Tall perimeter fence in silhouette at dusk with distant runway lights beyond, marking a boundary that must not be crossed

Drone Restricted Areas and No-Fly Zones in Sri Lanka

3 published guides · verified against official sources

Where drones cannot fly in Sri Lanka, and why: airports, military and security sites, protected infrastructure, heritage locations and wildlife areas.

Quick answer

Sri Lanka restricts drone activity around airports and helipads, military and security-sensitive locations, prisons, power plants and protected infrastructure, and controls heritage and wildlife sites through separate authorities. Aviation, security, archaeology, wildlife, landowner, privacy and site-management requirements can all apply separately at a single location, which is why checking the official maps and completing the approval process matters everywhere.

The five restriction layers

Aviation

Airports, helipads and controlled airspace. No-fly under CAASL operating rules.

Layer 1 of 5

Security

Military installations, ports and government security areas. Clearance-driven; often prohibited.

Layer 2 of 5

Archaeology

Protected monuments and reserves. No-objection from the Department of Archaeology may be required.

Layer 3 of 5

Wildlife

National parks and reserves under the DWC or Forest Department, with their own permissions.

Layer 4 of 5

People and property

No overflying assemblies, no recording people without permission, respect private property.

Layer 5 of 5

A location can sit in several layers at once. Each layer can add its own authority and its own permission on top of the standard CAASL process.

How the layers stack

01AerodromesAirports and airfields, with separation around them02Security areasMilitary, naval and other protected installations03Heritage sitesDepartment of Archaeology monuments and sacred cities04Wildlife areasNational parks and sanctuaries under the DWC05People and propertyCrowds, assemblies and private land everywhere else
A single location can sit under several layers at once; the strictest applies. Zone status comes from the official CAASL map.

Guides in this section

Current official guidance

Drone No-Fly Zones in Sri Lanka

Where drones cannot fly in Sri Lanka: airports, military areas, prisons, power plants, heritage and wildlife sites, and how to check zones on the official maps.

Read the guide
Current official guidance

Flying Drones Near Airports in Sri Lanka

Why airports are the strictest drone environment in Sri Lanka, which airports matter for flight planning, and how controlled airspace and ATC authorisation work.

Read the guide
Current official guidance

Flying Drones at Archaeological Sites in Sri Lanka

The rules for drone flights over Sri Lanka's archaeological and heritage sites: Department of Archaeology no-objection letters, the official map and etiquette.

Read the guide

In development

The following guides are on the editorial roadmap and will be published after official-source verification. They are not yet available.

  • Drones in National Parks
  • Flying Near Military Areas