Can you bring a drone to Canada?

• Drones

  depends on specifics

  Drones weighing 250g and above must be registered to fly in Canada — but foreign pilots cannot register directly. Instead, a visitor must apply for a Foreign SFOC-RPAS (Special Flight Operations Certificate) from Transport Canada before travelling, which takes about 30 business days to process for non-commercial use. Drones under 250g are exempt from both registration and the Foreign SFOC-RPAS requirement (except at advertised events).

  Most consumer camera drones (e.g. a standard DJI Mini is one of the few common models under 250g; most other popular models are well above it) fall into the registration-required category, making the 30-business-day advance application a real, easy-to-miss trap for a short trip — a tourist who decides to bring their drone a week before departure will not receive approval in time. Transport Canada's own drone-pilot certificate is also required, separate from the SFOC-RPAS application.

  Also covers: drone, uav, quadcopter, unmanned aircraft, rpas

  Checked 2026-09-16 — Source: Transport Canada — Getting permission to fly a drone in Canada as a foreign pilot

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Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. See update history