Are you a new drone owner and looking for a step-by-step guide on how to register drone in the UAE? Look no further! In this article, I am going to go with you through the registration process of GCAA and DCAA and share with your valuable information that will be helpful for you to become a drone pilot.
The topics such as rules and regulations of flying a drone in the UAE, fines for not adhering to the rules, and my personal experience of being a drone pilot for 4 years, I already discussed in the article: Flying Drone in the UAE: 13 Things You Need To Know About
Make sure to read it before your first flight.
Today I will particularly talk about how to register drone in the UAE for personal/recreational use only.
HOW TO REGISTER DRONE IN THE UAE WITH GCAA
To register drone to fly in Emirates such as Ajman, Sharjah, RAK, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, you need to obtain an online certificate from General Civil Aviation Authority. Registration is free and usually takes about 2-3 working days for you to receive the drone registration certificate.
The registration link: https://eservices.gcaa.gov.ae/Drone/V2/UnmannedAircraftRegistration.aspx
Once you click on the link, fill up all the details and upload all the relevant documents, as required. Make sure to double-check all the information before submitting the application. And that’s it! The drone registration certificate is going to be sent to your e-mail. Easy, right?
There is no expiry date for the certificate issued by GCAA, so you do not need to ever renew it.
HOW TO REGISTER DRONE IN THE UAE WITH DCAA
The procedure in the emirate of Dubai is different. To get successful drone registration in Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, all new pilots must take part in RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) training program in one of the authorized training centers, for example, Sanad Academy (https://www.sanadflightcenter.com) or Aeromotus (https://www.aeromotus.com). If you purchase any of the drones (except DJI Spark and Phantom 3) on Aeromotus website, you will get the training and the certificate for free. The course takes one day.
Sanad Academy offers certification at 368 AED and you can directly proceed to it if you already know how to fly a drone. Once you register, you will receive all the materials needed to prepare for computer-based theory assessment, simulation testing, and the practical flight test.
If you’re new to drone flying and would like to learn how to do it at Sanad Academy, the course length is 3 hours and the price is 945 AED (it already includes the 368 AED certificate fee).
Anyone who seeks to perform an activity in the aviation sector in Dubai is required to as well get a license from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. Licenses issued are valid for a renewable period of one year and the fee is 120 AED.
The link to apply for the DCAA license: https://www.dcaa.gov.ae/services/aviation-related-activities/issuing-permit
The application is similar to the one of GCAA however here, additionally, you will have to upload a copy of the Training Certificate obtained from the training center and a Passport size photo.
Within 48 hours you should receive an e-certificate from DCAA with your photo and drone details that you must always carry whenever flying in the emirate of Dubai.
For more information on how to register drone in the UAE you can watch my video below:
I hope you found this article about how to register drone in the UAE helpful. If you would like to find more information about flying drone in the UAE, make sure to check this article: Flying Drone in the UAE: 13 Things You Need To Know About
