Mauritius generally allows drone flights, but only under clear conditions. Flying is only allowed on private property with the owner's permission, public beaches, national parks and busy areas are off-limits, and every flight with a camera drone additionally requires a paid permit.
Every camera drone must be registered with the DCA (Department of Civil Aviation), even for purely private use. Drones under 7 kg don't need a special permit just to own, but they do for operating.
A permit must be obtained from the DCA before every single flight, this is paid, and the exact fee depends on the planned operation. Requests can be made directly by email to civil-aviation@govmu.org or by phone at +230 603-2000.
Flying is only allowed on private property and only with explicit permission from the respective owner, for example your own hotel grounds. Public beaches, national parks and densely populated areas are off-limits for drone flights, as is an 8 km radius around airports.
Even on private property, a maximum altitude of 120 meters applies, always within visual line of sight (VLOS). A minimum distance of 150 meters from crowds and 50 meters from individual people, vehicles and vessels outside your own control must be kept.
Many hotels and resorts have their own, sometimes stricter rules about flying drones over their property, out of consideration for other guests' privacy. A quick check with reception before your first flight is definitely worthwhile.
Violations, such as missing registration, flights in restricted zones or reckless flying over hotel grounds, can be fined under the Civil Aviation (Unmanned Aircraft System) Regulations 2024 up to 1,000,000 Mauritian rupees (around €20,000), plus permanent confiscation of the drone.
Anyone wanting to fly on their own hotel grounds or with permission on private land should sort out registration and the permit well before the trip. For beach and lagoon footage, often only a smartphone or an organized photo tour with a local permit remains an option.