Lao People's Democratic Republic

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UAS Regulations

New regulations affecting the operation of UAVs in Lao became effective in December 2017. These include among others the following provisions:

  • Operators need to seek permits from Department of Civil Aviation of Laos (Lao DCA);
  • Operators must have 3rd party liability insurance;
  • Operations must remain below 400 ft AGL and outside of restricted and prohibited areas, although special permits may be sought for operations in restricted and controlled airspace;
  • Drone operator certification seems to be mandatory for all operations including commercial, leisure, recreational and sports uses and can be obtained from the Lao DCA by submitting the following information: A copy of Identification Card or Valid Passport; A copy of family book; Drone model, brand, number, manufacturer's plate, operation limitation and equipment; A copy of 3rd party liability insurance; Statemen on purpose of the operation, Indication of places where the drone will be operated; Name address, and phone number of the person operating the drone; A letter to certify that the person operating the drone meets the requirements in 6.4, b), 3); Clearance from the Ministry of National Defence for aerial photography and/or overflight of security-sensitive locations; A Certificate for the use of radio frequencies and power from Ministry of Post and Telecommunication (MPT); Clearance for manufacturing, assembling, importing selling from appropriate governmental organisations.

In addition following are General Requirements for Drone Operations taken from Lao Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Part 17:

1) All Drones weighing over 1 kilogram should be registered with Lao DCA;

2) A person must not operate a drone in a manner to be a hazard to another aircraft in flight;

3) A person must not operate a drone over an assembly of people (e.g. concerts, sporting events, parades) unless it is approved by the organizations holding that events and should comply with 6.3 b) to i), 1) to 13);

4) A person must not operate a drone farther than 300 meters;

5) A person must not operate a drone within 30 meters of any person, vessel, vehicle or structure that is not under the persons direct control;

6) A person must not operate a drone closer than 5 kilometers from any aerodromes unless it is approved by Lao DCA;

7) A person must not operate a drone in a negligent or reckless manner so as to endanger life or property of others;

8) A person must not operate a drone over 400 ft (120 m) above ground level;

9) A person must not operate a drone over urban areas such as villages, towns and cities unless it is approved by Lao DCA;

10) A person must not operate a drone in civil or military controlled airspace (e.g airspace surrounding airports) unless it is approved by concerned organization;

11) A person must not operate a drone in restricted areas (e.g. military installations or prisons) unless it is approved by concerned organization;

12) A person must not control a drone into/land/take-off in another person’s private areas unless it is allowed by the landowner for take-off and landing;

13) A person must not control a drone outside of the controller's direct line of sight

Last update / 19.02.2021

Travel experiences / Travel tips

Legal sources

The Department Of Civil Aviation, Lao PDR (website last checked Feb. 2021 by David Guerin, no new information was found).

Lao Civil Aviation Regulation Part 17 Unmanned Aircraft

Last update / 19.02.2021

Contact info

Address: Souphanouvong Road P.O. Box 119 Wattay International Airport Vientiane Lao PDR

Tel: +856.2151.3163

Email: info@dcal.gov.la
 

https://www.dcal.gov.la/index.php?r=site/index

Last update / 19.02.2021

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