Flying drones in French overseas departments: zones and paperwork

Who it is for

• Companies, local authorities, housing providers and protected-area managers commissioning drone work in a French overseas department
• Professional remote pilots based in the overseas departments, in mainland France or abroad
• Consultancies, insurers and loss adjusters preparing work after a cyclone or an eruption

What this guide does not do: This guide does not cover the overseas collectivities (Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna) or New Caledonia, whose regimes differ · It does not replace the day's Géoportail map, aeronautical information or préfecture orders issued during an eruption or a cyclone · It grants no authorisation and guarantees none

Contents of the complete guide

1. What is different about flying in the overseas departments (free extract below)
2. Airports, control zones and military airspace
3. Permanent prohibited zones and sensitive sites
4. Parks, reserves and volcanoes, territory by territory
5. Main towns and decision table
6. Prior notification and authorisations: the process step by step
7. Eruptions, cyclones, launches and events
8. What this guide does not cover: the overseas collectivities
9. Checklist and official sources

Included: 14 checklist items and 3 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This edition is for anyone planning or commissioning a drone flight in one of France's five overseas departments and regions (DROM): Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion and Mayotte. Clients (local authorities, construction companies, housing providers, utilities, insurers, protected-area managers) and professional remote pilots, including operators from other Caribbean or Indian Ocean countries, will find here, territory by territory, what is not available together anywhere else: airports and bases, prohibited zones specific to overseas France (the Guiana Space Centre, volcanoes), national park rules, the competent préfectures and civil aviation directorates, the cyclone calendar and the events that close the airspace.

How to use it: chapter 1 gives the overview. The later chapters are read for the territory concerned. The "place → constraint → formality" table (chapter 5) and the checklist (chapter 9) are designed to be printed.

Up to date as of 30 September 2026. Temporary zones are especially frequent overseas (eruptions, cyclones, launches, crises): before every flight, the drone restriction map on Géoportail, the aeronautical information published by the SIA and the préfecture's announcements are the reference.

What is different about flying in the overseas departments

1. The law is the same as in mainland France

The five DROM are outermost regions of the European Union (Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union): Regulation (EU) 2019/947 applies there exactly as in mainland France, together with the French order on the use of airspace. Same categories, same 120 m maximum height, same operator registration, same standard scenarios STS-01 and STS-02 (the French national scenarios S1, S2 and S3 can no longer be used since 1 January 2026), same prior notification for flights over populated areas, at least 10 working days ahead. For an operator registered in another EU country, that registration is valid here; for an operator from a neighbouring non-EU country, registration in France is required before operating.

2. The overseas collectivities are outside this guide

Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia are not DROM and have different regimes (see chapter 8). A "French Caribbean" job that includes Saint-Martin or Saint-Barthélemy must therefore be prepared under two separate frameworks.

3. Two civil aviation directorates, five préfectures

DSAC Antilles-Guyane is responsible for Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana (as well as Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin); DSAC Océan Indien for Réunion and Mayotte. Notifications for populated areas go to each territory's préfecture: Guadeloupe (Basse-Terre), Martinique (Fort-de-France), French Guiana (Cayenne), Réunion (Saint-Denis), Mayotte (Mamoudzou).

4. Kourou: Europe's only space launch base

The Guiana Space Centre is protected by a permanent prohibited zone, described as covering the area from Sinnamary to Macouria and from Montagne des Singes to the Îles du Salut, plus a navigation-ban zone activated for launches. It is one of the largest prohibited zones on French territory.

5. Three active volcanoes

Piton de la Fournaise (Réunion), La Soufrière (Guadeloupe) and Mount Pelée (Martinique) are monitored by permanent observatories. At each Fournaise eruption, the préfecture can create a temporary no-drone zone: this happened from 12 to 16 March 2026, over the whole caldera and up to 1,000 m out to sea.

6. Three national parks with very different rules

Guadeloupe (drones banned in the park core, exceptional exemption from the director), Réunion (flying regulated by a director's order, with prohibited sectors and exemptions on request) and French Guiana (Amazonian Park, flagged by the gendarmerie as a no-drone zone). A "national park" project is therefore prepared differently from one territory to the next.

7. The cyclone calendar

Hurricane season runs from June to November in the Atlantic (French Caribbean; French Guiana is less exposed), cyclone season from November to April in the south-west Indian Ocean (Réunion, Mayotte). It narrows flight windows and, once a storm has passed, creates both heavy demand for assessments and temporary restrictions.

8. Tax and logistics

For a quote: VAT at 8.5% in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion, no VAT in French Guiana and Mayotte (article 294 of the French General Tax Code). For logistics: air transport of lithium batteries is subject to dangerous-goods rules, spare parts are scarce, and parts of French Guiana are only reachable by river or air.

Frequently asked questions

How do I receive the guide?

Right after payment you are redirected to the complete guide's page. Bookmark it, or print it to PDF (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, “Save as PDF”). Stripe also emails you the receipt.

Do I get an invoice?

Yes: Stripe generates the invoice and emails it. You can enter your company name and VAT number at checkout.

Is the guide kept up to date?

Yes. The guide's page is updated when the rules change; your access stays valid and you always read the latest version.

Does this guide replace the official texts or a training course?

No. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor a training organisation: the guide explains and organises the paperwork, with links to the official sources, which alone are authoritative.

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