No one shall operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone in Nepal without obtaining permission and following the necessary guidelines, as follows:
1. Tourists intending to fly UAVs during their visit to Nepal shall obtain prior permission from the following agencies:
- Department of Tourism
- Ministry of Home Affairs
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (not necessary for UAV less than 2 kg and below 200 ft from ground level)
2. For research and study purposes, the permission of the following agencies is required:
- Line Ministry/Department relating to the subject matter of research/study
- Ministry of Home Affairs
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (not necessary for UAV less than 2 kg and below 200 ft from ground)
3. General rules
- UAV Pilots should be proficient in flying and have basic knowledge of rules pertaining to drone operation
- Do not fly UAVs in a way that may cause a safety risk to the aircraft flying in the area.
- Small flying Toys can be operated inside private premises.
- Flying UAVs in public areas for fun requires permission from a local security agency.
- The person flying the drone is liable for any injuries to people or damage to property resulting from the UAV operation.
- Refer to the following documents for detailed requirements for UAV operations in Nepal:
4. ‘Flight Operations Directive No. 7, May 2015’ of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
- ‘Procedure for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flying’ of Ministry of Home Affairs
- Do not use UAV outside than the scope of permission.
Flying a UAV without due permission shall be considered Illegal and shall be subjected to punishment in accordance with the prevailing civil aviation rules.