You bought a drone abroad, it arrived, you charged the battery, and you're ready to fly. But there's one step almost nobody mentions before you buy: in Brazil, a drone isn't just a flying toy. It's officially classified as a telecommunications device. And telecommunications devices require approval from ANATEL.
In May 2026, things got more serious. ANATEL tightened the rules for imported drones, and a lot of people who thought they were in the clear found out they weren't. This guide walks you through the real process, step by step, with the actual documents you'll need.
First things first: there are three different agencies, and one doesn't replace the others
This is the first point of confusion, and it causes the most headaches. There are three agencies involved in flying a drone in Brazil, and each one handles something completely different:
- ANATEL oversees the device itself. A drone transmits radio signals (control, video, Wi-Fi, GPS), so it must be registered as a telecommunications product.
- ANAC handles the registration of the drone and its operator through a system called SISANT.
- DECEA manages the actual flights: where you can fly, how high, and how far from airports. That's handled through the SARPAS system.
Remember this: having one doesn't exempt you from the others. I've seen people with their ANAC registration up to date who thought they were good to go, not realizing their drone had never gone through ANATEL.
When you need to register (and when you don't)
The rule here is simple and depends on where you bought your drone:
Bought from an official retailer in Brazil? You don't need to do anything. Models sold through official distributors arrive already approved, with the ANATEL seal. The company handled the process for you, for the entire product line.
Imported it yourself? Then it's your responsibility. You handle the registration yourself through a process called a Declaration of Conformity. The good news is that it's free. The bad news is it takes some effort and only applies to that specific unit, identified by its serial number. It doesn't cover the model in general, and it doesn't allow resale.
The May 2026 rule change that tightened everything
This is the biggest change, and a lot of older content online hasn't caught up yet. Starting in May 2026, ANATEL began requiring a purchase invoice (the international receipt) to register an imported drone. Without that document, the process goes nowhere.
And there's a detail that trips a lot of people up: the invoice must be for a single unit. ANATEL's reasoning is that one unit indicates personal use. If multiple units appear on the same document, that looks like resale—and resale requires a full certification process, which is a whole other level of bureaucracy (and expense).
So if you bought two drones on the same invoice thinking you'd give one as a gift, get ready for complications. The ideal situation is: one purchase, one invoice, one registration.
The real step-by-step process
The process is done through ANATEL's SEI system, the electronic filing platform, and you access it with your gov.br account. No middleman needed, no fees to pay. Just patience and the right documents.
In practice, here's what you'll need to attach:
- Declaration of Conformity for the drone. This is the main document, where you declare the device's technical details: manufacturer, model, serial number, and the frequencies it uses.
- Photo report of the drone. Photos of the device clearly showing the model and the label with the serial number. This proves the drone exists and is the one you're registering.
- Photo report of the purchase receipt. The invoice from the original retailer, proving the purchase and that it was a single unit.
- Electronic filing confirmation. The system generates this automatically when you complete the submission. It's your proof that you filed.
After you submit, the case gets routed to a technical unit at ANATEL and enters the review queue. In the process I followed personally, the filing was submitted on a Saturday and showed up as received by the responsible unit two days later. After that, it's a waiting game.
A practical tip: take your photos in good lighting and make sure the serial number label is clearly readable. A blurry or illegible document is grounds for a correction request—which means starting the wait all over again.
The 250-gram trap
Now for the detail that confuses most people who bought a smaller drone—and one that's worth understanding clearly.
ANAC exempts drones with a maximum takeoff weight of up to 250 grams from the SISANT registration requirement. That's why lighter models became so popular: they're designed to stay under that threshold and avoid that particular rule.
The problem is the wrong conclusion a lot of people draw from this. Weighing under 250 grams does not exempt a drone from ANATEL. These are completely different criteria: ANAC looks at weight, ANATEL looks at whether the device transmits radio signals. And every drone does—otherwise the controller wouldn't work.
In other words: a 151-gram drone bought outside Brazil is exempt from ANAC registration, but still needs ANATEL approval. That's exactly where most people slip up.
What if the drone is over 250 grams?
Then you also need to register with SISANT, ANAC's system, and that registration is required before your first flight. The key points:
- It's free and done online, and takes less than half an hour.
- The operator must be 18 or older and have a Brazilian CPF number.
- The registration lasts two years and must be renewed.
- The generated code must be affixed to the drone. Flying without it is a violation.
On top of that, flying a drone over 250 grams in a populated area requires the RETA insurance, which covers third-party damages. This comes at a cost and must be purchased separately.
Where you can actually fly
Having your paperwork in order doesn't mean the skies are wide open. DECEA controls Brazilian airspace, and it's through DECEA that you request flight authorization via the SARPAS system. There are restricted areas, minimum distances from airports, and altitude limits that must be followed.
Common sense applies too: even with all the proper authorizations, flying over people, buildings, or someone else's property is a recipe for trouble—and not just with regulators.
What happens if you ignore all of this
Flying an unregistered drone is a violation, and the consequences aren't just theoretical. ANATEL can impose fines and seize the equipment. Worth noting: the approval requirement applies to both the drone and the controller, with separate registration numbers, because both devices transmit signals.
On the ANAC side, flying a drone over 250 grams without the SISANT code affixed is a violation under drone regulations. These are independent processes, so you can be cited by more than one agency for the same flight.
So is it worth importing?
That depends on how much you value your time. Buying the Brazilian version from an official retailer costs more, but it arrives already approved, with local warranty, and zero paperwork on your end. Importing is cheaper upfront, but you take on the registration process, the risk of import taxes, and the wait for review.
If you do import, here's the path: keep the invoice for a single unit, take clear photos of the serial number, file the Declaration of Conformity through SEI with your gov.br account, and only then think about taking off. And if the drone is over 250 grams, add the ANAC registration to your list.
Annoying? Sure. But it's the price of flying with peace of mind—without the risk of watching your brand-new drone get confiscated during an inspection.
