How to Fly Drones Legally in Cambodia | Rules & Restrictions

In Cambodia, the popularity of drones has increased significantly in recent years, especially among content creators, travel vloggers, real estate developers, NGOs and companies keeping records of projects in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, coastal places and rural provinces. But with this increased use comes close inspection. Understanding drone laws in Cambodia is no longer optional; it is required for anyone who wants to fly a drone properly and responsibly.

Many people who are flying a drone for the first time think that Cambodia has loose rules about flying. This wrong idea often leads to fines, project delays, seized equipment or even legal action. The Cambodian government, through the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) and other authorities, enforces clear policies governing airspace safety, national security, privacy and the protection of cultural property.

If you plan on flying drones legally in Cambodia, you must understand the difference between hobby use and professional use, restricted zones versus permitted areas and registration requirements versus flight approvals. The drone rules Cambodia enforcers are made to keep safe sensitive places like Angkor Wat, airports, military sites, government buildings, temples and other tourist attractions. However, pilots will still be punished if they don't know these rules also.

In 2025, authorities further clarified and strengthened enforcement under updated Cambodian drone laws 2025, making compliance even more critical for foreigners, businesses and Cambodian citizens alike. These updates include clearer guidelines on drone permits Cambodia, required ways to get permission for aerial shooting, and harsher punishments for people who fly drones in areas where they aren't allowed.

This long-form guide is designed to help you navigate legal requirements for drones in Cambodia step by step. Whether you are a travel vlogger, real estate photographer, NGO worker, or hobbyist, this article will explain how to register a drone in Cambodia, identify drone restrictions in Cambodia and clearly outline where you can fly drones in Cambodia without violating the law.

By the end of this article, you will not only understand drone laws in Cambodia, you will also learn how to follow the law, get real-world examples and get useful knowledge to make sure your drone is safe, legal and easy to use.

Cambodia Drone Regulations Explained: Legal Authority and Scope

Understanding drone laws in Cambodia needs more than just knowing what you can and can't do. It means knowing the legal ideas that shape how Cambodia's airspace is run, the drones that are responsible for enforcement, and how drone activity affects national security, safety in the air, regulations regarding privacy, and culture preservation.

Primary Legal Authority Over Drone Operations

The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) is the central authority regulating all aerial activities in Cambodia. Under Cambodia drone regulations, the SSCA:

• Controls the country's airspace
• Approves of helicopter operations
• Collaborates with the military, law enforcement and provincial governments
• Gives advice on UAV approaches

Under Cambodian drone laws 2025, drones are formally categorized as aircraft not consumer electronics. This classification allows the government to control drone activity in the same way as crewed flight with a lot of freedom.

How Drone Laws Apply in Practice

The scope of drone laws in Cambodia includes:

• Infrastructure mapping and inspection
• NGO and aid operations
• Commercial photography and filming
• Recreational flying by tourists
• Academic and research projects

The drone rules Cambodia enforces do not differentiate based on:

• Drone size
• Camera quality
• Pilot experience
• Length of flight

This means even short flights conducted for “testing” purposes may fall under legal requirements for drones in Cambodia.

National Security and Cultural Sensitivity

One reason drone restrictions in Cambodia are that it has a history of being sensitive to security and monitoring risks. Drones that can take pictures from the air are seen as possible tools for gathering information. Because of this, breaking Cambodia drone regulations can quickly go from being a legal matter to a security issue, especially near sensitive areas.

How to Register a Drone in Cambodia: Full Step-by-Step Process

Proper registration is the backbone of flying drones legally in Cambodia. Without registration, even a permitted flight location may become illegal under drone laws in Cambodia.

Why Drone Registration Is Required

When people register, the government can:

• Identify whose owns the drone.
• Track who is responsible.
• Determine the flight's placement.
• Check the security risk.

Under Cambodian drone laws 2025, drones that have not been listed are seen as planes that aren't allowed to be there as well.

Detailed Registration Workflow

Step 1: Define Your Drone Use

Authorities require clarity on whether your drone use is:

• Recreational
• Commercial
• Institutional (NGO, research, government)

This classification determines whether drone permits Cambodia will also be required.

