Drone Rules in Turkey 2026: Permits, Licences, No-Fly Zones

In most cases, yes. Under Turkey's new SHT-İHA drone instruction, in force since 30 July 2026, every drone except toy-class models needs a user registration with the civil aviation authority and a pilot licence, and commercial filming requires at least a P1 licence. In green zones on the official İHATTYS map, P0 and P1 pilots need no separate flight permit; everywhere else a permit is required.

This guide sums up Turkey's drone rules as they stand in 2026 in plain language: who sets the rules, which class your drone falls into, who needs which licence, when and where to request a permit, and what to watch out for across Turkey and Turkey. Our team across Turkey does drone and video production, so we settle these questions with the client before every shoot.

Important: This article is general information, not legal advice. The new instruction has a transition period until 31 July 2027, and implementation details may change during that time. Before any flight, check the current position with Turkey's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) through its official channels. The official sources we relied on are listed at the end.

Who sets the drone rules? Key terms

Civil drone use in Turkey (officially "unmanned aircraft", İHA in Turkish) is regulated by Turkey's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM), part of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The legal basis is Turkish Civil Aviation Law No. 2920; the detailed rules are set in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Instruction (SHT-İHA). The new instruction published on 30 July 2026 repealed the previous SHT-İHA that had applied since 2016.

The biggest change in the new system: flight privileges no longer depend on the weight of the drone but on the pilot's licence level. Key terms you will see:

İHATTYS: The Unmanned Aircraft Tracking and Traffic Management System — the single digital platform (web and mobile app) for registration, flight permits, the zone map and flight notifications.
Simple UAV (toy): A drone that by design cannot leave a cylinder 10 metres in radius and 20 metres high. It is exempt from licensing, registration and certification.
Green zone: Areas where you may fly without a permit below a set altitude.
Red zone: Areas closed to drones by the competent authorities.
Orange zone: Areas temporarily marked on the map because someone else holds a permit or allocation there.
VLOS: Flying while keeping the drone in direct visual sight. P0 and P1 flights under the new instruction are VLOS flights.

Drone classes, registration and pilot licences

The instruction divides drones into four classes by maximum take-off mass. The class alone does not decide what you may do, though; the licence and the zone do.

Class	Maximum take-off mass	Note
Simple UAV (toy)	Within M0 specs and unable to leave the 10 m / 20 m envelope	No licence, registration or certification; may not enter red zones
M0	500 g – 4 kg	Drones under 500 g that do not meet the toy definition also follow M0 rules
M1	4 kg – 25 kg	Safety and conformity declaration
M2	25 kg – 150 kg	SHGM airworthiness certificate
M3	150 kg and above	SHGM airworthiness certificate

Pilot licences come in three levels, independent of the drone's class:

Licence	For	Flight limits	Night	Minimum age
P0 (Amateur)	Non-commercial, hobby flights	VLOS; max 120 m height and 3,000 m horizontal distance	No, daytime only	10
P1 (Commercial)	Commercial filming and flights	VLOS; max 120 m height and 3,000 m horizontal distance	Yes with suitable equipment; SHGM may require an observer	18
P2	High-risk operations such as BVLOS, autonomous, over-crowd and transport flights	Corridor or allocated volume; above 120 m only with coordination	Depends on scope	18

Other rules worth knowing:

Registration: Every user except toy-class drone users must register with SHGM through İHATTYS. P2 flights beyond 120 metres in height or 3,000 metres horizontally also require the aircraft itself to be registered (tescil).
How to get a licence: After training and passing the exam at an authorised training organisation, you first receive a "diploma licence", then an "operational licence" that actually authorises flying. A diploma licence alone does not let you fly.
P2 and operators: P2 flights may only be carried out within a licensed operator. There is no operator requirement for P0 and P1.
Technical requirements: Drones subject to registration need remote identification, geofencing, SHGM's compliance software module and software certification. A drone whose registration has not been verified must be designed so it cannot leave the default 10 m / 20 m envelope.
Transition period: Drones already in use when the instruction took effect must complete registration and technical conversion by 31 July 2027. Holders of the old İHA-0 certificate move to P0 through a transition training, İHA-1 holders to P1, and İHA-2 and İHA-3 holders to P2; existing documents stay valid until that date provided the transition is completed.

