Peru PE
Peru's DGAC (under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, MTC) regulates drones under RAP 91 and Law 30740. Since a 2025 simplification, online registration via MTC's virtual office takes only minutes, but flying still generally needs a DGAC pilot accreditation, and Peru's biggest practical restriction for tourists is the Ministry of Culture: flying anywhere near Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines or other archaeological sites is banned without a separate, hard-to-get cultural-authority permit.
Your plan
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1 thing to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Peru
Register online via MTC's Mesa de Partes Virtual (mpv.mtc.gob.pe): submit a new request, select 'Registro de Aeronaves Pilotadas a Distancia (RPAS)', and complete the form as a sworn declaration. As of the 2025 simplification this is reported to complete in minutes, down from up to 30 business days previously. Reviewed sources conflict on whether small recreational drones (some cite under 2 kg) are exempt from registration under Law 30740 — treat any drone as needing registration unless you can confirm an exemption applies. No fee was found in reviewed sources, and it is not confirmed whether the online form accepts a foreign passport in place of a Peruvian DNI.
Open official page - Bringing your drone in
Declare the drone on the customs form on arrival; Peru's general sales tax (IGV) of 18% can apply based on the drone's declared value above the personal duty-free allowance, and a receipt may allow claiming this back on departure under general traveler VAT-refund rules. Failing to declare has been cited as risking a penalty around USD 250. Telecommunications equipment that generates radio emissions, which includes most drones with a video/control link, needs an MTC homologation certificate to be legally imported, marketed or operated in Peru. Mainstream consumer drones sold through official channels are typically already homologated by the importer; reviewed sources do not clearly confirm whether a tourist bringing a single personal drone as luggage must separately homologate it. Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares); over 160 Wh not permitted on passenger aircraft.
- Before each flight
Register the drone with DGAC/MTC before flying — the 2025 simplification describes registration as required for all RPAS, though some third-party guides still describe an exemption for strictly recreational drones under 2 kg (Law 30740); treat registration as required to be safe · A DGAC pilot accreditation is generally required to operate, obtained through a DGAC-accredited Civil Aviation Training Center or aero-sports institution with a minimum 75% exam score · Stay within visual line of sight (VLOS), at or below about 152 m (500 ft) AGL, for a maximum continuous flight time of one hour
Flying
- Register the drone with DGAC/MTC before flying — the 2025 simplification describes registration as required for all RPAS, though some third-party guides still describe an exemption for strictly recreational drones under 2 kg (Law 30740); treat registration as required to be safe
- A DGAC pilot accreditation is generally required to operate, obtained through a DGAC-accredited Civil Aviation Training Center or aero-sports institution with a minimum 75% exam score
- Stay within visual line of sight (VLOS), at or below about 152 m (500 ft) AGL, for a maximum continuous flight time of one hour
- Keep at least 30 m horizontal / 20 m vertical distance from people and property, and 30 m from roads, railways and energy infrastructure
- Stay at least 4 km from airports; no flying over the Government Palace, military installations, or other restricted government sites
- No flying over archaeological sites or protected natural areas without specific authorization from the Ministry of Culture and/or SERNANP in addition to the standard DGAC permission — this covers Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines, Chan Chan, Caral, Kuélap and similar sites nationwide
- Night flying is prohibited
Commercial use: Commercial operation requires the same DGAC registration and pilot accreditation as recreational use, plus additional operational permits for flights over urban/populated areas requested through MTC; RAP 91's Certified category provisions were expected to phase in as DGAC updates related regulations (RAP 21/61/67/91/119), reportedly within about two years of the reform.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) Register online via MTC's Mesa de Partes Virtual (mpv.mtc.gob.pe): submit a new request, select 'Registro de Aeronaves Pilotadas a Distancia (RPAS)', and complete the form as a sworn declaration. As of the 2025 simplification this is reported to complete in minutes, down from up to 30 business days previously. Reviewed sources conflict on whether small recreational drones (some cite under 2 kg) are exempt from registration under Law 30740 — treat any drone as needing registration unless you can confirm an exemption applies. No fee was found in reviewed sources, and it is not confirmed whether the online form accepts a foreign passport in place of a Peruvian DNI. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (mixed) DGAC RPAS pilot accreditation. Delivered through a DGAC-accredited Civil Aviation Training Center or aero-sports institution, combining theory and practical assessment with a minimum 75% passing score; minimum age applies. Some very light/toy drones may fall under exceptions in Law 30740, but this was not clearly detailed in reviewed sources — assume a pilot accreditation is needed for an ordinary camera drone. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No broadcast Remote ID mandate was found in reviewed sources; traceability relies on the DGAC registration record. |
