China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee approved a sweeping revision of the Civil Aviation Law on 27 December, giving the country its first dedicated legal framework for unmanned aircraft. When the new rules take effect on 1 July 2026, every manufacturer, importer, maintenance company and operator of medium- and large-size civil drones will have to obtain an air-worthiness certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Makers such as DJI and EHang must also engrave a unique identification code on each unit and keep production records for 10 years.
The amendment plugs long-criticised gaps in oversight as the so-called “low-altitude economy” booms. Beijing projects the market for drone logistics, surveying, agriculture and passenger e-VTOLs to grow from ¥1.5 trillion in 2025 to more than ¥2 trillion by 2030. Real-name registration, already required since 2024, will now be backed by fines and criminal penalties for operators who fly without certification or violate air-space restrictions.
Executives, engineers and auditors who need to travel to China for certification tests or negotiations will also face the familiar hurdle of obtaining the correct entry documents. VisaHQ’s China desk (https://www.visahq.com/china/) streamlines the process of securing business visas, invitation letters and document translations, ensuring drone teams can be on-site when CAAC inspections are scheduled—saving precious time while companies navigate the new aviation rules.
![China passes landmark Civil Aviation Law amendment regulating drones]()
For global mobility managers the change is more than an aviation footnote. Multinationals use drones to inspect pipelines, mines and construction sites in China; after July 2026 those flights will need certified hardware and licensed pilots, adding compliance costs but also lowering liability. Logistics teams eyeing last-mile drone delivery to remote factories must factor certification lead-times—expected to run three to six months—into launch schedules.
Foreign firms that import specialised survey drones will need a China-issued certificate, not merely an overseas approval. Legal advisers recommend building CAAC testing into RFPs now and budgeting for periodic audits. Companies already operating fleets should compile maintenance logs and software-update histories so they can transition smoothly when CAAC opens the application portal next spring.
More broadly, the law signals Beijing’s intent to integrate drones into commercial airspace alongside passenger jets—a prerequisite for the cross-province eVTOL corridors that several provinces hope to pilot for 2026’s Asian Games and the 2027 Shenzhen Universiade.
The amendment plugs long-criticised gaps in oversight as the so-called “low-altitude economy” booms. Beijing projects the market for drone logistics, surveying, agriculture and passenger e-VTOLs to grow from ¥1.5 trillion in 2025 to more than ¥2 trillion by 2030. Real-name registration, already required since 2024, will now be backed by fines and criminal penalties for operators who fly without certification or violate air-space restrictions.
Executives, engineers and auditors who need to travel to China for certification tests or negotiations will also face the familiar hurdle of obtaining the correct entry documents. VisaHQ’s China desk (https://www.visahq.com/china/) streamlines the process of securing business visas, invitation letters and document translations, ensuring drone teams can be on-site when CAAC inspections are scheduled—saving precious time while companies navigate the new aviation rules.
For global mobility managers the change is more than an aviation footnote. Multinationals use drones to inspect pipelines, mines and construction sites in China; after July 2026 those flights will need certified hardware and licensed pilots, adding compliance costs but also lowering liability. Logistics teams eyeing last-mile drone delivery to remote factories must factor certification lead-times—expected to run three to six months—into launch schedules.
Foreign firms that import specialised survey drones will need a China-issued certificate, not merely an overseas approval. Legal advisers recommend building CAAC testing into RFPs now and budgeting for periodic audits. Companies already operating fleets should compile maintenance logs and software-update histories so they can transition smoothly when CAAC opens the application portal next spring.
More broadly, the law signals Beijing’s intent to integrate drones into commercial airspace alongside passenger jets—a prerequisite for the cross-province eVTOL corridors that several provinces hope to pilot for 2026’s Asian Games and the 2027 Shenzhen Universiade.
