Plan
Drone rules: Lebanon
Last checked: October 5, 2026
Currently suspended
Drone operations are currently suspended. The details below only apply again once the suspension is lifted.
On 1 March 2026 the Lebanese army suspended all drone filming permits nationwide; since June 2026 there have only been exceptions for registered events.
Camera drones need a possession permit from the air force and a filming permit from the army (Directorate of Orientation).
For tourists
Do not take a drone to Lebanon: permits are currently suspended, and the army already controls imports. The German Foreign Office warns against travel to the south, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut and strongly advises against travel to the rest of the country.
Further rules
- Important notice: drone flights in Lebanon are not decided by the Civil Aviation Authority, but by the Lebanese Army on a case-by-case basis. According to available sources, all permits have been suspended since March 2026, with only occasional exceptions for occasions such as weddings or cultural/sporting events.
- The suspension coincides with the military escalation in the region since February 2026. According to the German Foreign Office (October 2026), Israeli air strikes and fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces continue, especially in the south; there is a partial travel warning for the south, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut, and travel to the rest of the country is strongly discouraged.
- In southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, particular caution is needed anyway: civilian drones can be mistaken for military ones there, and the military expressly reserves the right to shoot them down or confiscate them.
- The army has a published application procedure for filming with drones: a written request stating the drone and camera type with serial numbers, location and time, a licence from the air force and, for foreigners, a passport with entry stamp; processing takes at least one week. Some travellers also report that drones were not allowed through customs.
- For a trip to Lebanon, the current advice is: better leave your drone at home. There is currently no practical legal way to fly, regardless of where in the country you plan to travel.
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.