Plan
Drone rules: Guatemala
Last checked: October 5, 2026
Permit required
You may only fly here with a permit issued by the authorities in advance.
As a tourist you need an authorisation from the civil aviation authority DGAC for recreational flights (form DVSO-OPS-805).
Locally based drones are registered with the DGAC; as a tourist you instead submit form DVSO-OPS-805 for a temporary stay before entering.
Under aviation regulation RAC 101, keepers or operators need valid liability insurance.
For tourists
Send form DVSO-OPS-805 before your trip as a fillable PDF with a copy of your passport to dvso@dgac.gob.gt; scans and photos are not accepted. With the authorisation, customs will release your drone. Do not fly over events with more than 100 people.
Further rules
- In Guatemala the aviation authority DGAC is responsible for drones. Locally based keepers register their drone; as a tourist you submit form DVSO-OPS-805 before entering, and registration is not needed because of the only temporary stay.
- Under aviation regulation RAC 101, keepers or operators must have valid liability insurance for third-party damage.
- Under the DGAC's Operational Directive DO-004-2025, drone flights over public or private events with more than 100 people, such as the Semana Santa processions, are restricted; restrictions also apply over government buildings, embassies, hospitals, ports and military facilities. No-fly zones apply around airports; their exact radii are not officially confirmed.
- The DGAC sets the permitted altitude in your authorisation. Fly only within visual line of sight and not above the authorised altitude, including around 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.