North Korea KP

Drones are entirely off-limits to foreign visitors in North Korea. Tourism is only possible through state-approved guided tours where a minder controls where you go and what you photograph, and drones are reported to be confiscated at the border alongside other restricted electronics (satellite phones, shortwave radios). There is no realistic or legal way for a tourist to bring or fly a drone, and attempting to do so risks detention in a country where government support for foreign nationals is severely limited.

Draft: not yet reviewedUpdated 24 Sept 2026General Administration of Civil Aviation of the DPRK (state-controlled; no public civilian drone framework)

Tourists cannot bring or fly drones; travel itself carries severe risk

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to North Korea, and similar advisories are in place from other governments (e.g. the US State Department). Foreign visitors cannot bring or operate a drone under any circumstances; drones are confiscated at the border along with other restricted communications/imaging equipment. All tourism happens under government-assigned guides who control visitor movement and photography, and North Korean authorities have previously detained foreign nationals over alleged violations of local law with severely limited consular access. Do not attempt to bring a drone.

5Fly score

5Import score

5Combined

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Visitors can't fly drones in North Korea

Tourists cannot bring or fly drones; travel itself carries severe risk
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to North Korea, and similar advisories are in place from other governments (e.g. the US State Department). Foreign visitors cannot bring or operate a drone under any circumstances; drones are confiscated at the border along with other restricted communications/imaging equipment. All tourism happens under government-assigned guides who control visitor movement and photography, and North Korean authorities have previously detained foreign nationals over alleged violations of local law with severely limited consular access. Do not attempt to bring a drone.
Flying not allowed for visitors
Drones are entirely off-limits to foreign visitors in North Korea. Tourism is only possible through state-approved guided tours where a minder controls where you go and what you photograph, and drones are reported to be confiscated at the border alongside other restricted electronics (satellite phones, shortwave radios). There is no realistic or legal way for a tourist to bring or fly a drone, and attempting to do so risks detention in a country where government support for foreign nationals is severely limited.

Flying

VisitorsNot allowed

Max altitude120 m

Line of sightRequired

Night flightsBanned

Drone use is restricted to government/state agencies; foreign visitors cannot bring or operate a drone under any circumstances
All tourism occurs on state-approved guided tours; a guide decides where visitors can go and must approve photography, let alone drone flight
There is no visitor permit, registration or authorisation pathway of any kind for civilian or tourist drone use
Photographing outside approved tourist areas — with any device — risks equipment confiscation or detention; a drone would be far more likely to trigger a severe response

Commercial use: No public framework exists for commercial drone operation by foreign visitors or companies; this is not a realistic option for tourism-related work.

Registration & classes

Registration	Unknown No public civilian drone registration system exists for tourists; any registration framework that exists is understood to be restricted to state/government use.
Pilot test	No No visitor pilot licensing pathway. Not applicable to tourists — there is no legal route to fly a drone as a foreign visitor in the first place.
Remote ID	Unknown No information available; not relevant given tourists cannot legally fly a drone at all.
Insurance	Unknown No information available; not relevant given tourists cannot legally fly a drone at all.
Foreign registration accepted	No There is no lawful pathway for a tourist to bring, register or fly a drone in North Korea under any circumstances. All visitor activity is mediated by state-assigned guides; even ordinary photography is tightly controlled, let alone aerial imagery. Government support for foreign nationals who run into trouble is severely limited, and several governments' travel advisories (e.g. FCDO, US State Department) advise against all but essential travel to the country generally.

Weight classes

Class	Weight	Rules
All drones, any weight	any weight	Banned for foreign visitors outright; confiscated at the border if brought.

Import & export

ImportBanned

Customs dutyVaries

VAT / sales taxUnknown

Radio certificationNo

None. Drones are reported to be confiscated at the border, in the same category as other restricted communications/imaging equipment such as satellite phones and shortwave radios.
Not applicable — there is no certification pathway that would allow import; the device itself is barred.
Batteries: Not applicable, since the drone itself cannot be brought in.
Confiscated items in similar restricted categories (satellite phones, shortwave radios) are usually returned on departure, but this is not guaranteed and should not be relied upon.
Do not attempt to conceal a drone or its components when entering North Korea; this would substantially increase the risk of detention.
There is no official published customs schedule for drones specifically, consistent with an outright ban rather than a regulated/taxed category.

Export

Not applicable to tourists — there is no scenario in which a visitor would be legally exporting a drone from North Korea, since none can be legally imported or used in the first place.

Costs

Operator registration	Unknown Validity: Not applicable — there is no registration pathway available to foreign visitors.
No visitor pilot licensing pathway	Not needed
Import taxes	? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep.

Guides

Drones and North Korea — what to do instead Visitors

Do not bring a drone
Foreign visitors cannot legally bring or fly a drone under any circumstances; it will very likely be confiscated at the border and carrying one increases your risk profile.
Check current government travel advice first
Review your government's official travel advisory before planning any visit — the FCDO and US State Department both advise against all but essential travel. Open
Follow your guide's instructions on photography
Ask permission before taking any photos or video, and never point a camera at officials or guarded buildings — a drone would be a far greater risk than a handheld camera.
Do not attempt to conceal a drone or restricted electronics
This significantly raises the risk of detention; leave any drone at home entirely.

Sources

US Department of State — North Korea Travel Advisory · accessed 24 Sept 2026
UK FCDO — North Korea travel advice: safety and security · accessed 24 Sept 2026
drone-laws.com — Drone Laws in North Korea · accessed 24 Sept 2026

How the score is built

Fly score 5

Drone flying banned for visitors−95

Import score 5

Drone import banned−95

Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works