Madagascar MG
Since mid-2025, Aviation Civile de Madagascar (ACM) requires registration for essentially all drones (only tiny sub-100m-range, sensor-free toy drones are exempt), but registration alone does not authorise flying. Recreational drone flying in public spaces — beaches, towns, national parks — remains strictly prohibited, and actual flight permits require Ministry of Defense approval with 30-60 days lead time. Unauthorised drones face a real risk of confiscation at the border. In practice, most tourists cannot legally fly a drone in Madagascar and are advised to leave it at home.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
Visitors can't fly drones in Madagascar
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Since mid-2025, Aviation Civile de Madagascar (ACM) requires registration for essentially all drones (only tiny sub-100m-range, sensor-free toy drones are exempt), but registration alone does not authorise flying. Recreational drone flying in public spaces — beaches, towns, national parks — remains strictly prohibited, and actual flight permits require Ministry of Defense approval with 30-60 days lead time. Unauthorised drones face a real risk of confiscation at the border. In practice, most tourists cannot legally fly a drone in Madagascar and are advised to leave it at home.
Flying
- All drones must be registered with ACM (email drone@acm.mg with a passport copy, proof of ownership, user manual, photos of the drone/remote showing serial numbers, and a completed registration form); only toy drones with a range under 100 m and no camera/sensors are exempt
- Registration alone does not authorise flying — recreational drone flying in public spaces (beaches, city centers, national parks) is strictly prohibited
- An actual flight permit requires separate Ministry of Defense approval, a flight schedule and aviation insurance, with a reported 30-60 day lead time
- Drones under 4 kg must stay at least 30 m from people/buildings; drones over 4 kg are capped at 50 m altitude and banned over populated areas
- Unauthorised/unregistered drones face a high risk of confiscation at the border
Commercial use: Commercial operation is possible with ACM permission but requires the full process: registration, a flight-permit application with Ministry of Defense approval, a defined flight schedule and aviation insurance, applied for 30-60 days ahead.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) Registration is done by emailing drone@acm.mg with the required documents before arrival. It establishes a registration number but does not by itself permit flying — a separate flight permit is needed for actual use. Fee amounts were not confirmed from an official source. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown Not confirmed. No public pilot examination/licence scheme distinct from the registration and flight-permit process was confirmed. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID / broadcast identification requirement was found beyond the registration number tied to the drone. |
| Insurance | Depends Aviation insurance is required as part of the flight-permit application process (which involves Ministry of Defense approval); not confirmed as a requirement for registration alone, since registration does not authorise flying. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Foreign visitors must register with ACM by email before arrival, and separately apply for a flight permit (Ministry of Defense approval, 30-60 days lead time) if they actually intend to fly. Recreational flying in public spaces — including beaches, towns and national parks — is strictly prohibited regardless of registration status. Unauthorised drones face a high risk of confiscation at the border; tourists without a pre-arranged flight permit are strongly advised to leave their drone at home. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Toy drones | range < 100 m, no camera/sensors | Exempt from registration; still no confirmed pathway to fly recreationally in public spaces. |
| Under 4 kg (camera/sensor-equipped) | < 4 kg | Registration required; must stay at least 30 m from people/buildings; recreational public-space flying prohibited without a flight permit. |
| 4 kg and over | ≥ 4 kg | Registration required; capped at 50 m altitude and banned over populated areas; flight permit needed to fly at all. |
Import & export
- No official duty/VAT-free personal allowance for drones was found. Given the strict prohibition on recreational public-space flying and the high reported risk of border confiscation for unauthorised drones, bringing a drone to Madagascar as a tourist is realistically likely to result in it being held or confiscated unless a flight permit has already been arranged.
- No drone-specific radio type-approval scheme was confirmed for Madagascar's telecoms regulator; not verified from an official source.
- Batteries: Standard international lithium-battery air-travel rules are expected to apply (carry-on only, spare battery Wh limits); no Madagascar-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Register the drone with ACM (drone@acm.mg) well before travel if you intend to try to fly, but understand this alone does not authorise flying.
- Apply for an actual flight permit 30-60 days ahead if you have a genuine (typically commercial/professional) reason to fly, including Ministry of Defense approval and aviation insurance.
- For an ordinary holiday, the realistic and commonly given advice is to leave the drone at home rather than risk confiscation at the border.
Export
- No drone-specific export ban was found; general Malagasy export-control rules would apply to any dual-use or restricted UAV technology.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Each registered drone receives a unique registration number; validity period not confirmed from an official source. An online registration/payment platform was reported to be under development. |
|---|---|
| Not confirmed | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Madagascar as a visitor Visitors
- Understand registration is not a flying permit
Registering with ACM (drone@acm.mg) gives your drone a registration number but does not by itself authorise you to fly in public spaces.
- If you need to fly, apply for a flight permit 30-60 days ahead
This requires Ministry of Defense approval, a defined flight schedule and aviation insurance — realistic mainly for commercial/professional purposes, not casual tourism.
- Register anyway if you're bringing the drone at all
Email drone@acm.mg with a passport copy, proof of ownership, user manual, and serial-number photos of the drone and remote before you travel.
- Expect confiscation risk without a permit
Border officials reportedly treat unauthorised drones as a high confiscation risk, even if registered.
- For an ordinary holiday, leave the drone at home
Without a pre-arranged flight permit, there is no legal way to fly recreationally in beaches, towns or national parks, so bringing the drone mainly adds risk and hassle.
Sources
- waumadagascar.com — New Drone Regulations in Madagascar: What Travelers and Operators Need to Know · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- fitcationhq.com — Madagascar Drone Regulations for Tourists (2026 Guide) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-detectives.com — Aviation Civile de Madagascar (ACM) Drone Laws · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Drone flying banned for visitors−95
- 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