Plan
Drone rules: Botswana
Last checked: October 1, 2026
Permit required
You may only fly here with a permit issued by the authorities in advance.
According to the aviation authority CAAB, operators must be citizens or residents of Botswana; every drone is registered with a security check by police and intelligence service. For tourists there is therefore practically no route.
Registration only in person at Gaborone airport with inspection of the drone, a police fingerprint report and a fee (private: 1,050 pula); the German registration does not apply.
The regulation contains an insurance rule whose content for recreational pilots could not be retrieved officially.
For tourists
Leave the drone at home if you do not live in Botswana. Those allowed to fly stay below 400 ft, at most 500 m from the pilot and only by day; violations cost up to 5,000 pula and the drone.
Further rules
- In Botswana every drone must be registered with the aviation authority CAAB before flying. According to the CAAB, operators must be citizens or residents of Botswana and are vetted by police and intelligence service – for tourists there is therefore practically no legal route.
- The maximum flight altitude is 122 metres (400 feet), and the horizontal distance from the pilot must not exceed 500 metres.
- National parks and game reserves such as Chobe or the Okavango Delta count as restricted areas – flying there is only possible with explicit written permission from the CAAB or the responsible authority. Restricted zones also apply around aerodromes.
- The registration application requires a copy of your passport, a certificate of good conduct and a security interview in Gaborone or Maun, scheduled at least 7 days before the intended flight.
- The drone regulation provides for penalties for violations; ask the CAAB about the current amounts before your trip.
Sources
This overview is not legal advice and not an official statement — laws change, and we cannot guarantee that every entry is fully up to date. Before your flight, please also check the official source or the local civil aviation authority.