Komodo National Park rules for photographers in 2026

Checked 26 October 2026. This note covers what a photographer needs sorted before a Komodo date: the entry ticket, the drone permit, the fees for pre-wedding and commercial shoots, and ordinary handheld photography.

The fees come from Government Regulation 36 of 2024, as ANTARA Kupang reported it on 26 October 2024, in effect from 30 October 2024. The working procedure runs through SiORA, the park's booking system. SiORA shows the rule on the day you apply, so every figure below is confirmed in writing before you pay.

Two things never change with the rule. A private charter does not include a guide or documentation, and the captain decides the order of stops and the anchorage on the day. Everything else on this page is about paperwork you can finish before you fly in.

Read the sections in order if this is your first Komodo booking. Read only the last one if the date is already fixed and you want the checklist.

Entry is dated and booked online. Floresa reported on 7 April 2026 that reservations run through SiORA. ANTARA reported on 14 April 2026 that the park agency limits daily visits. The practical result is simple: the date on your ticket is the date you visit.

PP 36/2024 sets the ticket, as ANTARA Kupang reported it. A foreign visitor pays IDR 250,000 on any day. An Indonesian visitor pays IDR 50,000 on a weekday and IDR 75,000 on a holiday. The report says the ticket covers trekking, wildlife viewing and snorkeling. Diving carries its own ticket.

Padar adds timed entry. We send the session for your date in writing, and for a sunrise frame the first session of the day is the one you want. We book each ticket against the date of your itinerary.

Park tickets and ranger fees are not in the fare. Ranger and pier levies are paid on the day in cash.

A practical habit for photographers: book the ticket for the same date as the boat, and keep the confirmation on your phone. A ticket dated one day off the itinerary is the paperwork error to avoid.

Two documents are needed. The first is a SIMAKSI special permit, applied for on siora.id. The second is a separate daily drone ticket, bought in the SiORA app once the permit is approved. The park entry ticket does not cover it.

The fee is 2 million rupiah per drone per day, paid in SiORA on top of the permit. Apply 4 to 7 days ahead, and expect 2 to 5 working days for review. The application asks for a letter, a passport or ID, the pilot's license, a statement letter and the details of the machine.

• Allowed with the ticket: Padar, Pink Beach for coastal flyovers only, Gili Lawa Darat, Taka Makassar and Manta Point with care.
• Not allowed: Kalong, Komodo Island at Loh Liang, Rinca at Loh Buaya, bird nesting areas, crowds and flying at night.
• Height: stay under 100 m, and keep well clear of people.
• Penalties: confiscation, a fine or removal from the park.

We promise no drone footage on any charter. Who files the permit is settled with us in writing before you pay.

A drone is a plan B for a stop, never a plan A. Wind at Padar, haze over Pink Beach and the captain's anchorage all change what is flyable, and a permit does not change the weather. Apply for the permit only if the frame you want needs it.

PP 36/2024 lists a fee for pre-wedding photo or video: 3 million rupiah for foreign nationals and 1 million rupiah for Indonesians, according to ANTARA Kupang. We confirm with the park whether a fee applies per shoot, per day or per person before a date is booked.

Professional or documentary filming is a different permit category, with more paperwork and a possible Indonesian production permit. We do not sell commercial-shoot charters, so a client shoot or a sponsored job is arranged with the park first.

Ordinary photography with a phone or camera for personal use needs no separate permit beyond the entry ticket. Tripods and gimbals come under the same ticket.

A private charter does not include a guide or documentation. Both are available on request and quoted separately. On a Friday departure the local guide and documentation are included.

For a paid job, a sponsored post or a wedding shoot, write to us first with the date, the number of people and the kind of shot. We take the question to the park and answer you in writing before you pay for anything.

• Ticket date is visit date. The ticket is dated, so a swap of days means a new booking. Keep one spare day in the diary.
• Permit paperwork comes first. Four to 7 days of lead time, plus 2 to 5 working days of review and the app step. We would start 10 days ahead.
• Padar sunrise needs the first session. Sunrise falls at about 05:31 in November and about 05:38 in December, and guests leave the boat about 65 minutes before it.
• Commercial work needs a separate answer. Do not sell or book a client shoot on the strength of this note.

The captain decides the order of stops and the anchorage on the day, and no hour of light is guaranteed. Rules changed in April 2026 and the SiORA screen on the day you apply is the final word. We update this note when a rule changes, and the check date is at the top.

For the full drone note, see our drone rules guide. For the tickets and fees on a charter, see the park fees page.