Asia
Malaysia
CAAM — Civil Aviation Regulations 2016, Part XVI
Malaysia applies a very restrictive 'no permit, no fly' regime: practically every flight, even a tourist one, requires an authorization (ATF) to be requested by email at least 14 working days in advance.
400 feet AGL; above that, specific ATC/CAAM approval is required.
Mandatory for drones over 20kg; since a 16 February 2025 CAAM public notice, an Authorisation to Fly (ATF) is effectively required for virtually every flight, including recreational/tourist flights and drones under 250g (no small-drone exemption, unlike the US/EU/UK). The new UAS-TMS system was targeted for Q4 2025 rollout but as of 2026 still coexists with the manual email-based process.
For commercial operations, the Remote Certificate of Competency Basic (RCoC-B) is required.
Mandatory for commercial operations as part of the ATF application; not mandatory for recreational use but recommended.
Zones to avoid
No-fly zones usually follow the same recurring categories (airports, military sites, protected areas, historic centers). For this country: Minimum distance 50 m from uninvolved people/vehicles/structures (30 m during takeoff/landing); daytime and visual line of sight only.
What isn't 100% confirmed yet
The February 2025 enforcement tightening and UAS-TMS status are reported by news/industry sources (The Star, marinecraft.my) but not yet confirmed on the CAAM site itself.
Verify officially before flying
Source: Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM)
Last checked: 2026-09
Go deeper
Why registration exists
Here the threshold usually depends on the drone's weight or whether it has a camera: below a certain weight, often 250 g, many systems don't require registration for recreational use. Check the note above and the official source to see whether your specific drone falls under the requirement. For Malaysia, the official reference remains Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). Mandatory for drones over 20kg; since a 16 February 2025 CAAM public notice, an Authorisation to Fly (ATF) is effectively required for virtually every flight, including recreational/tourist flights and drones under 250g (no small-drone exemption, unlike the US/EU/UK). The new UAS-TMS system was targeted for Q4 2025 rollout but as of 2026 still coexists with the manual email-based process.
How this usually works
Here the requirement depends on factors like the drone's weight, distance from people, or use case (recreational vs. commercial). The note above describes the most common case: if your situation is different, check the official source to see exactly which scenario applies to you before flying. The exam and certificate are handled by Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). For commercial operations, the Remote Certificate of Competency Basic (RCoC-B) is required.
Other countries in Asia
Informational content, not legal advice. Zones and rules change constantly: always check the country's official website before every flight.