Bringing my drone to China - Zhangjiajie

[Tomas Juricek]

Hello there, I just want to share my experience with bringing my drone to China on Oct. 1st, 2017. Flying from Taipei International Airport was smooth, my P4P was with me as a carry-on luggage. Upon landing in China, customs officers denied me to bring the drone in the country and requested me to seal the bag and leave it at the airport. I was told I can pick it up on my way back from the country, but there was no way for me to bring it in. I was also told, I can buy or rent another drone while in China, but they will also not allow me to depart with it.

All talking was done in Chinese so this was not just a misunderstanding or language barrier problem. I've tried to stay calm and professional, but inside I was really really angry.

If you plan to take your drone to China, make sure you are eligible.

 

[john08]

Hi Tomas. Sorry to hear about your experience. I'm going to the Maldives this coming April and we have a lay over at Guangzhou china. Do you think I will have some issues too? Now I'm worried.

 

[Tomas Juricek]

Hi Tomas. Sorry to hear about your experience. I'm going to the Maldives this coming April and we have a lay over at Guangzhou china. Do you think I will have some issues too? Now I'm worried.

If you only transit, there should be no problems. If you plan to go out (make sure you have a valid visa), worst case scenario will be a 30 minutes delay for you and your drone, which will be waiting for you when you are about to depart again. I wish you best of luck for you and your drone. No matter what, stay positive and keep smiling

 

[john08]

Thanks for the reply. I was also considering getting a permit. I heard you need to register now in China. Maybe that will help me out.

 

[Tomas Juricek]

Thanks for the reply. I was also considering getting a permit. I heard you need to register now in China. Maybe that will help me out.

The problem is, to register in China, you need a local sim card which you cannot obtain before clearing customs. I'd say preparation is the key. If you find a way how to do this from outside China, please tell me how. I'm used to travel with the drone and China caught me unprepared, shame on me. BTW kudos to Maldives, flying there must be awesome

 

[Kcgunesq]

The problem is, to register in China, you need a local sim card which you cannot obtain before clearing customs. I'd say preparation is the key. If you find a way how to do this from outside China, please tell me how. I'm used to travel with the drone and China caught me unprepared, shame on me. BTW kudos to Maldives, flying there must be awesome

Sim card for what?

 

[Tomas Juricek]

Sim card for what?

All registrations need to use a local phone number - sim card. Thats why.

 

[why]

Hi Tomas,

Really sorry to hear about that.
I live in China and travel back and forth out and never had any issue bringing back my drone.
So, here are some questions and turnarounds:
1- Where did you fly to ? Which airport
2- Flights to/from Taipei are sensitive because you know Taiwan...
3- I suspect you flew in China during the sensitive period of the big congress. During that period, for at least 3 weeks to 1 month nothing much of possible to do. Because you know... Sensitive matter again
4- If you really want to go to Zhangjiajie, I would suggest the following route: Taipei - Hong Kong, then Hong Kong to Guangzhou (or Shenzhen) by train then take a local flight GZ (or Shenzhen) to Zhangjiajie. Of course, it is longer and more hassle but the custom clearance HK/CN is easier than the interntional one in any airport, especially in Guangzhou airport...

To give you an idea, I live in Guangzhou and we had a big international meeting: Fortune 500's global forum, Global Forum 2017 | Fortune Conferences and while in normal days here are the NFZ in Guangzhou:

During that congress, for almost 2 weeks, the NFZ's were:

So, it was really bad luck for you.

Concerning transit, there should be no issue.

If you come back to China and have the same issue, send me an mp. And I'll see how can I help you.

 

[DjiPhantomMenace]

Hi guys quick question. I'm planning on bringing my P3 Standard on a trip this March-April from the US to China onward to
the Philippines, I don't plan on flying my drone in Shanghai or Hong Kong. However, I do plan on flying in the Philippines. What are the regulations in china when just passing through?

 

[why]

Hi guys quick question. I'm planning on bringing my P3 Standard on a trip this March-April from the US to China onward to
the Philippines, I don't plan on flying my drone in Shanghai or Hong Kong. However, I do plan on flying in the Philippines. What are the regulations in china when just passing through?

Can you precise what is your travelling plan ?
Because Shanghai and HK, it is not the same

For Shanghai: almost no possibility to fly in downtown because of the 2 airports.
HK: lots of spots to fly.

Concerning flights. Well, there should be no issue. Just, make sure that there are no batteries in the checked-in luggage. Your drone would have to be in your carry-on. As a safety precaution, take off props and put them in your checked-in luggage.

Assuming that you would have a flight between Shanghai and Philippines, you would have to go through security and at that moment, you would take out the batteries and show it to the officer.
I crossed the security in China many times: with 2 extra batteries be it P3 or P4P batteries : no issue. With 3, some questions, but if you are not travelling alone, no issue.

 

[DjiPhantomMenace]

Can you precise what is your travelling plan ?
Because Shanghai and HK, it is not the same

For Shanghai: almost no possibility to fly in downtown because of the 2 airports.
HK: lots of spots to fly.

