Can you fly a drone to film or photograph in China?

Since 2024, every civil drone, whatever its weight, needs real-name registration on the CAAC's UOM platform before its first flight; the old 250 g threshold was repealed. Registration needs a Chinese phone number, which makes flying hard for visiting crews without a local partner.

Sources: SinoWander: bringing a drone to China · CAE Expedition: drone rules for foreign tourists in China

Under the State Council's Interim Regulations on UAV flight management (in force since 1 January 2024), every civil drone owner must register under their real name; flying an unregistered drone can be fined up to 200 yuan, or 2,000 to 20,000 yuan in serious cases. Organisations flying anything larger than a micro drone (under 0.25 kg) need a CAAC operating certificate.

Sources: State Council of China: Interim Regulations on UAV Flight Management (Chinese)

Checked against the official source on October 6, 2026.