Mozambique MZ
Recreational drone flying (IACM 'Category A') is possible for visitors with a small (Class 1, under 5 kg) drone, but requires a Letter of Notification submitted to the Instituto de Aviação Civil de Moçambique (IACM) at least one week before flying, capped at 100 ft AGL and tied to the traveller's visa/entry period — there is no fly-on-arrival option. Separately, northern Cabo Delgado province has an active Islamist insurgency: several districts are under a do-not-travel advisory and the rest of the province under an essential-travel-only advisory, so this guide treats that region as off-limits regardless of drone paperwork.
Your plan
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You're good to go, just follow the local rules
- Active insurgency in Cabo Delgado province
An Islamist-linked insurgency in northern Cabo Delgado province remains active in 2026, with attacks reported around Palma and other districts and tens of thousands displaced in the first half of the year. Major Western governments (e.g. UK FCDO, US State Department) advise against all travel to several Cabo Delgado districts (including Mocímboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Macomia, Quissanga and Ibo) and against all but essential travel to the rest of the province, including Palma town. Attacks have targeted tourist lodges in the region. This is a travel-safety alert, not a drone-specific rule — treat any flying plans in Cabo Delgado as unrealistic and unsafe regardless of paperwork.
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Mozambique.
- Bringing your drone in
Visitors must be prepared to show the drone entered Mozambique legally, and if flying under Category A must have submitted the IACM Letter of Notification at least a week beforehand — approval is tied to the traveller's visa/entry-permit period. Duty/VAT treatment of a personal tourist drone was not confirmed from an official source. Batteries: Standard international lithium-battery air-travel rules are expected to apply (carry-on only, spare battery Wh limits); no Mozambique-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Before each flight
Drones are classed by weight: Class 1 (≤5 kg, RLOS only), Class 2 (5.1-20 kg, autopilot required), Class 3 (20.1-150 kg, autonomous capability required), Class 4 (≥150.1 kg, reserved) · Operations are further split by category: Category A (personal/recreational, Class 1 drones only) is capped at 100 ft (about 30 m) AGL; Category B (corporate) and Categories C1/C2 (commercial) allow Classes 1-2 up to 400 ft (about 122 m) AGL · Foreign visitors doing Category A (recreational) flying must submit a Letter of Notification to IACM at least one week before their planned flights; approval is time-limited to match the traveller's visa/entry period
Flying
- Drones are classed by weight: Class 1 (≤5 kg, RLOS only), Class 2 (5.1-20 kg, autopilot required), Class 3 (20.1-150 kg, autonomous capability required), Class 4 (≥150.1 kg, reserved)
- Operations are further split by category: Category A (personal/recreational, Class 1 drones only) is capped at 100 ft (about 30 m) AGL; Category B (corporate) and Categories C1/C2 (commercial) allow Classes 1-2 up to 400 ft (about 122 m) AGL
- Foreign visitors doing Category A (recreational) flying must submit a Letter of Notification to IACM at least one week before their planned flights; approval is time-limited to match the traveller's visa/entry period
- No pilot licence is required for Category A; Categories B/C1/C2 require a valid PAS pilot licence, minimum age 18, a Class 4 medical certificate and ICAO English proficiency level 4+
- Visual line of sight is required for Class 1/2 drones (RLOS); BVLOS is not currently permitted
- Visitors must be able to show the drone was legally brought into Mozambique and, if not the owner, carry a letter of authorisation to use it
Commercial use: Commercial/corporate operation (Categories B, C1, C2) requires IACM registration (maximum 5 aircraft per operator), registration marks in a specified font/colour scheme, a PAS pilot licence for every pilot, and proof of fee payment; this is not realistic to arrange as a short-term visitor without a local partner.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Depends on use Formal IACM registration (with visible registration marks) applies to commercial Categories B/C1/C2. Visitors doing Category A recreational flying instead go through the Letter of Notification process rather than full registration. Fee amounts were not confirmed from an official published schedule. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes PAS pilot licence (commercial categories only). No pilot licence is required for Category A (personal/recreational, Class 1 drones under 5 kg). Categories B/C1/C2 require a PAS pilot licence, minimum age 18, current Class 4 medical certificate, and ICAO English proficiency level 4 or higher. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID / broadcast identification requirement was found; oversight relies on the Letter of Notification / registration and category system. |
