Pakistan PK
Since 27-28 February 2026, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior has enforced a nationwide ban on all commercial, recreational and privately owned drones, triggered by cross-border drone attacks during the 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict; provinces including Punjab have kept renewing it roughly every 30 days since (last confirmed renewal 24 August 2026), with no announced end date and no tourist exemption. Even setting the ban aside, Pakistan's underlying Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024 were still described by the PCAA as 'under development' as of late 2025, so the normal registration/import framework for a foreign visitor is unsettled. A tourist should not plan to bring or fly a drone in Pakistan right now.
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Visitors can't fly drones in Pakistan
- Nationwide drone ban amid Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict
Pakistan's Ministry of Interior imposed an immediate nationwide ban on all commercial, recreational and privately owned drones on 27-28 February 2026, after reported drone/militant attacks from Afghan territory on Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera amid escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan border conflict. Provincial governments (e.g. Punjab, under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) have been renewing outdoor drone bans in 30-day cycles since, with the most recent confirmed renewal on 24 August 2026 and no announced end date. The only documented exemptions are for indoor drone use at events, intelligence/law-enforcement agencies, and agricultural/irrigation/research use pre-approved by a district-level Safe Drone Usage Committee — there is no tourist or general hobbyist exemption. Treat recreational drone flying as banned nationwide until officially confirmed lifted.
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Since 27-28 February 2026, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior has enforced a nationwide ban on all commercial, recreational and privately owned drones, triggered by cross-border drone attacks during the 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict; provinces including Punjab have kept renewing it roughly every 30 days since (last confirmed renewal 24 August 2026), with no announced end date and no tourist exemption. Even setting the ban aside, Pakistan's underlying Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024 were still described by the PCAA as 'under development' as of late 2025, so the normal registration/import framework for a foreign visitor is unsettled. A tourist should not plan to bring or fly a drone in Pakistan right now.
Flying
- A nationwide Ministry of Interior ban on all commercial, recreational and private drone flight has been in force since 27-28 February 2026 and was still being renewed at province level as of 24 August 2026, with no tourist exemption — this overrides the ordinary framework below
- Outside the current ban, the draft Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024 (as described by PCAA in a public response as of late 2025) were still 'under development' and not fully finalised, so normal-times rules for tourists remain unsettled and sources disagree on what is actually enforced
- Draft rules describe a 200 ft (about 61 m) altitude ceiling for the smallest drone classes flown only over the operator's own property, though one source separately cites a 400 ft ceiling for operators over 18 — this inconsistency was not resolved from available sources
- Draft rules would keep drones at least 10 nautical miles (~18.5 km) from airfields (another source says 6 km) and at least 2 km from international borders — borders are especially sensitive given the current conflict with Afghanistan
- Flying near military installations, nuclear facilities, prisons, police stations and courts is prohibited under the draft rules and would attract serious scrutiny given the current security situation
- Minimum operator age under the draft rules is 14, with registration required from age 16
Commercial use: Even before the current ban, commercial/heavier-class operation under the draft rules required a Certificate of Airworthiness (2-50 kg class) or a Remote Pilot Operator Licence (50-150 kg class); PCAA states the surrounding procedures are still being finalised, so a fixed commercial pathway cannot be confirmed.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Unknown Sources conflict sharply: some travel/blog sources describe a working PCAA registration process for all drones (with a 30-60 day review window), while drone-laws.com quotes a PCAA response stating the Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules and related registration procedures 'are still under development' and that hobbyists currently need no registration at all. No official PCAA registration portal or fee schedule could be confirmed. This is on top of the nationwide flying ban currently in force, which makes registration moot for a tourist in the short term regardless. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (from 2 kg) PCAA Remote Pilot Operator Licence / Certificate of Airworthiness track (Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024, draft). Draft rules exempt small classes (roughly under 2 kg) from licensing but require a Certificate of Airworthiness or Remote Pilot Operator Licence for heavier classes; exact weight breakpoints differ between sources (2/50/150 kg vs 10/25/100 kg). Not required for hobbyist/tourist-scale drones under either version, but the licensing process itself was not confirmed as operational. |
| Remote ID | No No source found a Remote ID or electronic broadcast-identification requirement for hobbyist, commercial or government drones in Pakistan; one source mentions a 'tracking/tracing system' requirement above 250 g but this was not corroborated elsewhere. |