Step 2: Compile Technical and Personal Documentation

You must prepare:

• Identification documents
• Drone technical specifications
• Serial numbers
• Camera and transmission capabilities
• Intended flight locations

This step satisfies legal requirements for drones in Cambodia.

Step 3: Submit Registration to SSCA

Registration has to be turned in through the right ways. Any information that is false or not full may cause the application to be denied under Cambodia drone regulations.

Step 4: Await Verification and Approval

Approval timelines vary. Operating a drone while awaiting approval is a violation of drone laws in Cambodia.

Long-Term Compliance Tip

Keeping registration information up to date is important for operations that don't stop. If a drone's hardware, owner or goal changes, it may need to be registered again under Cambodian drone laws 2025.

Drone Restrictions in Cambodia: No-Fly Zones and Prohibited Areas

Understanding drone restrictions in Cambodia is very important for remaining out of trouble. No matter what the dimension or targeting of an unmanned drone, there are an abundance of places that shouldn't be allowed.

Strict No-Fly Zones

Under drone rules Cambodia, drones are prohibited nearby:

• Airports and airfields
• Military bases and police facilities
• Government offices
• Royal residences
• Border areas
• Power plants, bridges and critical infrastructure

Violating these drone restrictions in Cambodia may result in immediate confiscation.

Heritage and Religious Sites

Under drone laws in Cambodia, cultural sites are heavily protected:

• Angkor Wat
• Angkor Archaeological Park
• Ancient temples
• Pagodas and religious ceremonies
• Special approval is mandatory, even for recreational filming.

Example Use Case

A travel celebrity flies a drone right next to Angkor Wat without requesting to feed permission. Authorities enforce Cambodia drone regulations, confiscate the drone and issue a fine under Cambodian drone laws 2025.

Where You Can Fly Drones in Cambodia Legally

While drone laws in Cambodia are strict, they do not amount to a complete ban on drone usage. With proper planning, awareness and compliance, there are still several environments where you can fly drones in Cambodia legally. 

The main thing to remember is that permission depends on more than just where you are. It also depends on why you're there, when you are and how risky it is. When authorities decide if a flight is within, they pay a lot of attention to safety, privacy and security for Cambodia drone regulations.

Under flying drones legally in Cambodia, approval can only be given in certain places and situations, so pilots must always think this way.  A place that is acceptable for drone use one day may become restricted during public events, ceremonies or heightened security periods.  

This means that assessing something before a flight takes off has become very important to meeting legal requirements for drones in Cambodia.

Permitted Areas (With Conditions)

In general, drones are permitted to be flown in these places as long as there are no other rules that say they can't:

• Farmland in the country that is far from airports, military zones and places with a lot of people
• Open land where people don't spend numerous hours
• Private land that the owner consented to let you make use of especially for paperwork or inspection
• Commercial project places that have been approved and where permission has been granted previously.

These locations are typically considered lower risk under drone rules Cambodia enforces as they prevent accidents, privacy violations or problems with important infrastructure less likely. Dependent pilots should know that "allowed" doesn't mean there are no constraints. Even in these locations, you may still need to obtain permission to fly based on what you're doing.

For example, land surveys or farming mapping often need to be done after getting permission or providing notification drone permits Cambodia, even when conducted in remote regions.

Operational Rules You Must Still Follow

Regardless of location, pilots must comply with basic safety and conduct standards under Cambodia drone regulations, including:

• Maintaining visual line of sight at all times
• Avoiding crowds, vehicles and animals
• Flying only during daylight hours, unless special permission is granted
• Operating at safe altitudes and distances
• Respecting privacy laws, especially near homes or villages

Failure to follow these rules may still result in penalties under drone laws in Cambodia, even if the place where the flight is going is acceptable. In Cambodia, the regulations for operating a drone legally depend on where you are and how you operate.

By carefully choosing where to go and following the rules for how to do things, pilots can identify where you can fly drones in Cambodia while staying fully compliant with Cambodian drone laws 2025.

