You can take ordinary tourist photographs in China. Do not photograph military or classified facilities. A drone is a different matter: under the Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aircraft, real-name registration is required, and foreign unmanned aircraft — or unmanned aircraft operated by foreign organisations or individuals — must not be used for surveying or radio-parameter testing in China. Unregistered flight can be stopped and fined. A short tourist visit often finds registration awkward (it typically wants a Chinese mobile number). If you cannot complete registration, do not fly. Leaving the drone at home is the simpler choice. This is not a how-to for evading the rules.
마지막 확인일 · 최초 게시 · 출처 2개
핵심 사실
| Ordinary photography | Fine in public tourist places, with ordinary courtesy. Do not photograph military or classified facilities |
|---|---|
| Drones, the statute | Real-name registration required (Interim Regulations, Article 10). Illegal photography of military or classified sites is prohibited (Article 34) |
| Foreign operators | Foreign UAVs, and UAVs operated by foreign organisations or individuals, must not conduct surveying or radio-parameter testing in China (Article 35). Serious cases can include fines and expulsion (Article 53) |
| Unregistered flight | Correction and a fine of up to 200 yuan, or 2,000 to 20,000 yuan if serious (Article 47). We do not use third-party figures that we cannot tie to the ordinance |
| Typical practice (not the statute word-for-word) | Visual line of sight, below 120 metres, away from airports, military sites and borders. Some operator manuals also say not at night — treat that as guidance |
| New products from 1 May 2026 | A mandatory national standard on real-name registration and activation applies to new production, with a transition for existing aircraft. Confirm on CAAC pages |
Photographs, without a drone
Ordinary tourist photography is a normal part of a visit: a skyline, a park, a meal, a museum exterior. Courtesy still applies. Ask before you make a person the subject, especially at a religious site or a private table. Follow signs in museums, at performances, and in shops. Do not photograph military facilities, or anything marked as classified. That is a legal line, not a style suggestion.
A telephoto lens on a fence around a government or military site is a bad idea. A phone picture of Civic Center Plaza or Lianhuashan is not. If a guard asks you to stop, stop.
Drones: the official rules we will actually cite
China regulates unmanned aircraft through the Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aircraft (无人驾驶航空器飞行管理暂行条例), under the Civil Aviation Administration of China and other departments. As we read the published text:
- Article 10 — real-name registration is required.
- Article 34 — it is prohibited to illegally photograph military or classified facilities.
- Article 35 — foreign unmanned aircraft, and unmanned aircraft operated by foreign organisations or individuals, must not conduct surveying or radio-parameter testing in China.
- Article 47 — unregistered flight can be ordered corrected and fined up to 200 yuan, or 2,000 to 20,000 yuan if serious.
- Article 53 — serious violations by foreign operators can include further penalties and expulsion.
A mandatory national standard on real-name registration and activation has applied to new production from 1 May 2026, with a transition period for existing aircraft. Confirm details on official CAAC pages, including the UOM system. Typical flying practice — visual line of sight, below 120 metres, away from airports and borders — is widely restated in operator manuals. Treat that as guidance, not as a licence. Some manuals also say not to fly at night.
The honest advice for a short visit
Registration is real-name and is often tied to a Chinese mobile number. We will not publish a how-to for getting around that. If you cannot complete registration, do not fly. Shenzhen is a dense city, next to a border and an international airport; “a quiet park at dusk” is not a loophole. Leaving the drone at home is, for most tourist trips, the simpler and cleaner choice. Take the photographs with a camera in your hand instead.
자주 묻는 질문
Can I take photos of the skyline, a park, or a meal?
Yes, in ordinary tourist settings, with courtesy. Do not photograph military or classified facilities, and do not point a camera at a person who has asked you to stop. Some museums and performances forbid photos; follow the sign.
Can I fly a small tourist drone in Shenzhen?
Only if you have completed the required real-name registration and you stay within the rules: no surveying, no prohibited airspace, no airports or military sites. Shenzhen is dense and close to borders and an international airport. For a short visit, leaving the drone at home is simpler.
I have heard of a 50,000-yuan fine. Is that the law?
We will not repeat a third-party figure we cannot tie to the CAAC ordinance. Article 47 provides, for unregistered flight, a fine of up to 200 yuan, or 2,000 to 20,000 yuan if the circumstances are serious. Other articles apply to other offences. Read the official text.
Can a foreign visitor complete registration?
The registration system is built around real-name rules and often a Chinese mobile number. We will not walk through a workaround. If you cannot complete it, do not fly.