Plan

Travel check

Taking your drone on holiday? Pick your destination – Hoverpoint puts together from the country rules what you need to know and do before you travel.

DestinationDrone from your hangar (optional)

I live in an EASA state (EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein)

Saudi Arabia

Outside the EASA area

Am I allowed to fly there?

Basic rule

Permit required

You may only fly here with a permit issued by the authorities in advance.

Drones from 250 g need GACA registration and approval; the portal requires a Saudi ID or residence permit (Iqama), so tourists have practically no access.

Operator registration

Required

Registration from 250 g in the GACA portal, only possible with a Saudi ID or Iqama; the German operator ID does not count.

Your EU registration is not automatically valid here.

Competency certificate

Your EU competency certificate is not automatically recognised here. Whether you need a separate one isn't in the country rules – please check with the authority.

Insurance

Unclear

Whether insurance is mandatory is not officially confirmed.

Remote ID & marking

No information – please check with the authority.

Maximum altitude

No information – please check with the authority.

Special rules

For tourists

Without a Saudi ID or Iqama you cannot register according to available information, so legal use as a tourist is practically ruled out; according to the US State Department, drones are generally illegal. Since September 2026 the German Foreign Office has reported drone and missile attacks on several provinces in the south and west; photographing impact sites and security facilities can lead to arrest.

Authority & sources

Open country rules →

Does my drone fit?

Pick a drone from your hangar above to check its weight and class against the country's limits.

Country weight thresholds

From 250 g· Operator registration: RequiredFrom 250 g registration with the GACA (only with Saudi ID or Iqama)

Batteries on the plane

Spare batteries in hand luggage only – each one protected against short circuits (terminal caps, original packaging or its own bag).
Up to 100 Wh: no approval needed.
Over 100 up to 160 Wh: only with the airline's approval, at most 2 spare batteries.
Over 160 Wh: not allowed on passenger aircraft.

Watt-hours (Wh) per batteryPrinted on the battery, e.g. "77 Wh".Spare batteries

Enter your battery's Wh – they are printed on the battery.

Airline

Pick your airline to see its rules for drones, batteries and power banks.

Airlines may be stricter – pick your airline below to see its rules.

Source: IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations / Lithium Battery Guidance

To do before you leave

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Sort out registrationCheck whether and where you need to register as an operator, and do it before you travel.
Apply for a permitYou may only fly here with a permit issued in advance. Apply to the authority in good time.
Ask the authorityNot everything is settled in the country rules. Ask the aviation authority of your destination before you travel.
Check your insuranceAsk your liability insurer whether you are covered in your destination (cover abroad) and take proof with you.
Carry your documents digitallyCompetency certificate, registration and insurance at hand – for example in your EFB in Hoverpoint.Carry your documents digitally →
Check the geozonesHoverpoint has no official geozones for this country. Look up the authority's official map beforehand.
Download an offline mapDownload the map of your destination in the Hoverpoint app in advance in case you have no signal there.
Get your batteries travel-readyTape the terminals or pack each one separately, spares in hand luggage, keep the Wh label readable.

Your ticks are only saved on this device – per country.

The travel check is not legal advice and not official information – laws change and we cannot guarantee that everything is fully up to date. The aviation authority of your destination is authoritative. Please also check the official source before you travel.