General Rules for Flying a Drone in Tanzania:
TANZANIA DRONE REGULATIONS:
According to Tanzania’s national aviation authority, Tanzania’s Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), flying a drone is legal in Tanzania, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.
Special Travel Considerations
If you’re traveling to Tanzania and want to bring your drone, the TCAA lists these special considerations for foreigners who want to fly drones:
For more information on Tanzania’s drone laws, see this document issued by the TCAA. Know something we don’t about drone laws in Tanzania? Send us an email at info@exuberantkilimanjarosafaris.com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (SUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Tanzania can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.
Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Tanzania.
According to Tanzania’s national aviation authority, Tanzania’s Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), flying a drone is legal in Tanzania, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.
Special Travel Considerations
If you’re traveling to Tanzania and want to bring your drone, the TCAA lists these special considerations for foreigners who want to fly drones:
- Only drones weighing 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) or less may be flown in Tanzania.
- To fly a drone in Tanzania you must first obtain permission from the TCAA. The form to submit can be found here.
- To fly a drone in Tanzania for any purpose (i.e., recreational or commercial) you must hold a certificate authenticating your ability to fly a drone issued by your country of origin.
- In addition to obtain a permit from the TCAA, to fly a drone in Tanzania as a foreigner you must obtain permission from the Ministry of Defense and National Service. Learn more about this requirement in this announcement issued by the TCAA.
For more information on Tanzania’s drone laws, see this document issued by the TCAA. Know something we don’t about drone laws in Tanzania? Send us an email at info@exuberantkilimanjarosafaris.com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (SUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Tanzania can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.
Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Tanzania.
- Drones weighing under 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) do not require a permit. To fly a drone weighing over 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) you must obtain a special permit from the Ministry of Defense.
- Drones may not be flown within 3 kilometers (2 miles) of any domestic airport, or 5 kilometers (3 miles) of any international airport.
- Drones cannot be flown higher than 121 meters (400 feet).
- Drone pilots must maintain direct visual line of sight with their drone while flying.
- Drone insurance is required for all drone operations in Tanzania.
- Drones may not be flown at night.
- Drones may not be flown over national parks.
- Drones may not be flown over crowds without special permission from the TCAA.
FILMING ON KILIMANJARO
Filming on Kilimanjaro does require written permissions and Filming Permits issued by Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with all relevant Government offices. The process of acquiring a valid Kilimanjaro filming permit can be a daunting task without experienced help!
Requirements and fees to film in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park:
You will need to get a filming permit from Tanzania Film Censorship Board and Tanzania National Park Authority for you to be allowed to film in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park. Securing a filming permit in Tanzania can be an expensive and time-consuming process so make sure to allow plenty of time for us to help you secure the permit for you. The first step is to complete all necessary applications with the help of your Tanzanian production service producer/fixer. The application will be submitted to your local Tanzanian consulate so that they can complete the application. Once that is done you will send the original documents back to your Tanzanian service producer/fixer for finalizing with local Tanzanian authorities. A regular Tanzania Filming permit costs US$1,000 if you apply 3 months in advance and a last-minute Tanzania Filming permit costs US$3,000. Contact us to help you secure the Tanzania filming permit.
Other permissions and fees for filming in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park;
Once you have obtained a filming permit for filming in Tanzania, there may be other permissions needed depending on what you want to film in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park. Permissions include filming inside the national park or conservation area, drone filming and night filming. Tanzania has many rules and regulations when it comes to filming and therefore it is important to be properly guided through this long bureaucratic process.
Filming permits in Tanzania are regrettably, not very straightforward to obtain, and applications are often turned down for reasons that are not always understandable to the applicant.
PRICE OF A PERMIT FOR FILMING ON KILIMANJARO
There are 3 fees involved when obtaining a Kilimanjaro filming permit;
If planned way in advance with ample time, a group may wish to attempt to obtain the Filming permit for Kilimanjaro directly, and if unsuccessful, you may consider contracting Exuberant Kilimanjaro safaris to obtain the Filming on Kilimanjaro permit on your behalf, provided that the ministry’s stated reason for the previous denial (if any) is not something that will continue to feature as a factor in the new application through Exuberant Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Requirements and fees to film in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park:
You will need to get a filming permit from Tanzania Film Censorship Board and Tanzania National Park Authority for you to be allowed to film in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park. Securing a filming permit in Tanzania can be an expensive and time-consuming process so make sure to allow plenty of time for us to help you secure the permit for you. The first step is to complete all necessary applications with the help of your Tanzanian production service producer/fixer. The application will be submitted to your local Tanzanian consulate so that they can complete the application. Once that is done you will send the original documents back to your Tanzanian service producer/fixer for finalizing with local Tanzanian authorities. A regular Tanzania Filming permit costs US$1,000 if you apply 3 months in advance and a last-minute Tanzania Filming permit costs US$3,000. Contact us to help you secure the Tanzania filming permit.
Other permissions and fees for filming in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park;
Once you have obtained a filming permit for filming in Tanzania, there may be other permissions needed depending on what you want to film in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park. Permissions include filming inside the national park or conservation area, drone filming and night filming. Tanzania has many rules and regulations when it comes to filming and therefore it is important to be properly guided through this long bureaucratic process.
Filming permits in Tanzania are regrettably, not very straightforward to obtain, and applications are often turned down for reasons that are not always understandable to the applicant.
PRICE OF A PERMIT FOR FILMING ON KILIMANJARO
There are 3 fees involved when obtaining a Kilimanjaro filming permit;
- The cost of the Filming permit (USD1,000) – a charge which goes directly to the government,
- The actual cost of a location filming permit (Kilimanjaro Filming Permit costs USD250 pp @ day),
- Legal fees and expenses, which are necessary to pay a lawyer, typically to travel multiple times to Dar es Salaam, to liaise with respective embassies, file the application and generate supporting documentation.
If planned way in advance with ample time, a group may wish to attempt to obtain the Filming permit for Kilimanjaro directly, and if unsuccessful, you may consider contracting Exuberant Kilimanjaro safaris to obtain the Filming on Kilimanjaro permit on your behalf, provided that the ministry’s stated reason for the previous denial (if any) is not something that will continue to feature as a factor in the new application through Exuberant Kilimanjaro Safaris.
