Going to China... Advice?

[Drone_Video]

I just booked a trip to China and I was hoping to take my drone with me. Wondering if anyone can help me understand the local laws and requirements?

Just want to point out that I'm not a commercial operator and not doing and paid work, literally just on vacation and want to see if it's possible to get some footage from China.

Wondering about laws and regulations of course but also some info on what the adjust maps for mainland china setting is in the app? So I also need to worry about doing anything special for the drone or app itself ?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.

 

[AlR]

I just booked a trip to China and I was hoping to take my drone with me. Wondering if anyone can help me understand the local laws and requirements?

Just want to point out that I'm not a commercial operator and not doing and paid work, literally just on vacation and want to see if it's possible to get some footage from China.

Wondering about laws and regulations of course but also some info on what the adjust maps for mainland china setting is in the app? So I also need to worry about doing anything special for the drone or app itself ?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.

Hi,

I live across the border in Hong Kong and I don't know of any specific laws for drones apart from the normal keeping line-of-sight, don't fly within 50 metres of building etc.

You don't need any kind of license to fly in HK (recreationally)and I believe that it's the same for China mainland.

I will ask a friend of mine that lives in Shenzhen if he is aware of anything I'm not and will let you know.

The main thing to be aware of is Lithium batteries on flights - usually the batteries must have their terminals taped and be less than 100Wh (so inspire 2TB50's are fine for instance but not Matrice 200 TB55's)

Best regards,


Alan

 

[emtea]

These laws are typically not really enforced but just so you are aware:

1. Technically, you need a special import license to bring a drone to China because it's a radio-controlled device. Yes, I know it's made and sold in China and all that but I've had mine held by customs on this basis and had to pick it up on my way out of China.
2. Technically, you cannot fly anywhere without a proper license, even for recreation. Again, largely unenforced but just so you know.

Check with your airline regarding the lithium battery limits, as many airlines have their own limits, sometimes more strict than IATA guidelines.

In a nutshell, you'll most likely not run into any issues flying it reasonably but know that the laws are unclear and it would really be up to any law enforcement catching you doing it and having a bad day. Unlike in some countries, most bystanders will be very curious about it and won't hassle you or report you, most Chinese are very much "mind my own business" when it comes to these things but don't be alarmed if people want to look at your screen.

 

[Drone_Video]

Hi,

I live across the border in Hong Kong and I don't know of any specific laws for drones apart from the normal keeping line-of-sight, don't fly within 50 metres of building etc.

You don't need any kind of license to fly in HK (recreationally)and I believe that it's the same for China mainland.

I will ask a friend of mine that lives in Shenzhen if he is aware of anything I'm not and will let you know.

The main thing to be aware of is Lithium batteries on flights - usually the batteries must have their terminals taped and be less than 100Wh (so inspire 2TB50's are fine for instance but not Matrice 200 TB55's)

Best regards,


Alan

Thank you for the information. I will also be in Hong Kong for 4 days prior to China. so this is good news.... However I just read the note from Emtea that makes it seem less likely I will be bringing my drone. I want to be complaint with the local laws. I am waiting on my Entry Visa, should be done in a few days, and I will ask if there is a way I can get authorization to legally use my drone in China... Since almost 2 weeks of my time will be in China itself, I don't want to be dragging it along if I cant use it, and we have like 4 flights within China so I don't want to risk it getting taken away either....

 

[Drone_Video]

These laws are typically not really enforced but just so you are aware:

1. Technically, you need a special import license to bring a drone to China because it's a radio-controlled device. Yes, I know it's made and sold in China and all that but I've had mine held by customs on this basis and had to pick it up on my way out of China.
2. Technically, you cannot fly anywhere without a proper license, even for recreation. Again, largely unenforced but just so you know.

Check with your airline regarding the lithium battery limits, as many airlines have their own limits, sometimes more strict than IATA guidelines.

In a nutshell, you'll most likely not run into any issues flying it reasonably but know that the laws are unclear and it would really be up to any law enforcement catching you doing it and having a bad day. Unlike in some countries, most bystanders will be very curious about it and won't hassle you or report you, most Chinese are very much "mind my own business" when it comes to these things but don't be alarmed if people want to look at your screen.

