Commercial drone filming in Bali: who may fly, and with what

By Film Permit Bali Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: prices in the table carry their source and check month. Fees change, and they are official or third-party figures, not our offers.

Commercial drone filming in Bali comes down to who holds the controls. The Embassy in Washington says only certified Indonesian citizens may operate drones on film applications, while Part 107 leaves the Director General a discretion over some foreign pilots. Plan for a local licensed pilot, flight approval where airspace requires it, and consent from each location.

Can a foreign crew fly its own drone in Bali?

Assume not, until an authority tells you otherwise in writing. The relevant sources differ in strength, so here they are in order:

The regulation text sits in Part 107, the syllabus in circular SE.009, and the other three statements on the pages of the Embassy in Washington, Bali Film Center and Hoodlum.

Read together, Washington's citizens-only line is the strongest wording available, and Part 107.12(c) does not cancel it. That clause is a power the Director General holds, not a right a crew can claim. A production that wants its own operator should put the question to the Transport Ministry and its mission before building a plan around the answer, and should be ready to hear no.

What does commercial drone filming in Bali need?

All of this sits on top of the Bali film permit, which does not clear a flight. The operator SNXP Studio lists five checks for a professional shoot:

1. airspace
2. registration
3. pilot certificate
4. operating approval
5. permission to film at the location

The middle three all run through SIDOPI GO, the civil aviation directorate's online system for registering small drones, certifying remote pilots and approving operations. Who can register is explained on the drone registration page. For airspace, height limits and zones, read our drone rules for Bali, and bear in mind SNXP's warning that a large part of southern Bali can sit inside the Ngurah Rai areas where extra aviation approvals apply.

When you hire a drone pilot in Bali, ask early for the papers the Embassy in Washington lists for a production: an identity card, an operator certificate and a registration letter. If a drone operator or drone photographer cannot produce them, your application has a gap. Those papers also let you check that the named pilot and the named aircraft are the ones turning up on the day. If your film fixer in Bali is arranging the pilot, ask it to send them.

Hardware brought from abroad adds a separate track. Beyond aviation approval and the carnet, Atlas Film Fixers warns of further customs permits, invoices and lists of components for the aircraft. The page on bringing film equipment to Bali covers the general kit.

What goes into the approval request?

PM 37 of 2020 asks for items including:

• operator contact details;
• flight plan details;
• a statement on the areas to be photographed or filmed;
• third-party liability insurance.

Two of these need work before anyone files. The statement on filmed areas means your aerial shots must be planned by location at application stage, so a drone video for Bali cannot stay as a loose idea to be sorted out on arrival. Drone insurance also has to exist by then. Check whether the pilot's policy or the production's own cover applies in Indonesia, and whether it names the third-party liability the regulation asks about.

Not every flight needs this request. The approval triggers depend on where and how high you fly, and they are set out on the drone rules page linked above.

How long does approval take?

There are three figures, and they measure different things:

The deadline comes from the regulation, and the estimates from Hoodlum and Atlas Film Fixers. They should not be merged into one number. The two companies disagree with each other, and a filing deadline is not a promise of when an answer arrives. A crew with fixed dates would be wise to plan around the longest figure and treat the regulation's as a floor.

A working order for a shoot with fixed dates, counting back from the first flight:

1. Decide between a local and a foreign aircraft, since a foreign one changes every step after it.
2. Collect the pilot's identity card, certificate and registration letter for the named aircraft.
3. Fix take-off points, heights and shots by location, then test each against the airspace rules.
4. Confirm the insurance and get each location's consent.
5. File with margin for the longest estimate in the table, not the shortest.

Foreign drones change the order as well as the timing. Under Washington's wording, approval comes before the visa application, so on that route the aircraft is one of the first things to settle. The wider order is on how to get a film permit in Bali, the file on film permit requirements in Indonesia and the visa choice under filming visa for Indonesia. The price table on this page includes Hoodlum's quote for a drone permit, which is a company's figure and not a government fee. For the rest of the budget, see what a film permit in Bali costs.

Does the location still need to agree?

Yes. SNXP treats it as a separate check, and Tanah Lot's ticket page expects anyone planning drone flights to report to its management. The wider picture is on location permits for filming in Bali. For Jatiluwih, the price table carries a drone line from a tour operator listing and not from the manager, so confirm it with the people who run the site.

For drone filming at a resort or private villa, we know of no legal text that sets a permit requirement, and only operators speak of written location agreements. A sensible minimum is the owner's consent in writing, naming the aircraft and the dates. That consent does nothing for the airspace above it, which still follows the aviation rules.

What about drones in national parks?

They carry their own charge. A national fee table, as published by a Sulawesi conservation office, charges per unit per day for drones used or flown in national parks, nature recreation parks, hunting parks and wildlife reserves. The amount is in the price table, but it is not a confirmed West Bali rate. If your shoot touches that park, read the West Bali National Park film permit page and ask the park office. Budget by the unit and the day, since two aircraft over three days means six charges.

What do productions ask about drone pilots and approvals?

Can my own drone pilot fly in Bali?

Plan as though the answer is no. Washington's embassy wording limits operation to certified Indonesian citizens. Part 107 gives the Director General a discretion over foreign-registered small drones, but that is a power to grant and not an entitlement. Ask the Transport Ministry in writing.

What license does a drone pilot need in Indonesia?

A remote pilot certificate. Under Part 107 the holder must, among other conditions, be an Indonesian citizen aged 17 or over, and the official syllabus runs to 43 lesson hours. Certificates are handled through SIDOPI GO.

How early should I plan a film and drone shoot in Bali?

Count back from the first flight. PM 37 sets 14 working days as the minimum lead for an approval request, and one company's estimate is longer. On a Washington application, a drone brought from abroad needs approval before the visa filing, which moves it to the start of the plan.

How long does commercial drone approval take in Indonesia?

Company estimates disagree. Hoodlum says about four to six weeks and Atlas Film Fixers says seven to fourteen working days. Neither is a government commitment, so ask for a current estimate when you file.

Who can legally operate a drone on a film shoot in Indonesia?

The plainest statement comes from the Embassy in Washington: Indonesian citizens holding the proper certification. Bali Film Center says the same. Anyone else depends on the Director General's discretion under Part 107.12(c).

Which sources support this page?

• Transport Ministry Regulation 63 of 2021, Part 107 (BPK legal database)
• Circular SE.009 of 2022: remote pilot syllabus
• Indonesian Embassy in Washington: journalistic and film production
• Bali Film Center: guidelines
• Hoodlum: filming in Indonesia
• SNXP Studio: drone rules in Bali
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation: SIDOPI GO
• Atlas Film Fixers: Bali
• Transport Ministry Regulation PM 37 of 2020 (BPK legal database)
• Tanah Lot official site: ticket page
• South Sulawesi conservation office: conservation area charges and permits

How do I reach the desk?

Send the desk your shot list by location, your dates, and whether any drone would come from abroad. It answers questions and cannot promise a flight approval, a pilot or a date. A request can become a paid booking, which gives us a stake in the outcome, as the about page explains. Only a written offer binds, and it names the fee and the contracting company. WhatsApp 6281139414563 or bd@juaraholding.com.