DANANG – Authorities in the coastal ward of An Hai in Danang City intercepted and handled a foreign national for the unauthorized operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the afternoon of February 26.
This action follows the recent implementation of strict new national regulations governing drone activities.
A specialized UAV patrol unit identified a foreign man, operating a drone at the intersection of Vo Van Kiet and Vo Nguyen Giap streets without prior authorization. The tourist failed to meet the mandatory conditions for drone operation in Vietnam. Authorities have seized the device and sent the case to the City Military Command for further processing in accordance with the law.
This incident marks one of the latest enforcement cases under Government Decree No. 288/2025/ND-CP, which came into effect on November 5, 2025. The new decree introduces comprehensive requirements for the registration and operation of UAVs. Notably, for foreign nationals to directly operate a drone in Vietnam, they must not only possess a valid flight license and registration certificate but also be officially sponsored by a Vietnamese individual, agency or organization.
Under the new legal framework, pilots of drones weighing 0.25kg or more are required to hold a Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) flight license. For more advanced operations, such as flying beyond the visual line of sight or using pre-programmed autonomous flight paths, operators must possess specialized certificates recognized by the Ministry of National Defense.
This case follows a similar violation on February 24 involving a local resident at Nguyen Tat Thanh Beach that affected airspace surveillance and aviation safety.
