diff --git a/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx b/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx
index 39f21b1..34a106c 100644
--- a/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { headers as nextHeaders } from "next/headers";
 import { SiteHeader } from "@/components/frontend/SiteHeader";
 import { Metadata } from "next";
 import { type ResolvedLevel, resolveLevel } from "@/utils/xp/resolveLevel";
-import { hasIntelligenceQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification";
+import { canViewIntelligence } from "@/utils/access-control/canViewIntelligence";
 import { hasLogisticsQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasLogisticsQualification";
 import { canAccessAdminPanel } from "@/utils/access-control/divisionAccess";
 import { ShipmentToasts } from "@/components/frontend/logistics/ShipmentToasts";
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export default async function RootLayout(props: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
       gameRulesRes,
       announcementsRes,
     ] = await Promise.all([
-      hasIntelligenceQualification(payload, user).catch(() => false),
+      canViewIntelligence(payload, user).catch(() => false),
       hasLogisticsQualification(payload, user).catch(() => false),
       payload.find({
         collection: "profiles",
diff --git a/src/app/(frontend)/page.tsx b/src/app/(frontend)/page.tsx
index 7715d61..78a5a9c 100644
--- a/src/app/(frontend)/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(frontend)/page.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { headers as nextHeaders } from "next/headers";
 import type { Assignment, Campaign, GameStructure, Map, Media, Rank, User } from "@/payload-types";
 import { resolveLevel } from "@/utils/xp/resolveLevel";
 import { isPayloadUser } from "@/utils/access-control/isPayloadUser";
-import { hasIntelligenceQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification";
+import { canViewIntelligence } from "@/utils/access-control/canViewIntelligence";
 import { getCurrencyConfig } from "@/lib/banking";
 import { CLOSING_STATUSES } from "@/lib/tickets/ticketMeta";
 import { ProfileSummary } from "@/components/frontend/dashboard/ProfileSummary";
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export default async function HomePage() {
 
   const userId = user.id;
 
-  const hasIntelligence = await hasIntelligenceQualification(payload, user).catch(() => false);
+  const hasIntelligence = await canViewIntelligence(payload, user).catch(() => false);
 
