Burkina Faso BF
Burkina Faso is one of the few African countries with a codified, on-paper permissive civil drone framework (ANAC decree and Law N°028-2021), which formally allows registered hobbyist and visitor drone use. In practice, none of that matters for tourism right now: the country is under a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' US State Department advisory (and similarly severe advisories from other governments) due to active jihadist insurgency, terrorism and kidnapping-for-ransom targeting foreigners, with large parts of the country outside government control. Both the military (Bayraktar TB2 armed drones) and jihadist groups (FPV drones dropping IEDs, civilian drones used for surveillance) actively use drones in the ongoing conflict, so a visitor carrying one risks being treated as a security threat quite apart from any paperwork. Travel itself is not advisable, and flying a drone is not realistic or safe.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
Visitors can't fly drones in Burkina Faso
- Do not travel — Level 4 advisory: active jihadist insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping
The US State Department (most recently updated 4 May 2026) advises 'Do Not Travel' to Burkina Faso for any reason, citing crime, kidnapping, terrorism and health risks; other governments' advisories are similarly severe. Terrorist and armed groups (including JNIM, an Al-Qaeda-aligned coalition) control or contest significant territory and specifically target foreigners for kidnapping. Both Burkinabe government forces (which operate Bayraktar TB2 armed drones) and jihadist groups (which have used FPV drones to drop IEDs and civilian drones for surveillance, e.g. at Djibo in February 2025 and Diapaga in March 2025) actively use drones in the conflict. In this environment, carrying any drone — even for tourism — risks being mistaken for surveillance or hostile activity, on top of the general danger of travelling to the country at all.
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Burkina Faso is one of the few African countries with a codified, on-paper permissive civil drone framework (ANAC decree and Law N°028-2021), which formally allows registered hobbyist and visitor drone use. In practice, none of that matters for tourism right now: the country is under a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' US State Department advisory (and similarly severe advisories from other governments) due to active jihadist insurgency, terrorism and kidnapping-for-ransom targeting foreigners, with large parts of the country outside government control. Both the military (Bayraktar TB2 armed drones) and jihadist groups (FPV drones dropping IEDs, civilian drones used for surveillance) actively use drones in the ongoing conflict, so a visitor carrying one risks being treated as a security threat quite apart from any paperwork. Travel itself is not advisable, and flying a drone is not realistic or safe.
Flying
- On paper, ANAC-BF's framework (Decree N°2019-0013 and Law N°028-2021) is relatively permissive: registered hobbyist and visitor drone flights are formally allowed, subject to registration and a remote pilot certificate/licence
- Given the Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory and active insurgency, treat recreational drone flying as unsafe and inadvisable regardless of the formal legal framework — this is a security-driven override, not a legal one
- Where the legal framework is followed: maximum altitude 150 m (500 ft) AGL, minimum 50 m horizontal separation from people/buildings/vehicles, and drones under 25 kg without a type certificate are exempt from airworthiness certification
- Foreign visitors are formally required to register their drone with ANAC, hold a remote pilot certificate (VLOS, age 18+, theoretical and practical training, Class 3 medical, 24-month competency declaration) or licence (BVLOS), provide a residence certificate copy, and pass a moral/background check — a process reported to need at least 3 months' advance application
- Both government forces and jihadist groups actively use drones in the conflict, meaning an unexplained civilian drone may draw serious security scrutiny independent of any ANAC paperwork
Commercial use: Commercial drone use follows the same ANAC framework at a heavier level (liability insurance required, BVLOS licence for non-VLOS work), but no professional operation should be considered without directly and currently reassessing the security situation with ANAC and your government's travel advisory service.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 800 g) Drones under about 800 g are treated as recreational with minimal restrictions; from 800 g up to 150 kg, ANAC identification/registration (marks prefixed 'XT') is required, including for foreign visitors, along with an import authorisation/certificate for the drone. Applications reportedly need to be submitted at least 3 months before the planned operation date — moot in practice given the current security situation. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Yes (mixed, from 800 g) ANAC-BF Remote Pilot Certificate (VLOS) or Remote Pilot Licence (BVLOS). Minimum age 18 for both; requires theoretical training, practical training, a competency declaration and a Class 3 medical certificate. The BVLOS licence involves comprehensive theoretical and practical exams and is valid for life once issued (with 24-month aircraft ratings). |
