Quick answer
Leave your drone at home: flying or even importing a drone into Egypt requires prior approval from several government bodies, which tourists almost never obtain, and drones found at the airport are routinely held by customs. Personal photos with phones and cameras are allowed at most sites without a fee, but tripods and professional filming need permits, flash is banned in tombs, and military, police and security sites must never be photographed.
Can you bring a drone to Egypt?
No, not as a tourist in any practical sense: Egypt prohibits importing, owning or flying drones without prior approval from the authorities, including the defence ministry, and customs officers routinely hold drones found in luggage. A law passed in 2017 regulates drone use and sets penalties, including fines and potentially prison, for using or importing unlicensed drones. Permits exist for professional and commercial work, but the process is slow, involves several agencies, and is not designed for holiday filming.
Airport X-ray screening in Egypt checks arriving bags as well as departing ones, so a drone in your suitcase is likely to be spotted at Cairo, Luxor or Hurghada. Typically it is taken and logged, and you may be able to collect it when you leave the country, but that is not guaranteed and depends on the officer and the airport. It can also mean delays, questioning and paperwork at the start of your holiday. Flying a drone near the pyramids, temples or the Nile, all close to sensitive infrastructure or security zones, risks arrest.
That includes small sub-250-gram models that need no registration in Australia, and drones carried "just in case". If you are flying out via Dubai or Doha and want to use a drone elsewhere on your trip, check whether your airline or a left-luggage service at your transit airport can hold it, rather than bringing it into Egypt. Rules can change, so check the current position with the Egyptian embassy and Smartraveller before you travel.
How can you get aerial photos of Egypt without a drone?
The legal way to get an aerial view is a hot-air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank, plus high vantage points such as the Cairo Tower and the panoramic viewpoint on the Giza plateau.
- Luxor balloon: dawn flights drift over the Colossi of Memnon, the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu and the Temple of Hatshepsut, with the Theban hills behind. Phones and cameras are welcome in the basket. See our Luxor hot-air balloon guide.
- Window seats: on domestic flights between Cairo and Luxor or Aswan, and especially the Aswan to Abu Simbel flight over Lake Nasser, a left or right window seat can give remarkable views; which side depends on route and runway.
- High points: the Cairo Tower in Zamalek, the Citadel of Saladin terrace over Islamic Cairo, Qubbet el-Hawa above Aswan and the top of the Temple of Hatshepsut's ramp all give elevated views.
- Licensed operators: some Egyptian production companies hold drone permits for weddings and commercial shoots. If aerial footage is essential, for example for a corporate event, it has to be arranged through a licensed local company well in advance, and approval is not assured.
Do you need a camera ticket at Egyptian sites?
For most sites, no: since Egypt relaxed its rules around 2020, personal photography with phones and handheld cameras is allowed without an extra fee at most monuments and museums. Before then, visitors bought separate camera tickets at many sites, which is why older guidebooks and forum posts still mention them.
The details still vary by site and change from time to time. At the time of writing, a few special tombs and some museum galleries may charge a separate photography ticket or ban photography entirely; royal mummy displays, including the mummy hall at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, have prohibited photos. Rules in the Valley of the Kings, where some tombs have had separate tickets, are the most likely to change. Check at the ticket office, look for signs at the entrance to each tomb or gallery, and ask your guide, who will know the current position. Official site information is on the Egyptian monuments website.
Inside tombs, flash is banned because repeated bursts damage ancient pigments, and guardians enforce it. Turning flash off on your phone before entering saves an awkward moment. How to get good pictures without flash is covered in our photography in Egypt guide.
Can you use a tripod, gimbal or professional camera?
Assume tripods and monopods need a permit inside archaeological sites and museums, and that anything that looks like professional filming will attract questions.
- Tripods and monopods: generally not allowed at monuments without a photography permit. Even a small tabletop tripod may be questioned by site guards. Outside sites, such as on your hotel balcony or a Nile cruise deck, they are fine.
- Gimbals and selfie sticks: handheld gimbals and selfie sticks are usually tolerated outdoors, but some museums don't allow them, particularly in crowded galleries.
- Professional kits: multiple bodies, large lenses, lighting, sliders or a crew can be treated as commercial work. Professional photography and filming at antiquities sites requires permits from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and filming in public places generally needs separate approvals; a local fixer or production company arranges these, typically over several weeks.
- Customs: travelling with a large amount of professional equipment can prompt customs questions on arrival. Carry receipts or a list of serial numbers, and expect that commercial kit may need to be declared; see our customs guide.
Casual phone video for personal use is fine at most sites. Making content for a paid social media channel sits in a grey area; keep the set-up low key and don't block other visitors.
What should you never photograph in Egypt?
Never photograph military or police personnel, checkpoints, military vehicles or buildings, government buildings, airports, and strategic infrastructure such as bridges, dams, ports and the Suez Canal. This is the rule most likely to land a visitor in genuine trouble, and the consequences range from having to delete photos to having your camera confiscated or being detained for questioning.
- Checkpoints are common on highways and at the entrances to towns. Keep cameras and phones down as you pass through.
- Dams: the Aswan High Dam is a tourist stop and photography from the visitor viewpoint is normally permitted, but don't photograph the security installations around it; follow your guide's lead.
- Uniforms: tourist and antiquities police at sites are generally relaxed, but don't point a camera at them, and never photograph soldiers.
- Protests and public incidents: avoid photographing or filming any demonstration, arrest or security incident.
If an official asks you to delete an image, do it politely and without argument. Showing that the photo is gone usually ends the matter.
What are the rules for photographing people?
Ask permission before photographing anyone, take no for an answer, and be especially careful with women and children; filming people without consent can also breach Egyptian privacy law.
Egyptian law protects personal privacy, and the country's cybercrime law makes it an offence to publish images of people that violate their privacy without consent. In practice, a crowd scene in a market is fine, but close-ups of individuals, especially women, need permission. A gesture to your camera and mumkin? (may I?) is enough to ask; our Arabic phrases guide has more.
- People in costume at sites, camel handlers and boys with donkeys will expect a tip for a photo. Agree before you shoot.
- Ask parents before photographing children.
- Don't photograph people praying, and in mosques follow the custodian's guidance.
- In villages and Nubian homes, ask your host first.
- Be thoughtful about what you post: images that mock Egyptians, religion or the state can cause offence and, in serious cases, legal problems.
Frequently asked questions
Will my drone be confiscated in Egypt?
Very likely. Drones need prior government approval in Egypt and customs officers routinely hold drones found in luggage on arrival. Sometimes they can be collected on departure, but that isn't guaranteed. Leave it at home.
Can I use my phone to take photos at the pyramids and temples?
Yes. Personal photography with phones and cameras is allowed at the pyramids, most temples and most museums without a separate fee at the time of writing. Flash is banned in tombs, and a few tombs and galleries have their own rules.
Do I need a permit for a tripod in Egypt?
At monuments and museums, generally yes. Tripods and monopods are treated as professional equipment and are usually refused at the gate without a permit. They are fine in hotels and on cruise decks.
Can you take photos in the Valley of the Kings?
Personal photography without flash has been allowed in recent years, but rules for individual tombs, including any separate photo tickets, have changed several times. Check at the ticket office on the day.
What happens if you photograph a military site in Egypt?
You may be told to delete the images, have your camera or phone taken, or be detained for questioning. Never photograph soldiers, police, checkpoints, military buildings or strategic infrastructure.
