Can I bring drones to Canada as foreigner?

[nas]

Hi all,
can anyone help me on this.
I will be flying to Canada go study for one year.
Can I bring my drones (Mavic Air, Mavic 2 Pro and Tello) along with me ?
Should I apply SFOC, before bringing them to Canada?
Thanks & regards,
Nas

 

[DrBoost]

Not an expeer, but looked into this for a one week trip to Vancouver (sitting in the airport now).
looked to me like they now require the drone to be registered in Canada, even if it’s already registered in the US. They also have stricter rules for flight as well.

 

[Neil Reid]

I don't know the answer but Canada Customs would. Recommend you call Canada Border Services/Customs at (outside Canada phone number): 1-204-983-3500. Recommend also that you call way before you plan to leave and get hard copy documentation on their guidance.

Good luck!

 

[tck444]

Somewhat unrelated, but if you have a previous DUI / DWI in USA, you can be denied entry to Canada. My infraction was more than 20 years ago. The data is shared between US law enforcement and Canada.

There is a legal remedy for this which involves legal paperwork and about $1000.00 in fines or costs.

Evidently paying a fine makes you rehabilitated in the eyes of the Canadian government ?

 

[DrBoost]

You can bring it, but you’ll have to register it before you fly it. I took mine to Germany and Netherlands last year. No issues at all. I’ve also taken it to Canada, but that was before the current rules went into effect

 

[Tbredhed]

Hi all,
can anyone help me on this.
I will be flying to Canada go study for one year.
Can I bring my drones (Mavic Air, Mavic 2 Pro and Tello) along with me ?
Should I apply SFOC, before bringing them to Canada?
Thanks & regards,
Nas

You will need to apply for an SFOC from Transport Canada, it's a fairly painless process.

The rules here are similar to most places 400' ceiling, fly VLOS and no flying within 5.6 km of an airport and 1.8 km of a heliport. Canada has no restrictions on flying for commercial purposes.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

 

[Tbredhed]

Somewhat unrelated, but if you have a previous DUI / DWI in USA, you can be denied entry to Canada. My infraction was more than 20 years ago. The data is shared between US law enforcement and Canada.

There is a legal remedy for this which involves legal paperwork and about $1000.00 in fines or costs.

Evidently paying a fine makes you rehabilitated in the eyes of the Canadian government ?

The States has the same rehabilitation system, only they make you pay 1000 every six months.
Cheers

 

[apeel]

I Googled this for you and found a fair bit of info. Seems that you will have to register your drone with Transport of Canada. Here are the rules for drones in Canada:
Drone Laws in Canada | UAV Coach (2019)

Here is a site that describes how to Register your drone::
Registering your drone: Overview - Transport Canada

However, it makes reference to the fact that you need a Government of Canada Services Key (which I think you can get if you have any business dealings with Services Canada. Lacking such a key, you would have to sign in to register using a Canadian Financial partner (like a banking institute). So unless you have that, I am not sure if there is any way to register your drone. Here is a site that describes the Government of Canada Key (GCKey) or Sign-in Partners:
Choosing a secure sign-in option: frequently asked questions

Hope this is helpful!

 

[nas]

thank you very much for all of your replies.
Just got reply from TCCA. I am Satisfied with their explanation. Please see below for TCCA’s reply


“If you just want to bring your drones over to Canada,without flying them, you do not need a special permit. However, even if you are an international student studying in Canada, in order to operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in Canada as a Foreign Operator or Pilot, you must obtain a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC). To do so, you must;

1. Provide the following documents:
   1. Completed application Form 26-0835E
   2. Completed checklist
   3. Copy of your passport
   4. Copy of your TP-15263 compliant training certificate (see #4 below)
   5. Copy of Flight Review appointment confirmation (Advanced Operations ONLY)
   6. Foreign RPAS pilot certificate (if available)
   7. Foreign RPAS registration certificate (if available)
   8. Any other documents that may support your application, as per Section D of the checklist.
2. You are required to read and understand theCanadian Aviation Regulations – Part IX
3. Familiarize yourself with the attached checklist, confirm each item with a check mark (YES-NO-N/A) and provide additional information where necessary. Information can be written directly onto the checklist itself or in your reply email by specifying the item number for which the information pertains to.
4. Complete training from a Canadian self-declared training provider based on Transport Canada TP-15263. Some of these courses are offered online while others are offered in a classroom setting.

NOTE: If applying for Advanced Operations: a Flight Review must also be completed once you arrive in Canada. Completion of the flight review will be a condition on your SFOC.

1. E-mail the completed form, supporting documentation, and checklist to [email protected] and mention “ATS-19-20-00000000 – YOUR NAME - SFOC Application – Foreign Operator/Pilot” in the “SUBJECT” line.

Please note that once an SFOC is issued, it will be the responsibility of the Applicant to ensure all conditions of the SFOC are complied with. Failure to comply with any condition of the SFOC may result in fines of up to $1000.00 for an individual or $5000.00 for a corporation.



Processing times for SFOC applications are up to 30 working days. Incomplete applications or missing information will result in processing delays.



Kindest regards,”

 

[DrBoost]

I’m in British Columbia now, the above is why my drones are at home. Just not worth it. Not for me, here for a week only.

 

[aneal321]

Somewhat unrelated, but if you have a previous DUI / DWI in USA, you can be denied entry to Canada. My infraction was more than 20 years ago. The data is shared between US law enforcement and Canada.

There is a legal remedy for this which involves legal paperwork and about $1000.00 in fines or costs.

Evidently paying a fine makes you rehabilitated in the eyes of the Canadian government ?

And people complain about US laws being too strict for entrance into our country. Yikes.

 

[Apachewolf]

I am a US/Canadian dual citizen born here in the U.S. and currently living in Washington with a Part 107 and Mavic Pro registered as commercial. Since the Canadian rule change I have been trying to figure things out, do I fly SFOC as foreign operator or as a Canadian citizen. Problem was, if I brought my drone to Canada I'd have to register it as a international registration and fly under SFOC and not as a Canadian citizen. None the less I just went ahead and took and finally passed the Advanced which acts as a Basic until I take the required in person flight review to become a certificated citizen operator. But now that I have a Mavic Mini coming in soon! It's going to be flying time in Canada...yes! Flight review will wait a little longer.