Concerning flights. Well, there should be no issue. Just, make sure that there are no batteries in the checked-in luggage. Your drone would have to be in your carry-on. As a safety precaution, take off props and put them in your checked-in luggage.

Assuming that you would have a flight between Shanghai and Philippines, you would have to go through security and at that moment, you would take out the batteries and show it to the officer.
I crossed the security in China many times: with 2 extra batteries be it P3 or P4P batteries : no issue. With 3, some questions, but if you are not travelling alone, no issue.

so I am flying from LAX to Shanghai. Then Shanghai To Hong Kong. From Hong Kong to Manila then back home. My stay in china all together is about 7 days then 7 in Philippines. I don't plan on flying in shanghai due to air traffic all over the place. but hong kong like you said is a maybe. I do have my dji hardshell backpack that I plan on using for a carryon. ill be traveling just me and my wife. the biggest question I have is, will I be able to enter china with my drone without it being confiscated due to china drone regulations.

 

[why]

so I am flying from LAX to Shanghai. Then Shanghai To Hong Kong. From Hong Kong to Manila then back home. My stay in china all together is about 7 days then 7 in Philippines. I don't plan on flying in shanghai due to air traffic all over the place. but hong kong like you said is a maybe. I do have my dji hardshell backpack that I plan on using for a carryon. ill be traveling just me and my wife. the biggest question I have is, will I be able to enter china with my drone without it being confiscated due to china drone regulations.

Great.
So, there should be no issue to enter/leave Shanghai. As said before: you should show the the batteries in Pudong (or Hongqiao) airport outbound.
There is a slight misunderstanding in China as some regulations state that under 100 Wh you could bring as many batteries as you want (as per IATA regulations) and another local one which states that total capacity of the batteries carried should be less than 10'000 mAh per passenger. The calculation would also include any carried powerbank.

Concerning flying in Shanghai, you're right, it is pretty complicated. But, if you go to Taihu or Suzhou or Hangzhou, it is possible to fly. Spoiler alert: the air quality is so bad that getting a crispy image is a challenge.

Concerning HK, I flew there and there are dozens of spots. My favourite would be:
1- Taitam reservoir: nice easy hike
2- Cheung Chau island: easily accessible by ferry from Central: 45 min to 1 hour depending on regular or fast ferry
3- Sai Kung: wild and unspoiled. But quite difficult hike that might take a whole day.

Victoria harbour is offlimit, as there are many helicopters flying low. I always try to abide by the laws and fly responsibly therefore never tried there. Some people take off from ICC which lies west of the Victoria Harbour...

Enjoy your stay ! Any question, let me know.

 

[blackcrusader]

Hi Tomas,
2- Flights to/from Taipei are sensitive because you know Taiwan...

Please don't make up fairy tales. There are hundreds of flights from China to Taiwan and vice versa each week.
There is nothing sensitive about them and I am able to bring my drone on my travels both ways.

 

[why]

Please don't make up fairy tales. There are hundreds of flights from China to Taiwan and vice versa each week.
There is nothing sensitive about them and I am able to bring my drone on my travels both ways.

Fairy tales ?
Really ?

Of course, there are hundred of flights... And I took some, and I had many questions departing from China: like why are you going there and bla bla bla... My bag was crutinized, every paper I was carrying in my backpack and these were work realted ones...
My comment was general, so if you are not satisfied with, you could make a nicer comment. I live here in China for such long time that I know how it works (China side): there are rules (hundreds) and unwritten rules (thousands) and one day you end up with a stubborn security officer who will bother you.
You don't believe it ?

A friend of mine was flying to Hangzhou, coming back home. He was carrying his drone and guess what ? He was denied the flight because you know G20 security measures ! (2016 G20 Hangzhou summit - Wikipedia)
So what ? Fairy tales?

If in your case, you were lucky, it is not a reason nor nice to talk about fairy tales. Like it or not, there is a sensitive case going on between China and Taiwan. You were lucky, fine. But I suspect that the OP came during the big congress where other rules were in place. Or might be that a specific rule was issued for flights inbound from Taiwan... Who knows ? China is like I said: tons of rules changing so quickly that sometimes officers are unable to tell which one is in place.
You want another example ? I was flying in downtown Guangzhou. No NFZ, no TFR, nothing!!! And it was a long time ago (!) where there were absolutely no rule about drones in China (beginning of 2016). And then 2 officers came and asked me to stop. I landed and I asked them why ? I spent half an hour asking the same questions again and again. I had first 2 young officers, then the big chief who came with a "translator" and they were unable to cite me the exact rule... I decided to let it go because you know, I am a foreigner.
Same situation one week later, same place... But I was with a friend of mine, a Chinese guy. Same 2 officers came, my friend shouted at them, telling them that if they don't know the rules, they don't have the right to do anything... and I was able to continue flying without any issue... Why ? Who knows/cares? This is China

 

[blackcrusader]

Fairy tales ?
Really ?

