Two rules cover almost all of it. Ask before photographing a person, and accept a refusal without negotiating. Everything else is knowing where a camera is unwelcome and where it is illegal, and those are different lists with different consequences.
The short version
- Ask first. Every time. A gesture at the camera and a raised eyebrow is enough.
- Accept no. A refusal is not an opening offer.
- Children need a parent’s consent, not the child’s.
- 27 of 211 destinations restrict photographing government, military or infrastructure sites by law.
- Sacred spaces and sites of memory have their own rules. Look for the sign, then ask anyway.
What You Need to Know
People
A person is not scenery. The fact that someone is picturesque, working, wearing something unfamiliar or simply present does not make them available, and a photograph taken without asking is taken from them rather than of them. Asking costs a gesture: hold up the camera, raise your eyebrows, wait. A nod is yes; anything else is no.
Where the answer is yes, show them the picture. It takes five seconds, it turns a transaction into an exchange, and it is the single easiest thing a traveler can do to leave a better impression.
Children require the consent of a parent or the adult responsible, not the child’s own enthusiasm, which is freely given and means nothing.
Payment
In some places, particularly where visitors are frequent, being asked for money to photograph someone is normal and reasonable: their image is part of their living. Agree the amount before the photograph rather than after, and if you do not want to pay, do not take the picture. What is not reasonable is photographing first and negotiating afterward.
Where it is illegal
Of the 211 destinations the State Department publishes country information for, 27 restrict photographing government buildings, military installations, border posts, airports or other infrastructure. This is law, and in some places the penalty is serious and the definition of infrastructure is wider than a visitor would guess: bridges, ports, dams, police stations, and anything with a uniformed guard outside it. Where you see a guard, do not raise a camera.
Where it is unwelcome rather than illegal
Inside places of worship during a service, at funerals and ceremonies, at sites of memory and grief, in hospitals, and anywhere people are grieving, praying, bathing or ill. A sign may say so; frequently no sign says so and the answer is still no. When in doubt, put the camera down and ask a person.
Drones
Assume a drone is regulated until you know otherwise. 15 of those 211 destinations address drones in their local laws, and several require a permit, restrict them near sites, or prohibit them entirely with confiscation as the penalty.
What to Do Before Your Trip
- Read the local laws section for photography and drone rules.
- Learn how to ask in the local language. Two words is enough.
- Decide your own rule about paying before you are asked.
- Check the sites on your itinerary for their own policies.
- Leave the drone at home unless you have confirmed it is permitted.
Leading a group? Say the photography rule out loud on day one. Twenty cameras raised at once is a different event from one, and the group will take its cue from you.
Explore group travel planningImportant Considerations
A group with cameras changes a public space. One visitor photographing a market stall is a moment; fifteen doing it simultaneously is a spectacle, and the people being photographed experience it that way. Leaders who ask a group to photograph in ones and twos, and to put cameras away between subjects, get a noticeably warmer reception for everyone.
Think about where the photograph goes afterward. A picture taken with permission for a personal album is a different thing from one published, sold or used commercially, and consent for the first is not consent for the rest. If you intend to publish, say so when you ask.
Some of the most memorable moments of a trip are the ones nobody photographs. Choosing not to raise a camera is a legitimate and often better decision, and it is almost never regretted.
Tips for Group Travelers
- Brief the ask-first rule before the first stop.
- Photograph in ones and twos, not as a wall.
- Name the places where cameras stay away in advance.
- Agree what happens to group photographs afterward.
- Let the guide say no on the group’s behalf. They will know.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Photographing a person without asking.
- Taking the picture, then negotiating a price.
- Raising a camera near a guard, a bridge or a border post.
- Photographing children without an adult’s consent.
- Flying a drone without checking the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to ask before photographing someone?
Yes, everywhere, without exception. It costs a gesture and it changes the encounter completely. Showing the person the photograph afterward takes five seconds more and is the easiest good impression a traveler can make.
What if someone asks for money?
That is often reasonable, particularly where visitors are frequent and a person’s image is part of their living. Agree the amount before the photograph. If you would rather not pay, do not take the picture; taking it first and negotiating afterward is the version that causes trouble.
Where is photography actually illegal?
Government buildings, military installations, border posts, airports and infrastructure in many countries: 27 of the 211 destinations the State Department covers restrict it by law. The practical rule is that a uniformed guard outside a building means the camera stays down, and that the local definition of infrastructure is usually wider than you expect.
Can I take photographs inside a place of worship?
Sometimes, and never during a service without explicit permission. Look for a sign, then ask a person anyway, because many places have a rule that is not posted. Sites of memory and grief deserve the same question and usually a different answer.
Related Travel Tips
- Culture, customs and responsible travel, the section this guide belongs to.
- Visiting Religious and Sacred Sites.
- Heritage Travel Etiquette. Where cameras are hardest.
- Device Security While Traveling. The legal side.
Plan Your Trip With LABUSA Travel
Which sites on an itinerary permit photography, which charge for it and which prohibit it entirely is local knowledge. LABUSA Travel briefs it before the first stop rather than at the gate.
Talk with a LABUSA Travel advisor about a trip you are considering, or browse our destination guides for a specific country.
Verify Before You Travel
Restrictions on photography and drones are published per destination by the U.S. Department of State and independently by the U.K. FCDO. Individual sites set their own policies, which the site or your guide can confirm.
Travel requirements, health guidance and safety conditions can change. Always confirm current requirements with the appropriate government or official authority before departure.