I check and the battery's will not be an issue by law, but I have been seeing lots of reports of airlines not knowing the safety measures and refusing to let people board. I have not had an issue myself (yet), but I will be certain to properly carry with me with the batteries as that's just the right thing to do - no room for a mistake with that!

Given the RF license issue, its sounds like a good idea to leave the drone behind. or at least buy one while there, I wanted a new Mavic anyways so that might be possible, if I can figure out how to get it back to Canada without the same trouble, and I suspect warranty will not transfer either...

If you need a license to fly, do you know how and where to apply for one? I'm only going to fly legal or not at all... I will check with the people who are processing my Entry Visa and see if they know also.... I will google it also and see if I can find anything also. Thank you very much for this tip!

 

[AlR]

Thank you for the information. I will also be in Hong Kong for 4 days prior to China. so this is good news.... However I just read the note from Emtea that makes it seem less likely I will be bringing my drone. I want to be complaint with the local laws. I am waiting on my Entry Visa, should be done in a few days, and I will ask if there is a way I can get authorization to legally use my drone in China... Since almost 2 weeks of my time will be in China itself, I don't want to be dragging it along if I cant use it, and we have like 4 flights within China so I don't want to risk it getting taken away either....

Hi

That's a shame - I'm sure it would be fine in China but as you say; better play safe than end-up droneless!

Let me know if you fancy a catch-up beer when you're in Hong Kong? We can head to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club on the harbour which has some fantastic views

Best,


Alan

 

[Drone_Video]

Hi

That's a shame - I'm sure it would be fine in China but as you say; better play safe than end-up droneless!

Let me know if you fancy a catch-up beer when you're in Hong Kong? We can head to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club on the harbour which has some fantastic views

Best,


Alan

I would be honored! I'm headed out Oct 21st, but land on 22nd... making plans right now for Hong Kong itself, we picked a hotel but looking for options to support a day trip to Macau. But I would welcome a chance to meet someone with the same interests! I'll send you a private message and we can work something out...

Yes, it would be a shame to not have a drone for this trip, I missed out on drone footage for Japan and Hawaii last year because the Yuneec TH I purchased smashed itself to the ground, and the Mavic Pro order I had was delayed and the Inpsire 2 was not out yet. I ended up with an Inspire 2, which fly's awesome for me! But my summer of 2016 was a very bad drone year for me!

If I can pull it off, I may just purchase a Mavic while there to avoid the RF Licenses and all that and just use it back home in Canada... But I want to be legal so if I cant get that done proper I will avoid having one...

Thanks for the offer to grab that beer with you in Hong Kong too! very cool gesture!

 

[emtea]

Sorry, I did not mean to be a downer for your trip. I've tried to get the licenses before for China and it is virtually impossible unless you are a big production company with big bucks. As a recreational flyer, forget about it, the only way you can do it is to just bring your drone and wing it. You could buy the drone in China or Hong Kong, though from HK you may run into issues bringing it into China (I am based in Hong Kong).

Honestly, my friends with smaller drones have no real issues, it's just that when you show up with an Inspire, people see it as serious hardware whereas mavics can pass off as small toy drones. It will also depend on your port of entry. I've never had issues flying into Shanghai with my Inspire but I have had a hiccup to Beijing and have had it straight up held by customs going into Zhongshan from Hong Kong (the same can apply to Shenzhen and any border crossing where there is a lot of HK-China-HK smuggling happening).

Re the batteries, please double check with your airline, it's not a legal point (there are no laws that say you cannot carry batteries on a plane, it's the carrier's policy and most are stricter than IATA guidelines--more importantly, whenever I have tried to use IATA guidelines with security/crew to let me take my batteries, it's never really worked out). Best to double check with the airline, you should also be ready to show what Wh they are. I once flew from Frankfurt and while the carrier was fine with it, the airport security would not let me through with 6 inspire batteries. When I fly out of HKG, they flag me down at security, I show them the batteries, which I always describe as "camera batteries". They will inspect them, write down a sheet of paper with your name, flight number, and a list of the batteries you are carrying and then they call the airline to notify them and confirm and then you move on. I've had only one trip out of HKG where they did not stop me. I've found that I have more luck getting past without hassles if I put the batteries in different bags instead of all in one (I typically travel with 8 batteries).