Drone Permits Cambodia: Commercial and Special Operations

In Cambodia, drone use is closely linked to purpose. While limited recreational flying may sometimes be tolerated in low-risk areas, any activity connected to revenue, branding, promotion, documentation, research or institutional work clearly falls under commercial or special operations. No matter how big or how long the flight is, these things need to be allowed by the government in Cambodia before drones can be used.

Commercial drone activity is broadly defined under Cambodia drone regulations. Flights that are for media production, marketing content, business goals, or organizational reporting are considered professional use, even if no one pays for the trip. Because of this, many drone pilots break Cambodia's 2025 drone rules without meaning to, just because they don't understand what "commercial" means.

In Cambodia, activities that need drone permits

If you use a drone for any of the following activities in Cambodia, you need to get permission first:

• Making a movie, TV show, or documentary
• Social media or YouTube entertainment that makes money
• Real estate pictures or advertisements
• Tourist and hotel promotional materials
• Keeping updates on the progress of building demolition
• Infrastructure surveying or inspection
• Agricultural map-making and investigation
• Records for academic, charitable or NGO employment

All of these uses are regulated under drone rules Cambodia enforces because they involve gathering data, exposing the public or doing things over and over.

Why Commercial Drone Permits Exist

The Cambodian government necessitates permits for making sure that drone activities do not negatively impact airspace safety, public order or national security.

Under Cambodia drone regulations, permits exist to support:

• Controlled airspace use, especially near developing urban areas
• Risk mitigation, reducing accidents and injuries
• Accountability, identifying responsible operators
• Inter-agency coordination, particularly when filming near sensitive locations

Operating commercially without approval is considered a direct violation of Cambodian drone laws 2025, even if the flight itself appears safe or low-risk.

Permit Evaluation Criteria Used by Authorities

When reviewing applications for drone permits Cambodia, authorities typically assess:

• The purpose and nature of the project
• Exact flight locations and boundaries
• Duration and frequency of drone operations
• Type of camera, sensors or transmission equipment
• Safety procedures, crowd avoidance plans and risk controls

Approval confirms that the proposed activity complies with drone laws in Cambodia and aligns with national safety and security priorities.

Consequences of Flying Without a Permit

Failure to obtain required permits may result in enforcement actions under Cambodia drone regulations, including:

• Immediate drone seizure or confiscation
• Fines or administrative penalties
• Suspension or cancellation of projects
• Possible legal action, visa issues or deportation for foreigners

These outcomes show why careful planning and getting the right permission are so important for anyone who is interested in flying drones for work. Following Cambodia's drone permit regulations not only keeps you legal, it also protects your investment and reputation and ensures you are permitted to work in Cambodia in the years to come.

Conclusion

When you fly a drone in Cambodia, you need to do more than know how to operate it you also need to know about the regulations that govern the nation. With stronger regulation according to Cambodian drone laws 2025, understanding and following drone laws in Cambodia is now an absolute necessity for both recreational and commercial operators. Drones are officially considered aircraft, consequently every flight possesses to follow rules concerning safety, security, privacy and cultural respect.

By complying with Cambodia drone regulations, common legal problems like fines, confiscation, or delays in the commencement of a project can be avoided by tests. Knowing about Cambodia's drone rules, which include no-fly zones around airports, government buildings, archaeological sites and tourist destinations, assists in maintaining people from breaking the rules of the land. Equally important is knowing where you can fly drones in Cambodia legally, such as rural areas, private land with permission or approved project locations.

Administrative compliance is also a key factor in flying drones legally in Cambodia. Understanding how to register a drone in Cambodia holds people responsible, and obtaining drone permits in Cambodia is required for company operations, media or government use. These steps constitute sure that drone operations are reviewed and approved according to the legal systems in Cambodia.

Ultimately, respecting drone laws in Cambodia helps people handle airspace securely and use technology responsibly. Pilots who follow the rules contribute to Cambodia's drone environment grow in a good way. They protect their equipment, their projects and their fellow citizens of Cambodia.

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