Panama PA
Panama regulates RPAS (drones) through the Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil (AAC) under Resolution No. 004-2021-NRA-AAC. Tourists can bring and fly a drone, but any drone that stays over 14 days must be registered with the AAC (cheap, $5) and a special foreign-operator permit is expected for visitors, so short trips need a bit of paperwork done in advance or on arrival at Albrook. The Panama Canal, most of Panama City and areas within 8 km of airports are hard no-fly zones.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
1 thing to sort out before you fly
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Panama.
- Carry liability insurance
Required. Check that your policy covers flights in Panama.
- Bringing your drone in
Tourists may bring one drone as part of personal luggage through Tocumen (PTY) or Rio Hato airports without triggering commercial-import treatment. Bringing multiple drones, or drones still in original retail packaging, risks being classified as a commercial import subject to Panama's 7% ITBMS tax plus import duties. Batteries: LiPo/lithium spare batteries must be carried in cabin (carry-on) luggage only — strictly prohibited in checked bags. Standard international limits (up to 100 Wh freely; 100–160 Wh with airline approval, max 2 spares) are expected to apply, though not confirmed Panama-specific.
- Before each flight
Fly at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL for RPA Liviana and heavier; micro RPA (under 250 g) are limited to about 30 m (100 ft) · Keep within about 500 m horizontal radius of the pilot and in visual line of sight · Night flying is not permitted without a specific AAC waiver
Flying
- Fly at or below 120 m (400 ft) AGL for RPA Liviana and heavier; micro RPA (under 250 g) are limited to about 30 m (100 ft)
- Keep within about 500 m horizontal radius of the pilot and in visual line of sight
- Night flying is not permitted without a specific AAC waiver
- Stay at least 8 km from airports, the Presidential residence and correctional facilities
- Keep at least 30 m horizontal / 10 m vertical distance from uninvolved people unless they consent
- The Panama Canal and most of Panama City are hard no-fly zones, reportedly enforced with signal jammers
- Non-consensual photography/filming of people is prohibited outside genuine recreational/sport use
Commercial use: Commercial operation (including any use beyond pure recreation/sport, which explicitly excludes aerial image capture) needs an AAC Operation Certificate, a remote pilot licence, and mandatory third-party liability insurance.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Sources conflict on the exact threshold: AAC's own weight-class system (RPA Micro up to 250 g) is generally treated as exempt from registration for recreational/sport use, but at least one guide states all drones must register with AAC regardless of weight. A drone (of any registrable class) present in Panama for more than 14 calendar days must be registered; a special AAC authorisation covers stays under 14 days instead. Registration is done in person at the AAC office at Albrook Airport (1st floor) or via an online form, and costs US$5 (micro RPA exempt from the fee). |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (in person, from 250 g) AAC RPA remote pilot licence. Required for all RPA operation except micro RPA (recreational/sport use). Applicants reportedly need to hold, or have previously held, a valid aircraft pilot licence. No public exam fee or detailed syllabus was found; foreign pilot qualifications may be recognised where the issuing state's requirements are equivalent or under a reciprocal agreement. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No broadcast Remote ID requirement was found. Traceability relies on the physical AAC registration number displayed on the aircraft. |
| Insurance | Yes Third-party liability insurance is described as mandatory for private and commercial drone flights alike. No official minimum cover amount was found; foreign operators must submit proof of insurance with their special permit application. |
| Foreign registration accepted | Depends Foreign RPA operators can apply for a special AAC permit by emailing a copy of passport, drone pilot licence, proof of insurance, a photo of the drone, and the serial numbers of the drone and its remote control. The AAC recognises a foreign pilot licence/operation certificate when the issuing ICAO contracting state's requirements are equivalent, or under a reciprocal agreement — carry your home civil aviation authority documents. If your stay is under 14 days, a specific AAC authorisation substitutes for full registration; longer stays require registering the drone (in person at Albrook Airport or online) and displaying the assigned registration number. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| RPA Micro | < 250 g | Generally exempt from registration and pilot licensing for recreational/sport use; lower altitude ceiling of about 30 m (100 ft). General distance and no-fly-zone rules still apply. |
| RPA Liviana | 250 g – 25 kg | Registration with AAC required (US$5 fee), remote pilot licence required, insurance mandatory. Altitude ceiling 120 m (400 ft). |
| RPA Mediana | 25 kg – 150 kg | Full AAC registration, pilot licensing, insurance and operation certificate (for commercial use) required. |
| RPA Pesada | > 150 kg | Treated as a large RPAS; full AAC certification framework applies. |
Import & export
- Tourists may bring one drone as part of personal luggage through Tocumen (PTY) or Rio Hato airports without triggering commercial-import treatment. Bringing multiple drones, or drones still in original retail packaging, risks being classified as a commercial import subject to Panama's 7% ITBMS tax plus import duties.
- No confirmed source on whether Panama's telecom regulator requires separate radio/type-approval homologation for personal drones; not addressed in the sources reviewed.
- Batteries: LiPo/lithium spare batteries must be carried in cabin (carry-on) luggage only — strictly prohibited in checked bags. Standard international limits (up to 100 Wh freely; 100–160 Wh with airline approval, max 2 spares) are expected to apply, though not confirmed Panama-specific.
- A single personal drone brought as luggage by a tourist is treated as ordinary personal effects at the two main international airports; extra units or unopened retail packaging change this treatment.
- Bringing a drone through customs does not exempt it from AAC's separate flight-registration/permit rules once you intend to fly it.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls were found; general Panamanian customs and any applicable dual-use/strategic-goods rules would apply to specialised or military-grade UAV technology, not ordinary consumer drones.
Costs
| Operator registration | 5 USD (≈ €4.6) Validity: Not specified in available sources |
|---|---|
| AAC RPA remote pilot licence | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 7 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Panama as a tourist Visitors
- Check your drone's weight and trip length
Micro RPA (under 250 g) generally avoid registration and licensing for recreational use. Heavier drones, or any stay over 14 days, need AAC registration or a short-stay authorisation.
- Apply for the foreign-operator permit ahead of time
Email AAC a copy of your passport, drone pilot licence, proof of insurance, a photo of the drone and its serial numbers, and the remote control's serial number. Open
- Register in person if needed
AAC registration can be completed at the Civil Aeronautics Authority office on the first floor of Albrook Airport; the fee is US$5 for non-micro RPA.
- Avoid the hard no-fly zones
Do not fly over the Panama Canal, most of Panama City, or within 8 km of any airport, the Presidential residence, or correctional facilities — these are enforced, reportedly including by signal jammers.
- Get insurance and keep to the operating limits
Carry proof of third-party liability insurance, and stay at or below 120 m AGL (30 m for micro RPA), in visual line of sight, in daylight, at least 30 m from uninvolved people.
Sources
- Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil (AAC) — Seguridad Aérea: Drones · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- L2B Aviation — Drone Regulations: Panama · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Drone Traveller — Drone rules and laws in Panama · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- iGoPanama — Traveling with Drones in Panama: Import & Export Regulations (January 2026 Update) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (in-person)−10
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−6
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−5
- Duty + VAT ≈ 12 %−7
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works