Shanghai has rolled out new regulations governing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifying where flights are permitted without prior approval and outlining application procedures for restricted zones.
The regulations, which take effect on Feb 1, allow micro, light, and small UAVs to operate without prior application in specially designated areas across the city, covering about 46 percent of Shanghai’s urban area.
Starting Feb 1, the city’s integrated low-altitude flight management platform will be accessible via the Suishenban app, enabling users to register drones, apply for flights in restricted zones, and book time slots at public experience areas.
The three public experience areas are Shanghai Century Park, Shanghai Expo Culture Park, and Shanghai Botanical Garden, which support 50, 50, and 30 simultaneous flights, respectively.
As of the end of 2025, the city had nearly 800 registered drone operation enterprises, about 220,000 drones under real-name registration, and an annual flight volume exceeding 3.2 million sorties.
Here are the key points of the drone regulations.
Requirements for UAV Operators:
- Drone owners and users must complete real-name registration.
- Operators must hold the appropriate qualifications and certifications.
- Entities that lease or lend drones must provide compliant aircraft and clearly inform users of their legal obligations.
- Insurance is mandatory for commercial flights and for non-commercial flights using small, medium, or large drones.
Airspace Rules:
- Permitted zones: Green areas on the official map, below 120 meters.
- Restricted zones: All airspace above 120 meters, as well as areas near airports, military sites, and other sensitive locations.
Management Platform:
- Offers drone registration, flight applications, and experience zone bookings.
- Applications for restricted flights must be submitted by noon the day before, with approvals issued by 9 pm.
Safety Management & Prohibited Acts:
- Operators bear primary responsibility for ensuring flight safety.
- Companies must formulate emergency response plans.
- Drones must transmit identity and flight data; disabling this function is prohibited.
- 13 types of prohibited actions are listed, including unauthorized photography that infringes on privacy.
Sources: Shanghai Municipal People’s Government
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