UA Operator and Activity Permits

Depending on the unmanned aircraft (UA) used, the purpose and location of the intended UA activity, users may need to obtain the requisite permits before operating a UA.

Types of Permit

Operator Permit

CAAS grants an Operator Permit to an organisation or individual that demonstrates the ability to operate the Unmanned Aircraft (UA) safely. The assessment will include, but not limited to, the applicant’s organisational set-up, procedures to manage safety including the conduct of safety risk assessments, airworthiness of each of UA, and competency of the personnel involved in the flying of the UA. The Operator Permit is valid for one year.

Please click here for the list of UA Operator Permit Holders. This list is updated on a regular basis.

* All Operator Permit holders will also be required to subscribe to the Centralised Flight Management System (CFMS) service and attach a UA tracker on their UA before operating a UA from 1 June 2022. For more information on CFMS, please refer to the Advisory Circular titled “Centralised Flight Management System” here.

Activity Permit

CAAS grants an Activity Permit to an organisation or individual for a single activity or a block of repeated activities to be carried out by a UA taking into account the location(s) of operation, type(s) of operation to be conducted, date(s) / time(s) during which the operation(s) to be conducted, operating altitude and mitigation measures to address location-specific circumstances.

There are two types of activity permits:

A Class 1 Activity Permit is required for UA activities conducted for purposes that are not recreational or educational in nature; or if the UA to be used for recreational purposes is over 25 kilograms in total mass; or if the UA to be used for educational purposes is over 7 kilograms in total mass. A Class 1 Activity Permit is not valid without a UA Operator Permit.

A Class 2 Activity Permit is required for UA activities conducted outdoors if the UA to be used for recreational purposes is 25 kilograms or below in total mass; or if UA to be used for educational purposes is 7 kilograms or below in total mass; and when the planned activity meets any of the following conditions:
- Operating altitude higher than 200 feet (approx. 60 metres) above mean sea level (AMSL);
- Within 5 kilometres of any civil aerodrome or military airbase; or
- Within any restricted, danger or protected area.

Application Processing Time

The average processing time of applications are as stated below. Please note that the processing time is subject to the complexity of the proposed UA operations and the full submission of all required supporting documents.

Type of Application	Processing Time
Operator Permit	10 working days
Activity Permit	5 working days
CFMS UA Tracker	7 working days (inclusive of collection lead time)

Processing Fees

The applicable fees are listed as follows:

Type of Application		Fees
Operator Permit (valid for up to one year)	1st UA type	$650
	2nd UA and onwards (of different type from the 1st UA)	$450
	Renewal	$250
Class 1 Activity Permit	Each activity or block of different dates/times of the same activity (i.e. same location, same type of operations, same UA type)	$90
Class 1 Activity Permit	Repeat/ variation of activity (i.e. same as previously approved Activity Permit with new dates/times only)	$35
Class 2 Activity Permit	Each activity or block of different dates/times of the same activity (i.e. same location, same type of operations, same UA type)	$85
Class 2 Activity Permit	Repeat/ variation of activity (i.e. same as previously approved Activity Permit with new dates/times only)	$28
Centralised Flight Management System	Annual Subscription Fee	$200
	FlyItSafe Mobile App	Free
	UA Tracker	$265 (subject to prevailing GST)

Application Steps

To obtain a permit and/or CFMS UA tracker, users will need to do the following:

1	Prepare eSOMS account A SingPass/CorpPass account is required to access the Enterprise Safety Oversight Management System (eSOMS) to apply for an Operator and/or Activity Permit, as well as to purchase a CFMS UA tracker. Please refer to this user guide for information on how to login.
2	Prepare supporting documents Various documents are required to be submitted for the application of an Operator and/or Activity Permit. Users should prepare these documents prior to the submission of a permit application. Refer to the Advisory Circular "Permits for Unmanned Aircraft Operations" here for more information required to be submitted for a permit application.
3	Submit permit application Submit a permit application via eSOMS. Please click here to access eSOMS. Refer to this user guide for information on how to navigate eSOMS. * Please note that to apply for a Class 1 Activity Permit, applicants are first required to hold a valid Operator Permit. Applicants for a Class 2 Activity Permit are not required to hold an Operator Permit.
4	Purchase CFMS UA tracker If a user is operating a UA above 250g, the user may purchase a CFMS UA tracker via eSOMS upon the approval of their Operator Permit. Please click here to access eSOMS. Refer to this user guide for information on how to navigate eSOMS.
5	Attach CFMS UA tracker Before the start of any UA operation, Operator Permit holders are required to attach a CFMS UA tracker on their UA, if its total weight exceeds 250g. Please click here for more details on the attachment of a CFMS UA tracker.
6	Logon to FlyItSafe mobile app After attaching a CFMS UA tracker, the user may log on to the CFMS FlyItSafe mobile app to commence their UA operation. Please click here to download the FlyItSafe mobile app. Refer to this user guide for information on how to navigate the FlyItSafe mobile app.

Refer to the advisory circular titled "Permits for Unmanned Aircraft Operations" for more information on permit requirements.