Are Drones Allowed In The Dominican Republic And Punta Cana? (Solved)
In the Dominican Republic, there are certain regulations with drones, the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) is the institution that regulates the use and portability of drones in the country.
For small and light drones (less than 4.4 pounds, 1.7 kilos) no permits are required for their portability and use in the Dominican Republic.
Although obviously, there are regulations regarding where you can fly a drone.
However, if you have a drone that you plan to bring into the Dominican Republic, it is strongly suggested that you request the permit from IDAC before entering the country, as the airport customs department tends to hold these types of items to collect taxes. Having a letter of permission prior to arrival will make it easier for you.
The permit obtained to fly drones in the Dominican Republic is called the operation of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and is free of charge.
If your drone exceeds the 4.4-pound weight limit, you will need a permit issued by IDAC. Ideally, you should contact them directly through their email at DTAC@idac.gov.do to receive an application and start the process at least one month before your trip.
On this application, you must specify the date, time, location of use, and nature of use (commercial or personal).
Be sure to regularly check for any changes in IDAC regulations on drones.
It is important that you know these laws because on Amazon I have seen many semi-professional drones that weigh less than a pound, a drone of these does not require any permit in the Dominican Republic and you can use it without problems to record some natural landscapes.
Although you must respect the prohibited spaces to fly drones.
Drone regulations in the Dominican Republic:
The drone has to be constructed of materials that are flexible, in the possible event of impact with any object or individual to further reduce the risk of danger to the hit person or object.
The drone has to be controlled hand-operated, enabling either you or the operator to keep eye contact at any time and not to be more than 400 feet away from you or the operator.
You may not fly the drone anywhere within a five-mile radius of any airport.
Must be sure before you start flying your drone you know that the equipment and its control electronics are in a safe operating condition.
Receive verbal approval from the resort or any other private property you intend to fly your drone over and fly when the areas are not crowded so as not to intrude on anyone’s privacy, particularly on crowded beaches.
Other regulations you should be aware of, I have noticed at sporting events and during concerts, it is also forbidden to fly drones for individual use.
You should keep in mind that in some places in the Dominican Republic there are many high voltage cables and electrical wiring of which you should be very careful when flying your drone.
It is also forbidden to fly drones over buildings of state institutions such as the Ministry of Defense, the Presidential House, and the Plaza de la Bandera in Santo Domingo.
Here is a link where you can verify in which areas of the Dominican Republic you can fly drones without problems: https://www.dji.com/flysafe/geo-map
Can you bring your drone to Punta Cana?
Yes, you can bring your drone to Punta Cana, but due to the regulations that exist in the country, you must make sure if your drone weighs more than 4 pounds to obtain a license to fly it in the Dominican aviation institute, this can be done online and the cost is free, at the beginning of this topic I put the link to their website.
Also, if you are going to be staying at a resort, you must ask permission verbally before using the drone, this is because on many beaches in Punta Cana there are people parasailing and other aerial activities that could be a danger to a drone.
All resorts in the Punta Cana area are governed by Dominican law and therefore a permit would be required in case you want to fly a drone of considerable size.
However, there are companies in the area that already have drones and permits to make recordings, for example in excursions and tours, and deliver the video of the recording with the drone as part of the service of the excursion.
Conclusion
A drone of considerable size is considered an unmanned aircraft, but honestly, so many permits and licenses could be a headache for a person who just wants to take some videos or photos of some landscapes where there is no danger of flying a drone.
Therefore, I would opt to get a drone that weighs less than 4.4 pounds to avoid all these regulations and permits in the Dominican Republic.
As I mentioned previously, there are many excellent quality drones that weigh less than a pound, these drones can be used in the Dominican Republic without a permit, just respecting the prohibited areas for flying drones.
Otherwise, if you are interested in recording a video on one of the excursions, hire a company that offers this service included in the excursion, most of them offer a video recording from a drone.
Is this still the case? I read on another site that drones under 4.4lbs also had to be registered, and wasn’t sure when this page was last updated. Thank you!
I would like to give you a very precise answer, but the situation is very random, no permit is required for drones under 4.4 lbs, however, I have read comments that say that customs at the airport can hold the drone regardless of weight, to charge taxes.
I have read other cases of people with drones weighing less than 4 lbs, they went through the process of applying for the permit and upon arrival in the country no one checked anything.