← All countriesTravel check for Costa RicaChecklist for your trip: registration, insurance, drone and batteries on the plane.
Plan
Drone rules: Costa Rica
Last checked: October 5, 2026
Maximum altitude
120 m
Registration
Not required
According to the DGAC, you don't need to register the drone for purely recreational use; the authority does not name a weight threshold for this.
Insurance
Not required
The DGAC does not mention an insurance requirement for purely recreational flights; commercial operations have their own requirements.
For tourists
In national parks such as Manuel Antonio, Arenal or Corcovado the conservation agency SINAC requires its own permit – and that is where most photo spots are.
Further rules
- In Costa Rica, no registration with the civil aviation authority DGAC is needed for purely private recreational flying within the general rules – it is only mandatory for commercial operators and for drones over 25 kilograms.
- The DGAC does not mention an insurance requirement for purely recreational flights; commercial operations have their own requirements.
- Important for travellers: according to consistent reports, the conservation authority SINAC requires its own permit, in addition to the DGAC rules, in the many national parks and protected areas (such as Manuel Antonio, Arenal and Corcovado) – since Costa Rica’s best-known photo spots are almost all in such areas, it is worth checking with SINAC or at the park entrance before you fly.
- The maximum flight altitude is around 120 metres above ground, with a safe distance from crowds and airports.
- Even for recreational flying, the DGAC prohibits flights over people and towns and near airports.
Sources
This overview is not legal advice and not an official statement — laws change, and we cannot guarantee that every entry is fully up to date. Before your flight, please also check the official source or the local civil aviation authority.