Drone Laws in Hong Kong

What are the drone laws in Hong Kong?

Starting 1 June 2022, there are new regulations that govern the operations of drones (now referred to as Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA)) in Hong Kong. The rules are very much in line with drone laws in many other countries, which follow a risk-based approach according to the weight of the drone.

Drones in Hong Kong now fall under 3 categories:

1. Category A1 (under 250 grams)
2. Category A2 (250 grams to 7 kgs)
3. Category B (above 7 kgs)

This table highlights the basic requirements that remote pilots should be aware of regarding their drones.

Obviously, the big change for drone pilots after 1 June 2022 is drone and drone pilot registration.

How to register your drone in Hong Kong?

The drone registration process in Hong Kong is a 3-step process.

• Step 1 – Create an account on the eSUA website.
• Step 2 – Register yourself as a remote pilot.
• Step 3 – Register your drone or drones.

SUAs under 250g, such as the DJI Mini drones, do not need their pilots or the drone to be registered.

If your SUA weighs more than 250g, you must register yourself and the drone. So, let’s look into these 3 steps in more detail.

Create an account on the eSUA portal

This step is relatively straightforward. As the process is online, you’ll need to first sign up and create an account with an email and password on the Electronic Portal for Small Unmanned Aircraft (eSUA) website.

Once your account has been set up and verified, you can now sign into the eSUA portal. Alternatively, you can also sign in to the portal with the iAM Smart credentials.

There is also an eSUA app available for Android and iOS.

Register yourself as a remote pilot

The next step in the drone registration process is to register yourself as a Remote Pilot. The minimum age of a Remote Pilot is 14 years old.

The registration process requires you to go through important safety information to enhance your safety awareness.

After that, you’re required to provide your

1. Name
2. Identity proof – HKID for residents. I believe non-residents can also apply with another form of identification, such as passports.
3. Proof of residence

Once this information is uploaded into the system, a Remote Pilot Certificate with a Standard Rating is issued and sent to your registered email address. The Remote Pilot Certificate is valid for 3 years.

To earn an Advanced Rating certificate, pilots will be required to undergo training. As of now, I haven’t come across any training programmes.

Register your drone or drones

And finally, the last step in this process is to register your drone. As a Remote Pilot, you can register multiple drones (or SUAs).

To register your drone, click the SUA Registration button in the navbar menu, and then click +Add SUA.

You will then be required to input the required details of your drone:

1. Brand
2. Model
3. Type
4. Serial number
5. Weight

Once complete, click +Add SUA to add another drone or Submit to submit your registration details.

After the online submission, you’ll receive a letter from the Civil Aviation Department in the next 3-7 days.

Expect a letter from the Civil Aviation Department

The letter will contain a registration label along with a verification code.

The letter contains the SUA registration sticker and the verification code

Stick the label on your drone and make sure that it’s not on the propellor or battery or anywhere it can come off easily. Usually, the top of the drone isn’t a bad spot.

Stick the registration number on your drone

After sticking the registration sticker to your drone, take a picture of the drone and upload it to the eSUA portal. In order to submit the picture, you’ll be required to input the code in the letter.

And once you’ve submitted the picture, you’ll be issued an SUA Registration Certificate.

Congratulations, you’ve successfully registered yourself as the Remote Pilot and your drone as the eSUA!

Other Safety and Operation Requirements

Along with the new drone laws, the no-drone zones have also been updated.

The no-drone zones map can be found on the eSUA website or the eSUA app.

Many locations, that were previously not on the list, have been now added, such as Tai Mo Shan, Pineapple Mountain (Por Lo Shan), Siu Ma Shan, and most of North Lantau Island.

Time of Operation

Only during the day time.

Maximum flying altitude

For Category 1

For Category 2

Maximum speed

For Category 1

For Category 2

Source: Civil Aviation Department, eSUA website

From My Personal Experience

Hong Kong has been one of the more chilled-out cities when it comes to drone laws and regulations. It was once called the wild frontier for drones.

Drones are a fairly common sight in Hong Kong, especially over the weekends when enthusiasts and hobbyists set out to open spaces to fly. The popular flying spots often get crowded on a sunny, clear day.

However, with the new laws coming into play in June 2022, I wonder if the city’s stand will change. I’ve already seen drone pilots getting fined for flying over Central (near IFC). So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hong Kong is getting serious about regulating drones.

As this law is new, I’ll update this page with my personal experience as time goes by.

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My Advice

With the new drone laws, I advise avoiding the no-drone zones, no matter how strong the temptation is. Of course, there’s no knowing how strictly the new laws will be enforced. Other than that, Hong Kong is a very drone-friendly city.

If you’re a first-time drone pilot, go to Nam Sang Wai or Lower Shing Mun Reservoir to practice. There’s ample open space, no buildings or people. Remember, 70% of Hong Kong isn’t developed. So get out of the main city and find your spot.

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