New Zealand · Country guide
New Zealand asks for no certificate, no registration and no contact with the regulator
Part 101 covers recreational and commercial flying alike, and the Civil Aviation Authority says plainly that a wide range of commercial activities can be conducted without any interaction with it. There is no drone pilot licence to buy. There are rules to follow, and the moment you cannot follow them you need certification instead.
New to this? New Zealand does not sort drone flying by who is paying you. It sorts it by whether your operation fits inside a set of rules called Part 101. If it fits, you fly — recreationally or commercially — with nothing to buy. If it does not fit, you apply for a Part 102 certificate.
The short answer
Flying for fun
Follow the Part 101 rules. Nothing to register, nothing to sit, nothing to pay.
Flying for money
The same answer. Part 101 applies to commercial users too, which is why so much paid drone work in New Zealand happens without the operator ever contacting the CAA.
Flying outside the rules
Beyond visual line of sight, at night outside the transport instrument, over people without consent, above 25 kg — any of these needs a Part 102 certificate, which is an application rather than an exam.
Who runs it and what it's called
- Regulator
- Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
- Official guidance
- aviation.govt.nz/drones ↗
- Framework
- Part 101 operating rules, supplemented by transport instrument CATI 101-1 and Advisory Circular AC101-1. Part 102 for certification
- Qualification names
- None for Part 101. Part 102 certificate for operators outside those rules
- Weight ceiling
- Part 101 applies below 25 kg, with extra requirements between 15 and 25 kg
- Applies to
- Recreational and commercial users alike
What Part 101 actually requires of you
The trade for not needing a certificate is that the rules themselves are the qualification. These are the obligations that come with flying under Part 101.
| You must | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stay under 25 kg | With additional requirements for aircraft between 15 and 25 kg |
| Keep the aircraft airworthy | Always safe to operate and well maintained |
| Minimise hazards | Take all practicable steps to minimise hazards to people, property and other aircraft |
| Fly in daylight | Unless conducting a night operation in accordance with CATI 101-1 |
| Give way to manned aircraft | And land immediately if a manned aircraft approaches |
| Get consent | Before flying over people and property |
| Check airspace | For restrictions in the area you plan to operate in |
| Get ATC clearance in controlled airspace | Issued by Airways Corporation of New Zealand, unless the operation is shielded |
| Keep the aircraft in sight | With your own eyes, unless flying FPV or conducting a beyond visual line of sight operation under the rules |
"Get consent before flying over people and property" is the one that bites. It is a broader obligation than most countries impose, and it applies to property as well as people — which in practice means the landowner, not just the person standing in the shot.
What it really costs
Under Part 101, nothing. There is no pilot certificate to buy, no exam fee, and no registration. That makes New Zealand the cheapest country on this site by a distance — and the one where the burden sits entirely on knowing the rules rather than on proving you know them.
| Item | Cost | Compulsory? |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot certificate | Does not exist for Part 101 | No |
| Drone registration | Not required under Part 101 | No |
| Training | Market rate, optional | No |
| Part 102 certification | Not yet checked | Only outside Part 101 |
Already qualified somewhere else?
The question mostly dissolves. Because Part 101 requires no certificate from anyone — resident or visitor — there is nothing for a UK GVC, an EASA A2 or a US Part 107 to be recognised as. A visitor flying inside Part 101 is in exactly the same position as a New Zealander.
Where it stops being simple is Part 102. We have not yet read how the CAA treats a foreign operator applying for certification, so this page does not say. It is on the list.
Where every claim on this page came from
| Claim | Value | Primary source | Checked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 101 covers commercial use without CAA interaction | No certificate | CAA NZ, Part 101 rules for drones | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| 25 kg ceiling, extra requirements 15–25 kg | 25 kg | CAA NZ, Part 101 rules for drones | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| The nine Part 101 obligations listed above | 9 duties | CAA NZ, Part 101 rules for drones | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| Part 102 needed when Part 101 cannot be followed | Part 102 | CAA NZ, Part 101 rules for drones | 9 Sep 2026 | Verified |
| Part 102 process, cost and timescales | — | The CAA's Part 102 page was not reachable at the URL we tried | — | Not yet checked |
| Registration requirement | None under Part 101 | No registration requirement appears in the Part 101 obligations. We have not found a page stating there is none | 9 Sep 2026 | Absence of evidence |
| Treatment of foreign operators under Part 102 | — | Not yet read | — | Not yet checked |
Questions people ask about flying in New Zealand
Do I need a licence to fly a drone in New Zealand?
No. Part 101 applies to recreational and commercial users alike and requires no pilot certificate. You need a Part 102 certificate only when your operation cannot comply with Part 101.
Can I be paid for drone work without a certificate?
Yes, provided the operation fits inside Part 101. The CAA states that a wide range of commercial activities can be conducted without any interaction with it.
Do I have to register my drone?
Registration does not appear among the Part 101 obligations. We have flagged this as unconfirmed rather than state it as fact.
Can I use my UK or US qualification there?
You do not need one. Under Part 101 nobody holds a pilot certificate, so a visitor is in the same position as a resident.
What is the catch?
Consent. Part 101 requires you to get consent before flying over people and property, which is a broader obligation than most countries impose.
We will tell you when this changes
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