   const [profileRes, experienceRes, assignmentRes] = await Promise.all([
     payload.find({
diff --git a/src/utils/access-control/canViewIntelligence.ts b/src/utils/access-control/canViewIntelligence.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6551870
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/access-control/canViewIntelligence.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import type { Payload } from "payload";
+import { hasAnyPermission } from "@/utils/access-control/hasPermission";
+import { hasIntelligenceQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification";
+
+// Visibility signals only. The standard "user" role grants all four read
+// permissions, so every regular member passes. This gates NAVIGATION surfaces
+// (sidebar section, command palette, keyboard shortcuts, dashboard widgets,
+// tour visibility), never moderation: wiki moderation, tech tree editing, and
+// intel admin pages stay on hasIntelligenceQualification (write permissions /
+// qualification membership).
+const INTELLIGENCE_READ_PERMISSIONS = [
+  "missions:read",
+  "campaigns:read",
+  "factions:read",
+  "technologies:read",
+] as const;
+
+/**
+ * Check whether a user can SEE the intelligence section of the app.
+ *
+ * True for anyone holding intel-domain read permissions (the standard member
+ * role included), so all regular players see Campaigns/Missions/Factions/Wiki
+ * in navigation. Intel-qualified members pass as a fallback even if their role
+ * setup somehow lacks the read grants. Guests get false.
+ */
+export async function canViewIntelligence(
+  payload: Payload,
+  user: { id: number | string; roles?: unknown } | null | undefined,
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (!user) return false;
+
+  if (await hasAnyPermission(payload, user, ...INTELLIGENCE_READ_PERMISSIONS)) return true;
+
+  return hasIntelligenceQualification(payload, user);
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification.ts b/src/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification.ts
index 36d92f4..6acc5d7 100644
--- a/src/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification.ts
+++ b/src/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import { hasAnyPermission } from "@/utils/access-control/hasPermission";
 // Membership signals only. Read permissions (missions:read, campaigns:read,
 // factions:read, technologies:read) must NOT appear here: the standard "user"
 // role grants all four, so including them would make every regular player pass
-// this qualification (and with it, wiki moderation and intel-only UI).
+// this qualification (and with it, wiki moderation and intel admin surfaces).
+// Navigation visibility (sidebar, palette, dashboard) uses canViewIntelligence.
 const INTELLIGENCE_PERMISSIONS = [
   "intelligence:manage",
   "missions:create",
diff --git a/tests/int/intelligence-visibility.int.spec.ts b/tests/int/intelligence-visibility.int.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4dd5d3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/int/intelligence-visibility.int.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+import { getPayload, Payload } from "payload";
+import config from "@/payload.config";
+
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import type { Role, User } from "@/payload-types";
+import { canViewIntelligence } from "@/utils/access-control/canViewIntelligence";
+import { hasIntelligenceQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification";
+import { invalidatePermissionCache } from "@/utils/access-control/loadUserPermissions";
+
+let payload: Payload;
+
+const RUN = `intelvis-${Date.now().toString(36)}`;
+const TIMEOUT = 30_000;
+
+describe("Intelligence navigation visibility (canViewIntelligence)", () => {
+  const roleIds: number[] = [];
+  const userIds: number[] = [];
+  const createdQualificationIds: number[] = [];
+
+  let readerUser: User;
+  let outsiderUser: User;
+  let qualifiedUser: User;
+  let superUser: User;
+
+  const makeRole = async (label: string, extra: Partial<Role> = {}): Promise<Role> => {
+    const role = (await payload.create({
+      collection: "roles",
+      data: { name: `${RUN}-${label}`, slug: `${RUN}-${label}`, ...extra },
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    })) as unknown as Role;
+    roleIds.push(role.id);
+    return role;
+  };
+
+  const makeUser = async (label: string, roleId: number): Promise<User> => {
+    const user = (await payload.create({
+      collection: "users",
+      data: {
+        username: `${RUN}-${label}`,
+        discordUsername: `${RUN}-${label}`,
+        displayName: label.toUpperCase(),
+        steamId: `7656119${Math.floor(Math.random() * 1e9)}`,
+        password: "Test123",
+        roleDocs: [roleId],
+      },
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    })) as unknown as User;
+    userIds.push(user.id);
+    return user;
+  };
+
+  const findOrCreateQualification = async (name: string): Promise<number> => {
+    const found = (await payload.find({
+      collection: "qualifications",
+      where: { name: { equals: name } },
+      limit: 1,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    })) as unknown as { docs: Array<{ id: number }> };
+    if (found.docs.length > 0) return found.docs[0].id;
+    const created = (await payload.create({
+      collection: "qualifications",
+      data: { name },
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    })) as unknown as { id: number };
+    createdQualificationIds.push(created.id);
+    return created.id;
+  };
+
+  const grantQualification = async (user: User, qualificationId: number) => {
+    const profile = (await payload.find({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      where: { user: { equals: user.id } },
+      limit: 1,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    })) as unknown as { docs: Array<{ id: number }> };
+    expect(profile.docs.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    await payload.update({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      id: profile.docs[0].id,
+      data: { progression: { qualifications: [qualificationId] } },
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    });
+  };
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    const payloadConfig = await config;
+    payload = await getPayload({ config: payloadConfig });
+    invalidatePermissionCache();
+
+    // Mirrors the standard "user" role: intel-domain read permissions, no writes.
+    const readerRole = await makeRole("reader", {
+      permissions: ["missions:read", "campaigns:read", "factions:read", "technologies:read"],
+    });
+    const outsiderRole = await makeRole("outsider", { permissions: ["tickets:read"] });
+    const bareRole = await makeRole("bare", { permissions: [] });
+    const superRole = await makeRole("super", { isSuperuser: true });
+
+    readerUser = await makeUser("reader", readerRole.id);
+    outsiderUser = await makeUser("outsider", outsiderRole.id);
+    qualifiedUser = await makeUser("qualified", bareRole.id);
+    superUser = await makeUser("super", superRole.id);
+
+    const intelligenceId = await findOrCreateQualification("Intelligence");
+    await grantQualification(qualifiedUser, intelligenceId);
+  }, TIMEOUT);
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    if (!payload) return;
+    for (const id of userIds) {
+      const profiles = await payload
+        .find({
+          collection: "profiles",
+          where: { user: { equals: id } },
+          limit: 5,
+          depth: 0,
+          overrideAccess: true,
+        })
+        .catch(() => null);
+      for (const p of profiles?.docs ?? []) {
+        await payload.delete({ collection: "profiles", id: p.id, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+      }
+      await payload.delete({ collection: "users", id, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+    }
+    for (const id of roleIds) {
+      await payload.delete({ collection: "roles", id, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+    }
+    for (const id of createdQualificationIds) {
+      await payload
+        .delete({ collection: "qualifications", id, overrideAccess: true })
+        .catch(() => {});
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("member with intel read permissions sees the section but is not intel-qualified", async () => {
+    expect(await canViewIntelligence(payload, readerUser)).toBe(true);
+    // The strict gate must stay tight: read permissions alone never grant
+    // moderation (wiki moderator, tech tree editing, intel admin pages).
+    expect(await hasIntelligenceQualification(payload, readerUser)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("member without intel permissions sees neither surface", async () => {
+    expect(await canViewIntelligence(payload, outsiderUser)).toBe(false);
+    expect(await hasIntelligenceQualification(payload, outsiderUser)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("intel-qualified member keeps the section even without read grants", async () => {
+    expect(await hasIntelligenceQualification(payload, qualifiedUser)).toBe(true);
+    expect(await canViewIntelligence(payload, qualifiedUser)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("superuser sees the section", async () => {
+    expect(await canViewIntelligence(payload, superUser)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("guest (no user) sees nothing", async () => {
+    expect(await canViewIntelligence(payload, null)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});