Seychelles SC
Seychelles requires every drone over 200 g to be registered with the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), free of charge, via an online form that explicitly accepts a foreign passport — a straightforward process tourists can complete before or shortly after arrival. Flying itself is heavily constrained by geography: a 15 km no-fly buffer around airports covers much of tiny, spread-out Seychelles, and national parks, marine reserves, towns and crowds are off-limits without separate authorisation, so realistic flying spots are limited even though the registration step itself is easy.
Your plan
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1 thing to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Seychelles
Registration is done online (scaa.sc/dronesdb/register.php) and accepts a passport/travel document for foreign nationals, making it accessible to tourists before or on arrival. Drones of 200 g or under are not required to register. Free.
Open official page - Bringing your drone in
Tourists may bring a personal drone into Seychelles; declare it on the customs form on arrival and be ready to show your SCAA registration certificate (or register online shortly after arrival if not done in advance). Duty/VAT specifics for a personal tourist drone were 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 Seychelles-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Before each flight
Every drone over 200 g must be registered with SCAA, free of charge, via the online registration system (accepts a foreign passport for non-citizens) or a paper form · Maximum altitude is 120 m (about 400 ft) AGL · Visual line of sight is required at all times; night flights are not permitted
Flying
- Every drone over 200 g must be registered with SCAA, free of charge, via the online registration system (accepts a foreign passport for non-citizens) or a paper form
- Maximum altitude is 120 m (about 400 ft) AGL
- Visual line of sight is required at all times; night flights are not permitted
- No flying within roughly 5-15 km of any airport or airfield (sources give different figures for this buffer); given the small size of Seychelles' islands, this rules out flying across much of the country
- National parks and marine reserves are off-limits without permission from the relevant authorities, in addition to SCAA
- No flying over towns, congested areas, crowds or public events without specific authorisation
- Declare the drone on your customs form on arrival and be ready to show your SCAA registration certificate
Commercial use: Commercial operation requires additional SCAA authorisation beyond basic registration; filming in national parks or marine reserves needs permission from the relevant park/reserve authority as well.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 200 g) Registration is done online (scaa.sc/dronesdb/register.php) and accepts a passport/travel document for foreign nationals, making it accessible to tourists before or on arrival. Drones of 200 g or under are not required to register. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | No No pilot test for recreational visitors. No pilot examination requirement for recreational tourist flying was confirmed; registration is the primary requirement. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID / broadcast identification requirement beyond drone registration was found. |
| Insurance | Unknown No confirmed insurance requirement for recreational tourist flying was found from an official source. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Foreign visitors register directly with SCAA online using their passport — no advance lead time is strictly required, though doing it before travel avoids any hassle on arrival. The 15 km (or, per some sources, 5 km) airport buffer plus national park, marine reserve, town and crowd restrictions leave comparatively few legal places to fly given the islands' small size — check specific locations with SCAA or your accommodation before flying. Flying over marine reserves without authorisation risks issues with both SCAA and the marine park authority; Seychelles takes its reserves seriously given their environmental and tourism value. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| 200 g or under | ≤ 200 g | No SCAA registration required; standard flight rules (altitude, VLOS, no-fly zones) still apply. |
| Over 200 g | > 200 g | SCAA registration required (free, online, accepts foreign passports). |
Import & export
- Tourists may bring a personal drone into Seychelles; declare it on the customs form on arrival and be ready to show your SCAA registration certificate (or register online shortly after arrival if not done in advance). Duty/VAT specifics for a personal tourist drone were not confirmed from an official source.
- No drone-specific radio type-approval scheme was confirmed for Seychelles' 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 Seychelles-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Register online before travel if possible (scaa.sc/dronesdb/register.php) — it's free and accepts a passport, so there's no reason to leave it for arrival.
- Customs officers are reported to be familiar with drones and will typically ask to see your registration certificate.
- Given the small size and dense airport/park coverage of the islands, plan your flying spots in advance rather than assuming you can fly near your hotel or the main tourist beaches.
Export
- No drone-specific export ban was found; general Seychelles export-control rules would apply to any dual-use or restricted UAV technology.
Costs
| Operator registration | Free Validity: Not confirmed from an official source. |
|---|---|
| No pilot test for recreational visitors | Not needed |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Seychelles as a visitor Visitors
- Register your drone online before you travel
Use the SCAA online registration system with your passport — it's free and takes little time. Open
- Declare it at customs on arrival
Have your registration certificate ready to show; SCAA-registered drones are routinely checked.
- Plan your flying spots around the airport buffer
A roughly 5-15 km no-fly zone around airports covers a lot of ground on small islands — check a map before assuming you can fly near your hotel.
- Skip national parks and marine reserves unless authorised
These need separate permission from the relevant park/reserve authority on top of SCAA registration.
- Fly within 120 m altitude, VLOS, daylight only
Stay clear of towns, crowds and public events unless you have specific authorisation.
Sources
- SCAA — New Drone Owner Registration · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Pearls of Seychelles — Drones in Seychelles · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- propelrc.com — Drone Laws In Seychelles: What You Must Know 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−15
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−2
- Night flight banned−8
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−4
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works