Mongolia MN
Mongolia allows tourists to bring and fly consumer drones, but there is no self-service online registration system — visitors must register directly with the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (CAAM) by email before flying, which is reported to cost around ₮30,000 and take up to 5 business days. Once registered, standard VLOS/daylight rules (120 m ceiling, 4 km from airports) apply.
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 Mongolia.
- Bringing your drone in
Tourists can bring a personal consumer drone into Mongolia; no drone-specific import ban was found. Declare it on the customs form on arrival. Batteries: Standard international air-travel lithium-battery carry-on rules are expected to apply; no Mongolia-specific restriction was found.
- Before each flight
Registration with CAAM is required before flying; foreigners apply by email (there is no online self-service portal), reportedly costing around ₮30,000 (~€8) and taking up to 5 business days to approve · Standard recreational/tourist flights must stay within visual line of sight, in daylight with at least 3 km visibility, and under 120 m (400 ft) AGL · Stay at least 4 km from aerodromes unless coordinated with the airport/ATC; flights above 400 ft beyond 4 km from an aerodrome need 24-hour advance notice to aeronautical services
Flying
- Registration with CAAM is required before flying; foreigners apply by email (there is no online self-service portal), reportedly costing around ₮30,000 (~€8) and taking up to 5 business days to approve
- Standard recreational/tourist flights must stay within visual line of sight, in daylight with at least 3 km visibility, and under 120 m (400 ft) AGL
- Stay at least 4 km from aerodromes unless coordinated with the airport/ATC; flights above 400 ft beyond 4 km from an aerodrome need 24-hour advance notice to aeronautical services
- Do not fly over restricted areas, military operating zones, government buildings, or other controlled airspace without separate CAAM/ATC authorisation
- Drones in roughly the 15-25 kg range need a CAAM construction/airworthiness inspection and must operate under an approved organisation; operation above 25 kg falls outside the standard recreational framework entirely
- Sources disagree on whether tourists need a separate pilot licence in addition to registration (one source suggests visitors need a 'temporary licence'); treat this as unconfirmed and check directly with CAAM before travelling
Commercial use: Commercial operators and any flight outside the standard Part 101 limits (beyond visual line of sight, above 120 m, larger aircraft) need a CAAM-issued Unmanned Operator Certificate in addition to registration.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 250 g) No self-service online portal exists. Foreigners apply by emailing CAAM (ops@mcaa.gov.mn) with the drone's make, model, serial number and planned flight itinerary before travelling; approval reportedly takes up to 5 business days. The weight threshold (250 g) is reported by a secondary aggregator and was not independently confirmed against CAAM's own Advisory Circular AC102-1, which this research could not read in full (the file downloaded but could not be parsed as text). |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes No general recreational pilot exam found; an Unmanned Operator Certificate applies to non-standard operations. Ordinary VLOS/daytime recreational flying does not appear to require a knowledge or skills exam. Operations outside the standard Part 101 limits (BVLOS, above 120 m, larger aircraft) need a CAAM-issued Unmanned Operator Certificate. One secondary source states foreign visitors need a 'temporary licence' — this likely refers to the registration/operating approval above rather than a separate exam, but this is unconfirmed. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No Remote ID broadcast requirement was found in available English-language sources. |
| Insurance | No Not legally mandated for hobbyist or tourist flying, though recommended. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No There is no self-service online registration portal; foreigners must email CAAM (ops@mcaa.gov.mn) with the drone's make, model, serial number and flight itinerary before arrival. Registration/approval is reported to cost around ₮30,000 (~€8) and take up to 5 business days — this cannot be finished at the airport, so plan ahead. Sources disagree on whether a separate pilot licence applies to visitors beyond registration; confirm current requirements directly with CAAM before your trip. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Under 250 g | < 250 g | Reported as exempt from CAAM registration by a secondary source; unconfirmed against the official Advisory Circular. General VLOS/daylight rules would likely still apply. |
| 250 g up to about 15 kg | 250 g - 15 kg (approx.) | CAAM registration required (reported ~₮30,000 fee, up to 5 business days); standard Part 101 limits apply (120 m ceiling, VLOS, daylight, 4 km from aerodromes). |
| Approx. 15-25 kg | 15 kg - 25 kg (approx.) | Requires CAAM construction/airworthiness inspection and operation under an approved organisation — not realistic for an individual tourist. |
| Over 25 kg | > 25 kg | Not permitted under the standard recreational framework; treated as a separate category requiring dedicated approval. |
Import & export
- Tourists can bring a personal consumer drone into Mongolia; no drone-specific import ban was found. Declare it on the customs form on arrival.
- No drone-specific radio type-approval/certification scheme was confirmed for Mongolia; general telecom-equipment rules may apply to the drone's radio transmitter.
- Batteries: Standard international air-travel lithium-battery carry-on rules are expected to apply; no Mongolia-specific restriction was found.
- No official customs page describing drone-specific duty or VAT treatment was found; treat duty/VAT figures as unconfirmed rather than zero.
Export
- No drone-specific export control information was found; general Mongolian customs rules would apply.
Costs
| Operator registration | 30000 MNT (≈ €8) · Reported registration/approval fee; not independently confirmed against an official fee schedule Validity: Not clearly confirmed. One secondary source describes a temporary visitor registration valid around 30 days; the general validity period for CAAM registration was not confirmed from official sources. |
|---|---|
| No general recreational pilot exam found; an Unmanned Operator Certificate applies to non-standard operations | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Mongolia as a tourist Visitors
- Email CAAM before you travel
Contact ops@mcaa.gov.mn with your drone's make, model and serial number, plus your planned flight locations and dates — there is no online self-service portal. Open
- Allow time for approval
Processing is reported to take up to 5 business days and cost around ₮30,000 (~€8); do this well before you land, not at the airport.
- Declare the drone at customs
Declare your drone on arrival; there is no general import ban on personal consumer drones.
- Fly within the standard limits
Stay within visual line of sight, fly in daylight with at least 3 km visibility, keep the drone under 120 m (400 ft), and stay 4 km clear of airports.
- Avoid restricted areas
Do not fly over military installations, government buildings, or other controlled airspace without separate authorisation.
Sources
- Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (CAAM/MCAA) — official portal · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- CAAM — Advisory Circular AC102-1 (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Mongolia Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- fitcationhq.com — Mongolia Drone Regulations for Tourists (2026 Guide) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−10
- Pilot test (none)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works