Bhutan Flag - Bhutan Drone Laws

Editorial Team

LAST UPDATED ON

Drone Laws in Bhutan

Summary of Drone Laws in Bhutan

Hobbyist Drone Laws For Residents of Bhutan

Drone Operations in Bhutan are currently regulated for government use only.


  • Hobbyist drone flights are not allowed in Bhutan
  • Hobbyist Bhutan drone pilot license is not applicable
  • Hobbyist Drone registration is not applicable in Bhutan for hobbyists
  • Drone Remote ID is not required in Bhutan for hobbyists
  • Drone Insurance is not required but recommended for hobbyists’ drone operations in Bhutan

Read below for more details on Hobbyist Drone Laws in Bhutan and to find links to regulators and other credible sources!

Commercial Drone Laws For Residents of Bhutan

Drone Operations in Bhutan are currently regulated for government use only.


  • Commercial drone flights are not allowed in Bhutan
  • Commercial Bhutan drone pilot license is not applicable
  • Commercial Drone registration is not applicable in Bhutan for commercial drone operators
  • Drone Remote ID is not required in Bhutan for Commercial Drone Operators
  • Drone Insurance is required for commercial drone operations in Bhutan

Read below for more details on Commercial Drone Laws in Bhutan and to find links to regulators and other credible sources!

Drone Laws For Visitors To Bhutan

Drone Operations in Bhutan are currently regulated for government use only.


  • Foreign visitor drone flights are not allowed in Bhutan
  • Foreign visitor drone pilot license is not applicable
  • Drone registration is not applicable in Bhutan for visitors/tourists
  • Drone Remote ID is not required in Bhutan for tourists
  • Drone Insurance is not applicable for tourist drone operations in Bhutan

Read below for more details on Drone Laws in Bhutan for Visitors (Tourists) and to find links to regulators and other credible sources!

Drone Laws For Government Drone Operators in Bhutan

Drone Operations in Bhutan are currently regulated.


  • Government drone flights are allowed in Bhutan
  • Government drone pilot license is not required
  • Drone registration is required in Bhutan for Government operations
  • Drone Remote ID is not required in Bhutan for Government operations
  • Drone Insurance is not required for Government drone operations in Bhutan

Read below for more details on Drone Laws in Bhutan for Government Drone Operations and to find links to regulators and other credible sources!

Agencies Responsible for regulating drones in the Kingdom of Bhutan

Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA)

Bhutan Drone Regulations


UAS Laws – General rules for flying drones in Bhutan

The Bhutan agency responsible for drone safety, BCAA, has provided several internet-accessible details on flying for fun or work. The highlights are enumerated below. For more details go to the link above to check for recent updates.

Are drones allowed in Bhutan?

According to BCAA, drone operations are limited to government use in Bhutan, subject to regulations provided by the BCAA. Read on for details.

Here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Bhutan:

This Regulation is developed in line with section 66(1) of the Civil Aviation Act of Bhutan 2016 and shall apply to the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS):

  1. Having a maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) of up to 6 kg.
  2. Flying outdoors.
  3. Operating in Visual line of sight (VLOS) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)
  4. Operating during daytime (after sunrise and before sunset – as per Aeronautical Information Publication).
  5. Having MTOW above 6kg and below 25kgs – under exceptional circumstances.
  6. Shall be permitted only for Government organizations.

Notes for recreational drone pilots flying for fun in Bhutan

See the general rules above.


Notes for operating Commercial Drone Services in Bhutan

See the general rules above.


Useful published information on flying drones in Bhutan

Here is a sample of what you might expect if you follow the drone laws and fly in Bhutan…


Authoritative Sources of Information on Bhutan Drone Laws

We will attempt to keep an updated list of online authoritative links to regulators and other official websites here:



NOTE: This page is about the Regulation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS), Small UAS, Remote Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and drone are interchangeable terms unless specified. Model Aircraft, toy, remote-controlled, and RC aircraft may be covered by the same regulations unless specified.


Find out why

We think you must use a Drone Preflight Checklist

And a Drone Post-flight checklist

Free Drone Flight Checklist PDF

This Drone Flight Checklist is better than others.

It’s free!

It includes both the preflight checklist and post-flight checklist

It’s an easy-to-use printable PDF that covers all your bases.


Traveling with a Drone?

Click here to read our Comprehensive Guide For Traveling With A Drone.



NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

Help Us Keep Drone Laws Updated

Tell Us About Your Recent Experience

In The Comments Below


Thanks for reading this far. How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

As you found this post useful...

Would you please share?

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Leave a Comment

Leave a Comment