In brief
The national regulator, CAAP, requires a special flight permit for any drone flown within 10 km of an airport reference point, over populated areas, at night, beyond visual line of sight or above 400 ft, for recreational and commercial flying alike. Whether the town of Malay issues a separate local drone permit, and at what price, is not confirmed by any official page we could find.
- CAAP’s table lists the special flight permit as required for non-commercial (sports and recreational) flying as well as commercial flying1.
- The same table marks drone registration, the controller certificate and the RPAS operator certificate as not required for non-commercial flying, “except for drones weighing 7kg or above”; a recreational drone of 7 kg or more is therefore not exempt from them1.
- Caticlan Airport, also called Boracay Airport, is on the mainland; the ferry crossing to the island takes 10 to 15 minutes by public ferry2.
- No source used here publishes the distance from the airport reference point to White Beach, so the 10 km trigger cannot be ruled in or out from the page alone.
- A 2019 local permit fee and a later note that personal permits were no longer approved circulate online; both are unconfirmed (see the callout below).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to fly a drone in Boracay?
CAAP requires a special flight permit within 10 km of an airport reference point, over populated areas, at night, beyond visual line of sight and above 400 ft1. Whether Malay also requires a local permit is not confirmed online.
Do I have to register my drone with CAAP for holiday flying?
CAAP’s table marks drone registration as not required for non-commercial flying, “except for drones weighing 7kg or above”, so a recreational drone of 7 kg or more still needs it1. Commercial use requires registration and certificates1.
Is the PHP 1,600 drone permit still current?
That figure comes from a 2019 blog post, which later added that personal permits were no longer approved. It is unconfirmed, and no official source supports it as a current price.
How far is Boracay from the airport?
The ferry from the Caticlan seaport takes 10 to 15 minutes, and the seaport is 5 to 10 minutes from the airport2. A measured distance to White Beach is not published in the sources used here.
Is flying a drone for paid work different?
Yes. Revenue-earning use counts as commercial under CAAP, which requires registration, a controller certificate and an RPAS operator certificate1.
Is the 250 gram rule real?
CAAP’s page does not state a 250-gram threshold1. Do not rely on it.
The detail
Drone footage of Boracay is easy to find and the rules behind it are harder to pin down. This page sets out what the national regulator publishes, why the island’s location matters, and what is only rumor. For the rest of the island’s regulations see Boracay Rules for Visitors.
The short answer
| If you are… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Flying for fun, with a drone under 7 kg | No registration or certificates under CAAP’s table; the special flight permit is required if any trigger applies (near an airport, over populated areas, at night, beyond sight, above 400 ft)1 |
| Flying for revenue (a shoot for a client, a paid video) | Commercial rules apply: registration, controller certificate and operator certificate, plus the special flight permit1 |
| Carrying a drone of 7 kg or more, even for fun | The table’s “not required” for non-commercial flying carries the words “except for drones weighing 7kg or above”, so registration, the controller certificate and the RPAS operator certificate are not waived for you1 |
| Wondering about a Malay permit | Ask the municipal tourism office before you pack the drone; no current official statement is available online |
What CAAP publishes
CAAP’s “Types of Operations” page splits drone flying into two kinds. Commercial operations are “activities that require the use of Drone/s for revenue purposes”. Non-commercial operations are “activities where Drones are used for sports and recreational purposes”1.
| Requirement | Commercial | Non-commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Drone registration | Required | Not required, except for drones weighing 7kg or above |
| Controller certificate | Required | Not required, except for drones weighing 7kg or above |
| RPAS operator certificate | Required | Not required, except for drones weighing 7kg or above |
| Special flight permit | Required | Required |
Source: the table on CAAP’s page1. In the table, the words “EXCEPT FOR DRONES WEIGHING 7KG OR ABOVE” sit in the Non-commercial cell of each of the first three rows, beneath the mark for “not required”; the Commercial cells carry a check mark and no weight note. So the exemption for recreational flying covers drones under 7 kg only, and a recreational drone of 7 kg or more is treated like a commercial one for registration and both certificates. The special flight permit row has no weight note.
The special flight permit is needed for flying at night, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), within 10 km of an aerodrome reference point (ARP), over populated areas, and above 400 ft above ground level1. CAAP’s regulations hub lists the governing rules as parts of the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations: Part 1 (definitions and sanctions), Part 2 (personnel licensing), Part 4 (aircraft registration and marking) and Part 11, “Aerial Work and Operating Limitations for Non-Type Certificated Aircraft”3. A 2024 CAAP memorandum circular amends Parts 1 and 11 on aerial work and RPAS certification4.
Good to know Some guides give a 250-gram registration threshold for the Philippines. CAAP’s table states no such figure for non-commercial flying1.
Why the airport matters on Boracay
Boracay’s airport is Caticlan, which the Aklan provincial portal calls Caticlan Airport (Boracay Airport). It lies on the mainland, 5 to 10 minutes from the Caticlan seaport, and the crossing to Boracay takes 10 to 15 minutes by public ferry or 3 to 5 minutes by speedboat2. A flight over populated areas needs the special permit in any case1.
No source used here gives the measured distance from the airport reference point to White Beach or any other part of the island. The 10 km condition therefore depends on where you want to fly, and a flight over a crowded beach or a resort area could also meet the “populated areas” condition. The practical reading is to ask CAAP before flying near Caticlan or in any built-up part of the island, rather than to assume you are outside the circle.
What you may have heard
What you may have heard A travel blog post from April 2019 said a drone permit was needed from the Malay mayor’s office, at PHP 1,600 per day, and in a November 2019 note the same author wrote that permits for personal drone flying were no longer approved, asking readers to confirm. A hotel blog repeated the PHP 1,600 figure in January 2020. Other figures, in other amounts, circulate for later years. None of these could be traced to a Malay ordinance text or an official fee schedule, so treat them as unconfirmed claims, not as a price list.
What the sources do and do not establish:
- The 2019 and 2020 posts are blogs; the second repeats the first, so they are one claim, not two.
- No official Malay or Aklan page seen for this guide states a current drone permit requirement, a fee or an issuing counter.
- No official page says that personal flying is banned on the island either.
What to do before you bring one
- Check CAAP’s page first. Read the types-of-operations table and decide whether your flight meets any special-permit condition1.
- Ask the municipal government in writing. Malay’s tourism office is the body to ask whether a local permit exists today and what it costs. Keep the reply with the drone.
- Do not fly near the airport or over crowds without permission. Both conditions trigger the national special permit1.
- Leave the drone at home if you cannot get an answer. Without a current confirmation there is nothing to plan around.
Related Articles
Sources (4)
- Types of Operations — Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), undated. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Boracay iPass — Provincial Government of Aklan, undated. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- RPAS Regulations — Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), undated. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Memorandum Circular 010-2024: Amendment to Civil Aviation Regulations Parts 1 and 11 re Aerial Works and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Certification — CAAP, 2024. Accessed 2026-10-03.