Yes, you can film in Monaco, and you can fly a drone there. Both need permission in advance, and you ask different offices: the Government Communication Department for the shoot and, for the drone, the Civil Aviation Authority as well. This article sets out what the official pages said when we read them on 20 October 2026, and what that changes for a brand planning a shoot. It covers Monaco only.

The shooting authorisation

The rule fits in one line: “All filming in the Principality is subject to a request for authorisation” (MonEntreprise, updated 15 April 2026). The request goes to the Government Communication Department. You can file it through the online service, which sends a receipt and then the authorisation by email. If you plan more than one kind of shoot (photo, video or film), you make one online request for each. The paper form, dated April 2026, is still accepted.

The form asks for the production company, the broadcaster or intended use, a contact, the names and roles of the crew, the equipment, the type and registration of each vehicle, the type, subject and date of the footage, and whether a drone will be used. The Department of the Interior receives the information and consults the departments concerned before granting the authorisation.

How far ahead

Shooting authorisation: at least 15 days before filming starts. An incomplete file is not processed within that deadline.
Fiction films for television or cinema, shot wholly or partly in Monaco: a complete script in French, one month before filming starts.
Changes: any change goes on a new request form.
Each drone flight: its own authorisation, requested from the Civil Aviation Authority at least eight working days before the flight (Ministerial Decree 2021-532, article 15).
Drone operator approval: the official page gives no processing time.

Public space, radio and fees

The form also asks, with exact locations, whether you need public parking spaces cleared, traffic rerouted, public access roped off, or props installed in public areas. Long-term use of certain public areas or streets may mean paying the State a fee for occupying its public domain. Neither the page nor the form gives an amount.

Wireless equipment is a separate request. Temporary radio networks (SNG, HF cameras, radio devices) need prior authorisation from the Digital Platforms and Resources Department, through its own procedure.

The Palace and the Société des Bains de Mer

The form asks whether you intend to film the Prince’s Palace. If so, you give the date and time: one day only, two hours at most. The changing of the guard takes place every day at 11.55am. The form is also plain about one thing: no interviews or stand-ups in front of the Palace.

The Casino, Casino Square and its gardens, One Monte-Carlo, the Café de Paris, the Hôtel de Paris, the Hermitage, Monte Carlo Beach and the Sporting belong to Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. For these sites the page sends you straight to SBM, which has separate contacts for the press and for commercial shoots (films, advertising, promotional images).

Flying a drone: three permissions

1. Operator approval. Any person or company operating a remotely piloted aircraft over 100 grams needs a certificate of authorisation from the Director of Civil Aviation. It names the approved pilots and aircraft and is valid for one year (drone approval page, updated 20 March 2023). The file goes on the Flysafe platform, and the approval is issued once the fee set by Ministerial Decree 2021-788 is paid. The file includes, among other things, ID documents, a company registration extract, a technical description of each aircraft, documentation on the parachute for drones over 700 grams, an electronic identification system compatible with Monaco’s, public liability insurance, the pilot’s licence or theory exam certificate, and a Special Activities Manual (safety procedures, pre-flight checks, protection of third parties).

2. A flight authorisation, every time. Approval on its own is not permission to fly: article 10 of the 2021 decree says so in plain terms. Each flight needs prior authorisation, requested at least eight working days ahead, and a late request is inadmissible (article 15).

3. The shooting authorisation, extended. For aerial filming, the request adds an insurance certificate, a technical description, the Special Activities Manual, the remote pilot’s qualification certificate, the areas to be overflown with times and flight plan, the take-off and landing area with its safety zone, and an engagement letter, or proof of who commissioned the shoot and who organises it if they differ. These documents can be in French or English. The company doing the drone filming must be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority.

The same decree sets rules that shape the shot list:

flights within direct line of sight only (article 8);
no flights at night, unless the Director of Civil Aviation grants an exception (article 9);
no combustion engines (article 7);
no flying over the Prince’s Palace and the Place du Palais without the Minister of State’s authorisation (article 4);
no flying within 150 metres of the heliport boundary without the Director of Civil Aviation’s authorisation (article 5).

The Minister of State can also ban flights over set zones and periods for major or sensitive events (article 6). Ministerial Decree 2025-183 did so over the whole Principality from 6 to 8 June 2025, for the Blue Economy and Finance Forum.

What about a small leisure drone? The decree leaves out model aircraft used only for leisure or competition, without a geolocation module and weighing under 100 grams. A drone filming for a brand does not fit that definition.

The drone approval page was last updated in March 2023, so ask the Civil Aviation Authority to confirm the current details when you plan.

What it means for a brand

Start with the drone. If the company flying it does not already hold a Monaco approval, that is the one step with no published timeframe, so check it before anything else.

Then count back from the shoot day: 15 days for the shooting request, eight working days for each flight. Settle locations, dates, crew and vehicles before you file, because any change means a new request.

The State’s authorisation does not open private doors. A hotel terrace, a residence, a shop or a boat needs the agreement of its owner or manager, which you obtain separately, ideally in writing. For advertising shoots the form is explicit: the people in charge must obtain prior authorisation from every person and legal entity involved.

If the crew uses an SNG satellite truck, wireless (HF) cameras or radio devices, add the radio request. And check that no ministerial decree restricts drones on your dates, especially around large events.

How we work

We handle shoot logistics with our clients: scouting, working out which requests apply, preparing the files with the production and the drone operator, and building the schedule around these deadlines. Nothing on the shot list counts as cleared until the authorisation arrives. There is more on our content creation page, and you can write to us with your dates.

The drone photograph at the top comes from our work for Engel & Völkers Genova, in Liguria. That shoot took place in Italy, under Italian rules, not the ones above.

Filming and flying a drone in Monaco: the permits