Internal armed conflict; do-not-travel advisories in effect
Myanmar has been in internal armed conflict since the military took power by force in February 2021, with fighting continuing across much of the country and widespread civilian casualties. The US State Department currently rates Myanmar Level 4 (Do Not Travel) and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country and against all but essential travel elsewhere, citing civil unrest, armed conflict, landmines and arbitrary enforcement of local law. Drones are treated as security-sensitive equipment in this environment: bringing one increases scrutiny at checkpoints and borders, and confiscation (at entry, at exit, or both) has been widely reported even when a drone was declared to customs.
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Myanmar has been in internal armed conflict since the military's February 2021 takeover, and both the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel (US: Level 4, Do Not Travel). Drones are treated as security-sensitive: import requires prior Department of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Transport and Communications authorisation obtained before travel, there is no functioning online tourist process, and undeclared or unauthorised drones are routinely confiscated at the airport on entry or exit. In practice a tourist cannot realistically bring in or fly a drone.
Flying
- All drones must be registered with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) before flying; there is no public online registration system, and prospective operators are directed to apply via DCA's Facebook page or in person, with processing reported to take at least four weeks
- Flying is prohibited around Shwedagon Pagoda, throughout Nay Pyi Taw, near airports and military-controlled areas, around religious sites (pagodas, temples, monasteries), schools, and over crowds or individuals without consent
- Possessing an unregistered drone has been reported to carry a prison sentence of up to 2-3 years; unauthorised import can carry up to 3 years' imprisonment — sources note the legal framework itself is unclear and inconsistently enforced
- The Yangon Region administration has separately banned unauthorised sale and use of drones locally, reflecting tightened control since the 2021 takeover
- Given the ongoing internal armed conflict, flying (or even carrying) a drone near checkpoints, military positions, or conflict-affected regions (parts of Rakhine, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Shan, Sagaing and other states) carries serious security risk well beyond an administrative violation
- There is no practical registration/permit route achievable within a normal tourist visit, given the lack of an online system and multi-week processing time
Commercial use: Commercial or production drone use would need the same DCA registration/authorisation, arranged well in advance and realistically only feasible for organisations with existing local government contacts; independent foreign productions should expect this to be very difficult to arrange given the current security environment.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) No official online drone registration portal is publicly available. Prospective operators must contact the Department of Civil Aviation directly (reported via its Facebook page) and processing takes at least four weeks — impractical for a short tourist visit, and offering no guarantee of approval. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public pilot-certification scheme found. No publicly documented pilot exam or licence scheme was found; any authorisation is handled case-by-case alongside DCA drone registration. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID broadcast requirement was found; enforcement relies on registration, customs screening and physical checks rather than in-flight identification. |
| Insurance | Unknown No public information found on insurance requirements for the rare authorised drone operations. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No There is no realistic tourist pathway to lawfully bring in and fly a drone in Myanmar: no online registration system exists, processing is reported to take at least four weeks even when it works, and both US and UK government travel advisories currently recommend against travel to some or all of the country. Expect a real chance of confiscation at customs, regardless of whether the drone is declared, and possible further scrutiny or delay if found undeclared. Carrying a drone increases security attention at checkpoints and near conflict-affected or military-controlled areas — treat this as a security risk, not just an administrative one. Given the current travel-advisory status (US Level 4: Do Not Travel; UK FCDO advises against all or all-but-essential travel to parts of the country), reconsider bringing a drone to Myanmar at all. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight | DCA registration required before flying regardless of size; no publicly documented weight-based exemption was found. Realistically unavailable to tourists given the lack of an online process and multi-week timeline. |
Import & export
- None for ordinary travellers. There is no personal/tourist allowance for bringing in a drone without prior Ministry of Transport and Communications/DCA authorisation obtained before travel. Drones must be declared at customs on arrival, but declaring one does not guarantee it will be allowed in — confiscation has been reported both on entry and, in some cases, again on departure even after the drone was permitted through initially.
- Import is reported to require permission from the Post and Telecommunications Department (radio-equipment approval) in addition to Ministry of Transport and Communications/DCA authorisation; there is no simplified consumer or tourist import route.
- Batteries: Not applicable in practice for tourists, since the drone itself cannot realistically be legally imported without pre-arranged authorisation; standard airline lithium-battery rules would apply only to an approved shipment.
- Unauthorised import has been reported to carry penalties up to about 3 years' imprisonment; unauthorised possession has been reported to carry roughly 2-3 years — treat these figures as indicative since sources describe the legal framework as unclear and inconsistently applied.
- Confiscation at the airport is the commonly reported outcome for a drone without pre-arranged DCA/Ministry authorisation, even when voluntarily declared, and some travellers have reported drones being held and only returned (or not) on departure.
- The ongoing internal armed conflict since February 2021 makes drones more likely to draw security attention at borders and checkpoints than in peacetime; this is separate from, and additional to, the civil aviation import restrictions.
Export
- No specific civilian drone export control information was found; given the security situation, treat any cross-border movement of drone hardware as sensitive and subject to scrutiny beyond ordinary personal travel.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not documented; no public self-service registration system exists, so terms are effectively set case-by-case by the Department of Civil Aviation. |
|---|---|
| No public pilot-certification scheme found | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Myanmar as a visitor — and what to do instead Visitors
- Assume you cannot fly, and reconsider bringing a drone at all
There is no functioning tourist registration process, and both the US State Department (Level 4: Do Not Travel) and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to some or all of Myanmar due to the internal armed conflict since 2021. Open
- Expect confiscation at customs even if declared
Drones without pre-arranged Department of Civil Aviation authorisation are routinely confiscated at the airport, and some travellers report seizure on departure as well as arrival.
- Never fly near military sites, checkpoints or conflict-affected regions
Beyond fines, this carries genuine security risk given ongoing fighting in several states; also avoid Shwedagon Pagoda, Nay Pyi Taw, religious sites and crowds.
- If you have a genuine professional need, contact DCA at least a month ahead
There is no online portal — reach the Department of Civil Aviation directly (its Facebook page is the commonly cited contact point) and expect at least four weeks of processing with no guarantee of approval. Open
- Use ground-based alternatives
Rely on handheld or tripod photography, or hire a locally connected operator who already holds authorisation, rather than attempting to bring your own drone.
Sources
- DCA Myanmar — AIS Web Portal (Department of Civil Aviation) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- UK FCDO — Myanmar travel advice: safety and security · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- US Department of State — Burma Travel Advisory (Level 4: Do Not Travel) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Myanmar Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Drone flying banned for visitors−95
- Drone import banned−95
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works