Drone Law in Nepal 2026 — CAAN Rules and Permits

100 m (328 ft) above ground level under UASR Section 101.7. Operations above 100 m AGL require a Remote Pilot Licence. Tourism-blog figures of 200 ft are incorrect.

Yes, with additional process — Customs Clearance Certificate on import, CAAN UIN registration, MoHA security clearance for Cat C operations, and MoCTCA / Department of Archaeology approval for heritage-site filming.

UASR Section 101.5(b) defines four categories by mass: Category A (Very Low Risk) under 250 g; Category B (Low Risk) 250 g to 2 kg; Category C (Regulated Low Risk) 2 to 25 kg; Category D (Regulated High Risk) over 25 kg. Categories determine the registration, licensing and approval requirements. Cat A and B are typical consumer / professional drones; Cat C is commercial drones requiring full approval chain; Cat D is the open-category mass cap with operations above 25 kg requiring specific approval.

Apply for the Unique Identification Number (UIN) under UASR Appendix I. Documents include citizenship certificate (Nepali) or passport (foreigner), drone manual, photograph of the serial number, purpose of operation, and either VAT bill (Nepal-purchased) or Customs Clearance Certificate (imported). CAAN issues the UIN once the file is complete. Verify the current fee at CAAN headquarters — the published fee schedule is not on the public portal as of 2026. Processing time varies; engage CAAN well before the planned operation.

UASR Section 101.7(b)(5) and Section 101.23 prohibit drone operations within 5 km of any aerodrome movement area. This covers Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu), Pokhara International Airport, Bharatpur Airport, Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Janakpur, and all other CAAN aerodromes. The 5 km exclusion is absolute for routine operations; specific approval for inside-the-zone flight requires CAAN clearance with NOTAM coordination, typically only for emergency, official, or specialised aerial work.

Restricted and prohibited zones are published in AIP Nepal (Aeronautical Information Publication at e-aip.caanepal.gov.np) and current NOTAMs — defined by Government of Nepal. They typically include defence-zone, palace-area (former Narayanhiti, current government residences), government-building (Singh Durbar), and specific sensitive sites. The UASR does not enumerate the list in its text. Operators must check AIP Nepal and the current NOTAM cycle before any flight near sensitive areas — informal "no-fly" knowledge from blogs is not a substitute for the current published list.

UASR Section 102.2 requires a Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) for operations above 100 m AGL or in controlled airspace. RPL eligibility: age 18+, Class 12 education, basic medical fitness, and completion of a CAAN-recognised training course. Below 100 m AGL in uncontrolled airspace, an RPL is not required for Cat A / B operations — UIN registration and standard operating conditions suffice. Commercial Cat C operations typically require an RPL alongside the CAAN + MoHA + MoCTCA approval. RPL is issued by CAAN on application following the training course.

Heritage sites (UNESCO sites in Kathmandu Valley, Lumbini, Sagarmatha, Chitwan, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, Lumbini, the seven temple-square complexes, etc.) require a separate Department of Archaeology and MoCTCA permission alongside CAAN UASR clearance. Filming for commercial release adds a Film Development Board permit. Heritage-site drone operations are subject to local site-specific rules — Pashupatinath and certain religious sites maintain stricter restrictions. Pre-trip permit arrangement is essential; informal flight in heritage zones is a Nepal Police enforcement target.

Declare the drone at Customs on entry — Tribhuvan International Airport for air arrivals or the land border for vehicle entry. Customs assesses the drone's value, applies the import duty / customs duty, and issues a Customs Clearance Certificate (CCC). The CCC is the document required for the CAAN UIN registration. Tourists bringing a drone for personal use often face seizure if they do not declare on entry; the recovery process requires payment of duty, CCC issuance, and CAAN registration. Plan ahead — many travellers learn this only at the seizure point.

No. UASR Section 101 prohibits drone overflight of populated or congested areas, and requires 30 m horizontal separation from non-participating persons. Crowd overflight at festivals, weddings, sporting events, public gatherings or busy streets is a UASR breach attracting CAAN fine and Nepal Police seizure. Commercial event filming requires explicit permission, defined fly-path, and risk assessment. Cat C operations with specific approval may permit limited crowd overflight under strict conditions; routine consumer / tourist drone flight over crowds is not permitted.