Do let me know when you'll be around Hong Kong--same for you Alan (AIR), let me know if you are free sometime, always happy to meet up with other drone pilots.

For Macau, not much planning needed. Unless you're a big gambler, Macau is a day trip in my opinion from HK. You can hop on a ferry just about any time of day without reservations and head on over. Let me know if you have any questions about HK, feel free to message me and ask anything.

 

[San]

Hi .
I am based in Shanghai and connected with group of pilots in Shanghai , Beijing and Shenzhen. Whenever there's a big government meeting going on, the security at airports will tighten . My friend got his racing fpv drone batteries held up during his Guangzhou-Shanghai flight. They only allowed him to bring 2 batteries. Domestic flights security can be super strict here on Lipos and power banks. Your best bet is a Mavic pro and 2 batteries. Pack the batteries with individual watt hour label separately in a small bag and put on the tray with your phones & other gadgets during security check. And if it didn't work out, be polite and explain to them.

 

[mrachal]

Was planning a trip to the mainland and a co-worker checked for me. He basically said that a Mavic Pro sized drone is not really restricted save the airports (duh). He even felt certain we could fly inside some of the major cities without much risk. The Inspire is another animal. Battery issue aside, I agree with San. Bring a Mavic Pro and a if you can get away with the rail system for travel within China, you should be fine.

 

[White Airwolf]

I just booked a trip to China and I was hoping to take my drone with me. Wondering if anyone can help me understand the local laws and requirements?

Just want to point out that I'm not a commercial operator and not doing and paid work, literally just on vacation and want to see if it's possible to get some footage from China.

Wondering about laws and regulations of course but also some info on what the adjust maps for mainland china setting is in the app? So I also need to worry about doing anything special for the drone or app itself ?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.

You could go to the border with North Korea and once you take off and leave Chinese Airspace and film over North Korea, you won't have to worry about Chinese laws and regulations! Lol!

 

[White Airwolf]

I would be honored! I'm headed out Oct 21st, but land on 22nd... making plans right now for Hong Kong itself, we picked a hotel but looking for options to support a day trip to Macau. But I would welcome a chance to meet someone with the same interests! I'll send you a private message and we can work something out...

Yes, it would be a shame to not have a drone for this trip, I missed out on drone footage for Japan and Hawaii last year because the Yuneec TH I purchased smashed itself to the ground, and the Mavic Pro order I had was delayed and the Inpsire 2 was not out yet. I ended up with an Inspire 2, which fly's awesome for me! But my summer of 2016 was a very bad drone year for me!

If I can pull it off, I may just purchase a Mavic while there to avoid the RF Licenses and all that and just use it back home in Canada... But I want to be legal so if I cant get that done proper I will avoid having one...

Thanks for the offer to grab that beer with you in Hong Kong too! very cool gesture!

I would suggest buying the GDU O2 while there. Much better than the Mavic and only $732.00!
They are also in Shenzin, not sure of the spelling.
Check it out!

 

[Drone_Video]

Sorry, I did not mean to be a downer for your trip. I've tried to get the licenses before for China and it is virtually impossible unless you are a big production company with big bucks. As a recreational flyer, forget about it, the only way you can do it is to just bring your drone and wing it. You could buy the drone in China or Hong Kong, though from HK you may run into issues bringing it into China (I am based in Hong Kong).

Honestly, my friends with smaller drones have no real issues, it's just that when you show up with an Inspire, people see it as serious hardware whereas mavics can pass off as small toy drones. It will also depend on your port of entry. I've never had issues flying into Shanghai with my Inspire but I have had a hiccup to Beijing and have had it straight up held by customs going into Zhongshan from Hong Kong (the same can apply to Shenzhen and any border crossing where there is a lot of HK-China-HK smuggling happening).

