Mauritania MR
Mauritania's civil aviation authority (ANAC) has not codified any civilian drone regulation, so there is no published permit, registration or pilot-test scheme — ANAC's own guidance is simply to follow general ICAO recommendations and to contact them directly before flying. In practice this grey area means customs and local officials have discretion: some travellers report drones passing through customs without issue, others report confiscation, and there is no way to predict which outcome you will get. Large parts of the north and the area near the Malian border are also off-limits to civilians on security grounds, which rules out flying there regardless of the drone question.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
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 Mauritania.
- Bringing your drone in
No formal ban is documented, but there is no guaranteed personal allowance either — reports of customs treatment of drones vary from passing through without comment to confiscation, entirely at the discretion of the officer on duty. Batteries: No Mauritania-specific rule was found; standard international airline lithium-battery limits (carry-on only, spares under 100 Wh freely / 100-160 Wh with airline approval) should be assumed.
- Before each flight
ANAC has not codified civilian drone-use regulations; in their absence, general ICAO-style guidance is cited (VLOS, roughly 150 m/500 ft altitude cap, 50 m from people/property/vehicles, 8 km from airports), but none of this is confirmed as binding law · ANAC's own advice is to contact them directly before flying — there is no published tourist permit form or self-service process, so any authorisation is effectively case-by-case and its outcome is unpredictable · The FCDO reports a Defence Ministry-designated military zone in the north-east where civilian access is forbidden entirely, and advises against all travel within 25 km of the Malian border and parts of the Western Sahara border area — flying is out of the question in these zones regardless of drone rules
Flying
- ANAC has not codified civilian drone-use regulations; in their absence, general ICAO-style guidance is cited (VLOS, roughly 150 m/500 ft altitude cap, 50 m from people/property/vehicles, 8 km from airports), but none of this is confirmed as binding law
- ANAC's own advice is to contact them directly before flying — there is no published tourist permit form or self-service process, so any authorisation is effectively case-by-case and its outcome is unpredictable
- The FCDO reports a Defence Ministry-designated military zone in the north-east where civilian access is forbidden entirely, and advises against all travel within 25 km of the Malian border and parts of the Western Sahara border area — flying is out of the question in these zones regardless of drone rules
- Extremist groups and armed smugglers are reported active in northern and eastern border areas, adding a security risk on top of any regulatory one
Commercial use: No published commercial drone licensing scheme was found; ANAC directs operators to contact them directly, which in practice means any professional shoot should be arranged well in advance through a local fixer or production company that can liaise with ANAC and, where relevant, local security authorities.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Unknown No public registration portal exists. ANAC has not published drone-specific rules; contacting ANAC directly before travel is the only documented step. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public pilot test/certificate scheme found. No publicly documented pilot-certification scheme was found for Mauritania. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No Remote ID requirement was found; there is no codified civilian drone framework at all. |
| Insurance | Unknown No public information found on drone insurance requirements in Mauritania. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No There is no published tourist permit process — ANAC's guidance is simply to contact them directly before flying, so treat any flight as needing prior, case-by-case clearance with an uncertain outcome. Stick to areas well away from the northern military zone and the Malian border strip, both for legal and personal-safety reasons. Given the uncodified rules and inconsistent customs treatment, consider this a genuine grey area rather than a guaranteed 'yes' — confidence in these findings is low. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight | No codified rules exist; ICAO-style guidance (VLOS, ~150 m ceiling, distance limits) is cited as best practice, but enforcement and customs treatment are inconsistent and unpredictable. |
Import & export
- No formal ban is documented, but there is no guaranteed personal allowance either — reports of customs treatment of drones vary from passing through without comment to confiscation, entirely at the discretion of the officer on duty.
- No public import/type-approval scheme was found for drones specifically.
- Batteries: No Mauritania-specific rule was found; standard international airline lithium-battery limits (carry-on only, spares under 100 Wh freely / 100-160 Wh with airline approval) should be assumed.
- Declare the drone at customs and be prepared to explain its purpose; outcomes reportedly range from no issue to confiscation, with no way to predict which in advance.
- Avoid carrying a drone into or near the designated military zone in the north-east or the areas within 25 km of the Malian border, which are off-limits to civilians regardless of the drone question.
Export
- No drone-specific export procedure was found; general customs rules would apply to re-exporting a personal drone on departure.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not applicable — no codified registration scheme was found. |
|---|---|
| No public pilot test/certificate scheme found | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Mauritania as a visitor Visitors
- Contact ANAC before you travel
There is no published tourist permit process, but ANAC's own guidance is to contact them directly for current requirements before flying. Open
- Expect unpredictable customs treatment
Reports range from drones passing through customs without comment to being confiscated; there is no way to know in advance which you will encounter.
- Follow ICAO-style safe-flying practice
In the absence of codified local rules, stay within visual line of sight, below roughly 150 m, and at least 50 m from people/property and 8 km from airports.
- Avoid restricted border and military zones
Do not fly within the Defence Ministry's north-eastern military zone or within 25 km of the Malian border — these areas are off-limits to civilians regardless of drone rules.
- For professional shoots, use a local fixer
A Mauritanian production company or fixer can help liaise with ANAC and local authorities in advance, reducing the risk of confiscation or a wasted trip.
Sources
- Agence Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ANAC), Mauritania · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- UK FCDO — Mauritania travel advice · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- World Drone Map — Drone Laws in Mauritania (2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−3
- Pilot test (none)−3
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight banned−8
- 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