When do you need a drone permit and where do you apply?

The core rule of the new instruction: every area outside a green zone counts as restricted. In other words, "no permit needed" is the exception and "permit needed" is the default.

Zone	Position for P0 and P1 pilots
Green zone	No separate permit through the system; set altitude and conditions apply
Uncoloured areas (outside green/red/orange)	SHGM permit required; decided with the consent of the local governor's office
Red zone	Consent of the authority that closed the area (and the Presidency where needed), an SHGM permit and a NOTAM are required; no consent, no permit
Orange zone	Someone else's permit area; you may fly only if multi-user flights were approved, and only with a permit

Where do you apply? Under the new instruction, registration, flight permit, notification and airspace allocation requests go through İHATTYS (ihatakip.shgm.gov.tr and the İHATTYS mobile app); applications made any other way are not considered. A permitted area shows as orange on the map for the duration of the permit. P0 and P1 pilots must also check the public İHATTYS map for current zones and drone traffic before every flight.

During the transition: Under the instruction, until İHATTYS is fully launched and announced by SHGM, the registration and permit procedures of the old rules may also apply. As of late September 2026, the İHATTYS website still shows a "temporary registration" link, the old registration system (iha.shgm.gov.tr) is still online, and the İHATTYS FAQ asks for commercial flights in red zones to be applied for at least 5 working days in advance under the old procedure. So do not leave a permit-dependent shoot to the last day, and confirm with SHGM which channel applies before you apply.

For beyond-visual-line-of-sight (P2) operations, the requested airspace can be reserved as an "allocated volume", charged per cubic metre and day. Standard shoots such as a promotional film or Reels usually stay within P1.

No-fly and restricted zones across Turkey and Turkey

"Is drone filming banned?" The short answer: there is no general ban, but areas open to flying without a permit are limited. The main points when planning a shoot across Turkey and Turkey:

Airports: The areas around Turkey Airport and Gazipaşa-Turkey Airport are controlled airspace. The new instruction does not set a fixed distance for airports; the boundaries are published on the İHATTYS map. For a hotel, residential complex or plot near an airport, plan the permit process from the start.
Military and security areas: Areas closed by the competent authorities are red zones; without that authority's consent there is no permit.
Crowds: Flying over crowds falls under P2. Busy beaches in season, concerts, weddings and festivals therefore cannot be filmed with a standard P1 flight; frame the shot so the drone never passes over the crowd.
Protected sites and private property: Check the map for red zones. On top of that, archaeological sites, parks or private property managers may have their own filming rules; airspace permission does not replace the landowner's consent.
Privacy: SHGM states that drone owners and pilots must respect private life, and that the Turkish Penal Code applies otherwise. Keep balconies, pool areas and windows out of the shot list; Turkey's personal data protection law (KVKK) also applies.

We deliberately give no coordinates or "you can fly at this beach" lists: the maps are dynamic and orange zones change with each permit. The current İHATTYS map is always the right source.

What to ask a drone operator before a commercial shoot

If you are commissioning a shoot for a hotel, property development, restaurant or brand, ask for written answers to these questions at quote stage:

1. Pilot licence: Does the pilot hold a P1 licence (or, during the transition, a still-valid İHA-1 or higher certificate) for commercial work?

2. Drone registration: Is the drone registered with SHGM, and what is the plan for the technical conversion during the transition?

3. Location permit status: Is the location in a green zone? If a permit is needed, who applies and when?

4. Crowd plan: If people are present, how will flights over them be avoided?

5. Insurance: SHGM's İHATTYS website states that drones used commercially need third-party liability insurance; ask to see the policy.

6. Weather plan: How is a backup date set if wind or rain stops the shoot?

7. Privacy: How will neighbouring buildings, guests and faces be handled?

8. Music licence: Is the music for Reels and ads licensed? Music that only looks copyright-free can cause problems for an ad account.