| Insurance | Unknown No clear, confirmed statutory insurance mandate for recreational flying was found in reviewed sources. Commercial/urban-flight permits may require additional documentation on a case-by-case basis, but a published minimum cover requirement was not confirmed. |
| Foreign registration accepted | Unknown Online RPAS registration via MTC's virtual office is reported to now take only minutes, but reviewed sources do not confirm whether the form accepts a passport instead of a Peruvian DNI for foreign visitors. Getting a DGAC pilot accreditation (theory + practical exam through an accredited training center) takes longer than registration and should be arranged before relying on flying in Peru. Flying at or near archaeological sites — including Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines and other Ministry of Culture-managed sites — needs a separate cultural-authority authorization on top of any DGAC permission; this is reported as very hard for individual visitors to obtain and is not a realistic same-trip option. Contact DGAC (rpas-dgac@mtc.gob.pe) before travelling if you need current, definitive guidance for foreign visitors. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational (disputed exemption) | < 2 kg | Some sources describe this as exempt from registration for strictly recreational use under Law 30740; the 2025 MTC registration simplification, however, is described as applying to RPAS generally. Treat registration as required unless confirmed otherwise. |
| Standard RPAS | 2 kg – 25 kg | DGAC registration and pilot accreditation required. VLOS, ≤152 m AGL, standard distance and no-fly-zone rules. |
| Over 25 kg | > 25 kg | Not permitted for recreational use; falls toward the Certified category once related RAP amendments are fully in force. |
Import & export
- Declare the drone on the customs form on arrival; Peru's general sales tax (IGV) of 18% can apply based on the drone's declared value above the personal duty-free allowance, and a receipt may allow claiming this back on departure under general traveler VAT-refund rules. Failing to declare has been cited as risking a penalty around USD 250.
- Telecommunications equipment that generates radio emissions, which includes most drones with a video/control link, needs an MTC homologation certificate to be legally imported, marketed or operated in Peru. Mainstream consumer drones sold through official channels are typically already homologated by the importer; reviewed sources do not clearly confirm whether a tourist bringing a single personal drone as luggage must separately homologate it.
- Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares); over 160 Wh not permitted on passenger aircraft.
- Exact customs duty percentage for drones was not confirmed against Peru's current tariff schedule; IGV (VAT) is 18%.
- MTC (not OSIPTEL, which separately handles mobile-phone security registration) is the authority for telecom equipment homologation relevant to drones.
Export
- No drone-specific export controls beyond Peru's general dual-use/strategic goods rules were found; not expected to affect ordinary consumer/prosumer camera drones.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not stated as time-limited in reviewed sources |
|---|---|
| DGAC RPAS pilot accreditation | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 18 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Peru as a tourist Visitors
- Register the drone online
Use MTC's Mesa de Partes Virtual to register the RPAS before your trip; the process is reported to take only minutes once submitted correctly. Open
- Arrange pilot accreditation in advance
Flying generally needs a DGAC pilot accreditation from an accredited training center — this takes longer than registration and is hard to complete after arrival.
- Never plan to fly at Machu Picchu, Nazca or other ruins
Ministry of Culture authorization is required for any archaeological site and is not realistically available to individual tourists; assume these locations are off-limits.
- Declare the drone at customs
Declare it on arrival; IGV (18%) can apply above the personal allowance, and non-declaration risks a penalty around USD 250.
- Respect standard flight limits
VLOS, ≤152 m AGL, stay 4 km from airports, and avoid government, military and protected natural areas.
Sources
- Gestión — Registro de drones: MTC simplifica trámite con proceso automático · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- MTC — Solicitar certificado de homologación para equipo de telecomunicaciones · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Drone-Laws.com — Peru Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Boleto Machu Picchu — 17 objetos que no debe llevar en su visita a Machu Picchu (drone rules) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- FreeDrone — Normativa de Drones en Perú 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−15
- Pilot test (mixed)−8
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Duty + VAT ≈ 23 %−14
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works