Uganda - Obtain a Drone Flying Permit

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Procedure

1. Drone laws and regulations of flying drones in Uganda keep on changing on a daily basis but below are some of the guidelines one should follow while flying a drone in Uganda.
2. The UCAA requires operators to understand and abide by regulations, including recreational or research uses of the Drone.
3. Uganda CAA is Responsible for controlling Uganda Airspace for Civil aircraft operations including Drones.
4. After purchasing the drone you need to obtain a Pilot flying permit before being authorized to operate it in Uganda space.
5. The applicant need to submit the application to tripartite committee for authorization- through office of Chief of defence forces in Uganda. (CDF)
6. You will need to submit the following documents:-
   • Attach a valid passport copy
   • Attach a National identification Card
   • Attach UAS/Drone colored photo. Currently CAA handles only one type of drone which is VLOS ( Visual Line of Sight)
7. Attach all the document and submit them to chief of Defence forces for general security evaluation.
8. After the review exercise from CDF, the documents are forwarded to the National Special Force command committee for national security assessment. This committee include members from Military and president office.
9. It will take close to 30 working days before review decision, security clearance and letter of no objection or objection are forwarded to UCAA.
10. Once all the documents are cleared a letter of no objection will be forwarded to UCAA. The applicant can now proceed to CAA to apply for pilot flying permit.
11. The applicant applies to CAA for an operation flying permit with the documents outlined in the required document section.

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Required Documents

• Fully completed CAA authorization application form
• CDF Security clearance letter of no objection
• URA importation clearance for the drone
• Drone operations manual and specifications.
• Pilot’s drones training certificate or license and class III medical certificate (where applicable).
• Proposed Geographical location and map of the area of operations.
• A copy of third party insurance.

Office Locations & Contacts

Ministry of Defense & Veterans Affairs - MODVA
Physical address: Mbuya Hill, Kampala
Mbuya , Uganda
Postal address: P. O. BOX 3798
Kampala
Tel: +256 414 565346 / 7 OR +256 393 261 392
Email: info@updf.go.ug
Website: Link

Uganda Civil Aviation Authority - Head Office
Entebbe International Airport
Airport Road-Entebbe
KAmpala
P.O Box 5536
Kampala
Fax: +256 41 4320964
Tel: +256 (312) 352-000
Email: aviation@caa.co.ug
Website : Link

Eligibility

• Citizen
• Resident [Ugandan]
• Resident [Foreigner]
• Visitor.

Fees

• Ushs200,000 + 18% VAT

Validity

• Valid for 1 year

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• Processing time 3 months for your application to be processed

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• Operations only in Uganda Airspace
• No operations near or in controlled Airspace e.g. Airports
• Minimal risk of hazards to persons, property or other aircraft.
• Constant positive control and observation (VLOS)
• Operations I.A.W relevant Operations manual.
• Communicate with local authority before use.
• Advise Air Navigation services before use

Required Information

Organization Details (company operating the drone):

• Organization Name
• Type of Organization (private or government)
• Organization address
• Organization contact
• Name & contact number of accountable person
• Trade License No.
• Insurance details covering drone operations

Personal Details:

• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Passport No.
• National identification card ID No.
• Visa No. (if applicable)

Operational Details:

• Flying purpose in the Uganda (private/commercial)
• Type of Operations (survey/media/Entertainment/etc.)
• Area of operations (provide Google map coordinates)
• Max Height of operations:
• Is the operation during day time or night time?

Drone Details

• Drone Engine Type (fuel or electrical)
• Drone Manufacturer name
• Drone Serial number
• Drone weight with payload
• Drone weight without payload
• Drone usage capability (survey, media, Entertainment, etc.)
• Means of drone control (autonomous or radio controlled)
• Is the drone equipped with a camera?
• If yes, please provide camera details

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Need for the Document

Please provide the need for the procedure. e.g. Birth Certificate - why do we need to have a birth certificate? 
 

Information which might help

• Generally Drone are operated under the following conditions in Uganda;
• 120 metres/400 feet daytime VMC
• 30 metres from people
• 5.5 km from an aerodrome
• Outside controlled airspace
• Generally less than 25Kgs

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• https://caa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Regulatory-Framework-and-Procedures-for-Drone-Operations.pdf.
• https://caa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Overview-of-Remotely-Piloted-Aircraft-Systems.pdf
• www.defence.go.ug
• https://caa.go.ug/
• https://caa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/caa-act-of-1991.pdf

Others

More information which might help people.