Plan

Drone rules: Nepal

Last checked: October 5, 2026

Permit required

You may only fly here with a permit issued by the authorities in advance.

Import and use of drones require several prior permits (tourism board, Ministry of Home Affairs, if applicable the conservation authority, and from 2 kg also the aviation authority CAAN).

Travel check for NepalChecklist for your trip: registration, insurance, drone and batteries on the plane.

Maximum altitude

100 m

Registration

Required

According to the CAAN rules, every drone, even under 250 g, must be registered before operation.

Insurance

Not clearly documented

The CAAN rules state no insurance requirement, but no exemption is explicitly documented either.

Depending on drone weight

From 2 kgFrom 2 kg also a permit from the aviation authority CAAN

For tourists

Sort out the permits before your trip, ideally through a trekking agency; without them, according to the German Foreign Office, confiscation and high fines are possible. Your German registration does not replace the Nepalese permits.

Further rules

Under standard conditions, the civil aviation authority CAAN permits drone flights up to an altitude of 100 metres (around 328 feet) above ground in uncontrolled airspace; higher flights require a separate permit and a NOTAM submitted at least 24 hours in advance.
Drones are divided into four risk categories by take-off weight (under 250 grams, 250 grams to 2 kilograms, 2 to 25 kilograms, and over 25 kilograms), with the permitted total weight generally capped at 25 kilograms.
Every drone must be registered with the CAAN using form RPA/Form/01, for which personal documents, technical data on the device and purchase or customs receipts must be submitted; after a successful review, a Unique Identification Number (UIN) is issued, which must be displayed visibly on the device.
A legal insurance requirement is not documented in the official CAAN regulations on UAS requirements, so no such requirement is assumed here; regardless of this, many trekking regions require additional local permits.
Among other things, flights are prohibited within 5 kilometres of airports without separate clearance, closer than 30 metres to people who have not consented, over densely populated areas and in government-designated no-fly zones; night flights are generally not permitted.
There are no simplifications for foreign tourists: according to the German Foreign Office you need prior permits from the tourism board, the Ministry of Home Affairs and if applicable the conservation authority for import and use, and for drones over 2 kilograms also from the CAAN. Without these permits confiscation and high fines are possible; in practice a trekking agency in Kathmandu often helps with the application.

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.