Photo & video: the rules for travellers in 148 countries (2026 list)

🚫 Never photograph

• Military sites, police, airports, borders, ports and government buildings — this is the classic espionage accusation.
• People without asking, especially children, and above all in indigenous or religious communities.
• Protests and police operations: your phone can be seized and its contents searched.
• Inside many museums, flash or tripods are banned even when photos are allowed.

🚁 Drones

• Many countries require registration, a permit, or ban drones for tourists entirely.
• Some seize the drone at customs on arrival and return it on departure — or not at all.
• National parks and heritage sites usually have their own separate ban.

Which countries are strict on photo & video?

43 countries rate photo & video as banned or a serious risk for travellers: Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, China, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Republic of Congo, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Turkey, UAE (Dubai), Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.

Which countries set limits on photo & video?

57 countries allow it under conditions (age, place, quantity, permit): Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia (Bali), Jamaica, Japan, Jordan….

How do I check the rules for my destination before I fly?

Open LawsTravels: pick your destination, the topic “Photo & video” shows the level, the thresholds and the penalties, offline. 3 topics are free on every country.