High-risk advisory
Do NOT bring your drone to these 11 countries
In these countries a drone in your luggage means confiscation at the border — and in some, fines or criminal charges. There is no realistic tourist permit path in any of them.
Algeria
Ban — confiscation at entryDo not bring your drone to Algeria.
Drone import requires prior approval from the Ministry of National Defense per Algerian Customs (douane.gov.dz); foreigners do not get it. UAVs are consistently reported confiscated at the point of entry, and espionage-charge risk has been reported. No tourist permit path.
Legal basis: Ministry of National Defense prior-approval import regime per Algerian Customs (douane.gov.dz); DACM civil-use prohibition
Cuba
Import banDo not bring your drone to Cuba.
Traveler drone import is prohibited (Aduana de Cuba; controls tightened 2024-2025). Confiscation at the airport into bonded storage: a receipt is issued; return on departure is not guaranteed (official Canadian advice says simply 'confiscated upon entry'). Legal flying requires ~5 authorizations and an IACC-accredited local operator — you cannot fly your own drone.
Legal basis: Cuban customs (Aduana) import prohibition
Egypt
Total banDo not bring your drone to Egypt.
Import, manufacture, sale, possession and use are banned without Ministry of Defense authorization. Confiscation at airport customs even when voluntarily declared (a receipt is usually issued; return on departure is not guaranteed). Use: 5,000-50,000 EGP fines and 1-7 years imprisonment. No tourist permit path.
Legal basis: Law No. 216 of 2017; Executive Regulations 931/2018
India
Effective ban for foreignersDo not bring your drone to India.
DGFT banned the import of foreign-built consumer drones (Feb 2022, narrow exceptions); foreign nationals cannot register on Digital Sky or operate drones under the Drone Rules 2021. Drones must be declared at the Red Channel; DJI drones are frequently confiscated at airports (106 units seized at Delhi IGI in one case). Flying: penalties up to INR 100,000 (Rule 50) plus Aircraft Act offences. Sub-250 g nano is a paper grey-area but the import restriction still applies.
Legal basis: DGFT Notification Feb 2022 (import); Drone Rules 2021 (operation)
Iran
Ban — confiscation at entryDo not bring your drone to Iran.
CAO Iran bans private/recreational drone use; repeated reports of customs confiscation at entry; espionage prosecutions of foreigners with drones have occurred — detention risk is real. No reliable tourist permit path.
Legal basis: CAO Iran prohibition — practice-confirmed; no primary legal text verified
Madagascar
Permit wall — confiscation without pre-authorizationDo not bring your drone to Madagascar without ACM pre-authorization.
Since mid-2025 the ACM requires mandatory registration for ALL drones, tourists included (toy exception only for under 100 m range, no camera); the portal is in development — email drone@acm.mg before arrival. Flight permits take 30-60 days and need Ministry of Defense approval plus insurance. Without prior authorization, confiscation on arrival is near-certain. No first-party official source has been verified — confirm directly with ACM before travel.
Legal basis: ACM registration regime (mid-2025); Ministry of Defense flight approval
Morocco
Import banDo not bring your drone to Morocco.
Import has been prohibited since Feb/Mar 2015 without prior authorization (effectively never granted to tourists). X-ray detection at airports; confiscation. If voluntarily declared: bonded storage (~201 MAD) with return on departure; undeclared: ~1,165 MAD fine plus seizure, often permanent. No toy/sub-250 g exception.
Legal basis: 2015 customs/ANRT import prohibition; DGAC permission required per UK FCDO travel advice
Nicaragua
Ban — confiscation at entryDo not bring your drone to Nicaragua.
Complete ban on consumer drone import and use; criminal penalties are possible for drone OWNERSHIP per the official US Embassy Managua alert (2024-12-19). Owners were ordered to surrender drones to the Ministry of Interior by 2025-01-10. A first-hand Sep-2025 report of confiscation at Managua airport corroborates aggregator listings.
Legal basis: Law for the Regulation and Use of Unmanned Air, Naval and Land Resources (Dec 2024); owners ordered to surrender drones to Ministry of Interior by 2025-01-10
North Korea
Total banDo not bring your drone to North Korea.
Drone flight is limited to government entities (GACA); tourists may not bring any drone; all electronics are inspected at entry.
Legal basis: GACA restriction
Senegal
Ban — confiscation at entryDo not bring your drone to Senegal.
Camera-drone flights have been banned nationwide without express authorization since 2014 (ministerial decree n°07212); ANACIM banned recreational/private drone flights nationwide in January 2026 after the national-team parade incident. Sanctions apply per decree n°2025-1750. Risk of confiscation at the border.
Legal basis: Ministerial decree n°07212 (29 Apr 2014, camera drones); ANACIM nationwide recreational ban (Jan 2026); decree n°2025-1750 (penalties, 24 Oct 2025)
Uzbekistan
Import & use ban (softening)Do not bring your drone to Uzbekistan.
Import, sale and use banned since 1 Jan 2015; criminalized in 2019 (Criminal Code Art. 244-4). A March-2024 law downgraded first offences to administrative liability (fine of roughly USD 270-540) but still mandates confiscation of the UAV; voluntary surrender exempts from liability. The Feb-2026 reform opens imports for legal entities only — not tourists. Filming permits exist only via a multi-ministry process for organized productions.
Legal basis: Cabinet of Ministers resolution (2015); Criminal Code Art. 244-4 (2019); March 2024 amendment