| Insurance | Unknown Sources conflict: one describes insurance as mandatory for all flights, another as recommended but not mandatory for hobbyist use. No official PCAA insurance requirement or minimum cover amount could be confirmed. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No The nationwide drone ban in force since February 2026 applies to everyone, with no tourist exemption found — check current status before travelling, since it has been renewed on a rolling basis rather than given a fixed end date. Even outside the ban, PCAA's own public statements describe the Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules and registration procedures as still under development, so there is no confirmed, reliable route for a tourist to register a drone in Pakistan at this time. A Ministry of Defence NOC is repeatedly cited as required to import a drone; no dedicated tourist/short-stay pathway for this was found. Given the active security situation, drones should not be carried near the Afghanistan border, military sites, or other sensitive infrastructure regardless of the ban's status. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | < 250 g | Draft rules: no licence; property-only flight; roughly 200 ft altitude ceiling. Reportedly no registration needed for hobbyist use at this weight. |
| Class II | 250 g - 2 kg (one source instead cites 250 g - 10 kg) | Draft rules: same altitude/property restrictions as Class I; registration status disputed between sources; minimum operator age 14, registration from age 16. |
| Class III | 2 - 50 kg (one source instead cites 10 - 25 kg) | Draft rules: Certificate of Airworthiness required. Not relevant to typical consumer/tourist drones. |
| Class IV / V | 50 kg and above (one source instead cites 25-100 kg and >100 kg) | Draft rules: Remote Pilot Operator Licence and full compliance with rules of the air. Not relevant to typical consumer/tourist drones. |
Import & export
- No personal/tourist import allowance for drones was confirmed. Multiple sources describe a requirement to obtain a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Defence before bringing a drone into Pakistan, though this is described as informal/draft guidance rather than a published, finalised customs procedure for individual travellers.
- A Ministry of Defence NOC is the recurring requirement cited across sources for importing any drone, in addition to PCAA's aviation-side rules. For institutional/project imports this reportedly routes through bodies like the Higher Education Commission to the Ministry of Defence; no equivalent individual/tourist pathway was found.
- Batteries: No Pakistan-specific rule was found; assume standard international air-travel lithium-battery limits apply (carry-on only, spare batteries under the usual 100/160 Wh airline limits).
- Since 27-28 February 2026 a nationwide Ministry of Interior ban on drone use has been in force and repeatedly renewed at province level (last confirmed 24 August 2026); bringing a drone into the country does not mean it can legally be flown during this period.
- The Ministry of Defence NOC requirement for import predates and is separate from the 2026 flying ban, and was already described as an obstacle for ordinary travellers before the ban began.
- Given the active border conflict with Afghanistan, carrying a drone should be expected to draw extra security scrutiny at airports and border crossings.
Export
- No drone-specific export control information was found beyond the general Ministry of Defence security-clearance requirements described for import; treat any cross-border movement of drone equipment as sensitive given the current conflict with Afghanistan.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: One source reports registration (once processed) is valid 3 years; this is not confirmed by PCAA and may not reflect current practice given the rules are still described as under development. |
|---|---|
| PCAA Remote Pilot Operator Licence / Certificate of Airworthiness track (Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024, draft) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Pakistan as a visitor — and what to do instead Visitors
- Check whether the nationwide ban is still active
A Ministry of Interior ban on all drone flight has been in force since February 2026 and was still being renewed as of August 2026; confirm current status through PCAA or a recent local news search before planning to bring a drone at all.
- Don't count on PCAA registration as a fallback
PCAA itself has described the Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules and registration procedures as still under development — there is no confirmed, reliable self-service registration path for visitors even when the ban is not active. Open
- Expect to need a Ministry of Defence NOC to import
Multiple sources describe a No-Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Defence as a prerequisite to bringing a drone into the country; there is no documented individual/tourist-friendly process for this.
- Avoid border areas and sensitive sites entirely
Do not carry or attempt to fly a drone near the Afghanistan border, military installations, or other sensitive infrastructure given the active conflict — this carries security risk well beyond an ordinary regulatory violation.
- Use ground-based alternatives or a licensed local operator
Rely on handheld/tripod photography, or contact a locally established production/aerial-survey company that already holds the necessary NOC and PCAA clearances for any professional aerial footage.
Sources
- The Tribune (India) — Pakistan bans drones nationwide following Afghan drone attacks amid border clashes · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- The Nation — Punjab extends ban on outdoor drone flights for 30 days (24 August 2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Pakistan Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Drone Traveller — Drone regulations in Pakistan · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Drone flying banned for visitors−95
- Import restricted−25
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works