Hong Kong drone rules: Cap. 448G explained
Verify before you fly
Rules verified: 2026-10-29 — regulations change; ALWAYS confirm with the national aviation authority before you fly. Official source: Civil Aviation Department — SUA Order. This page is educational information, not legal advice.
Hong Kong regulates drones under the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order (Cap. 448G), a risk-based framework covering aircraft up to 150kg. The default duty is registration: all SUA and all remote pilots must register on the CAD's eSUA platform, except Standard Category A1 operations — drones weighing not more than 250g flown within the standard operating requirements. The responsible person registers at 18 or above; remote pilots at 14 or above, and registered aircraft must display CAD's label.
The weight categories
| Category | Weight | What registration means here |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | ≤ 250g | No registration if flown within standard Category A1 operating requirements |
| A2 | > 250g to ≤ 7kg | SUA + pilot registered on eSUA |
| B | > 7kg (to 25kg) | Registered; higher-risk operations bring training duties |
| C | > 25kg | Registered; highest requirements |
Flying beyond the standard operating requirements — or inside a Restricted Flying Zone — makes the flight an Advanced Operation, which needs prior CAD permission, completion of advanced training with an approved organisation, an advanced rating, and (for category A1/A2/B aircraft) third-party liability insurance of at least HK$10 million.
Where you cannot fly
The CAD publishes an interactive Drone Map. Restricted Flying Zones — no flying unless wholly within an enclosed area — include the waters and skyline most visitors picture: Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong International Airport, and the West Kowloon Control Point area, among others, and a Prohibition Area covers the Penny's Bay vicinity. Check the map before every flight; the harbour-postcard shot is precisely the flight the RFZ exists to stop.
Visitors: the six-month path
CAD's guidance for visitors is unusually concrete:
- Register an eSUA account using your travel documents; registrations submitted by non-Hong Kong residents are normally valid for six months — apply once travel plans are firm.
- The physical registration label cannot be printed by applicants: collect it at CAD Headquarters, via an authorised representative, or have it mailed to a Hong Kong address — hotel delivery works with the booking record and room number, but labels are sent by local mail only, never overseas.
- Standard Category A1 (≤250g) visitors can fly within the A1 requirements without registering, but the Drone Map restrictions apply to everyone.
Key takeaways
- Over 250g: register the aircraft and yourself on eSUA before flying.
- ≤250g standard Category A1: registration-free, restriction-bound.
- Victoria Harbour and the airport sit inside Restricted Flying Zones.
- Advanced Operations need CAD permission, training, a rating and HK$10M insurance.
- Visitor registrations run six months; label logistics take planning.
Quiet propeller upgrades
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