The current state of global drone regulations

 

Drone regulations across the globe are rapidly evolving, we are working to stay on top of them

As drone regulations evolve we will do our best to keep this article up to date.  Please leave us comments if you find anything that is incorrect.

What follows is a complete list of countries for which we have information on drone regulations.  Many countries currently have no information as we are beginning our research.  As we learn more we will continue to update this guide.

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bangladesh
    • The Government of Bangladesh has banned all unmanned aerial vehicles, which did not have permission prior to December 2014.
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia (en español: Colombia)
  • Costa Rica (en español: Costa Rica)
  • Estonia
  • France
  • Hong Kong
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
    • Japan was moving quickly in early 2015 to legalize and provide regulations for the use of drones in Japan.  In April, however, a drone carrying radioactive materials landed on the roof of the Prime Minister.  It is now illegal to fly drones in public parks and more tightening of regulations appear likely.
    • NOTE: On June 3rd, 2015, the Japanese government has indicated they will continue to tighten deadlines.
  • Kenya
    • According to Hiiraan Online:  “Potential users now need a permit from the defense ministry – a lengthy process requiring rounds of paperwork and about $1,000 in fees…
  • Luxembourg
  • Malaysia
    • While we are waiting for more information from the Transport Minister we do know that Malaysian Drones need approval to fly for both hobbyist and commercial use cases.
  • Mexico
  • Nambia
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • Spain (en español: España)
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
    • Drones with cameras are set to be banned from flying in Thailand.  According to ThaiVisa.com:
      • The flying of drones fitted with cameras will not be allowed by members of the general public. Anyone wanting to fly a drone in Thailand will also need have to seek permission from the Transport Ministry.
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

We are unaware of any specific regulations for the use of UAVs in all other countries.  However, we are reaching out to individual governments to learn more.

As we mentioned earlier, if you are aware of incorrect or incomplete information on drone regulations within this guide please let us know as we will correct them immediately.