Guinea-Bissau GW
Guinea-Bissau's civil aviation authority, ANSAC (Agência de Autoridade Nacional de Segurança da Aviação Civil), has not codified any civil drone regulation. In this vacuum, guidance defaults to general ICAO recommendations (VLOS, altitude and distance buffers) rather than binding Guinean rules, and there is no registration, licensing or import process a tourist can actually complete. ANSAC has no public website, only a phone contact, and outcomes at customs are reported as unpredictable, with confiscation a real possibility even without a specific legal basis. Contact ANSAC directly before travelling if you intend to bring a drone, and do not assume you have a legal right to fly one.
Your plan
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You're good to go, just follow the local rules
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Guinea-Bissau.
- Bringing your drone in
No official personal allowance or drone-specific customs rule was found. Treatment varies by customs officer given the absence of codified rules; confiscation is a reported possibility even without a specific legal basis for it. Batteries: No Guinea-Bissau-specific lithium-battery rule was found; standard international air-travel limits apply.
- Before each flight
No civil drone/UAS regulation has been codified in Guinea-Bissau; ANSAC has confirmed drone operations are 'not regulated' · In the absence of national rules, general ICAO-based guidance is referenced: keep flights within visual line of sight, at or below roughly 150 m (490 ft), at least 50 m from people/property, and at least 8 km from airports · Permits are generally expected for drones over 25 kg or for commercial/research use, per ICAO-based guidance, but no confirmed Guinea-Bissau permitting process exists
Flying
- No civil drone/UAS regulation has been codified in Guinea-Bissau; ANSAC has confirmed drone operations are 'not regulated'
- In the absence of national rules, general ICAO-based guidance is referenced: keep flights within visual line of sight, at or below roughly 150 m (490 ft), at least 50 m from people/property, and at least 8 km from airports
- Permits are generally expected for drones over 25 kg or for commercial/research use, per ICAO-based guidance, but no confirmed Guinea-Bissau permitting process exists
- With no codified legal framework, an officer's on-the-spot judgment — not a published rule — determines what happens to your drone at the airport or in the field
- Avoid government, military and other sensitive sites regardless of the lack of drone-specific rules
Commercial use: No confirmed commercial drone authorisation process exists publicly. Contact ANSAC directly for any planned professional operation well in advance.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Unknown Registration status is uncertain for hobbyist and commercial operators, consistent with the absence of codified drone regulation. ANSAC has no public website; contact by phone for current guidance. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No confirmed pilot licensing scheme. Some general guidance suggests a pilot licence 'may be required,' but no confirmed Guinea-Bissau licensing scheme was found, consistent with the lack of codified regulation. |
| Remote ID | No No Remote ID broadcast requirement was found for any operator category. |
| Insurance | Unknown Insurance requirements are uncertain across all operator categories given the lack of an adopted regulatory framework. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No There is no formal visitor registration or permit process to follow, because Guinea-Bissau has not codified civil drone regulations. Contact ANSAC directly ahead of travel rather than relying on generic secondary-source guides, since ANSAC has no public website and information is thin. Given the legal vacuum, some general travel guidance recommends caution or avoiding drone use altogether. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight | No adopted weight-based classification exists. ICAO-based guidance suggests permits would be expected above 25 kg or for commercial/research use, but no confirmed Guinea-Bissau process for this was found. |
Import & export
- No official personal allowance or drone-specific customs rule was found. Treatment varies by customs officer given the absence of codified rules; confiscation is a reported possibility even without a specific legal basis for it.
- No confirmed import certification requirement exists, consistent with the absence of adopted drone regulations overall.
- Batteries: No Guinea-Bissau-specific lithium-battery rule was found; standard international air-travel limits apply.
- Contact ANSAC by phone (+245 44 325 64 75) before travelling to ask directly about current practice for bringing in a drone — there is no website and public information is thin.
- Given the unpredictable outcomes reported in similarly unregulated neighbouring countries, weigh whether the trip's drone footage is worth the risk of confiscation.
- Keep proof of ownership and purchase, and be ready to explain personal, non-commercial use if questioned.
Export
- No drone-specific export rule was found.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not applicable — no adopted registration scheme exists for hobbyist or commercial drones. |
|---|---|
| No confirmed pilot licensing scheme | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Guinea-Bissau as a visitor Visitors
- Contact ANSAC before you travel
Guinea-Bissau has no codified civil drone law; call ANSAC (+245 44 325 64 75) directly to ask what to expect, since there is no website and public guidance is thin.
- Weigh the confiscation risk
With no specific legal framework, treatment at customs depends on the individual officer — confiscation is possible with no published rule to appeal to.
- Fly conservatively if you do fly
Follow general ICAO practice: stay within visual line of sight, roughly under 150 m (490 ft), at least 50 m from people/property, and 8 km from airports.
- Avoid sensitive sites
Stay away from government, military and other sensitive locations regardless of the lack of drone-specific rules.
- Have a backup plan
If aerial footage matters to your trip, consider a locally arranged operator or accept the uncertainty of bringing your own drone.
Sources
- drone-laws.com — Guinea-Bissau Drone Laws · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- World Drone Map — Drone Laws in Guinea-Bissau (2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- UAV Coach — Drone Laws in Guinea Bissau · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−3
- Pilot test (unknown)−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight unknown−3
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−3
- 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