Komodo National Park drone fee: the charge, documents and no-fly areas

By Komodo National Park Fee Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: fees in the table carry their source and check month. They are official or third-party figures, not our offers, and they change. This guide is not the park authority.

The Komodo National Park drone fee is a state charge per unit per day on the park authority's poster, but paying it alone does not make a flight legal. The park's drone page also asks for aviation documents at least three working days ahead, and it bars flights over several named areas.

What is the Komodo National Park drone fee?

The poster lists a drone operation charge per unit per day, and the amount is in the price table on this page. Two drones flown on one day count as two units, and one drone flown on two days counts as two days. The line has no foreign and Indonesian split, which sets it apart from the commercial shooting lines next to it.

The charge is relatively new. Antara reported that drone charges were added by Government Regulation 36/2024 and were not regulated in the earlier Regulation 12/2014, so articles written before 30 October 2024 will not mention it. Their silence does not mean drones are free or unregulated. The drone line sits among the other charges in our Komodo National Park fee overview, which is the place to start if you are new to the tariff.

The price table also shows the foreign entrance line for comparison. The drone charge is a line for the aircraft, and the poster prices the person separately, so plan on the pilot holding an ordinary entrance ticket as well, and confirm the combination with the park authority for your case.

Purpose matters too. The park's drone page allows small unmanned aircraft for tourism documentation, personal or commercial, under conditions. A paid production may also meet the separate video and photography lines, which are priced per package per location. The photo and video permit page sets those out.

Which documents are needed for a drone?

The park's drone page names four aviation documents. These are aviation papers rather than park forms, and nothing here is aviation legal advice, so treat the list as a starting point and confirm the current requirements with the issuing bodies.

A second layer may apply. The park's SIMAKSI page lists drones among the purposes that need a conservation-area entry permit, alongside research, education, commercial and non-commercial film, documentaries, expeditions and journalism. The same page asks for a request letter and a proposal for the activity, plus documents that depend on purpose and nationality, so a foreign pilot and an Indonesian pilot may not be asked for the same file.

The conservation directorate describes SiOra as covering conservation-area permits as well as ticket reservation and zone navigation. The route described on the drone page itself is email or the park office. Ask the park which channel it wants for your application, and see the SiOra guide for how the system is organised.

How early must you apply?

The park's page says complete documents must arrive by email or at the park office at least 3 working days before the activity. Read that as the deadline for the last step and not as the time the whole process takes.

The three days start only once the file is complete, and the aviation documents come from other institutions whose timing the park does not set. Working days normally exclude weekends and public holidays, so a Monday flight needs a file in place the previous week. A sensible order is:

1. Confirm with the park which documents apply to your purpose and nationality.
2. Obtain the aviation documents.
3. Submit the complete file by email or at the park office.
4. Ask the park how and when charges are paid.

The park authority's published contact details are repeated on our contact page. This site cannot obtain, speed up or promise a permit, and meeting the list does not guarantee approval.

Where are drones not allowed?

The list below comes from two park sources, and the difference in their wording matters.

The drone page states its bars outright, so a permit for the wider park should not be read as covering them. siora.id's wording for Padar Selatan is conditional: no flying without permission. Core zones are described as a category and not as a list of names, so SiOra's zone navigation may help but does not replace an answer from the park. Ask the park to confirm your planned launch points by name. Loh Liang and Loh Buaya are entrance gates on Komodo and Rinca, according to siora.id, so an ordinary landing spot can itself be a barred area.

What happens if you fly without permission?

The park's visit protocol says a drone pilot who commits a heavy violation is blacklisted for 6 months. The protocol's classification of an unpermitted flight is not stated in the text cited here, so ask the park how it treats one. For a commercial pilot, six months out of the park can mean lost work, so read the protocol in full before the first flight.

The same protocol sets out other sanctions for tourists, agents and guides, and it requires agents, operators and guides to pass the rules on to their guests. If you travel with an operator, tell them about the drone before departure. A boat crew cannot make your flight legal, and you should not assume that a crew's silence means the flight is allowed.

What do drone pilots ask about Komodo?

Where can't I fly a drone in Komodo National Park?

The park's drone page bars flights over Kalong Island on Rinca, Loh Buaya, Loh Liang and core zones. siora.id separately bars flying without permission at Padar Selatan. Confirm your launch points with the park authority.

Which documents do I need for a drone in Komodo National Park?

The park's drone page names a safety assessment recommendation from the air navigation provider's Denpasar branch, a transport ministry unit registration, a pilot licence and a flight permit. The SIMAKSI page adds a request letter and proposal, with documents varying by purpose and nationality.

How early must I apply for a Komodo drone permit?

Complete documents must reach the park by email or at its office at least 3 working days before the activity. Aviation documents from other bodies come first, so allow considerably longer overall.

How much is the Komodo National Park drone permit?

The poster lists the drone operation charge per unit per day, and the amount is in the price table on this page. Other costs may apply, such as an entrance ticket for the person flying and, for paid productions, the commercial shooting lines.

Which sources support this page?

• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo: ticket prices and tariff poster
• Antara Kupang: park authority explains the new tariff
• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo: drone flight permit page
• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo: SIMAKSI page
• Conservation directorate: launch of the SiOra app
• siora.id: the park authority booking site
• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo: visit protocol

How do I reach the desk?

The desk does not apply for drone permits, and the park authority is the body to ask about one. Message the desk if a source on this page has changed or if you have a question about the published fee lines.

• WhatsApp: +62 811-3823-875
• Email: email the desk