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Ecuador

South America

DGAC Ecuador — RDAC 101 (RPAS)

Ecuador regulates drones under DGAC's RDAC 101 rule. Recreational flying (open category, drones under 4 kg) doesn't require a pilot certificate, but registering a drone ≥250 g requires being an Ecuadorian citizen or a foreign resident: a short-stay visitor cannot register one in their own name. Under 250 g no registration is needed, so most compact tourist drones can fly without this constraint.

Max altitude

122 m

Limit of 400 feet (122 m AGL) for both open and specific categories. Near structures taller than the limit, flying is allowed within a 50 m radius of the structure up to 15 m above its top.

Operator registration

Yes, required

Mandatory through the DGAC's online portal for drones ≥250 g, but the system is only open to Ecuadorian citizens, foreign residents in Ecuador, or legal entities incorporated under Ecuadorian law: there is no registration path for short-stay tourists. Under 250 g no registration is required.

Pilot license

Not required

No pilot certificate required for the open category; minimum age 14 (with adult supervision if a minor). An operator certificate/licence is only needed for the specific category (commercial use).

Insurance

Recommended / conditional

Not required for recreational drones under 4 kg in the open category; mandatory for commercial use with minimum amounts tiered by weight.

Zones to avoid

Always within visual line of sight (VLOS): beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight is forbidden in the open category. Forbidden within a 600 m-wide rectangle along the runway plus 3 km from each runway threshold at controlled airports (up to 5 km in approach/departure cones); outside those zones, within 5 km of a controlled airport flight is only possible with coordination and a maximum altitude of 40 m. Forbidden within 1.8 km of uncontrolled airstrips and 0.9 km of heliports, unless authorized. Also forbidden near hospitals, military/police bases, strategic infrastructure, institutional buildings (Presidency, National Assembly), prisons, crowded public events and active emergency zones.

What isn't 100% confirmed yet

Data verified against the full text of the RDAC 101 rule (updated December 2024), published on the official DGAC Ecuador website.

Verify officially before flying

Source: DGAC — Dirección General de Aviación Civil, Ecuador (Ecuador's Civil Aviation Authority)

Open official site

Last checked: 2026-08

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Informational content, not legal advice. Zones and rules change constantly: always check the country's official website before every flight.