Vietnam Drone Rules 2026: Registration, No-Fly Zones, and Fines for Travelers

Under Decree 144/2021, any drone weighing more than 250g must be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) before you fly it anywhere in the country. The registration is not a formality you can complete on arrival: the CAAV requires the application to be submitted at least 5 days before your intended flight. Even a lightweight travel drone that crosses the 250g threshold falls under the same rule, regardless of whether you plan a quick photo flight or a longer shoot.

The online CAAV portal is the official registration channel, but it creates a specific barrier for independent visitors. The system requires either a Vietnamese ID number or a local company sponsor to complete the process. Most foreign tourists have neither, so they cannot register a drone themselves. That does not mean you can skip registration and fly unregistered. The legal route for visitors is to hire a licensed local drone operator or a Vietnam-based company that holds the required permits and can register the equipment under its name. Budget for that arrangement before bringing a drone; without it, your aircraft has no legal basis to take off.

The current framework comes from Decree 144/2021 and CAAV Circular No. 31/2023. Both documents set the baseline for drone operations, and airport and battery controls tightened again in 2025 and 2026. Because drone rules in Vietnam are still changing, confirm the latest CAAV circular and any 2026 updates before travel. Registration alone does not clear you to fly in restricted zones; it only satisfies the first legal requirement. Flying without a valid registration can lead to fines between 10,000,000 and 30,000,000 VND ($390–$1,200), so this step is not optional. Reported registration fees range from 200,000 to 1,500,000 VND depending on commercial status, but the exact fee for tourist use varies by source — verify it on the official CAAV portal.

Vietnam’s online drone registration portal, run by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), asks for a Vietnamese ID number or local company tax code on the first screen—there is no option for a foreign passport. That single design choice eliminates most independent travelers before they can enter their details. Under Decree 144/2021, any drone over 250g must be registered at least 5 days before flying, but the system’s identity requirements mean a tourist with a valid visa still cannot complete the process without help.

The required workaround is a local company sponsor, which short-term visitors cannot easily arrange on their own. Even if you find a sponsor, the reported registration fees vary from 200,000 to 1,500,000 VND depending on whether the filing is treated as personal or commercial—an ambiguity the CAAV portal does not clarify for foreign applicants. In practice, the registration fee question is secondary; the structural blocker is that the portal does not accept tourist credentials at all.

Because of this, most independent travelers cannot register a drone themselves. Hiring a licensed local drone operator is the only reliable legal path; the operator has already registered their equipment and holds permits for the specific area. Under current rules, that arrangement is the only realistic way to fly legally in Vietnam, not a convenience add-on. You pay for the operator’s existing registration and area approval rather than attempting your own registration.

Before you pack a drone, confirm the operator or permits in advance. Airport checks at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai have tightened, and unregistered flights can bring fines from 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 VND ($390–$1,200). If you cannot lock in a licensed operator before arrival, leave the drone at home. Hours and prices change—confirm on the official website.

Vietnam bans all drone flights within a 5 km radius of any airport. That includes Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City and Noi Bai in Hanoi, where controls on lithium batteries and drone equipment tightened in 2025 and 2026, with travelers reporting drones being detained on arrival. The 5 km exclusion applies to every airport, not just international hubs, so do not assume a small domestic strip is safer. This is the zone where enforcement is most consistent.

Beyond airports, military areas, government buildings, and private property are prohibited outright. Three tourist landmarks are explicitly closed to drones: Ha Long Bay, Hue Imperial Citadel, and Sapa town center. These are not quietly ignored rules — CAAV guidance names them as no-fly sites. If a spot is a heritage area, harbor, or administrative zone, treat it as off-limits unless a licensed local operator confirms otherwise. Hotels and local authorities can flag additional local restrictions, but the default should be not flying around these landmarks.

If you do have permission, the maximum altitude is 120 meters. That ceiling applies nationwide and does not increase for coastal or mountain scenery. Flights must stay within visual line of sight, which means you need to see the drone with your own eyes rather than relying only on the camera feed. Flying over crowds is prohibited, and flying over private property is also prohibited — easy to overlook when filming from a hotel balcony or resort garden. In practice, 120 meters is enough for basic building and street-level footage but not for the wide landscape shots many travelers plan.

Before flying, check Decree 144/2021 and CAAV Circular No. 31/2023 for current wording; local enforcement can vary, and the rules are still evolving in 2026.

At Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai international airports, customs screening for lithium batteries and drone equipment has been tightened, and arriving passengers with drones should expect heightened inspection. Traveler forum reports from 2025 and early 2026 describe drones being held at customs on arrival, sometimes until the traveler can show a valid Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) registration or proof of a licensed local operator. This is not a rare exception; drone cases and spare batteries are now routinely pulled aside for checks at both airports.

The legal backdrop makes this predictable. Decree 144/2021 requires any drone over 250g to be registered with the CAAV at least 5 days before flying, but the online registration portal requires a Vietnamese ID or a local company sponsor. Most independent foreign visitors cannot complete registration themselves, so at the airport they arrive with an unregistered drone. Customs may detain the equipment on arrival, and fines for unregistered or unauthorized flights range from 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 VND ($390–$1,200).

Lithium battery regulations follow the same tightened checks. At Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai, extra inspections now target drone batteries and power banks, with airline safety rules on watt-hour limits applied strictly. Several forum reports mention equipment being held at customs until a local operator or permit documentation is produced. Do not bring a drone unless permits or a licensed operator are already confirmed before you travel.

If you need aerial footage, arrange a licensed Vietnamese drone operator in advance and keep the operator contract and any CAAV confirmation printed or on your phone. Expect delays if inspectors flag your drone case, and be prepared to leave the equipment in customs custody if you cannot produce valid paperwork. Enforcement is current and tightening, so the safest rule is to leave the drone at home unless the paperwork is done.

An unregistered drone flight in Vietnam carries a fine of 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 VND, roughly $390 to $1,200, under Decree 144/2021. The penalty applies to both unregistered drones and unauthorized flights — for example, flying in a no-fly zone, over crowds, above the 120-meter altitude cap, or beyond visual line of sight. Because the fine is fixed in Vietnamese dong and exchange rates move, treat the USD figure as approximate, but the 10,000,000–30,000,000 VND range is the concrete legal exposure.

Foreign visitors are especially vulnerable to this fine because independent registration through the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) typically requires a Vietnamese ID or a local company sponsor. If you fly without that registration or outside an approved area, the 10,000,000–30,000,000 VND penalty is the direct monetary risk. Detention of drone equipment at Tan Son Nhat or Noi Bai airports is a separate process, not a substitute for the fine; you can lose your gear at arrival and still face a post-flight penalty if caught flying illegally. Reports from 2025 and 2026 traveler forums show airport controls on lithium batteries and drone equipment have tightened.

Using a licensed local drone operator transfers the legal responsibility, including registration and permit compliance, to that operator. When you hire an operator, you are not the one piloting the drone, so the fine under Decree 144/2021 typically falls on the licensed operator rather than on you as a tourist. Paying for an operator may add cost, but it removes the possibility of a 10,000,000–30,000,000 VND personal fine and separate airport detention.

A 30,000,000 VND fine is not a paperwork fee; it can exceed the cost of a mid-range domestic itinerary. If you plan to bring a drone to Vietnam in 2026, confirm a licensed operator or permit in advance, and check the latest CAAV Circular No. 31/2023 for any updates. Hours and prices change — confirm on the official CAAV website before traveling.

Vietnam's rainy season runs June–October, and in practice that window grounds more tourist drone flights than registration hurdles. High humidity fogs lenses and gimbals, sudden downpours cut visibility, and wet conditions shorten battery life. If you fly during these months, plan for early morning windows and carry silica gel, lens cloths, and a rain cover; even a short drizzle can force a landing.

Always get the hotel's permission before flying. Get that permission in writing, not just a verbal yes from the front desk. Many hotels have no-drone policies, often to protect guest privacy, and staff may call local police if they see a launch from a balcony or pool deck. Hotel approval does not replace legal clearance, but it prevents the most common on-the-ground disputes. Also check CAAV Circular No. 31/2023 and any 2026 updates before departure — drone rules in Vietnam are evolving, and a rule that was true in 2025 may not hold by mid-2026.

Two 2026 unknowns remain. Enforcement in remote national parks is unclear: rangers have been inconsistent, sometimes confiscating drones, sometimes ignoring them, and there is no reliable pattern for visitors to rely on. More importantly, the CAAV has not confirmed whether a one-day temporary permit for tourists will be introduced in 2026. Until that appears on the official CAAV portal, tourists should assume the existing registration system still applies, and most independent travelers cannot complete it without a Vietnamese sponsor or local operator. Do not test the rules in remote areas just because enforcement seems lax. A ranger can still issue a fine under Decree 144/2021, and fines range from 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 VND ($390–$1,200) for unregistered or unauthorized flights. If you do not have confirmed local operator support, leave the drone at home.