| Remote ID | No No Remote ID broadcast requirement was found for any operator category. |
| Insurance | Depends Not required for hobbyists or tourists (though recommended); required for commercial operators, who must show proof of liability insurance. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No The formal visitor process (ANAC registration, remote pilot certificate/licence, residence certificate copy, moral background check, ~3 months' lead time) is real on paper, but should not be treated as a reason to visit given the current 'Do Not Travel' advisory. Check current government travel advisories (US, UK, Swiss, or your own government's) before considering travel at all. Drone flying should not be a factor in any near-term travel planning for Burkina Faso. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational, minimal restriction | < 800 g | Treated as a low-risk recreational category with lighter requirements. |
| Standard civil RPAS | 800 g – 150 kg | ANAC identification/registration required (marks prefixed 'XT'), plus a remote pilot certificate or licence depending on VLOS/BVLOS use; drones ≤25 kg without a type certificate are exempt from airworthiness certification. |
| Aircraft-equivalent | > 150 kg | Must follow the regulations applicable to crewed aircraft rather than the civil RPAS framework. |
Import & export
- On paper, an import authorisation/certificate from the competent authorities is required as part of ANAC drone identification. In the current security context, treat bringing a drone into Burkina Faso as something to avoid entirely rather than a paperwork exercise — the country is not a realistic or safe destination for tourism, drone-related or otherwise.
- Formally, applicants for drone identification must provide an import authorisation/certificate for the drone issued by the competent authorities, in addition to ANAC registration paperwork.
- Batteries: Not a practical concern given the overriding travel-safety issue; standard international air-travel lithium-battery limits would apply to any authorised shipment.
- The Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory and active insurgency make this a security question, not a customs question — do not plan to bring a drone to Burkina Faso.
- Both government and insurgent forces use drones in the ongoing conflict, increasing the risk that any civilian drone is treated with serious suspicion.
- If travel is unavoidable for essential (e.g. humanitarian) reasons, coordinate directly and currently with ANAC-BF and your government's travel advisory service rather than relying on this or any general guide.
Export
- Not applicable in the ordinary tourist case given the current security situation.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Remote pilot certificate valid subject to a 24-month competency declaration; remote pilot licence (BVLOS) valid for life with 24-month aircraft ratings. |
|---|---|
| ANAC-BF Remote Pilot Certificate (VLOS) or Remote Pilot Licence (BVLOS) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Drones and travel to Burkina Faso — do not attempt this now Visitors
- Check the travel advisory first
Burkina Faso is rated Level 4 'Do Not Travel' by the US State Department (most recently updated May 2026) due to terrorism, kidnapping and crime; reconsider travel itself before thinking about a drone. Open
- Do not bring a drone
Both government forces and jihadist groups use drones in the active conflict; carrying one risks serious security scrutiny regardless of any ANAC paperwork.
- Ignore the on-paper permissiveness
ANAC-BF's formal rules allow registered hobbyist/visitor drone use, but this framework predates and does not account for the current security crisis.
- If essential travel is unavoidable
Coordinate directly with ANAC-BF (dac@cenatrin.bf) and your government's current travel guidance rather than assuming any published rule still reflects safe practice.
- Monitor official advisories
Revisit your government's travel advisory close to any planned trip, since the security situation can change rapidly.
Sources
- US State Department — Burkina Faso Travel Advisory (Level 4: Do Not Travel, updated 4 May 2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Burkina Faso Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- DefenceWeb — Burkina Faso commissions Bayraktar TB2 UAVs · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Military Africa — Africa's insurgents and terrorists are adopting drones (Feb 2025) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Drone flying banned for visitors−95
- Drone import banned−95
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works