09/12/2019
Drone regulations in Sri Lanka
Drone Blog | 37 KommentareLast update on 26.08.2019
UPDATE 2019
In response to the terrible terrorist attacks of April 2019, the government has decided to ban drone flights until further notice. Already granted permits lose their validity. The information below is (temporarily) out of date.
In this post, we have summarized the drone laws in Sri Lanka for you.
In Sri Lanka, you must apply for a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before using a copter. You can find the forms in English for this purpose on the CAA website linked below or for download here. The permit costs about 3,900 Rs for one operation and 33,000 Rs for an unlimited number of places for more than 30 days.
First, register your drone at the Civil Aviation Authority’s online database. When your account is approved, you can enter the technical specifications and photos of your drone there. Note: Registration for foreigners is only temporary.
The CAA grants approval for the relevant airfields only after confirmation from the Department of Defense. Depending on how many locations you request, the processing time may be several days.
This means, in the next step you will need a “Security Clearance” from the Office of the Chief of Defense Staff (OCDS). To do so, send all the flight dates, locations and specifications of the drone you are using by e-mail to [email protected] or by fax (preferred means of communication) to +94 11 2 674507. You can download a template here.
If you want to fly in protected areas, you may also need approvals from other authorities. They need to certify that they have no objections. For example, the Department of Archeology would be responsible for archaeological sites, the Department of Wild Life for national parks, and the Forest Department for forests.
Once you have the documents from the OCDS and any other authorities, you should send them along with completed form CAA/AS/017 by e-mail to the CAA (contact: [email protected], [email protected]). This should be done at least 5 business days before you intend to start drone operations.
The CAA will now send you an invoice. Some of our readers have already done that and report that it is best to make the transfer directly at the bank in Sri Lanka. Once the CAA has a copy of the receipt, you should receive your approval letter very quickly.
Read all about the drone rules in Sri Lanka on our blog post and take advantage of the experience of other UAV pilots in the country. With our detailed information, you are on the safe side during your Sri Lanka trip with a camera drone.
