Practical guide

Can Bahrain airport customs hold my drone until I leave?

Q: Who should I contact before flying?

Email drone.team@mtt.gov.bh for the CAA position and contact Customs Affairs through Customer Service (WhatsApp) 17389999 or CustomerService@customs.gov.bh for the border procedure.

By Gaurav Agarwal · Updated 13 October 2026

Bahrain publishes no traveller drone-storage service, and all drone activities and approvals have been suspended since 28 March 2026. Customs lists drones as restricted to import, so before you fly ask the CAA ([email protected]) and Customs Affairs on WhatsApp (17389999) whether they will hold it for re-export. If you arrive without a written answer, declare it in the Red Channel.

Current statusDrone activities and approvals suspended

CAA inquiry[email protected]

Customs Affairs customer serviceWhatsApp 17389999

At arrivalsUse the Red Channel to declare goods

Check the official Bahrain drone notice

Jump to a step

Choose route
Ask clearly
Declare arrival
Get receipt
Collect departure
Official gap
FAQs
Official sources

01What to do before you fly

Bahrain's official drone page says all drone activities and related approvals have been suspended from 28 March 2026 until further notice. The suspension covers drone operations and the processing of permit or approval applications.

That notice does not create a passenger-storage service. The official pages reviewed do not give a storage fee, collection counter, maximum holding period or guarantee that a drone will be released for your outbound flight.

Get a case-specific answer before departure. Email Civil Aviation Affairs at [email protected] and contact Customs Affairs through Customer Service (WhatsApp) 17389999 or [email protected].

The Ministry of Interior announced a complete ban on drone use from 28 March 2026, until further notice, and warned that any violating drone will be intercepted and destroyed, with legal action against anyone who breaches the ban (our translation). Do not unpack or power on the drone in Bahrain.

Use the route that matches your travel stage
Your situation	Action	What you need
Trip not started	Ask CAA and Customs whether entry, temporary custody and re-export will be accepted for your itinerary.	Drone make, model, serial number, battery details, arrival flight, departure flight and dates.
At Bahrain arrivals	Declare the drone in the Red Channel and follow the customs officer's direction.	Passport, boarding documents, drone details and any written reply from CAA or Customs.
Customs accepts custody	Do not leave without a written receipt and clear collection instructions.	Item description, serial number, accessories, condition, custody location, release terms and contact point.
Customs refuses storage or entry	Ask for the approved next step before leaving the counter.	Written direction on return, re-export, airline handling or another lawful option.

02Questions to send to CAA and Customs

CAA regulates UAV operations in Bahrain, and UAVs in Bahraini airspace shall obtain the proper permit from the CAA. Customs Affairs monitors goods entering Bahrain, including at Bahrain International Airport.

Ask about the object, the border procedure and the return journey separately. A reply about flying does not automatically answer whether customs will accept custody, and a reply about entry does not automatically promise outbound release.

State that you will not operate the drone in Bahrain while the suspension is in force.
Ask whether you may bring the drone to the airport border for declared temporary custody and later re-export.
Ask whether storage must be arranged in advance and whether any fee, deposit or form applies.
Ask which arrivals desk receives it and which departures desk releases it.
Ask how early you must arrive for collection and what happens if the outbound flight changes.
Ask whether the batteries and controller follow separate airline or safety rules.

03What to do at Bahrain airport arrivals

Bahrain International Airport tells passengers to use the Green Channel when they have nothing to declare and the Red Channel when they have goods to declare. If your drone's entry or custody is unresolved, our advice is to use the Red Channel, which BIA says is for goods to declare.

Show the officer any written reply from CAA or Customs. Give a plain explanation: you are carrying the drone, you will not fly it in Bahrain, and you want the official decision on temporary custody or re-export.

Restricted goods can enter, transit or exit only with approval from the competent authority under the unified customs law. An email reply is not the same as that approval, so ask in writing whether approval is needed before you travel.

Keep the drone accessible for inspection without unpacking it in the queue unless asked.
Go to the Red Channel and declare it.
Show your passport, itinerary, drone details and official replies.
Follow the officer's instructions and ask for written evidence of any custody or re-export arrangement.
Photograph the receipt and store a copy away from the original.

04What the custody receipt should identify

If an officer agrees to hold the drone, treat the receipt as the link between arrival and collection. Read it before leaving the customs area. Ask the officer to correct unclear or missing details while the item is still in front of you.

Do not rely only on a verbal promise. The official pages do not publish a standard traveller-drone custody form, so your written record needs to identify the item and the release route clearly.

Receipt and collection checklist
Check	What to confirm	Why it matters
Item	Make, model, serial number, controller, batteries and case	Prevents a dispute about what was surrendered.
Condition	Visible damage, seals and accessories	Creates a record of condition at handover.
Custody	Office, terminal area, receipt number and contact	Tells airport staff where to locate the item.
Release	Date, collection desk, opening hours and documents	Turns a general promise into an actionable departure plan.
Flight change	Who to contact if the departure changes	Avoids arriving with a receipt tied to an old itinerary.
Charges	Storage, handling or other amounts, if any	The official public pages do not state a traveller-drone storage fee.

05Plan collection before your outbound flight

Use the contact point written on your receipt first. Reconfirm the collection location and required lead time before going to the airport, especially if your flight, terminal access or departure date has changed.

Bahrain International Airport publishes a local call centre at +973 80007777 and an international call centre at +973 80114444, available 24 hours daily. Use those numbers for airport navigation, then message Customs Affairs customer service on WhatsApp, 17389999, or email [email protected] for the customs question itself.

Bring your passport, outbound boarding document, original custody receipt and any release reference. Allow extra time. Collection, airline acceptance and security screening are separate steps.

Reconfirm the customs collection desk and opening hours using the receipt contact.
Ask how many hours before departure you should arrive.
Collect the drone before entering any area where returning to customs is difficult.
Check the serial number, accessories and recorded condition before signing release.
Follow your airline's current battery and baggage instructions for the next flight.

06What the official pages don't say

The official drone notice explains the suspension and gives a CAA inquiry email. The Customs Affairs and airport pages give contact and declaration routes. None of those pages promises that customs will store a passenger's drone until departure.

They also do not publish a standard fee, maximum storage period, collection counter or missed-flight rule for this situation. Treat every custody arrangement as case-specific, and obtain the terms in writing before surrendering the drone.

07FAQs

Are drones legal to fly in Bahrain now?

All drone activities and related approvals have been suspended from 28 March 2026 until further notice.

Can customs guarantee storage until my flight?

No public official page gives that guarantee. Ask CAA and Customs before travel, then obtain a written receipt and release terms if custody is accepted.

Where should I declare the drone on arrival?

Use the Red Channel for goods to declare and follow the customs officer's direction.

Who should I contact before flying?

Email [email protected] for the CAA position and contact Customs Affairs through Customer Service (WhatsApp) 17389999 or [email protected] for the border procedure.

Can I put the drone in checked baggage?

The Bahrain pages reviewed do not give one universal drone-baggage rule. Confirm the drone and battery requirements with your airline before each flight.

How should I pack the drone for airport screening?

The BIA security page says electronics 'should remain in the bags' at security.

Can I fly near Bahrain airport?

No drone operations should be planned while the nationwide suspension remains in force.

What if my outbound flight changes?

Contact the office shown on the custody receipt immediately and ask for written confirmation of the revised collection date, desk and required documents.

08Official sources

Official details checked 13 October 2026.