"Drone Regulations in Chile: Can You Legally Fly Your Drone?"

Hey Guys! Welcome back to our blog! You know we like to keep it short and sweet so you spend less time reading and more time traveling. We are Łukasz and Gabrielle, aka Woznext4us on Social media. We are a part time travel couple sharing our tips and tricks to make it easier for you to travel.

So enough about us! Here we ago:

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Flying a drone in Chile can be tricky, but why and what is involved?

• To fly a drone in Chile, you must register the aircraft and request authorization from the DGAC. 

• You may only fly one unmanned aerial vehicle at a time. 

• Never fly at night or in bad weather. 

• Avoid flying your drone beyond your line of sight or (500 meters)  

• Do not fly more than 130 meters above the ground

• You must fly at least 20 meters above and 30 meters away from individuals not involved  

• Avoid flying within a 2km radius of an airport. 

• Avoid flying over highly sensitive areas

• Flying is prohibited in Torres del Paine National Park and areas that say “no-drone zones.”
  

Registration

Anyone flying a drone in Chile must obtain a registration card, operating authorization, and RPAS remote pilot credentials from the DGAC. Click the link below to register and make sure the information below is included: DGAC Drone Registration Link

• Manufacturer and country of origin 

• The manufacturer’s name, the model, and the serial number 

• Motorization type 

• Maximum weight for take-off. 

• Specifications of integrated technical equipment 

• Functions of autonomous flight 

• 10 x 15 cm color photograph of the UAV (jpeg format). 

• Demonstration of the emergency parachute in action.
  

After submitting this information, you will receive a registration card, that is good for 12 months and must be kept on you at all times when flying. You have to renew this when the 12 months is up. On top of registering you need to be licensed!

Licensing:

To obtain a DGAC license click the link here: DGAC Drone License Request Link

• Be at least 18 years old. 

• Submit an affidavit before a notary stating that you have received theoretical and practical instruction on the drone model you will fly. 

• You must pass the written exams (there are 4 of them)
  

If you do not follow the above they do say there will be penalties.

Like most places, you can try to fill out the proper forms, registration, and licensing needed. However, DGAC (Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Chile) doesn't make it easy. Many have tried to comply with most of their registration laws, but getting a hold of them, or finding the correct documents is another thing. This is where we had problems in 2023 but the above information is all updated as we thoroughly researched for you and we hope that it works. We recommend doing this in advance since so much is required. Now if like us you are having trouble what do you do? Below is what we did and we were totally fine flying our drone all over Chile.

Many locals have said, if possible, take a small drone like the DJI mini 3. You have a lot more freedom throughout the country without needing to get permission. Certain laws still apply, such as no flying in crowded areas, don't fly near an airport, etc. However, we didn't buy a mini, we have DJI Mavic 2 pro and we flew it everywhere without any problems and we didn't get in trouble.

Bottom line, be safe and smart.