| Insurance | Unknown No confirmed insurance requirement for Category A (recreational) flying was found; not verified either way from an official source. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Foreign visitors flying recreationally (Category A, Class 1 drones under 5 kg) submit a Letter of Notification to IACM at least one week ahead; approval is limited to the traveller's visa/entry period. Commercial or larger-drone use requires full IACM registration and a PAS pilot licence, which is not realistic to arrange independently as a short-term visitor. Cabo Delgado province in the north is under active do-not-travel / essential-travel-only advisories from Western governments due to an ongoing Islamist insurgency — avoid the region entirely rather than trying to arrange drone permissions there. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 / Category A (personal) | ≤ 5 kg | RLOS only, no autopilot required, no pilot licence; max 100 ft (about 30 m) AGL; visitors need an IACM Letter of Notification submitted 1+ week ahead. |
| Class 1-2 / Category B (corporate) | ≤ 20 kg | Max 400 ft (about 122 m) AGL; requires IACM registration and a PAS pilot licence. |
| Class 2-3 / Categories C1-C2 (commercial) | 5.1-150 kg | Autopilot/autonomous capability required as applicable; full IACM registration, PAS pilot licence, medical certificate. |
| Class 4 | ≥ 150.1 kg | Reserved category; not relevant to visitors. |
Import & export
- Visitors must be prepared to show the drone entered Mozambique legally, and if flying under Category A must have submitted the IACM Letter of Notification at least a week beforehand — approval is tied to the traveller's visa/entry-permit period. Duty/VAT treatment of a personal tourist drone was not confirmed from an official source.
- No drone-specific radio type-approval scheme was confirmed for Mozambique's telecoms regulator (INCM); 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 Mozambique-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Submit the IACM Letter of Notification at least one week before your planned flights, and keep proof of legal import/ownership (or an owner's authorisation letter) with you.
- Do not plan any drone use in Cabo Delgado province given the active security situation there — see the alert above.
- Legislation specific to drones has reportedly been tightened/refined recently amid government concern about 'disorderly' drone use and security; treat rules as subject to change and reconfirm with IACM close to your travel date.
Export
- No drone-specific export ban was found; general Mozambican export-control rules would apply to any dual-use or restricted UAV technology, and this is especially sensitive given the security situation in the north.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not confirmed for Category A visitor notifications; commercial registrations are per-aircraft with a capped total of 5 per operator. |
|---|---|
| PAS pilot licence (commercial categories only) | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Mozambique as a visitor Visitors
- Bring only a small (Class 1, under 5 kg) drone for recreational use
This is the only category (Category A) available without a pilot licence and full registration.
- Submit an IACM Letter of Notification at least a week ahead
Include your drone details and travel dates; approval will be limited to your visa/entry period. Open
- Keep proof the drone was legally brought into the country
Carry your purchase receipt and, if it isn't your own drone, a letter of authorisation from the owner.
- Stay under 100 ft (30 m) AGL and within visual line of sight
Category A recreational flights are capped well below the 400 ft commercial ceiling.
- Rule out Cabo Delgado entirely
Given the active insurgency and do-not-travel advisories for several districts there, don't plan any travel or drone use in that province.
Sources
- drone-laws.com — Mozambique Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- UK FCDO — Mozambique travel advice (Cabo Delgado) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- 360 Mozambique — US keeps Mozambique at Level 2 but reiterates 'Do Not Travel' advice for Cabo Delgado · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Special situation: Active insurgency in Cabo Delgado province−30
- Operator registration−5
- Pilot test (unknown)−5
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight unknown−3
- Low ceiling (30 m)−5
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Import permit−40
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works