Drone regulations in the United Arab Emirates

Flying drones in the United Arab Emirates

In this post, we’ll explain to you which laws in the United Arab Emirates apply to the use of drones.

The legal situation differs within the United Arab Emirates, which makes it difficult to keep an overview.

You must always register your drone at the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), regardless of the purpose of the flight. Private pilots may not use cameras during the flight! The catch is that you can only register with an “Emirates ID”. This makes it practically impossible for tourists to register and legally operate their drone.

Also, there is also a separate registration process for Dubai. If you’re traveling to Dubai, you’ll need to register your drone at www.dcaa.gov.ae. To register, you will need a local mobile number to which a confirmation code will be sent by SMS. It’s best to buy a prepaid card in the city. To register, you first create a user on the platform. After registration, you have to log in and then register your Copter under the icon “UAV / UAS / RPAS Registration.” Unfortunately, I do not know if further registration with the GCAA is required.

Overview: Drone rules in United Arab Emirates

Recreational use of drones allowed? Yes, after registration or approval
Commercial use of drones permitted? Yes, after registration or approval
Maximum Altitude:400 in uncontrolled airspace.
Is drone insurance mandatory? No. Learn more about drone insurance here.
Does the drone need a badge?Unknown.
Drone labels can be ordered here
Is a registration necessary? Yes.
Keep distance to airports
Respect the privacy of other people
Resources:GCAA

Further regulations for drone pilots in the UAE

In the United Arab Emirates, drone flights are only permitted within visual range.

From a weight of 5 kilograms, a copter may only be operated on the premises of a model flying club.

For FPV flights, the frequency regulations 29.7-47.0 MHz with max. 10 mW and 2400-2500 MHz with max. 100 mW are permitted.

Commercial pilots must pass a GCAA exam and have a GCAA UAS/drones Registration Certificate.

We also recommend that you only fly in the United Arab Emirates with valid drone liability insurance.

Safety distances and flight bans

You must maintain a distance of 5 kilometers from the perimeter of airports and heliports at all times.

You may not fly a copter closer than 50 meters to buildings, uninvolved persons and vehicles.

The operation of drones is only permitted in daylight.

Drones weighing more than 25 kilograms may only be flown by pilots who are at least 21 years old.

We have researched the drone regulations for the United Arab Emirates listed here to the best of our knowledge. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, contact the relevant aviation authority. Alternatively, you can ask the embassy in Germany for more information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment if you have any news and/or have had any experiences with your copter in the United Arab Emirates!

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About the author

Since January 2015, we travel around the world. In our backpack we carry a camera drone which we use to capture the best places from a bird’s perspective. First we travelled with a DJI Phantom 2. But now we use several drones like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ or the DJI Mini 3 Pro. On our blog we share the best tips for you about travelling with a drone. If you have questions about this article or new information, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment!

Discussions

  • azzy_home | 29.05.2019

    Here is my experience landing in Dubai with a dji mavic 2 drone. The drone shoulderbag caught the eye of one of the guards. We had the show him our ariel camera. Which he wasn’t pleased of and took the bag to the customs. A lady at the custom told us drones were not allowed at all. Unless the necessary permission was available. She told me one needed just the passport to apply, upon which I disagreed.
    If you go through the official Dubai aviation form, it asks you an Emirates ID. I didn’t argue. We had to leave the drone at the custom for the 4 days I was in dubai. Took me like an hour to get it back on my return. At least they were polite during the process.

    I had a good time in Dubai also without my drone.

  • Max | 06.10.2019

    Hi, could you please update the rules to fly in Dubai in 2019? I think that something changed.

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