Gabon GA
Gabon regulates all drones under ANAC decree RAG 7.1: every unmanned aircraft must be registered/identified with the Agence Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ANAC), and a flight authorisation application must be submitted at least 7 days before flying, with commercial operators additionally needing a pilot licence and insurance. Visitors do not need a pilot licence for non-commercial flying, but do need to register the drone and get ANAC authorisation. Gabon's national parks (Loango, Ivindo, etc.) are managed by a separate parks agency; no drone-specific park rule was confirmed, so assume separate park permission is needed for any flight inside one.
Your plan
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1 thing to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Gabon
Applies to all categories — hobbyists, commercial operators, visitors and government. No registration fee was found published. Allow about 7 days before your trip.
Open official page - Bringing your drone in
No specific personal-effects import allowance for drones was confirmed. Visitors should register the drone and obtain ANAC flight authorisation before travelling; customs treatment of an unregistered/unauthorised drone was not confirmed from an official source but should not be assumed to be trouble-free. Batteries: Standard international lithium-battery air-travel rules are expected to apply; no Gabon-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Before each flight
Every unmanned aircraft operating in Gabon must be identified/registered with ANAC under decree RAG 7.1, regardless of who is flying it (hobbyist, visitor, commercial or government) · A flight authorisation application must be submitted to ANAC at least 7 days before the planned flight, including operator details, aircraft specifications, registration/airworthiness documents and a detailed flight description · Gabon uses a 7-category classification system (A-G) based on propulsion type and maximum take-off mass; most consumer drones fall into the under-25 kg model-aircraft categories
Flying
- Every unmanned aircraft operating in Gabon must be identified/registered with ANAC under decree RAG 7.1, regardless of who is flying it (hobbyist, visitor, commercial or government)
- A flight authorisation application must be submitted to ANAC at least 7 days before the planned flight, including operator details, aircraft specifications, registration/airworthiness documents and a detailed flight description
- Gabon uses a 7-category classification system (A-G) based on propulsion type and maximum take-off mass; most consumer drones fall into the under-25 kg model-aircraft categories
- Maximum altitude is 150 m for the categories covered; visual line of sight is required at all times
- No flying within 15 km of instrument-equipped aerodromes, 3.5 km of final approach areas, or 5 km of other aerodromes without authorisation
- No flying over populated areas unless specifically authorised, and flying near government or military facilities should be avoided
- No drone-specific rule was found for Gabon's national parks (e.g. Loango, Ivindo); treat any park as requiring separate permission from the national parks agency (ANPN) in addition to ANAC authorisation, given the general sensitivity of wildlife areas region-wide
Commercial use: Commercial operators need a remote pilot licence, ANAC registration/airworthiness certification, and liability insurance, on top of the same 7-day-advance flight authorisation application required of everyone.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) Applies to all categories — hobbyists, commercial operators, visitors and government. No registration fee was found published. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes Remote pilot licence (commercial operators only). Not required for hobbyists or visitors flying non-commercially; required for commercial operators and government use. No public exam format or fee was confirmed. |
| Remote ID | No Remote ID is reported as not required for any user category in Gabon. |
| Insurance | Depends Not required (but recommended) for hobbyists and visitors; required for commercial operators as part of the flight authorisation application. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Visitors do not need a pilot licence for non-commercial flying, but do need to register the drone with ANAC and submit a flight authorisation application at least 7 days ahead. No drone-specific national park rule was confirmed; treat Gabon's parks (Loango, Ivindo, Lopé, etc.) as requiring separate authorisation from the national parks agency (ANPN) given the sensitivity of wildlife tourism areas region-wide. Given the relatively short 7-day lead time (versus 30-90+ days in several neighbouring countries), Gabon's process is comparatively realistic for a planned tourist visit, though it is still not something to leave until arrival. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Category A - model aircraft | under 25 kg, specific engine/motor limits | Visual line of sight only; subject to registration and the 7-day-advance flight authorisation. |
| Category D - non-model aircraft | under 2 kg | Subject to registration and flight authorisation; typical consumer camera drones may fall here or in Category A depending on configuration. |
| Category E - non-motorised aircraft | under 25 kg | Subject to registration and flight authorisation. |
| Category G - larger unmanned aircraft | not fully specified in available sources | Subject to fuller certification; not realistic for tourists. |
Import & export
- No specific personal-effects import allowance for drones was confirmed. Visitors should register the drone and obtain ANAC flight authorisation before travelling; customs treatment of an unregistered/unauthorised drone was not confirmed from an official source but should not be assumed to be trouble-free.
- No separate consumer radio-equipment type-approval scheme specific to drones was confirmed from an official source.
- Batteries: Standard international lithium-battery air-travel rules are expected to apply; no Gabon-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Submit the ANAC flight-authorisation application at least 7 days before travel; this covers both registration/identification and the specific flight plan.
- Avoid flying near government or military facilities and stay outside the specified distances from aerodromes.
- Violations are stated to be 'punishable under the applicable statutes,' but specific penalty amounts were not confirmed from an official source.
Export
- No drone-specific export ban was found; general Gabonese export-control rules would apply to any dual-use or restricted UAV technology.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Registration/identification is issued by ANAC as part of the flight authorisation process; validity period and fees were not confirmed from an official source. |
|---|---|
| Remote pilot licence (commercial operators only) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Gabon as a visitor Visitors
- Apply to ANAC at least 7 days before travel
Submit operator details, drone specifications and a flight description to register the drone and request flight authorisation. Open
- Stay within the standard operating limits
150 m altitude, visual line of sight, and the specified distances from aerodromes (15 km from instrument-equipped ones, 5 km from others).
- Ask ANPN before flying in any national park
No specific park rule was confirmed, so contact Gabon's national parks agency separately if Loango, Ivindo or another park is on your itinerary.
- Avoid government and military sites
Keep well clear of any government or military facility, in addition to the standard airspace restrictions.
- Keep it non-commercial to skip the pilot-licence requirement
A remote pilot licence and insurance are only required for commercial operation; ordinary personal/tourist flying does not need them.
Sources
- ANAC Gabon - Agence Nationale de l'Aviation Civile · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com - Gabon Drone Laws · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−15
- Pilot test (unknown)−5
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight unknown−3
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Import restricted−25
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works