Flying drones might simply be a hobby for many. Some may try it for fun but someone may consider it as a solid career choice. Whether you want to take a cinematic shot or fly a drone for recreational activity in Nepal, failure to comply with the government’s rules may land you behind the bar. You may also have to pay a hefty fine. In order to avoid this from happening you need to obtain a drone flying permit. Not only that, you must follow some rules and regulations formulated by Nepal government specifically for drones and drone operators. Taking a drone flight permit is absolutely free but may take you 2- 4 days depending on your local administration.
The process to obtain a permit for flying a drone in Nepal
- First of all, you must take a permission letter from the municipality of area where you want to operate the drone.
- After that, you need to submit that permission letter provided by the municipality to CDO. Then, take a recommendation letter from the CDO office.
- After receiving recommendation letter from CDO, you need to obtain a permit from the police headquarter of the place you want to fly the drone.
- Lastly, you must submit all the above-mentioned documents to the CAAN. Then, you may finally get the permit to fly a drone
The permit is not necessary for Toy drones. Toy drones can be used in own private spaces without consent from the government. The permit will be valid for 3 months.
Rules to follow while flying a drone in Nepal
- If your drone weighs more than 2kg and flies above 200ft from the ground you must take special permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to fly.
- (Flights below 50ft doesn’t need permission)
- You should avoid flying drones over crowds, targeting specific people or infringe the privacy of any individual or institution.
- You’re not permitted to fly drones near airports, military barracks, and highly sensitive areas.
- Drones must only be flown during the daytime with good weather conditions.
Drone flight restricted zones
The Ministry of Home Affairs has also specified some restricted areas for drone flight. Flying a drone is restricted along the air route and five-kilometre radius around the airport. Similarly, the horizontal distance of up to five kilometres along the international boundary is also a prohibited zone for flying a drone. Other restricted zones are ; Durbar square areas (Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan) , Swayambhunath, Maitighar Mandala, Budhanilkanta, Pashupatinath and Boudhhanath. Resident of the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and around 1000 meters of the office of Nepal Army also fall under restricted zones.
Consequences on Breach of rules
If you fail to comply with the above-mentioned rules you’ll either be fined, held into custody for major crimes, or both. Generally the fine ranges from 2000-5000 and detention based on crime. The punishment directly depends upon the severeness of breach of rules. If you physically harm someone you’ll be charged with assault, and the prosecution will proceed further depending upon your action. The amount of the fine is determined depending upon the loss or damage. your intentions and commercial purpose will also determine your punishment.
