Canada CA
Drones under 250 g fly with no registration or certificate. From 250 g to 25 kg you must register the drone and hold a Basic or Advanced Pilot Certificate. Rules overhauled on 4 November 2025 added a 25-150 kg 'medium' RPAS class and a Level 1 Complex certificate for routine BVLOS flights. Foreign visitors cannot get a standard Canadian certificate and instead need a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC-RPAS) for foreign recreational operations.
Your plan
Choose your home country (top right) to see steps tailored to you.
You're good to go, just follow the local rules
- No registration needed
A 249 g drone with camera doesn't need to be registered in Canada.
- Bringing your drone in
Visitors bringing a drone as personal baggage for their own temporary use generally do not pay duty or tax on it, provided it leaves Canada with them. New drones purchased and imported (e.g. by mail/courier) are subject to 5% federal GST plus applicable provincial sales tax/HST (up to ~15% combined depending on province); CBSA may treat multiple units or frequent imports as commercial. Radio-transmitting drones must comply with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) technical rules and carry a valid IC certification number; CBSA can hold shipments that lack one. Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares); over 160 Wh not permitted on passenger aircraft.
- Before each flight
Fly at or below 400 ft (122 m) AGL and keep the drone in sight (VLOS) unless certified for BVLOS · Basic Certificate: uncontrolled airspace only, at least 30 m horizontally from bystanders, 5.6 km+ from airports/aerodromes · Advanced Certificate needed to fly in controlled airspace, closer than 30 m to bystanders, or over bystanders
Open official page
Flying
- Fly at or below 400 ft (122 m) AGL and keep the drone in sight (VLOS) unless certified for BVLOS
- Basic Certificate: uncontrolled airspace only, at least 30 m horizontally from bystanders, 5.6 km+ from airports/aerodromes
- Advanced Certificate needed to fly in controlled airspace, closer than 30 m to bystanders, or over bystanders
- Night flights are allowed for Basic/Advanced certificate holders with anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles
- 25-150 kg 'medium' drones are automatically treated as advanced operations or higher under the November 2025 rules
- No-fly zones apply near emergency operations (forest fires, accident scenes), and many national/provincial parks restrict or ban drones locally
Commercial use: Same certificate system as recreational flying (there is no separate 'commercial' licence) — an Advanced Pilot Certificate is needed for most work. Routine BVLOS operations need the new Level 1 Complex RPAS certification (introduced 4 Nov 2025: Advanced certificate, 20 hours ground school, exam, enhanced flight review, CAD 125 fee) or a full SFOC; organisations doing BVLOS also need an RPAS Operator Certificate (RPOC).
Official airspace mapRegistration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 250 g) Registration is per-drone, done online in the Drone Management Portal (GCKey sign-in), and the assigned registration number must be marked on the aircraft. Foreigners cannot self-register — see foreigners section. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Yes (mixed, from 250 g) Small Basic Exam / Small Advanced Exam (RPAS Pilot Certificate). Basic exam is online/unsupervised (35 questions, 65% pass mark, CAD 10). Advanced exam is proctored/in-person and also requires a flight review. Level 1 Complex (BVLOS) is a further add-on certificate (CAD 125). |
| Remote ID | No Canada has no US-style broadcast Remote ID rule. Instead, registered drones (250 g+) must physically display their Transport Canada registration number on the airframe. |
| Insurance | Depends Not legally required for standard Basic/Advanced recreational or commercial operations, but Transport Canada strongly recommends liability coverage. Insurance is typically made mandatory as a condition of an SFOC, RPOC, or Level 1 Complex/BVLOS approval, and is often required contractually by clients, landowners or park authorities. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Foreign (non-citizen, non-permanent-resident) pilots cannot sit the standard Basic/Advanced exams or self-register a drone in the normal system. Visitors flying recreationally must instead apply for an SFOC-RPAS for Foreign Recreational Operations, which functions as both flight permission and registration; a simplified compliance checklist applies to recreational (non-paid) flights. A 'less complex' SFOC application typically takes up to about 30 working days provided you respond promptly to any follow-up questions from Transport Canada — apply well before your trip. Drones under 250 g used purely recreationally are generally exempt from the Foreign SFOC-RPAS requirement, except to fly at an advertised event. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Micro | < 250 g | No registration, no pilot certificate, no marking. Still subject to general safety and no-fly-zone rules. |
