The ultimate guide to flying drone in Vietnam – Drone laws & rules

Did you know that your drones can be confiscated and you face charges if you fly your drone in the prohibition areas or fly it without a flight license? Drone laws & rules are not the same as in your home and the countries where you have been and flown your drone. The ultimate guide to flying drone in Vietnam provides everything you need to know about drone laws and rules in the country where there are many beautiful places to take photos and videos from above with your drone.

Why are drones and ultralight aircrafts tightly controlled in Vietnam?

Drones and ultralight aircraft have been used widely in Vietnam and bring lots of benefits to daily life in the country. However, they impose risks on national defense and security.

Two commercial aircraft were suspected to be crashed by drones. In November 2019, the Vietnamese government issued a ban on drones within an 8-km radius of all airports.

Responsibilities of individuals or organizations when flying drones

• Get a flight license before flying.
• Announce, inform the date when to fly according to regulations.
• Grasp and comply with regulations for drones.
• Comply with regulations and airspace’s area for flight in the license.
• Suspend the flight if ordered. Report the result to the organizations which are responsible for managing and controlling the flight.
• Be responsible for illegal acts.

Illegal acts of flying drones in Vietnam

• Fly drones without flight license.
• Fly drones above prohibition areas.
• Violate regulations of Vietnam’s territory and border protection.
• Carry radiation and explosives on drones.
• Drop, fire, release harmful chemicals from drones.
• Hang flags, banners on drones, drop leaflets using drones.
• Do not obey the orders of the flight management and control center.

What happens if you break drone laws in Vietnam?

If you break the laws, you face VND 1,000,000 charge, devices and other exhibits are confiscated. Vietnamese army forces and policemen can shoot drones in forbidden zones or drones flying without flight licenses.

Which areas and zones where flying drones is permitted in Vietnam?

Owners should request for fight authorization if they would like to fly the drones in Vietnam. However, the requested area can not be in the following areas and zones:

• Institutions, factories, construction sites, farms, plantations without permission.
• Military bases, defense bases, military exercises, and other military activities.
• Railway stations, airfields or airports, ports, water infrastructures, bridges for trains and vehicles, tunnels.
• Vietnam’s border areas, coasts, islands, territorial waters except for famous landscapes, tourist attractions, historic sites, resorts in the areas.
• Institutes of science and technology, energy plantations, water supply systems, power stations, telegraph offices, post offices, power transformers, radio stations, television stations.
• Crowds, skyscrapers.
• Tombs, palaces, squares, government offices.

 

What to do to fly a drone in Vietnam?

In order to fly your drone, you should do the following step:

Step 1 – prepare documents

The documents include:

• Application form for request of flight authorization in which you provide the necessary information:
  • full name, address, phone number, nationality;
  • information about aircraft or ultra light instrument (type of aircraft or ultra light instrument, call sign, manufacturer, manufacturer’s serial number, aircraft maximum take – off weight, year of delivery from the manufacturer, number and designation of engines, registration mark, avionics equipment, type of communication, navigation, surveillance and camera, performance specification, dimension (width, length, height), service ceiling, max cruising speed, range with max fuel (no reserve), way of control, enduration of flight;
  • purpose of flight, dimension of airspace’s area for flights, dates and times for day requested, location or name of area of land/water for take off/landing, flight chart;
• Photo of drone (dimension 18x24cm);
• Photo of the place where to fly;
• Identification card or passport;

The most popular application form is as below:

CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM
Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Independence – Freedom – Happiness
—————

ĐƠN ĐỀ NGHỊ CẤP PHÉP BAY
APPLICATION FORM FOR REQUEST OF FLIGHT AUTHORIZATION

Kính gửi/To: ………….………………

Căn cứ Nghị định số 36/2008/NĐ-CP ngày 28 tháng 3 năm 2008 của Chính phủ về quản lý tàu bay không người lái và các phương tiện bay siêu nhẹ, Nghị định số 79/2011/NĐ-CP ngày 15/09/2011 của Chính phủ sửa đổi, bổ sung một số điều của Nghị định số 36/2008/NĐ-CP/Pursuant to Decree No.36/2008/NĐ-CP dated 28 March 2008 of the Government on the management of unmanned aircraft and ultra light Instrument, Decree No.XX/2011/NĐ-CP dated DD/MM/2011 of the Government on Revision and Supplement of Decree No.36/2008/NĐ-CP.

1. Tổ chức, cá nhân đề nghị cấp phép bay/Applicant

– Tên/Full name: …………………………………………………………………………………….

– Địa chỉ/Address: …………………………………………………………………………………..

– Quốc tịch/Nationality: ……………………………………………………………………………

– Điện thoại, fax/Phone, fax: ……………………………………………………………………..

Đề nghị Cục Tác chiến cấp phép hoạt động bay cho loại phương tiện bay sau đây/Request Department of Operations issue flight authorization for the aircraft or ultra light Instrument below: ……………………………….

