Sri Lanka drone rules for tourists

• Apply on the CAASL Drone Flight Approval Portal before you fly.
• Your drone must be registered with CAASL. A drone with a camera needs registration even if it weighs less than 250 g.
• As the pilot, you must be registered with CAASL and pass its online training and theory exam (called a Flyer ID) for normal flights. Visitors follow the same rule.
• A drone of 250 g or more needs third party (public liability) insurance.
• Fly no higher than 120 m (400 ft) above the ground.
• Keep the drone where you can see it with your own eyes.
• Fly only in daylight, between the start of civil twilight in the morning and its end in the evening.
• Do not fly over crowds, and keep a safe distance from people who are not part of your flight.
• Do not fly in rain, gusty wind, thunder or poor visibility.
• Check the official drone zone map. Restricted areas, airports, archaeological sites and wildlife areas need extra approval, and some cannot be flown.

Yes. CAASL says its drone import process is only for drones brought into the country for permanent use. If you are visiting and taking your drone home again, you do not follow that process. Instead, you apply for flying approval on the online portal.

Bringing a drone in to keep or sell is different. That needs permission from the Ministry of Defence, CAASL, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and the Import and Export Control Department before the drone arrives.

We could not find a separate customs procedure for visitors on the official websites. If you are not sure what to expect at the airport, contact CAASL before you travel.

Security clearance is still part of the process, but you do not apply to the Ministry of Defence yourself. The Ministry says it only gives drone security clearance for applications that CAASL forwards through the Drone Flight Approval Portal. Many older guides online still tell visitors to email the Ministry first. That is not the current process.

The Ministry processes applications on working days, Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16:15, and not on weekends or government holidays. Applications sent at the weekend are handled on the next working day, and applications that need approval from other government bodies take longer.

Your drone

Most camera drones must be registered with CAASL, including small drones under 250 g if they have a camera. Registered drones must carry the identification label issued by CAASL, and the pilot must carry proof of registration while flying.

You, the pilot

Anyone who flies a drone in Sri Lanka, apart from toys, must be registered with CAASL. For normal flights (the "open" category) you complete an online training course and a theory exam to get a Remote Pilot Competency Certificate, also called a Flyer ID. More complex flights need a practical test and a medical as well. The standard says people who do not live in Sri Lanka follow the same rules. Pilots must usually be over 16.

If you already hold a drone licence from another country, CAASL may accept it for more advanced flights, but you still take its theory exam and medical.

Insurance

Any drone of 250 g or more needs valid public liability insurance. CAASL lists the minimum cover by drone weight on its drones page.

These rules come from Implementing Standard SLCAIS 053, Edition 02, the current CAASL drone rules.

• Maximum height is 120 m (400 ft) above the ground. In the hills this is measured from the closest point of the ground below the drone.
• Keep the drone in sight at all times. The only exceptions are follow me mode and flying with an observer.
• In the open category, goggle (FPV) drones may only be flown under the stricter A3 rules, which keep you at least 150 m from homes, businesses, factories and recreation areas.
• Fly only in daylight, between the start of morning civil twilight and the end of evening civil twilight.
• Never fly over crowds, and keep a safe distance from people who are not involved. People you film up close should know about the drone and agree to it.
• Do not fly in rain, gusty wind, thunder, lightning or low visibility.
• Do not carry or drop anything from the drone.
• Fly one drone at a time, and never after alcohol or drugs.
• Only film what you planned to film, and respect other people's privacy.
• If your drone is in an accident that hurts someone or damages property, report it to the nearest police station, and to CAASL within 24 hours.

Flying inside a building is different. The standard says its approval requirement does not apply to flights indoors in a building or private home.

Start with the CAASL drone zone map. It shows restricted, authorisation, altitude and warning areas across the island.

Restricted areas

No drone may fly in the restricted areas on the map, and a normal security clearance is not valid there. If you have a real need to fly in one, you must ask the Ministry of Defence for special clearance at least 14 days before the flight.

Airports

You may not fly inside the airport zones shown on the map without approval from that airport's air traffic control.

Archaeological sites, including Sigiriya

No drone may fly over an archaeological site without prior approval. You need a special approval or a no objection letter from the relevant government authority, such as the Department of Archaeology, on top of your CAASL approval.

Sigiriya is a protected archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so this applies there, as well as at places like Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura and Galle Fort. Approval is not guaranteed. If you want aerial shots of Sigiriya, plan early or ask a local operator to check what is possible.

National parks, wildlife sanctuaries and forests

The Ministry of Defence says no drone may fly in wildlife sanctuaries without prior approval and a no objection letter from the relevant authority. National parks such as Yala, Udawalawe and Wilpattu are run by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and forest reserves by the Forest Department. Ask them before you plan any flight inside a park or reserve.

If you are filming for a client, a brand or paid content, you must apply as a commercial operation. The Ministry of Defence says a commercial flight must never be declared as a leisure flight. Commercial applications need more documents, such as a request letter from the client and no objection letters from the property owner, and from the police for public areas.

See the full document list in our drone permit guide.

1. Check your flying spots on the drone zone map.
2. Make sure you have your Flyer ID, drone registration and insurance sorted.
3. Apply on the CAASL Drone Flight Approval Portal with your pilot and drone details and documents.
4. Wait for approval before you fly. CAASL forwards the application to the Ministry of Defence.

CAASL does not publish a fixed processing time, so apply as early as you can. Read the step by step permit guide.

Breaking the drone standard is an offence under Section 103 of the Civil Aviation Act No. 14 of 2010, with penalties under Section 104. The Ministry of Defence says anyone flying without proper registration and approval may face legal action.

The approval, pilot test and insurance take time to arrange before a short trip. If you mainly want the footage, a local operator can fly registered drones for you and handle the approval. That is what we do.

See our travel drone videography service or the places we film.