Drone Laws in Rwanda

Rwanda Drone Regulations

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

Special Travel Considerations

If you’re traveling to Rwanda and want to bring your drone, the CAA lists these special considerations for foreigners who want to fly drones:

• You must register your drone with the CAA prior to flying in Rwanda. As best we can tell, only Rwandan citizens can register drones, but it is allowed for a local sponsor to make the registration on your behalf. Registration can take up to three months to be processed, and costs about $150 USD (110,000 RWF).

If you’d like to contact the CAA directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: info@caa.gov.rw / +250 2 5258 5845

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

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Rwanda

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

• All drones must be registered with the CAA.
• The minimum age for anyone to pilot a drone in Rwanda is 21 years.
• The maximum altitude allowed for drone flights is 100 meters (328 feet) above ground.
• The maximum distance allowed between pilot and drone is 300 meters (984 feet) as long as direct visual contact is ensured.
• Drone insurance is mandatory for all drones in Rwanda.
• Drones in Rwanda can weigh up to 25 kilograms (55 pounds).
• Drones may not be flown within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of any airport or airfield.
• Drones may not be flown within 50 meters (164 feet) to people, buildings, vehicles, ships, and animals.
• Drones may not be flown at night.
• Drones may not be flown faster than 100 kilometers per hour (87 knots / 100 mph).
• Drones must be marked with a number assigned by the CAA.

For more information on Rwanda’s drone laws, see this page on the CAA website.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Rwanda? Send us an email at support@uavcoach.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 Rwanda can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

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