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Costa Rica

Wr4ptr

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I'm going to Costa Rica this week. I've searched the threads and registered with DGAC. . .got the number on my drone. I'm wondering if there is anyone on here with more recent experience. Just a last minute check to see if I should expect anything different than what has already been posted.

Thanks!
 
Hey, just in case someone else is going to Costa Rica and comes here looking for info, I wanted to report back that I had no problems going to or coming from Costa Rica in mid March 2018. I did register my Mavic Pro with the DGAC (here) before I left, but I was never asked about that. Registering is easy and free and you just get a number that you put on your drone. I put mine on with a label maker. We flew Southwest airlines and I carried the equipment on. I got no questions about the drone at customs or security on the way there or back. As always, I was careful about where I chose to fly and I tried to be respectful. I also avoid flying over or near people I didn't know. We went ziplining at El Roble and I was able to shoot this great video. The young Costa Rican owners of the ziplining place were super excited to have someone show up with a drone to film at their place. They wanted to see their ziplines from this different perspective, but also, despite it having been in their family for generations, they had never seen their land in this way. They were so excited about it that they gave me the ziplining for free (I had already paid for the kids to go). Enjoy!




 
Returned yesterday. We had the same experience. You just can't fly in the national parks.

I'm going to Costa Rica this week. I've searched the threads and registered with DGAC. . .got the number on my drone. I'm wondering if there is anyone on here with more recent experience. Just a last minute check to see if I should expect anything different than what has already been posted.

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the helpful information. I'm going to Costa Rica in November for a week, so was hopeful I could take my Mavic Air and not have any problems. I suspected it would be OK, but your post is reassuring. From what I can tell though, it doesn't seem like I have to register if less than 25 kg:

Drones are classified by their weight:

Micro RPAS are those with a weight equal or over 100 grams
Small RPAS with weight equal or over 2 kilograms
Light RPAS those with a weight equal or over 25 kilograms
Big RPAS with a weight of more than 150 kilograms


All drones that weight over 25 kilograms must be registered in the National Registry and have a certificate of aerial navigation provided by the DGAC.​

I will check again a few weeks before I go. I'll visit the site you referenced when at home, my wife speaks Spanish, so can help me figure it out.
 
Thanks for the helpful information. I'm going to Costa Rica in November for a week, so was hopeful I could take my Mavic Air and not have any problems. I suspected it would be OK, but your post is reassuring. From what I can tell though, it doesn't seem like I have to register if less than 25 kg:

Drones are classified by their weight:

Micro RPAS are those with a weight equal or over 100 grams
Small RPAS with weight equal or over 2 kilograms
Light RPAS those with a weight equal or over 25 kilograms
Big RPAS with a weight of more than 150 kilograms


All drones that weight over 25 kilograms must be registered in the National Registry and have a certificate of aerial navigation provided by the DGAC.​

I will check again a few weeks before I go. I'll visit the site you referenced when at home, my wife speaks Spanish, so can help me figure it out.


You certainly may be right. I don’t speak Spanish but since it was free and fairly simple to register (I just googled the words I didn’t know on the registration page), I erred on the side of getting a number to slap on the side of my drone.
 
I checked the registration site. What do they mean by document/certificate? Is it the FAA number they require?
 
I checked the registration site. What do they mean by document/certificate? Is it the FAA number they require?


No. See post #2 in this thread. It's the DGAC website for Costa Rica and I put a link in that post. It's kind of a similar process and idea as the FAA number, but it's a unique number for Costa Rica (and it's a free process). After I got that number, I printed it out with a label printer and stuck it to the side of my MP. When I got home, I just pulled it off. No big deal.
 
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I was there in January, took a Spark with me. I registered in the DGAC website and had no issues what so ever. I did go zip lining and would have loved to be able to do a few clips like this! Here's a clip at the Crocodile Bridge and the way to Manuel Antonio

https://photos.app.goo.gl/utRUaCPaGD60qOrQ2
 
Just got back from Costa Rica also! Took my Mavic with me and had no trouble. only got a few good vids because of places we stayed. Didn't want to fly in the city and when we were in staying by the Arenal Volcano it was raining and clouds everywhere. Couldn't fly more than 10 ft up and Mavic was in the clouds. I did not register with the DGAC woops. I talked to a few hotels we were staying at and they said I didn't need any paperwork to bring/fly it.
 
I'm going to Costa Rica next month and was trying to register my drone but seem to be having a problem and was wondering if anyone can give me some insight. Admittedly, my Spanish is extremely weak so that's not helping.
Anyway, when I get to the page to register the drone, or what I think is the page it has a "log in" link and a "check in" link, at least as translated. There is also a title Drones Registration but it does not seem to be a link. When I click the 'check in' link it asks for my information but what I can't figure out is what to put in the Identification Card space. It keeps coming back that I need to put something in there to register.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
 
I'm going to Costa Rica next month and was trying to register my drone but seem to be having a problem and was wondering if anyone can give me some insight. Admittedly, my Spanish is extremely weak so that's not helping.
Anyway, when I get to the page to register the drone, or what I think is the page it has a "log in" link and a "check in" link, at least as translated. There is also a title Drones Registration but it does not seem to be a link. When I click the 'check in' link it asks for my information but what I can't figure out is what to put in the Identification Card space. It keeps coming back that I need to put something in there to register.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
Disregard, I used my passport number and that worked.
 
I'm going to CR in August and definitely want to stay compliant with the UAV Laws. Is the use of a (as above) Passport number OK for use as a registration number? Thanks
 
Anyway, when I get to the page to register the drone, or what I think is the page it has a "log in" link and a "check in" link, at least as translated. There is also a title Drones Registration but it does not seem to be a link. When I click the 'check in' link it asks for my information but what I can't figure out is what to put in the Identification Card space. It keeps coming back that I need to put something in there to register.

I am having the same problem trying to register my drone in Costa Rica. It seems that you need a number to register for a number?
 
I used a passport number. It worked. It appears to just be a log in user name anyway.
Once you get in then there will be a link to actually register the drone.
 
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