Snapshot: drone certification and licensing in Japan

Certification and licensing

What certificates or licences are required to operate drones and what procedures apply?

Recent amendments to the Civil Aeronautics Act, which took effect on 5 December 2022, introduced certification of drones and licences to operate drones. The certification of drones consists of a first class certificate and a second class certificate, while the licence to operate consists of a first class licence and a second class licence. However, obtaining the certificates and licences is not mandatory except when one operates a drone in airspace below which a third party may be located (eg, cities) without taking measures to restrict and control the comings and goings of third parties underneath the flight path. In that case, the drone must have a first class certificate and the operator must have a first class licence.

Further, the application for permission must include certain information required by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (the Ministry) standards, including on the ability of the operator. Under the standards, operators must in general have 10 hours or more of experience operating the same types of drone. Any operator who has completed drone operation classes provided by the organisations on the list published on the Ministry’s website is allowed to submit the certificate granted by such an organisation to prove the ability of the operator in lieu of the generally required Ministry form.

Are certification and licensing procedures subject to any taxes or fees?

The application fees for certifications of drones vary, depending on, among others, the class (first or second) and whether the operator is applying for a new certification or a renewal, but the fees range from less than ¥10,000 to more than ¥1 million.  

As for a licence to operate drones, the fees to take applicable tests and obtain the licence are approximately ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 in total, depending on the class and type of drone to be operated.

When the owner of a drone registers the drone, they are required to pay a registration fee. Although the amount of the fee varies depending on whether the application is made online and whether multiple drones are registered at the same time, it is in the range of approximately ¥900 to ¥2,400 per drone.

Who may apply for certifications and licences? Do any restrictions apply?

There are no restrictions as to who may apply for certifications of drones.

As for licences to operate drones, however, persons under 16 years old are disqualified. Further, a person is disqualified from applying for a period of one year after failing to obtain the licence due to certain reasons (eg, mental illness, drug addiction or violation of the Civil Aeronautics Act), or two years after his or her licence was revoked due to certain reasons (eg, mental illness, drug addiction or a violation of the Civil Aeronautics Act).

Must remote pilots obtain any certifications or licences to operate drones? If so, do the relevant procedures differ based on the type of drone or operation?

While there is no specific licence for remote pilots, operating drones in airspace where a third party may be located (ie, crowded cities) without taking measures to restrict and control the comings and goings of third parties underneath the flight path requires that the drone must have a first class certificate and the operator must have a first class licence.

Are foreign operators authorised to fly drones in your jurisdiction? If so, what requirements and restrictions apply?

Yes, foreign operators may operate drones in Japan provided they comply with the Civil Aeronautics Act. There are no differences in the requirements between Japanese and foreign operators.

Is a certificate of airworthiness required to operate drones? If so, what procedures apply?

A certificate of airworthiness is not required in general. However, for drones weighing 25 kilograms or more, airworthiness corresponding to the aircraft themselves is required under the Ministry’s standards.