Komodo National Park drone rules 2026

A permitted drone can fly in Komodo National Park. No permit, no flight. The park entrance ticket does not cover it.

Two things are needed. First a SIMAKSI, the park's special entry permit, applied for on siora.id before you travel. Then a separate daily drone ticket, bought in the SiORA app once the permit is approved.

Checked 26 October 2026. The rule you pay under is the one SiORA shows on the day you apply, so we confirm the current fee and the zones in writing before you pay.

A private charter on any of the four boats never comes with a promise of drone footage, because the permit, the zone and the weather decide it.

The permit comes first. The ticket comes second. Nothing flies on the park ticket alone.

The fee is IDR 2,000,000 per drone per day under PP 36/2024, effective 30 October 2024. It is paid in SiORA.

Fees run per full day, with no pro-rating. Three days of flying means three tickets.

The application carries the same documents every time: a permit request letter, your passport or ID, your drone pilot license, a statement letter, and the drone model with its serial number. Apply early. A late application is the usual reason a flight does not happen.

The permit opens some stops and keeps others shut. The list below shows each stop on the routes.

Beyond the stops, the rule is also about what is below you. No flying over bird nesting areas, over crowds or at night. Dragon habitat and wildlife are on that list too.

The park rule asks for a height under 100 m and a wide berth from people. The ranger at the briefing has the last word.

Kalong is the one we flag twice. It is the sunset stop on every route, and a drone there is never part of the plan.

A small drone does not skip the question. Treat every drone as permit-bound inside the park unless the park tells you in writing that yours is not.

We tell you in writing who files the SIMAKSI application. We tell you which stops on your route fall in an allowed zone. That way you never buy a ticket for a stop where the drone stays in the bag.

We do not sell drone footage on these boats, and we never promise it. Ask us what the boat's schedule allows before you plan a flight.

One practical line for the planning stage. Pick the stop for your permitted drone before you apply. Padar at first light is the stop most people choose. It is also the stop with the tightest enforcement and the most people on the ridge, so the permit and the ranger's word matter most there.

Without the permit, the drone is confiscated. A fine follows. You can be removed from the park.

Enforcement is tighter at Padar than on boats and remote anchorages. It is not a reason to skip the permit. The rangers at Padar check the permit of every drone they see from the ridge, and the captain answers for the anchorage.

For a charter group the cost lands on everyone. A confiscation at Padar can end the morning for the whole boat, because the crew waits while the ranger handles the case. Decide before you leave Labuan Bajo whether the permitted drone flies, and apply or leave it at the hotel.

Weather ends flights too. Wind on the Padar ridge and haze at first light are the usual reasons a permitted drone stays on deck.

Handheld photography for personal use needs no separate permit beyond the entry ticket. Ask us if you plan a heavy rig.

On a private charter the guide and the photo or video documentation are not included. Both are available on request and quoted separately. On the Friday departure the local guide and documentation are included, and we do not promise the drone part of it.

Commercial filming, a documentary or a pre-wedding shoot uses a different SIMAKSI category. PP 36/2024 lists a pre-wedding photo or video fee of IDR 3,000,000 for foreigners and IDR 1,000,000 for Indonesians. We confirm the unit with the park before a date is booked. We do not sell commercial-shoot charters.

Park entry fees and the permit's daily ticket are separate lines from the charter fare. The park-fees page lists the entry fees by guest and by day, and the charter page prices the whole boat. Plan the three together, then pick the stop and the hour.