Re the batteries, please double check with your airline, it's not a legal point (there are no laws that say you cannot carry batteries on a plane, it's the carrier's policy and most are stricter than IATA guidelines--more importantly, whenever I have tried to use IATA guidelines with security/crew to let me take my batteries, it's never really worked out). Best to double check with the airline, you should also be ready to show what Wh they are. I once flew from Frankfurt and while the carrier was fine with it, the airport security would not let me through with 6 inspire batteries. When I fly out of HKG, they flag me down at security, I show them the batteries, which I always describe as "camera batteries". They will inspect them, write down a sheet of paper with your name, flight number, and a list of the batteries you are carrying and then they call the airline to notify them and confirm and then you move on. I've had only one trip out of HKG where they did not stop me. I've found that I have more luck getting past without hassles if I put the batteries in different bags instead of all in one (I typically travel with 8 batteries).

Do let me know when you'll be around Hong Kong--same for you Alan (AIR), let me know if you are free sometime, always happy to meet up with other drone pilots.

For Macau, not much planning needed. Unless you're a big gambler, Macau is a day trip in my opinion from HK. You can hop on a ferry just about any time of day without reservations and head on over. Let me know if you have any questions about HK, feel free to message me and ask anything.

Thank you for the feedback.. first off, it would be cool to meet up with you and Air in HK and grab a beer or something....

Secondly, After reading a few posts here it seems a little risky/unpredictable taken a drone in country (China), even if only a Mavic... I was actually thinking of maybe picking up a the new Mavic in HK as Air Suggested, but the more I read here, I just cant take that chance of getting stopped or it taken away while we travel. I have I think it was 4 (maybe 5 flights) within China, plus back to Canada at the end of the trip.... If there was a more fool proof way to do this it would be fantastic to have that footage available. I think I might end up with just the OSMO for my trip!

 

[Drone_Video]

Hi .
I am based in Shanghai and connected with group of pilots in Shanghai , Beijing and Shenzhen. Whenever there's a big government meeting going on, the security at airports will tighten . My friend got his racing fpv drone batteries held up during his Guangzhou-Shanghai flight. They only allowed him to bring 2 batteries. Domestic flights security can be super strict here on Lipos and power banks. Your best bet is a Mavic pro and 2 batteries. Pack the batteries with individual watt hour label separately in a small bag and put on the tray with your phones & other gadgets during security check. And if it didn't work out, be polite and explain to them.

Thanks for that Tip, We are there I think right after a big holidays and in country the following holidays:
Oct 28 Saturday Double Ninth Festival Observance
Nov 8 Wednesday Journalists' Day Observance
Not sure how big these holidays re in China, but that may be an issue...

We are doing all our travel except one connection with plane, and that's all booked/paid for already not to mention we have a pretty packed schedule so train travel is out of the question at this point, but I will have to keep that in mind. I have come to the same conclusion about travel with the inspire, its way too much effort and complexity, unless your being paid do bring it, sticking with a Mavic is the ideal option. Id be okay buying one before I leave or while in HP (Air pointed out the DJI Flagship store is in HK only a few blocks from where we are staying!).

My only concern right now is the not predicable nature of what the authorities will allow. This is not a revenue generating activity for me, so looing the drone and stuff would be financial hit and having the footage from it has no monetary value (We are not allowed to even monetize drone videos in Canada without being considered "commercial".).

When I asked the question, I was expecting to get responses like get a license, register, and fly here, do fly here.... I may take one more step of asking the embassy if they have some advice, I was however worried if I asked them, and if they recommended not to do it at all - that I would subject to "enhanced screening" at the airports later. Its a good thing I asked and there is so many people here that know about drone use in China.

 

[Drone_Video]

You could go to the border with North Korea and once you take off and leave Chinese Airspace and film over North Korea, you won't have to worry about Chinese laws and regulations! Lol!

I will try it if your willing to post the bail money?

Oh wait!

A quick good google search shows that they destroy the done and empty your (human) batteries...

I'm not falling for that one Airwolf! But good try!

 

[Drone_Video]

I would suggest buying the GDU O2 while there. Much better than the Mavic and only $732.00!
They are also in Shenzin, not sure of the spelling.
Check it out!

