Drones in Iran Q&A

[steven]

Please leave your reports and questions on using or transporting drones in Iran below.

We summarize at the drones in Central Asia page.

[MigratoryBikes]

Hi everyone,

With my girlfriend we currently are in Georgia and in a few weeks we'll enter Iran by bicycle. We have a drone and we would like to avoid cargo or any shipping from Armenia to a country where it's not a problem to have a drone.

Otherwise, we want to enter Iran with a drone, but not use it AT ALL. It would just be easier for us but i am wondering if there is a legal way to seal and stamp the drone at the border to show to authorities in case of control that our drone is not for personal use in their country.

Do you have any info/feedback about people there with a drone?

By advance thank you!

Camille & Antoine @migratorybikes

[MYgrations.nl]

Hi guys,

We just came from Iran and had a drone with us. We did use it, but only in 'save' nature area's. Only a small drone is permitted (less then 250 grams) and you need to register it if you want to use it legal. Where to do so, we can't tell you, cause we haven't got a clue.

At the border we had no checks at all. Not incoming nor outgoing. We had tucked it away far and deep though.

We learned via via that the Iranian secret service was doing routine checks on us by asking questions at people we met and who had tagged us on Instagram. They also asked if we where carrying a drone. Since we learned this, the drone was tucked away safely again.

This is no advice, merely an experience to share with you.

Kind regards,
MYgrations.nl

[brownboytravels]

Drones in Iran

A warning to people travelling with drones

I just finished my 40 days in Iran and had an incredible time, it was a great chance to catch up with my Iranian side. On my arrival I declared my drone (DJI Mini Pro 4) to customs who took it from me and gave me a receipt, told me to arrive 3 hours before my flight and come back with my boarding pass.
Today was my last day and I arrived 4 hours earlier than my flight expecting some bureaucracy and I was in for a surprise, they kept sending me to different offices and no one actually knew the rules, because of persona new year, all the senior management was on holiday (not exaggerating, all of them). I finally found someone willing to help after lots of running around in rain and after 5 hours of crazy bureaucracy with the help of my hero, I got the drone back. By this time, I was soaking wet, had missed my flight and had to plead with them that I cannot give them an exact address for the next 3 months since I am on the road and need it for Nepal.
It was a harrowing process and I needed to see and get signature from some 28 people from different offices, I shudder to think what would it be like if you didn’t speak Farsi because barely anyone spoke English.
At the end, the customs officer came with me to check in counter and saw that drone was in my checked bag (without batteries) and then the ordeal was over.
It was a costly ($250 missed flight + $100 for different charges +$450 new flight). Sleeping in a bench in Dubai T2 was priceless though.

TLDR: Drones and Iran don’t mix well, don’t bring it and if you do, get ready to spend a day trying to get it back from customs.