2. Phương tiện bay/Aircrafts or ultra light Instrument:

– Loại phương tiện bay, tên gọi/Type of aircraft or ultra light Instrument, call sign: ….

– Nhà sản xuất/Manufacturer: …………………………………………………………………….

– Số xuất xưởng/Manufacturer’s Serial Number: …………………………………………….

– Trọng lượng cất cánh tối đa/Aircraft maximum take – off weight (MTOW): …………..

– Năm sản xuất/Year of Delivery from the Manufacturer: …………………………………..

– Số lượng và kiểu loại động cơ/Number and Designation of Engines: …………………

– Dấu hiệu đăng ký (nếu có)/Registration Mark (if possible): ………………………………

– Trang thiết bị thông tin hàng không, thiết bị dẫn đường, giám sát bay, thiết bị chụp ảnh/Avionics Equipment, type of communication, Navigation, Surveillance and camera: ……………………………………..

– Thuyết minh tính năng kỹ thuật hàng không, kích thước (rộng, dài, cao), độ cao bay tối đa, tốc độ bay tối đa, bán kính hoạt động, phương pháp điều khiển bay, thời gian hoạt động trên không, khả năng mang, treo/Performance specification, Dimension (width, length, height), Service Ceiling, Max Cruising Speed, Range with Max Fuel (no reserve), Way of Control, Enduration of Flight: ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

– Các thông tin và tính năng kỹ thuật khác, trang bị khác/Additional Informations, Performance specification and Equipments: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. Mục đích thực hiện bay/Purpose of flight: …………………………………………………

4. Kích thước khu vực vùng trời tổ chức bay/Dimension of Airspace’s Area for Flights:

5. Số ngày và thời gian tổ chức bay/Dates and Times for Day requested: …………….

6. Sân bay (hoặc tên khu vực mặt đất, mặt nước) bảo đảm cho việc cất cánh, hạ cánh của tàu bay, phương tiện bay/Location or Name of Area of Land/Water for Take Off/Landing: ………………………………………….

7. Sơ đồ bay/Flight Chart: ………………………………………………………………………..

8. Tài liệu gửi kèm theo đơn/The below reference documents are attached:

– Ảnh chụp tàu bay, phương tiện bay (kích thước tối thiểu 18 x 24 cm)/Photo of Aircraft (dimension 18x24cm).

– Bản thuyết minh kỹ thuật hàng không/Performance specifications.

– …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chúng tôi (Tôi) cam kết thực hiện đúng các quy định của phép bay, các quy định về bay, quản lý – điều hành bay trong vùng trời Việt Nam và các quy định pháp luật khác có liên quan của Việt Nam/We (I) undertake to realize all Terms in the Flight Authorization, Rules the Air and Air Trafic Management in Vietnamese Airspace and other stipulations of Vietnam.

Tôi cam đoan các thông tin trong đơn là hoàn toàn chính xác và chịu trách nhiệm về tính chính xác, đầy đủ của các thông tin/I certify that all of the information above and attached to this request is true, correct and complete.

Ngày/Date tháng/Month năm/Year
Người làm đơn/Applicant
(Ký tên, đóng dấu/Signature and stamp)

Step 2 – send documents to Combat Operations Department

The documents should be sent to Combat Operations Department (Cục Tác Chiến) at 1 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. You can contact the department at telephone numbers: +84 69 533200 or +84 69 533105.

Step 3 – wait for flight license

They will issue the license within 7 working days. The flight license, which is sent to you, takes effect once in the area.

Getting drone flight license service in Vietnam

If you are not sure about preparing the documents and sending them to the Combat Operations Department or would like to get the license as quickly as possible, you can have Vietnamese lawyers, law companies and drone experts help you. I have searched on Google and found Flycam24h.com (Hanoi), Flycam Saigon (Saigon), Luật sư X.

Regulations for bringing drones on airplanes

Dones are considered personal electronic devices including cameras, laptops, phones because they are powered by lithium-ion batteries which may release heat and energy in the event of a short-circuit and threaten flights. So that there are some restrictions on drones and drone batteries. European Cockpit Association recommends as follows:

• Loose batteries are not allowed in checked bags.
• Sparse batteries must be transported as carry-on luggage and should be individually protected against short-circuits.
• If the battery power rating is less than 100Wh, there is no limit and airline approval is needed.
• Larger and higher capacity batteries for drones have more restrictions but can be carried with airline approval. Up to 2 loose batteries which are greater than 100Wh in your carry-on are allowed. 160Wh is the maximum power rating for air transport. Larger batteries should be shipped as fully regulated cargo.
• Lithium-ion batteries that meet the requirement of UN Manual of Tests and Criteria are allowed.

* Recommendation:

• Always carry your drone as carry-on luggage with you in order to keep it from being subject to unloading/loading damage.
• Do not hesitate to contact the airlines and have them advise you on the drone and batteries before the flight.