| Small — Basic operations | 250 g – 25 kg | Register the drone, mark it with the registration number, hold a Basic Pilot Certificate. Uncontrolled airspace only, 30 m+ from bystanders, 5.6 km+ from aerodromes. |
| Small — Advanced operations | 250 g – 25 kg | Advanced Pilot Certificate plus flight review. Allows controlled airspace, closer to or over bystanders, and operation near aerodromes with authorisation. |
| Medium RPAS | 25 kg – 150 kg | New class from 4 November 2025. Always treated as an advanced operation or higher; additional type/operational approvals apply. |
| Large / BVLOS / other special operations | > 150 kg or beyond standard rules | Requires a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) or, for routine lower-risk BVLOS, a Level 1 Complex RPAS certificate plus an RPAS Operator Certificate (RPOC) for organisations. |
Import & export
- Visitors bringing a drone as personal baggage for their own temporary use generally do not pay duty or tax on it, provided it leaves Canada with them. New drones purchased and imported (e.g. by mail/courier) are subject to 5% federal GST plus applicable provincial sales tax/HST (up to ~15% combined depending on province); CBSA may treat multiple units or frequent imports as commercial.
- Radio-transmitting drones must comply with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) technical rules and carry a valid IC certification number; CBSA can hold shipments that lack one.
- Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries. Up to 100 Wh freely; 100-160 Wh with airline approval (max 2 spares); over 160 Wh not permitted on passenger aircraft.
- Exact customs tariff (duty) classification for drones was not verified directly with CBSA's tariff schedule — treat dutyPct as unconfirmed and check the current HS code rate before importing commercially.
- The federal government has at times restricted specific foreign-made drone brands for its own departmental procurement; this does not restrict personal ownership or import by the public.
Export
- The Export and Import Permits Act and Canada's Export Control List can apply to higher-end/military-grade UAV technology and components; ordinary consumer/prosumer camera drones are not normally affected.
Costs
| Operator registration | 10 CAD (≈ €6.5) · Per drone. Sources conflict between CAD 5 (older) and CAD 10 (effective April 2025) — verify current fee before paying. Validity: No expiry — valid for the life of the drone |
|---|---|
| Small Basic Exam / Small Advanced Exam (RPAS Pilot Certificate) | 10 CAD (≈ €6.5) |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + 5 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying in Canada as a visiting tourist Visitors
- Check your drone's weight
Under 250 g: no permit needed, just follow the general safety rules. 250 g and up: you need Transport Canada permission before you fly.
- Apply for a Foreign SFOC-RPAS
Apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate for Foreign Recreational Operations through the Drone Management Portal well ahead of your trip — budget about 30 working days. Open
- Mark your drone
Once approved, follow the marking/identification instructions given with your SFOC — there is no US-style broadcast Remote ID in Canada.
- Check airspace before every flight
Use the NRC Drone Site Selection tool or a NAV Canada aviation map to confirm you're clear of controlled airspace, aerodromes and restricted areas. Open
- Fly the core rules
Stay at or below 400 ft (122 m), keep the drone in sight, stay 30 m+ from bystanders, and avoid parks or sites with local drone bans.
Sources
- Transport Canada — Drone safety · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Transport Canada — Get permission to fly a drone as a foreign pilot/operator · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Transport Canada — 2025 Summary of changes to Canada's drone regulations · accessed 23 Sept 2026
- Transport Canada — Drone Management Portal · accessed 23 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−10
- Pilot test (mixed)−15
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Long lead time (30 days)−8
- Duty + VAT ≈ 10 %−6
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works