Morocco MA
Morocco has banned the import and civilian use of drones since 2015 (Arrêté n°386-15), covering recreational, tourist and unauthorised commercial use alike. There is no tourist permit route. Airport X-ray scanners routinely detect undeclared drones, leading to confiscation and fines; authorisation is only granted case-by-case, mainly to professional productions working with a local sponsor.
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Visitors can't fly drones in Morocco
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Morocco has banned the import and civilian use of drones since 2015 (Arrêté n°386-15), covering recreational, tourist and unauthorised commercial use alike. There is no tourist permit route. Airport X-ray scanners routinely detect undeclared drones, leading to confiscation and fines; authorisation is only granted case-by-case, mainly to professional productions working with a local sponsor.
Flying
- Civil drone import and use is banned nationwide for individuals under Arrêté n°386-15 (2015); this covers recreational, tourist and unauthorised commercial flying alike
- There is no routine registration or permit route open to tourists — 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 use X-ray scanners and routinely detect drones in luggage; an undeclared drone found this way usually means confiscation and a fine
- Even sub-250 g toy/camera drones (e.g. the DJI Mini series) are treated the same as larger drones — there is no small-drone exemption
- If authorised, drones must be flown within visual line of sight and away from military, government and other sensitive sites
Commercial use: Only pre-approved by DGAC on a case-by-case basis, almost always arranged through a licensed local 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 There is no public registration portal for individuals or tourists. Case-by-case DGAC authorisation for professional productions is arranged through a local production company/fixer rather than a self-service registration system. |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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 in Morocco; likely negotiated case-by-case for authorised professional productions. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Ordinary tourists cannot realistically obtain authorisation to fly a drone in Morocco — treat recreational/tourist droning as banned in practice. The only viable path is hiring a licensed Moroccan production company or fixer for professional shoots; they apply for case-by-case DGAC authorisation and handle security clearance, commonly taking several weeks. Leave the drone at home unless professional authorisation is secured in advance — declaring it at customs may only get it held in bond, not permission to fly it. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight | Import and civilian use banned for individuals; no small-drone or toy-drone exemption. |
| Authorised professional/production use | any weight | Case-by-case DGAC authorisation only, typically arranged via a Moroccan production company or fixer with security clearance. |
Import & export
- None. Personal/tourist drones have no duty-free or personal-use allowance — import is prohibited outright without prior case-by-case authorisation.
- Arrêté n°386-15 (6 February 2015) subjects import of civil drones to a special import licence under Morocco's foreign-trade law (Law 13-89); this licence is not available to individual tourists in practice.
- 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.
- Since 2015, Morocco has prohibited the import, sale and civilian use of drones for individuals, enforced by a Ministry of Interior circular applied at all customs posts.
- Airport X-ray scanners routinely detect undeclared drones; declaring one on arrival may get it held in bond for pickup on departure (not guaranteed), while an undeclared drone found later risks confiscation and a fine (commonly cited around 1,165 MAD) plus a storage fee (around 201 MAD) if it is ever returned.
- There is no exception for small or toy drones, including sub-250 g camera drones.
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 Morocco as a visitor — and what to do instead Visitors
- Assume you cannot fly
Morocco has banned civilian drone import and use since 2015 (Arrêté n°386-15); there is no tourist permit to apply for.
- Leave your drone at home
Airport X-ray scanners routinely detect drones; an undeclared one risks confiscation and a fine (commonly cited around 1,165 MAD).
- Declare it if you end up bringing one
Declaring an accidental drone on arrival may get it held in bond (plus a storage fee) for pickup when you leave — this is not guaranteed and does not permit flying it in-country.
- Need aerial footage? Hire locally
Contact a Moroccan production company or fixer who holds, or can apply for, case-by-case DGAC authorisation under Arrêté n°1560-17; budget several weeks for approval.
- If you do have authorisation
Keep the drone within visual line of sight and stay well clear of military, government and other sensitive sites.
Sources
- Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) — Ministère du Transport et de la Logistique · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Aujourd'hui le Maroc — Nouvelle législation: propriétaires de drones, faites attention · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Terasor — Drone Laws in Morocco: Why Tourists Cannot Fly · accessed 23 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