No. UASR Section 101.29 prohibits night drone flight under standard operating conditions — drones may operate only in daytime VMC (visual meteorological conditions). Twilight flight, low-visibility flight, and night flight are not permitted in the open category. Specific approval for night flight requires CAAN authorisation, additional equipment (anti-collision lighting), and a justified operational case (search and rescue, emergency response, specialised commercial work). Routine night photography flights are not authorised.

Section 101.37 caps the open category at 25 kg gross mass — Categories A, B and C. Cat D (over 25 kg) is the regulated high-risk specialist category requiring specific CAAN approval beyond the open framework. Most consumer drones (DJI Mavic, Phantom, Air series) are well below 2 kg and sit in Cat B. Professional drones (DJI Inspire, Matrice 300) sit in Cat C. Above 25 kg — typically industrial mapping, agricultural spraying, large delivery drones — sits in Cat D with specialised approval.

UIN (Unique Identification Number) is the drone-level registration — every drone operating in Nepal must have a UIN regardless of category. RPL (Remote Pilot Licence) is the operator-level licence — required for the pilot when operating above 100 m AGL or in controlled airspace. A Cat A operator with no RPL can still operate a UIN-registered drone below 100 m AGL in uncontrolled airspace. A Cat C operator typically needs both — UIN for the drone, RPL for the pilot, plus the CAAN + MoHA + MoCTCA approval chain for the operation.

In October 2017, a Chinese tourist was fined NPR 25,000 by Nepal Police for unauthorised drone flight in Manang (Annapurna restricted area). The incident is one of the most cited enforcement precedents, illustrating that CAAN drone restrictions are enforced even in remote tourist areas, that foreigners face the same penalty regime as Nepali operators, and that NPR 25,000 represents a typical fine quantum for individual recreational breaches. The case predates the current 2021 UASR but its enforcement logic continues. Similar cases recur in mountain trekking areas every season.

Hotel rooftops in Kathmandu and other cities sit within urban airspace and many are within the 5 km TIA exclusion zone (the Kathmandu Valley is almost entirely covered). Flight from a rooftop in central Kathmandu is therefore generally not permitted under standard operating conditions. Outside the exclusion zone — for example a hotel in Sauraha, Pokhara lakeside (subject to the airport exclusion), or trekking-route villages — rooftop flight is possible under Cat A / B conditions with UIN and 30 m separation from non-participating persons. Check the location against the AIP and NOTAM before flying.

Third-party liability insurance is encouraged but not universally mandated under the UASR for all categories. Cat C and D commercial operations typically require insurance as part of the CAAN approval. Cat B commercial operations may be subject to insurance conditions depending on the operation. Cat A recreational operations generally do not require insurance, though the operator remains liable for any damage caused to persons or property. Insurance is available through Nepal-licensed general insurers; verify the specific cover with the insurer and the CAAN permit condition before flight.

A crash with injury or property damage triggers Nepal Police involvement and likely CAAN enforcement action against the operator. The July 2025 Parliament-building drone-crash incident illustrates the pattern — Nepal Police detained the operator (a teacher) and students immediately. The operator is liable for damage caused (civil), faces CAAN administrative penalty for UASR breach, and may face criminal charges if the crash occurred in a sensitive zone or caused injury. Insurance cover (where in force) responds to civil damages but not to regulatory penalties. Report any crash to CAAN and Nepal Police promptly.

The principal binding instrument remains the UASR Issue 01 Rev 00 (April 2021); CAAN has not issued a major revision through 2024-2025 verified in this research. Periodic NOTAMs update restricted areas — these are dynamic and must be checked at e-aip.caanepal.gov.np before each flight. Enforcement has been more visible in 2024-2025 with the Parliament-building incident (July 2025) drawing public attention. Reform discussions on a comprehensive Civil Aviation Bill have appeared in Parliament but no major drone-specific statutory change has been enacted as of writing.

For commercial drone operations (Cat C) where the CAAN + MoHA + MoCTCA chain needs structuring before equipment is imported. For foreign film / journalism projects with multiple sites, where heritage and security clearances need coordination. On any Customs seizure on entry. On any CAAN enforcement action or Nepal Police seizure. And for pre-purchase advisory — operators should confirm their drone fits Cat A or B before purchasing a Cat C-mass model that triggers the full approval chain.