Zimbabwe ZW
Zimbabwe requires all drones to hold a CAAZ Letter of Approval and registration, and foreign visitors must submit their drone details to CAAZ at least 30 days before arrival, then obtain a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) once CAAZ approves. Flying at Victoria Falls needs a separate CAAZ permit (valid three months) because of UNESCO World Heritage status and busy tourist-helicopter traffic, plus a National Parks and Wildlife Authority permit for any filming. Arriving without pre-arranged approval risks the drone being held at customs.
Your plan
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2 things to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Zimbabwe
Registration uses CA Form 520 (RPA Drone Registration Application for Individuals). CAAZ's own drone-registration page does not publish weight thresholds or fees; these were not confirmed from an official source and are left unset here. Contact CAAZ (pr@caaz.co.zw / airworthiness@caaz.co.zw) for current figures. Allow about 30 days before your trip.
Open official page - Carry liability insurance
Required. Check that your policy covers flights in Zimbabwe.
- Bringing your drone in
Foreign visitors must get CAAZ approval (apply 30+ days ahead) and then a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) from ZIMRA before or on arrival; duty/VAT treatment of an approved temporary tourist import was not confirmed from an official source, but the TIP process implies the drone must leave the country with the traveller. Batteries: Standard international lithium-battery air-travel rules are expected to apply (carry-on only, spare battery Wh limits); no Zimbabwe-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Before each flight
All drones require a CAAZ Letter of Approval (RLA) and registration; there is no confirmed small-drone exemption · Maximum altitude is 400 ft (about 120 m) AGL · Standard visual-line-of-sight limit is 500 m from the pilot; up to 1,000 m is possible with special permission and a qualified visual observer
Flying
- All drones require a CAAZ Letter of Approval (RLA) and registration; there is no confirmed small-drone exemption
- Maximum altitude is 400 ft (about 120 m) AGL
- Standard visual-line-of-sight limit is 500 m from the pilot; up to 1,000 m is possible with special permission and a qualified visual observer
- Drone (third-party liability) insurance is required
- Foreign visitors must submit drone and trip details to CAAZ at least 30 days before arrival, then obtain a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) from ZIMRA once CAAZ approval is granted
- Flying at Victoria Falls needs a separate CAAZ authorisation, valid for three months, due to the site's UNESCO World Heritage status and heavy tourist-helicopter/scenic-flight traffic
- Filming (as opposed to personal photos/video) in Victoria Falls National Park needs an additional permit from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
Commercial use: Commercial/filming operators need the same CAAZ RLA and registration as everyone else, an RPA registration valid for one year initially (renewable for three-year terms thereafter), and additional Parks and Wildlife Authority permits for filming inside protected areas such as Victoria Falls National Park.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) Registration uses CA Form 520 (RPA Drone Registration Application for Individuals). CAAZ's own drone-registration page does not publish weight thresholds or fees; these were not confirmed from an official source and are left unset here. Contact CAAZ (pr@caaz.co.zw / airworthiness@caaz.co.zw) for current figures. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown Not confirmed. No official CAAZ page confirming a separate pilot examination/licence (as opposed to the RPA registration/Letter of Approval) was found; treat as unverified. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No public Remote ID / broadcast identification requirement was found; oversight appears to rely on registration, the Letter of Approval process and the temporary import permit. |
| Insurance | Yes Third-party liability drone insurance is reported as required for all operators, though the exact minimum cover was not confirmed from an official CAAZ source. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Foreign visitors must apply to CAAZ at least 30 days before arrival and then secure a ZIMRA Temporary Import Permit before the drone can legally enter and be flown. Victoria Falls requires its own CAAZ permit (three-month validity) on top of the basic approval, plus a Parks and Wildlife Authority permit for filming. Arriving without pre-arranged approval risks the drone being held at customs; details on formal fines were not confirmed from an official source. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| All drones | any weight, in practice | Registration and a CAAZ Letter of Approval are required; no confirmed weight-based exemption was found. |
Import & export
- Foreign visitors must get CAAZ approval (apply 30+ days ahead) and then a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) from ZIMRA before or on arrival; duty/VAT treatment of an approved temporary tourist import was not confirmed from an official source, but the TIP process implies the drone must leave the country with the traveller.
- No drone-specific radio type-approval scheme was confirmed for Zimbabwe's telecoms regulator (POTRAZ); 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 Zimbabwe-specific drone battery rule was confirmed.
- Submit your CAAZ application at least 30 days before arrival; without CAAZ approval and a ZIMRA Temporary Import Permit, customs can hold or confiscate the drone at the border.
- Carry proof of your CAAZ approval and TIP through customs and be ready to show them at Victoria Falls-area checkpoints too.
- Victoria Falls flying authorisation is separate from the basic import/registration approval and is only valid for three months.
Export
- No drone-specific export ban was found; general Zimbabwean export-control rules would apply to any dual-use or restricted UAV technology.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Reported as valid for one year initially, renewable thereafter for three-year terms; not confirmed against an official CAAZ fee/validity schedule beyond the registration application form (CA Form 520). |
|---|---|
| Not confirmed | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Zimbabwe (and at Victoria Falls) as a visitor Visitors
- Apply to CAAZ at least 30 days before you travel
Submit your drone details and trip information for a Letter of Approval and registration. Open
- Get your ZIMRA Temporary Import Permit
Once CAAZ approves, apply for a Temporary Import Permit from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority before or on arrival so the drone clears customs without issue.
- Apply separately for Victoria Falls
Because of UNESCO status and heavy tourist-helicopter traffic, flying at Victoria Falls needs its own CAAZ permit (three-month validity); filming there additionally needs a Parks and Wildlife Authority permit.
- Carry insurance proof and all your paperwork
Have your CAAZ approval, TIP and insurance documents on hand for customs and any on-site checks.
- Fly conservatively
Stay at or below 120 m (400 ft) and within 500 m of yourself unless you've arranged a visual observer and CAAZ permission for greater distance.
Sources
- CAAZ — Drone Registration · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Zimbabwe Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- TFA Travel — What you need to know about flying a drone in Southern Africa · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−10
- Pilot test (unknown)−3
- Remote ID−3
- Mandatory insurance−6
- Night flight unknown−3
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Long lead time (30 days)−8
- 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