We apply the same list to our own work: our licensed pilot, based at our Turkey office, flies an SHGM-registered drone, and our video editor handles the edit. We check the permit status of the flight location before the shoot and reschedule with you if the weather is not suitable. The details are on our Turkey drone filming page.

Footage rarely stays in one place. Hotels use it as a hero video on a hotel website; property businesses use it on listing and project pages of a real estate website. If it is going on social media, our Turkey social media management and Turkey social media agency services turn the same shoot into Reels and a posting plan. If you want the rules for property listings on social media as well, see our article on real estate social media listing rules.

Visiting Turkey with your own drone

Plenty of visitors to Turkey and Turkey want to film their holiday with their own drone. What we could verify in official sources:

Import conformity letter: The instruction makes an import conformity letter from SHGM mandatory when a drone is imported. SHGM's import page lists the serial number, a conformity document, a product catalogue, the invoice and ID details for a security check among the required documents.
Drones carried by passengers: Under the new instruction, drones brought in by passengers or individually must also have the compliance software module; if not, they cannot be registered or flown in Turkish airspace. The list of manufacturers that have completed integration on the İHATTYS website is short for now.
3-day rule: According to SHGM's registration pages, drones brought in individually from abroad must be registered in the system within three days at the latest.
Registration as a foreign national: In the old registration system, foreigners whose identity cannot be verified through Turkey's central civil registry (MERNIS) are rejected, and a residence or work permit plus a translated criminal record certificate are required. The process is not designed for short-stay tourists.
Foreign licences and registrations: Foreign pilot licences are assessed by SHGM and can be converted to P1 or P2 after difference training. Foreign-registered drones that are not compatible with İHATTYS cannot be flown in Turkey.

We could not verify the current customs procedure on an official page of Turkey's Ministry of Trade. We recommend contacting SHGM in writing before you travel. For a few minutes of aerial footage, working with a local licensed operator is usually the simplest route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to fly a drone in Turkey?

Drones other than toy-class models need SHGM registration and a pilot licence; commercial filming needs at least P1. The flight permit depends on the zone: in green zones on the İHATTYS map P0 and P1 pilots need no separate permit, while everywhere outside green zones a permit is required.

Where do I apply for a drone flight permit in Turkey?

Under the new instruction, permit applications go through SHGM's İHATTYS platform (ihatakip.shgm.gov.tr and the mobile app). In uncoloured areas the decision is taken with the local governor's consent; red zones also need the consent of the authority that closed them and a NOTAM. During the transition, confirm with SHGM which channel applies.

Do drones under 250 grams need a licence and registration?

Under the new instruction, weight alone does not give an exemption. Only a "Simple UAV" that by design cannot leave a 10 m radius and 20 m height is exempt. Drones under 500 g that do not meet this definition follow M0 rules, so registration and licensing apply.

Can I film with a drone at night?

A P0 (amateur) licence allows daytime flights only. A P1 (commercial) licence allows night operations with suitable equipment; the drone must be sufficiently visible and SHGM may require an observer. Zone permit rules apply at night as well.

Is my old İHA-0 or İHA-1 certificate still valid?

Yes, subject to transition. İHA-0 holders complete P0 transition training via KDM-ORG; İHA-1 certificates are converted to P1, and İHA-2 and İHA-3 licences to P2. Existing documents stay valid provided the transition is completed by 31 July 2027.

What are the penalties for flying a drone without a permit?

Flying without a permit where one is required is subject to the penalty provisions of Law No. 2920 and SHGM's administrative fines regulation. Under the instruction, pilots who break the rules can have their licence suspended for one month to two years; a repeat leads to cancellation with no new licence for five years.

Conclusion

Drone filming in Turkey is not banned, but it is rule-based: the right licence, a registered drone, the right zone and, where needed, a permit obtained in time. The new 2026 instruction simplifies the system, but until 31 July 2027 old and new procedures run side by side. This article is general information; rules may change, so SHGM and İHATTYS always have the final word.

If you need aerial footage for a hotel, property project or brand, let us handle the licence and permit side for you. Send a shoot request through our Turkey drone filming service page and we will settle the location, permit status and shot plan together.

Sources

All sources were checked on 28 September 2026.