I have had my eye on that drone... I went down the buying a Yuneec TH with Real Sense in 2016 and that turned out to be miserable experience that got lawyers involved before I got my money back and purchased a Inspire 2. I'm a little worried about trying a difference brand and was originally going to wait until the Mavic Pro 2 came out and more reviews on the GDU were available. Id take my chance with a Mavic for this trip, but a little but burned with Yuneec to try another brand right now. Not to mention I have flow the Mavic and very comfortable with the controls as it works similar to the Inspire, and the GDU would take some flight time before my time in China to get comfortable with the controls and nuances of the system. Back to risk mitigation for me... I would prefer some airtime with the drone before flying abroad.

That model however looks very good on paper especial for the price... My eyes have been wondering, and looking at that Bird (GDU 02)....

 

[Drone_Video]

Was planning a trip to the mainland and a co-worker checked for me. He basically said that a Mavic Pro sized drone is not really restricted save the airports (duh). He even felt certain we could fly inside some of the major cities without much risk. The Inspire is another animal. Battery issue aside, I agree with San. Bring a Mavic Pro and a if you can get away with the rail system for travel within China, you should be fine.

I will not be able to use the rail system, we booked everything but one connection with Air, but that would be something to keep in mind on future travel. I normally use rail in Europe, but want to reduce my travel times in China as we were a little tight on time....

Would you mind asking your friend if he found any sources that I could look at / reference? having some documentation to this effect could swing my decision back to having (bring or buy there) a drone.... if its not too much trouble it would be a big help....

Thank you in advance.

 

[Dr Jon]

Im a resident of China and a UK citizen i travel frequently back and forth there.

Things you need to know.

1) The Chinese government has mandated that all drones must be registered with the "internal security and affairs bureau" if you are found flying without the certificate they it will be immediate confiscation. The process is simple just take the drone and your passport and within minutes your good to go. The department tends to be at the visa office that locals have to go to get passport and exit certificates. Price is $5 when i did mine in April.

2) this has been announced on all TV channels and the local police have been active checking. This has resulted from recent issues of operators not following the drone code and some airports having to shut down because of there infringements.

3) I have an inspire 2 and Mavic Pro each with 3 sets batts. I have never had any issues other than taking a photo of the batt capacity and show the customs if required the ones on both the capacity size is in very small print.

4) I have been stopped a few times when loading in the hold the Inspire 2 as the R/C shows up on the scanners and I then have to open the case so they can see i can't take the battery out. I have since always carried them in my onboard case.

5) when you arrive in china you need to get in to the DJI GO application and select the option in "general settings" to use Map coordinates for main land china. If you don't the displays can be anywhere between 25 and 500 meters wrong. Before any real flights do a test flight to ensure the RTH is working as expected

6) you need to look at the NFZ on the maps as in china these are not circles and the shape can be multi sided.

7) as mentioned elsewhere the locals are very curious so be aware as they can get in the way of a landing putting them at risk.

8) places like the forbidden city in Beijing have notices saying its a NFZ and are in the data base, check before you go.

9) there are over 1 billion Chinese and finding a safe take off point can be difficult.

 

[Drone_Video]

Thank you to everyone that responded ! I’m in China as of writing this and decided that it was best to leave the drone at home. I think with some decent planning I could have made it work but they have some big political appointments or something going on this week and just didn’t want to take any chances.

Not to mention the air pollution advisory has been pretty high so very low visibility at least from point of view !

I did end up finding this website that went into some more details also if anyone want to give it a go on the future.

Flying a Drone in China | 2017 Regulations + Travel Tips

I’m still a very cautious flyer and just didn’t want to end up making a mistake while visiting China because of ignorance on my part. I didn’t feel comfortable so opted to take the safe route for me

But thank you to everyone who shared their input. I hope at the very least it helps someone else get some good info before they plan their trip as there is tons of food tips in this thread now !

 

[Drone_Video]

Also a very Special thank you to my new friend AIR who I had a chance to visit while in Hong Kong a few days ago. It was an absolute amazing day! It was great to have that extensive local Hong Kong knowledge, introductions to some really nice clubs and pointed us to Some of the best dim sum around!

I really enjoyed the day and the conversation that ranged from drones for a bit of course, but also other overlapping technology in our mutual fields!

It was a really great day, wish we could have had a few more!

One of the most interesting people I have meet actually, And conversations that ranged from company’s like DWAVE quantum computing to machine learning was very cool!