Of course, there are hundred of flights... And I took some, and I had many questions departing from China: like why are you going there and bla bla bla... My bag was crutinized, every paper I was carrying in my backpack and these were work realted ones...
My comment was general, so if you are not satisfied with, you could make a nicer comment. I live here in China for such long time that I know how it works (China side): there are rules (hundreds) and unwritten rules (thousands) and one day you end up with a stubborn security officer who will bother you.
You don't believe it ?

A friend of mine was flying to Hangzhou, coming back home. He was carrying his drone and guess what ? He was denied the flight because you know G20 security measures ! (2016 G20 Hangzhou summit - Wikipedia)
So what ? Fairy tales?

If in your case, you were lucky, it is not a reason nor nice to talk about fairy tales. Like it or not, there is a sensitive case going on between China and Taiwan. You were lucky, fine. But I suspect that the OP came during the big congress where other rules were in place. Or might be that a specific rule was issued for flights inbound from Taiwan... Who knows ? China is like I said: tons of rules changing so quickly that sometimes officers are unable to tell which one is in place.
You want another example ? I was flying in downtown Guangzhou. No NFZ, no TFR, nothing!!! And it was a long time ago (!) where there were absolutely no rule about drones in China (beginning of 2016). And then 2 officers came and asked me to stop. I landed and I asked them why ? I spent half an hour asking the same questions again and again. I had first 2 young officers, then the big chief who came with a "translator" and they were unable to cite me the exact rule... I decided to let it go because you know, I am a foreigner.
Same situation one week later, same place... But I was with a friend of mine, a Chinese guy. Same 2 officers came, my friend shouted at them, telling them that if they don't know the rules, they don't have the right to do anything... and I was able to continue flying without any issue... Why ? Who knows/cares? This is China

None of what you wrote has anything to do with your claim that "2- Flights to/from Taipei are sensitive because you know Taiwan..."

 

[DjiPhantomMenace]

Great.
So, there should be no issue to enter/leave Shanghai. As said before: you should show the the batteries in Pudong (or Hongqiao) airport outbound.
There is a slight misunderstanding in China as some regulations state that under 100 Wh you could bring as many batteries as you want (as per IATA regulations) and another local one which states that total capacity of the batteries carried should be less than 10'000 mAh per passenger. The calculation would also include any carried powerbank.

Concerning flying in Shanghai, you're right, it is pretty complicated. But, if you go to Taihu or Suzhou or Hangzhou, it is possible to fly. Spoiler alert: the air quality is so bad that getting a crispy image is a challenge.

Concerning HK, I flew there and there are dozens of spots. My favourite would be:
1- Taitam reservoir: nice easy hike
2- Cheung Chau island: easily accessible by ferry from Central: 45 min to 1 hour depending on regular or fast ferry
3- Sai Kung: wild and unspoiled. But quite difficult hike that might take a whole day.

Victoria harbour is offlimit, as there are many helicopters flying low. I always try to abide by the laws and fly responsibly therefore never tried there. Some people take off from ICC which lies west of the Victoria Harbour...

Enjoy your stay ! Any question, let me know.

okay perfect. I was just a little concerned because I've heard from a few people that china has stopped individuals going into china with their drones and confiscating them at customs. but hey man thanks for you're help. when was the last time you visited shanghai or anywhere in Asia with your drone?

 

[DjiPhantomMenace]

okay perfect. I was just a little concerned because I've heard from a few people that china has stopped individuals going into china with their drones and confiscating them at customs. but hey man thanks for you're help. when was the last time you visited shanghai or anywhere in Asia with your drone?

few have also mentioned to contact the FAA there in china to get permission to bring my drone into the country sane thing for the philippines. is that even necessary?

 

[why]

okay perfect. I was just a little concerned because I've heard from a few people that china has stopped individuals going into china with their drones and confiscating them at customs. but hey man thanks for you're help. when was the last time you visited shanghai or anywhere in Asia with your drone?

I live in China... In Guangzhou. I cross the "border" to HK very often and never had any issue. I also have my friends who are in and out of China with their drones and didn't have any issue.
If you have any question, I would suggest to contact your airline, they might be of help. I am not aware of any issues of confiscations going in or out of China except during sensitive times such as large politial meetings etc.

 

[DjiPhantomMenace]

I live in China... In Guangzhou. I cross the "border" to HK very often and never had any issue. I also have my friends who are in and out of China with their drones and didn't have any issue.
If you have any question, I would suggest to contact your airline, they might be of help. I am not aware of any issues of confiscations going in or out of China except during sensitive times such as large politial meetings etc.

thanks for all your help bro.

any idea of drone regulations in the Philippines as well?

 

[blackcrusader]

thanks for all your help bro.

any idea of drone regulations in the Philippines as well?

Sure. You can find them using google. I take my drone to the Philippines as well. Tourists can bring drones in no problem.
Customs just tell me to have a fun vacation and get some nice pictures