I am planning a trip to Cancun from US next month and was curious about customs and flying my drone in that part of Mexico. I did read somewhere that flying near the ruins were not allowed. Has anyone recently went through customs and flown in this area of Mexico?

I've been with my phantom 3 and mavic several times to Cancun. Have had no issues with customs or flying anywhere really. Though i have seen other videos flying near the ruins, i did not get a chance to do that.

droneflyer1 Posted at 2017-7-7 05:21
I've been with my phantom 3 and mavic several times to Cancun. Have had no issues with customs or flying anywhere really. Though i have seen other videos flying near the ruins, i did not get a chance to do that.

Thank you for responding

I flew down to mexico, Cancun airport and didn't have an issue at all. They didn't even ask to see it in my carry on bag.

I live part-time in Cozumel and take my Mavic with me.

Mexican customs won't care unless it looks as if you might be bringing in an expensive item for sale. If you can, bring your original receipt or a scan to show that it's "viejo" (old or used).

You may run into issues with "loose lithium batteries" (those not installed in a device), which are not allowed in carry-on or check-through luggage when leaving Mexico. I connected my spare batteries to a USB power adapter for this reason. People have had extremely expensive canister dive light batteries confiscated on departure if they weren't connected to a light.

You are supposed to register your drone in order to fly legally in Mexico. You do not need to be a citizen or resident in order to register.

Since you asked about Cancún, you won't need to worry about ruins since there are no significant archeological sites in Cancún. However, if you try to fly at Tulum, Chichén Itzá, or other sites, someone will come over and shut you down unless you have somehow obtained prior authorization (and have the paperwork to prove it with you). Mexico is impressively bureaucratic, so good luck getting that. Besides, those sites typically have lots of people, so there's a good chance you'd be flying over people in way best avoided.

If you fly at the beach, be aware of the constant wind and take that into account when planning your flights.


Please, don't be "that guy" who flies in an unsafe or annoying manner and marks out all gabachos as inconsiderate. Please keep in mind that people at the beach or on their rooftop terraces are often there specifically for some peace and quiet and may resent if you fly in a way that disturbs that or makes them feel as if you may be spying on them (i.e., if your Mavic is noticeable to them).

Otherwise, Mexicans love technology as much as anyone and you'll probably be mobbed by kids (and adults) asking questions.

Could you please clarify what you meant by "I connected my spare batteries to a USB power adapter for this reas"

itsjustme Posted at 2017-7-9 19:01
Could you please clarify what you meant by "I connected my spare batteries to a USB power adapter for this reas"

He probably meant that attaching the batteries to the power adapter made it seem as if the batteries where in Use rather than being stored sparsely with your belongings on your carry on. its a way to go around their rule of no spare batteries on their own. Please correct me if my assumption is not correct!

Thanks for the good insight!

FlyingFish82 Posted at 2017-7-10 07:40
He probably meant that attaching the batteries to the power adapter made it seem as if the batteries where in Use rather than being stored sparsely with your belongings on your carry on. its a way to go around their rule of no spare batteries on their own. Please correct me if my assumption is not correct!

Thanks for the good insight!

With the frequent breeze in Cancun area you'll have your best flights (and "golden hour" video) by shooting very early in the am just after sunrise and at dusk.  The light at midday is too flat with the sun so high in the sky.