Plan
Drone rules: North Korea
As of: October 5, 2026
Flight ban
You may not fly here at present: operating drones is generally prohibited in this country. The details below are for context only — they do not permit a flight.
According to tour operators, drones are banned and confiscated on entry; there is no published legal basis. According to the UK Foreign Office, you must hand GPS technology over to customs.
There is no legal way to operate a drone in North Korea.
For tourists
Leave your drone at home: according to tour operators, customs will confiscate it, and according to the UK Foreign Office you must hand GPS technology over to customs. The German Foreign Office strongly advises against travel to North Korea; cameras, phones, computers and other GPS-enabled devices must be declared on entry.
Further rules
- Important note: trips to North Korea are generally only possible as guided group tours through one of the few licensed tour operators; independent travel without constant state supervision is not permitted.
- According to North Korea tour operators, drones are completely banned and confiscated at customs. There is no published North Korean legal basis, and neither the German nor the UK Foreign Office mentions drones explicitly.
- According to the German Foreign Office, cameras, mobile phones, computers and other GPS-enabled devices must be declared on entry; customs checks their contents, and binoculars have been confiscated. According to the UK Foreign Office, you must hand GPS technology over to customs. Lenses over 150 millimetres are not allowed according to tour operators, and you may only take photos with your guides' permission.
- There is no fixed information on flight altitude, registration or insurance, as there is no legal operation.
- So for a trip to North Korea, the answer is clear: leave your drone at home. There is no legal way to fly there, and trying to bring one along risks at the very least losing the device at customs.
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.