Path 1 · Registration decision
Do I need to register my drone in China?
Yes — register before any outdoor drone use in China.
CAAC's current procedure requires real-name registration for civil drones used outdoors in China. Foreign citizens are included among applicants.
The only stated exception is indoor-only use. Registration is not permission to fly — check no-fly zones and local rules before each flight.
How do you want to do it?
Both options can lead to the same official UOM registration result. With assisted registration, we handle the agreed steps and prepare your personal delivery package.
Register it yourself
- YOUR WORK
- Several sessionsChinese forms, photos and corrections+ reviewUOM review
- WAITING
- VariableUOM account review for foreign passports
- COST
- Freeofficial CAAC fee
+ mainland SIM card for SMS if your number isn't +86 - EFFORT
- HighChinese screens, overseas access, SMS, passport review and exact aircraft matching
Start well before your planned flight. Account review, missing materials or model issues can take longer than expected; UOM does not give a guaranteed completion time here.
- PassportName, number, dates and issuing country
- +86 phone numberFor UOM SMS verification
- Handheld passport photoYour face + open passport data page
- Exact model & serialFrom the aircraft, not the battery
- 2 photosFull drone + readable serial
Also prepare your email, a real mainland China address and any additional document requested by your UOM form. No WeChat is needed for the foreign-passport route.
What you get with DIY
Free registration walkthrough- Use the step-by-step guide to submit your own UOM registration.
Official registration result- After successful registration, download your official registration mark / QR code from UOM.
Have it handled for you
- COST
- US$80either lawful-owner route; SIM costs separate
- TIME
- 3 business dayshandling target after materials are complete; UOM review time is separate
- EFFORT
- Lowwe handle UOM steps; the actual registered owner provides verification and documents
US$80 full assistance for either owner route. With an eligible +86 number, registration can be in your own name. Without one, we can work with a qualifying individual or organization only if it genuinely owns the aircraft. We confirm account control and ownership evidence before payment. Compare both routes →
- Owner documentsRegistered owner passport or qualifying organization evidence
- Owner verificationPassport holding photo or organization documents if required
- Exact model & serialFrom the aircraft, not the battery
- 2 photosFull drone + readable serial
Prepare the actual registered owner’s contact details and aircraft materials. Organization-owner verification may differ from the foreign-passport route; we confirm the correct UOM pathway before work.
Your personal delivery package
- Registration handling
- We check your model and materials, handle the agreed UOM steps and follow up on review. You stay available for verification.
- Registration result & verification
- After successful registration: official mark / QR code, completion screenshot, model and serial-number summary, and English verification steps.
Printing & attachment- Print-ready PDF with printing, attachment and scan-check instructions for your drone.
Account access & handover- Your account stays yours. Receive login, result-retrieval and password-change instructions; credentials are shared separately from travel documents.
Flight preparation- English flight essentials plus dated restriction notes for one city and up to three proposed locations, with sources and anything still needing confirmation.
Help after registration- Seven days of follow-up after delivery for this registration, printing and account handover.
For one drone. We confirm the service scope and fee before work starts. Registration is not flight permission; destination notes are guidance, not clearance or permit handling.
Start assisted registration →Materials depend on the actual registered owner
For customers registering in their own name with a foreign passport: The foreign-passport route uses handheld passport photos and manual review. WeChat is not a prerequisite for this route; the WeChat face-check instructions in general tutorials describe the Chinese identity-card route. The organizational / alternative owner route uses the actual owner’s documentation instead.
- The registered owner’s identity documents. For your own-name passport route, prepare your passport details and the other identity fields requested by UOM. If a qualifying individual or organization will lawfully own and register the aircraft instead, use that actual owner’s valid identity or organizational documents and obtain their consent. The registered identity must match the real owner.
- Owner-specific photos, where required. For the foreign-passport owner route, UOM may require a photo of the passport holder with an open passport data page and other requested evidence. If an organization or another individual is the genuine owner, follow the live UOM document requirements for that registered owner, not the foreign-passport steps by default.
- A usable +86 number for the actual UOM account holder. To register in your own name, you need a mainland number eligible for your own UOM identity and able to receive SMS. Without it, the US$80 alternative uses an eligible individual or organization as the genuine registered owner, with that owner controlling the UOM account and verification. Reusing a number already verified for another person failed in our October 2026 workflow. SIM costs are separate.
- Your email and a real mainland China address. Provide an email you can access, the province / city / district and full address of your actual mainland accommodation or residence. Confirm a planned hotel address with UOM if the form or reviewer questions it.
- The exact aircraft brand, model and serial. Use the aircraft identification and manufacturer information. If UOM asks for a different identifier, check it with the manufacturer. Do not use a battery or controller serial, or select a different model to get past an error.
- Two aircraft photos. Prepare a clear full-drone / front photo and a readable photo of the aircraft serial label. The photographed serial must match the registration entry. Select the aircraft’s actual intended use on UOM.
What can still block DIY or assisted registration?
- UOM will not load from your network. Overseas users have reported slow pages, timeouts and failed access. Try the official website in a normal browser, retry later or use the official app obtained through UOM. App availability and results can vary. Neither a VPN nor assisted registration guarantees access.
- No personal +86 number or no UOM SMS. Our US$80 full service has a second route: register the aircraft to an eligible individual or organization that is genuinely its lawful owner. This is not a workaround for putting a customer-owned aircraft under an unrelated identity. We must confirm the owner, consent and access to the UOM account before proceeding. For personal registration, test SMS reception and do not assume a data-only eSIM or borrowed number will pass verification.
- Chinese screens and rejected owner details. Use the Chinese field labels alongside translations. Compare your name, all given names, document number and dates with your passport and the actual rejection message. Do not apply a universal comma, name-order or capitalization rule.
- Passport photos or entry evidence rejected. Retake blurred or reflective photos. Read the exact upload label and reviewer’s request, especially for a visa-free visit. Do not assume a passport-cover photo, a separate selfie or a handwritten note is always required or accepted.
- Manual review or account recovery. Foreign-passport accounts use document review. Submission is not approval, and corrections can add waiting time. Keep the same account, phone and email accessible; do not create a second account to bypass a pending review.
- Model, serial or existing registration mismatch. A missing or suspended model, rejected identifier, or aircraft already registered to another owner can block submission. Check the exact aircraft with the manufacturer or UOM; a nearby model is not a substitute.
US$80 for either full assisted route: Register in your own name with an eligible +86 number, or under a qualifying individual / organization if that registrant is the genuine lawful owner. The registration mark, UOM account and future owner changes follow the named registrant; we explain the consequences and confirm consent before payment. Compare registration-holder options →
CAAC requires truthful owner information. UOM decides approval and timing. Registration is not permission to fly.
Read the current CAAC registration procedure and UOM user manual (2023, hosted by AOPA). The manual explains the separate passport and identity-card routes; follow any updated instructions on your own UOM application.
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Official sources and updates
CAAC AP-45-01R6 (2026): current civil-drone real-name registration procedure. It includes foreign citizens among applicants and states an indoor-only exception.
Verified 2026-09-29