South Sudan SS
South Sudan is rated 'Do Not Travel' (Level 4) by the US State Department and equivalent Western advisories due to armed conflict, crime and kidnapping, with political tensions escalating into armed clashes as recently as March 2025 and further risk expected around elections scheduled for December 2026. The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA) has not codified civilian drone regulations. There is essentially no tourism infrastructure and no realistic or safe route to fly a drone; carrying one adds meaningful personal risk on top of the general danger of travel to the country.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
Visitors can't fly drones in South Sudan
- Do not travel — armed conflict and crime
The US State Department and equivalent Western governments (Canada, Australia, UK) advise against all travel to South Sudan, citing serious risk of crime, kidnapping and armed conflict. Fighting between political and ethnic groups is ongoing, weapons are widely available, and cattle-raid violence occurs throughout the country. Political tensions escalated to armed clashes in March 2025, and the run-up to general elections scheduled for December 2026 could further raise risk. Government consular assistance is severely limited. This is not a country to bring or fly a recreational drone in.
- Flying not allowed for visitors
South Sudan is rated 'Do Not Travel' (Level 4) by the US State Department and equivalent Western advisories due to armed conflict, crime and kidnapping, with political tensions escalating into armed clashes as recently as March 2025 and further risk expected around elections scheduled for December 2026. The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA) has not codified civilian drone regulations. There is essentially no tourism infrastructure and no realistic or safe route to fly a drone; carrying one adds meaningful personal risk on top of the general danger of travel to the country.
Flying
- SSCAA has not codified civilian drone-use regulations; in the absence of a tourist framework, and given the active conflict and 'Do Not Travel' rating, any drone flight by a visitor should be treated as banned in practice
- Some secondary sources mention a permit requirement for commercial drone use while others state drones are unregulated entirely — this conflict itself signals that no reliable public process exists
- Equipment resembling surveillance/reconnaissance gear is liable to draw serious security scrutiny amid active armed conflict and widespread weapon availability
- There is essentially no functioning tourism or hobbyist drone infrastructure under current conditions
Commercial use: No reliable public commercial drone authorisation pathway was found; sources conflict on whether a permit process exists at all. Any professional or humanitarian-sector operation (e.g. NGO use) would need direct, case-by-case coordination with SSCAA and is not realistic for a visiting operator to arrange independently.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Unknown No public registration portal or scheme was found. SSCAA's published regulations do not include a specific, accessible civilian drone framework. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public pilot test/certificate scheme found. No publicly documented pilot-certification scheme was found for South Sudan. |
| 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 South Sudan. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Given the 'Do Not Travel' advisory and active armed conflict, tourism itself is not realistic — drone flying should not be part of any travel planning for South Sudan at this time. Carrying a drone significantly increases personal risk beyond the general dangers of travelling to South Sudan. No tourist permission pathway exists with SSCAA. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight | No codified civilian rules exist; treat all drone flight as banned in practice given the active conflict and lack of any tourist framework. |
Import & export
- None realistic. There is no tourism infrastructure and no personal drone allowance to speak of; given the active conflict and the risk of a drone being treated as reconnaissance equipment, do not attempt to bring one into South Sudan.
- No public import/certification scheme was found; not applicable under current conditions.
- Batteries: Not applicable — travel to South Sudan is advised against, and flights in and out are subject to security-driven disruption.
- Any equipment resembling reconnaissance or surveillance gear is liable to draw serious scrutiny amid active armed conflict and widespread weapon availability.
- Government services, including consular assistance, are severely limited, so there is little recourse if a drone is confiscated or an issue arises.
Export
- Not applicable in the ordinary tourist case; South Sudan is not a realistic travel or drone-export destination under current conditions.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not applicable — no codified civilian registration scheme exists, and the security situation makes any such process moot in practice. |
|---|---|
| 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
Drones and travel to South Sudan — do not attempt this Visitors
- Check the travel advisory first
South Sudan is rated 'Do Not Travel' (Level 4) by the US State Department and equivalent Western governments due to armed conflict, crime and kidnapping; reconsider travel itself before thinking about a drone.
- Do not bring a drone
Equipment resembling reconnaissance or surveillance gear increases your personal risk amid active conflict and widespread weapon availability.
- Assume you cannot legally fly
SSCAA has not codified any civilian drone framework, and there is no tourist or hobbyist pathway.
- Expect minimal consular support
Government services, including emergency consular assistance, are severely limited if anything goes wrong.
- Monitor official advisories
If you have essential travel to South Sudan for humanitarian or professional reasons, check current guidance from your government and SSCAA directly rather than assuming any general rule applies. Open
Sources
- SSCAA - Civil Aviation Regulations · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- US Department of State - South Sudan Travel Advisory · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com - Drone Laws in South Sudan · accessed 24 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