Archive · Podcast · March 2020
Podcast: Foreign Pilot Process Update
Kate explains what visitors needed to fly a drone in Canada — as the rules stood in 2020.
Archived episode — the process has since changed. This episode covered a 2020 change to how foreign pilots got permission to fly in Canada. Transport Canada’s requirements are different now: a foreign pilot flying a drone of 250 grams or more needs a Canadian pilot certificate, and no credit is given for qualifications held elsewhere. Read our current guidance on flying as a foreign operator before acting on anything in this episode.
The process for getting certified to fly in Canada, if you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, had just changed. Transport Canada’s announcement caused a stir online.
If you are a foreign operator — not a Canadian citizen, not a permanent resident, and not a corporation incorporated in Canada — and you want to fly in Canadian airspace, this episode covered what was then required. Kate explains what you needed to fly in Canada.
What Applies Today
The short version, current as of 2026: you need a Canadian drone pilot certificate for any aircraft of 250 grams or more, whatever authorisation you hold at home. The exams are open to foreign pilots and you sit the same ones Canadians do. Depending on the aircraft, your purpose and the location, you may also need a Foreign SFOC-RPAS in addition to that certificate.
Our course for foreign pilots is built around the Canadian knowledge requirements and can be completed online before you travel.
Planning to fly in Canada as a visitor?