Drone Laws in Colombia

Colombia Drone Regulations

According to Colombia’s national aviation authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia (CAAC), flying a drone is legal in Colombia, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.

If you’d like to contact the CAAC directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: grupo.technico@aerocivil.gov.co / +57 1 425 1000

Why fly a drone in Colombia? To get great aerial shots like these!

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Colombia

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Colombia.

• Training is required by the CAAC before flying a drone in Colombia. See the section below to learn more.
• Authorization from the CAAC is required before every single drone flight in the country of Colombia.
• Do not fly in bad weather conditions such as strong winds.
• Do not fly higher than 500 feet.
• Do not let the drone fly farther than 750 meters (2,460 feet) away from the operator. If an observer is involved with the drone’s operation and maintains continuous communication with the operator, the maximum operating radius is then 1500 meters (4,921 feet).
• Do not fly closer than 50 meters (164 feet) away from any person, object or building.
• Do not fly over congested areas or buildings.
• Do not fly within a 5 kilometer (3.1 miles) radius of any airport.
• Do not fly near or over military, police, or prison facilities.
• Do not fly within radius of 1 nautical mile from the locations of the President of the Republic, Vice President and other national and foreign authorities.
• Do not throw or drop any object while in flight.
• You must carry a radio receiver and establish radio communication with the nearest airport control tower before and during every flight.

For more information on Colombia’s drone laws, see this document issued by the CAAC.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Colombia? Send us an email at support@horizonap.com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Colombia can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

Authorization Requirements for Flying a Drone in Colombia

To fly a drone in Colombia you must receive through training at an aeronautical training center approved by the CAAC or national or foreign university that has an Aeronautical or Aerospace Engineering faculty with a program of continuing education for UAVs. The operator must have at least 40 hours of flight practice.

Before each flight, the operator much make a Request for Authorization and a Request for Permission of Operation from the CAAC 15 business days before the scheduled date of the flight.

The request for authorization must include the following:

• Name and contact info of the flight applicant
• Description and purpose of the operation
• Date and location of the planned flight
• Flight level and time
• Risk assessment of the operation

Learn more about licensing and authorization requirements in Colombia in this document issued by the CAAC.

Want to get a feel for the kind of footage you could get flying a drone in Colombia? Here you go: