Hi,
Great question, with two answers. Firstly, you could, like a few pilots, just wing it and fly, regardless of no fly zones, permits, etc etc. Or . . .
What I do, and believe is the right thing to do, is respect the laws of other countries. We expect visitors to obey and respect ours, so why do we ignore theirs?
I have an operator ID that is valid for Portugal, since Madeira comes under Portuguese Authority. I got this by applying and passing the tests in Ireland which is part of the EU. You could try other countries such as France, other members may have recommendations, but Ireland worked for me. Once you have obtained the Op ID, you need to carry the ID with you as well as having the ID label on the drone.
Next, you need to contact two authorities. One is the Autoridade Aeronutica Nacional, Portuguese Aviation Authority for Aerial Surveys, and the Madeira Harbour or Port Captain if you wish to fly over coast, sea and beaches.
There is a lot to do, from putting batteries in protective bags in carry on for flying to and from, they’re not allowed in the hold, to registering with e-aan. I would suggest reading advice from other members
Googling advice:
And so on. Or if you prefer, I can guide you through it all. The Drone Code is similar to the UK, and I have never been approached by authorities whilst in Portugal. I have never flown in Madeira because I have always stayed in the South East of the island which is a no fly zone due to the airport. You can fly legally in the North and West. UK drone maps won’t identify the zones, so here is a screenshot
Please feel free to contact me or any other member for anything you need. As you’ll read, a lot of members just don’t bother to follow the law there, but do so in the UK, because they can’t be bothered. I think it out of respect to do so. We would expect tourists to do so here.