UK government travel advice warns against photographing military sites in nine of the European countries this site covers. For Greece it says photographing military installations is illegal; for Montenegro and Serbia it says doing so can lead to arrest.347 This is the UK's advice to its travellers, not local law.
Whose advice is this?
This is not legal advice. Rules change; check with the authority named.
Everything on this page comes from the travel advice that the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) publishes on GOV.UK. It is the UK government's advice to British travellers about other countries. It is not the law of those countries, and it is not written by their authorities.
We read the FCDO page for each of the European countries this site covers and list below every country where it mentions photographing military or security sites. Where the FCDO says something is illegal, that is the FCDO's statement; check the country's own authorities for the legal position.
What does the FCDO say, country by country?
| Country | What the FCDO travel advice says | FCDO page last updated |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Avoid taking photographs near potentially sensitive areas like military establishments. If in doubt, ask permission. | 11 August 20261 |
| Cyprus | Avoid taking photographs near sensitive areas, such as military buildings. If you do, the authorities could arrest you. | 14 August 20262 |
| Greece | It is illegal to approach or take photos or videos of military installations, vehicles or buildings.Border areas are also described as militarily sensitive. | 11 August 20263 |
| Montenegro | Taking photographs of police or military installations, personnel or vehicles is illegal and could lead to arrest and prosecution by the authorities. | 13 August 20264 |
| Poland | Avoid photographing and flying personal drones near military or other security installations, national infrastructure and some border areas; obey signs banning photography and drones. | 11 August 20265 |
| Romania | Most airports and military bases have signs banning photography. If you're not sure if photography is allowed, ask permission. | 18 September 20266 |
| Serbia | Taking photographs of military and police installations, personnel or vehicles anywhere in Serbia may lead to arrest or difficulties with the authorities. | 13 August 20267 |
| Slovakia | Taking photos of any location that could be seen as a military establishment or security related may result in problems with the authorities. | 28 August 20268 |
| Türkiye | Do not take photographs of or near military or official installations. | 21 September 20269 |
For Greece the FCDO adds that the authorities will arrest and have prosecuted people who approach or photograph military sites, and that in border areas you should not take photos or videos.3
For Poland it says you must comply with signs prohibiting photography and personal drone use, and follow the Polish Civil Aviation Authority's rules to fly a personal drone.5
For Türkiye it also advises: Ask for permission before photographing people.
It describes Mount Ararat, in Ağrı Province, as a special military zone that needs permission from the Doğubayazıt government office and a fee.9
What about the other countries?
The FCDO pages for Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden contained no advice on photographing military or security sites when we read them.10
That silence is not permission. Signs, fences and staff instructions on the spot still apply, and the local authorities decide what is allowed.
This is not legal advice. Rules change; check with the authority named.
What this page cannot tell you
- UK advice, not local law. The FCDO writes for British travellers; its wording is not a legal text of the country concerned.
- Rules change. The FCDO updates these pages often; the dates in the table are the GOV.UK record dates when we read them.
- Not legal advice. For the legal position, check with the country's own authorities.
Related: Drone rules for travellers: EU and Japan · What the law says about photographing people · Greece off-season guide.
Key takeaways
- The FCDO warns against photographing military sites in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Türkiye.
- For Greece, Montenegro and Serbia it mentions arrest; for Cyprus it says the authorities could arrest you.
- Where you see a sign banning photography, the FCDO's advice for Poland and Romania is to obey it or ask.
- What we would skip: photographing military sites at all in these nine countries, and taking photos in the border areas the FCDO flags for Greece and Poland.
Sources
All country statements come from the UK FCDO's travel advice on GOV.UK, read through the GOV.UK content API and saved on the date shown. See how we research.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Bulgaria travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 11 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Cyprus travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 14 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Greece travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 11 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Montenegro travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 13 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Poland travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 11 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Romania travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 18 September 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Serbia travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 13 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Slovakia travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 28 August 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Turkey travel advice, GOV.UK (page record last updated 21 September 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, travel advice pages on GOV.UK for Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- GOV.UK, page footer licence statement (as shown on the FCDO Greece page). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026.
Changes made. We quoted the FCDO wording exactly where shown and summarised the rest; we added the country list and dates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The FCDO does not endorse this page.