Drone Laws in Malawi

Malawi Drone Regulations

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

If you’d like to contact DCA directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: civilav@malawi.net / +265 1 789 377

Why fly a drone in Malawi? To get aerial shots of beautiful spots like this!

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Malawi

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

• License and registration are not required when flying a drone for personal / recreational purposes. However, you must obtain permission from the DCA before each flight, regardless of whether you’re flying for recreational or commercial purposes. For commercial registration and license requirements, see the section below.
• Do not fly a drone within 30 meters (98 feet) of groups of persons, sports fields, road races, schools, social gatherings, or private property without prior permission.
• Do not fly drone near manned aircrafts.
• Do not fly within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of an airport, helipad, airfield, or aerodrome.
• Do not fly in controlled, restricted, or prohibited airspace.
• Do not fly higher than 45 meters (150 feet) vertically.
• Drone pilots must maintain a direct visual line of sight with their drone while flying.
• Drones should only be operated in daylight and clear weather conditions.

For more information on Malawi’s drone laws, see this page on the DCA’s website.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Malawi? 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 Malawi can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

Registration and Licensing Requirements for Flying a Drone in Malawi

To fly a drone for commercial, corporate, or nonprofit purposes, the drone pilot must comply with the following requirements:

• The drone must be registered with the DCA.
• The operator must obtain an RPA Operator Certificate (ROC) issued by the DCA. To obtain a drone license, submit your application to: director@civilaviation.gov.mw

Learn more about Malawi’s requirements for commercial drone operations in this document issued by the DCA.

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