Western Sahara EH
Western Sahara is a disputed, largely non-self-governing territory: the area west of the militarised 'Berm' buffer zone (including the main cities and tourist areas, e.g. Laayoune and Dakhla) is administered by Morocco, while territory to its south and east is controlled by the Polisario Front (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic). In the Moroccan-administered area, Moroccan law applies in practice — including Morocco's 2015 ban on civilian drone import, possession and use (Arrêté n°386-15). There is no separate Sahrawi civil aviation process available to tourists. A militarised buffer zone with landmines runs along and east of the Berm, and several governments advise against travel to it.
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Visitors can't fly drones in Western Sahara
- Disputed territory: Moroccan drone ban applies, and a militarised buffer zone exists near the Berm
Western Sahara's sovereignty is disputed and internationally unresolved. In the Moroccan-administered part of the territory (where almost all tourism happens), Morocco's nationwide civilian drone ban applies in practice, exactly as in Morocco itself — expect confiscation at airports and borders. Separately, several governments (including the UK FCDO) advise against all travel to the militarised 'Berm' buffer zone and the territory it separates, citing landmines and the risk of cross-border rocket fire. Treat this as two distinct risks: a drone-specific legal ban everywhere Morocco administers, and a conflict/landmine risk concentrated near and east of the Berm.
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Western Sahara is a disputed, largely non-self-governing territory: the area west of the militarised 'Berm' buffer zone (including the main cities and tourist areas, e.g. Laayoune and Dakhla) is administered by Morocco, while territory to its south and east is controlled by the Polisario Front (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic). In the Moroccan-administered area, Moroccan law applies in practice — including Morocco's 2015 ban on civilian drone import, possession and use (Arrêté n°386-15). There is no separate Sahrawi civil aviation process available to tourists. A militarised buffer zone with landmines runs along and east of the Berm, and several governments advise against travel to it.
Flying
- Civilian drone import and use is banned for individuals under Moroccan Arrêté n°386-15 (2015), which is applied in the Moroccan-administered part of Western Sahara exactly as in Morocco itself
- There is no tourist permit route; authorisation under Arrêté n°1560-17 is granted only case-by-case, typically to professional productions with a Moroccan sponsor/fixer and security clearance
- Airports and checkpoints screen for drones; an undeclared drone found this way usually means confiscation and a fine
- No small-drone or toy-drone exemption exists — even sub-250 g camera drones are treated the same as larger ones
- Separately from the drone ban, a militarised buffer zone with landmines runs along and east of the Berm; several governments advise against all travel there regardless of any drone question
Commercial use: Only pre-approved by Moroccan DGAC on a case-by-case basis, almost always arranged through a licensed Moroccan (or Moroccan-administered-territory) production company or fixer who handles the security clearance and paperwork; there is no walk-up commercial permit for visiting crews.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use No public registration portal exists for individuals or tourists. As in Morocco itself, case-by-case authorisation for professional productions is arranged through a local production company/fixer rather than a self-service registration system. There is no separate Sahrawi/Polisario-administered registration process available to tourists. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public pilot test/certificate scheme found for individuals. No publicly documented recreational or general pilot-certification scheme was found; professional operations are authorised case-by-case rather than through a standard licence exam, mirroring Morocco's own framework. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No Remote ID requirement was found; the framework is built around an import/use prohibition and case-by-case authorisation rather than in-flight identification broadcast. |
| Insurance | Unknown No public information found on insurance requirements for drones; likely negotiated case-by-case for any authorised professional production, as in Morocco. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Ordinary tourists cannot realistically obtain authorisation to fly a drone anywhere in Western Sahara — treat recreational/tourist droning as banned in practice, exactly as in Morocco. The only viable path for professional footage is hiring a Moroccan-licensed production company or fixer, who apply for case-by-case DGAC authorisation; budget several weeks. Check current government travel advice before visiting, since parts of the territory (the Berm buffer zone and areas to its south/east) carry a distinct 'do not travel' advisory unrelated to the drone rules. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight | Import and civilian use banned for individuals under the Moroccan framework applied in the Moroccan-administered part of the territory; no small-drone or toy-drone exemption. |
| Authorised professional/production use | any weight | Case-by-case Moroccan DGAC authorisation only, typically arranged via a production company or fixer with security clearance. |
Import & export
- None. As in Morocco, personal/tourist drones have no duty-free or personal-use allowance in the Moroccan-administered part of the territory — import is prohibited outright without prior case-by-case authorisation.
- The same Moroccan special import licence regime (Arrêté n°386-15 under Law 13-89) applies in practice; it is not available to individual tourists.
- Batteries: Not applicable in practice for tourists, since the drone itself cannot legally be imported; standard airline lithium-battery rules would apply only to an authorised professional shipment.
- Airport/border security screening routinely detects undeclared drones; declaring one on arrival may only get it held in bond (not guaranteed), while an undeclared drone found later risks confiscation and a fine.
- There is no separate Sahrawi/Polisario-administered customs process available to ordinary tourists; almost all tourist access is through the Moroccan-administered part of the territory.
- Beyond the drone-specific ban, do not travel with any equipment into the militarised buffer zone near or east of the Berm — this area carries landmine and conflict risk independent of any drone question.
Export
- Not applicable in the ordinary tourist case since import itself is banned; authorised professional equipment is typically re-exported under the same case-by-case DGAC approval it entered under.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not applicable to individuals; professional authorisations are granted per project/case-by-case rather than as a time-limited registration. |
|---|---|
| No public pilot test/certificate scheme found for individuals | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Western Sahara as a visitor — and what to do instead Visitors
- Assume you cannot fly, anywhere in the territory
The Moroccan-administered part applies Morocco's 2015 civilian drone ban (Arrêté n°386-15); there is no tourist permit to apply for.
- Leave your drone at home
Airport and checkpoint security routinely detects drones; an undeclared one risks confiscation and a fine.
- Check current travel advice for the Berm area separately
Several governments advise against all travel to the militarised buffer zone near and east of the Berm due to landmines and the risk of cross-border rocket fire — this is a separate risk from the drone ban. Open
- Need aerial footage? Hire locally
Contact a Moroccan production company or fixer who holds, or can apply for, case-by-case DGAC authorisation; budget several weeks for approval.
- If you do have authorisation
Keep the drone within visual line of sight and stay well clear of military, security and disputed-boundary areas.
Sources
- UK FCDO — Western Sahara travel advice · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC), Morocco · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Morocco Beat — Drone Laws in Morocco 2026: Why They Are Restricted and How to Fly Legally · 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