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Tips for Visitors

Small Unmanned Aircraft Operations

Observe Regulatory Requirements
Observe Regulatory Requirements
  1. Under the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order (Cap. 448G of the Laws of Hong Kong), small unmanned aircraft (“SUA”) operations are regulated under a risk-based approach.
  2. Based on the weight of the SUA and the operational risk level, SUA operations of different risk levels are subject to the corresponding regulatory requirements, including registration and labelling of SUA, registration of remote pilots, training and assessment, equipment, operating requirements and insurance.
  3. Any person who operates an SUA shall observe the regulatory requirements and operating requirements elaborated in the Safety Requirements Document, as well as the General Safety Guidelines for Flying SUA.

Take Note of Areas that SUA Cannot be Flown
Take Note of Areas that SUA Cannot be Flown
  1. Any person who operates an SUA shall take note of areas that SUA cannot be flown, such as:

    1. SUA shall not be flown in the Restricted Flying Zone (“RFZ”) as illustrated in the Drone Map except it is wholly within an enclosed area. Remote pilot should check on the Drone Map prior to each flight for the latest RFZ designation. Examples of RFZ include the Victoria Harbour, Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point, Hong Kong International Airport, area in the proximity of Cheung Chau Helipad.
    2. SUA shall not be flown over the Prohibition Area established under the Air Navigation (Flight Prohibition) Order (i.e. area in the proximity of Penny’s Bay, such as the Hong Kong Disneyland).

    Should there be any extraordinary circumstances requiring operations in the above areas, a prior permission from the Civil Aviation Department and/or relevant authorities, as the case requires, should be obtained.
  2. Other legislation, bylaws and/or regulations in force may restrict when and where an SUA operation may be conducted. Remote pilot should also observe such requirements and contact the relevant authorities or parties for clearance and permission if necessary before flight.

Advanced Operations Require Prior Permission
Advanced Operations Require Prior Permission
  1. Operations involving higher risks (such as operations that exceed the applicable operating requirements and operations within RFZ) are “Advanced Operations” and require prior permission from the Civil Aviation Department.

Registration of Small Unmanned Aircraft and Remote Pilots

Registration of SUA and Remote Pilot
Registration of SUA and Remote Pilot
  1. All SUA and remote pilots shall be registered except for Standard Category A1 Operations, i.e. SUA weighing not more than 250g operated within applicable operating requirements.
  2. Registration of SUA and remote pilots can be completed on the dedicated electronic platform - eSUA.
  3. Non-Hong Kong residents are required to use their travel documents to register their eSUA account.
  4. SUA registration submitted by non-Hong Kong residents are normally valid for six months. Non-Hong Kong residents are advised to submit application once they have concrete plans to visit Hong Kong and once their travel documents are ready.

Come in Person / Authorise a Representative to collect SUA registration label
Come in Person / Authorise a Representative to collect SUA registration label
  1. When applying registration of SUA, applicants may choose, on eSUA, to collect the SUA registration label at the Civil Aviation Department Headquarters in person or by an authorised representative1, or to ask CAD to mail the registration label to a Hong Kong address2.

    2. 1 If the applicant chooses to authorise a representative to collect the label, the authorised representative should present an authorisation letter signed by the applicant, a copy of the applicant’s identity/travel document used for creating the eSUA account and the authorised representative’s identity document, and provide the authorised representative’s residential address in Hong Kong.

    2 If the address is a hotel’s address, applicants should provide pertinent booking record and the room number, if any.

Mail to Hong Kong Address
Mail to Hong Kong Address Will no mail to address outside Hong Kong Will no use courier or Pay-on-collection service
  1. The SUA registration label will be sent by local surface mail. The SUA registration label will not be delivered through other means (such as using “pay on delivery” services by couriers), and will not be mailed to places outside Hong Kong.

SUA registration label cannot be printed by applicants
SUA registration label cannot be printed by applicants
  1. The SUA registration label cannot be printed by applicants.

Upload Photo to Complete SUA Registration
Upload Photo to Complete SUA Registration
  1. After receiving the SUA registration label, applicants have to log in their eSUA account, key in the verification code, and upload a photo showing that the SUA has been affixed with the label. Afterwards, an SUA registration certificate will be sent to the applicants’ registered email address. Please note that the registration of SUA will only be regarded as completed after the issuance of the SUA registration certificate.

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