Drone Laws in Hungary

Hungary Drone Regulations

According to Hungary’s national aviation authority, Hungary’s General Directorate for Air Transport, flying a drone is legal in Hungary, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.

If you’d like to contact the General Directorate for Air Transport directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: legter@legter.hu / +36 (30) 528-1321

Why fly a drone in Hungary? To get great aerial shots like these!

General Rules for Flying a Drone Within the European Union

Hungary is a part of the European Union and therefore must abide by the drone regulations put in place by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In addition to these regulations, Hungary also has regulations that are country-specific.

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone within the European Union.

There are three operational categories that determine drone regulations based on the weight of the drone and the intended operation. This section will only cover the Open Category, to see all European Union laws and categories, click here.

A drone can be operated in the “Open “category if:

• The drone has one of the class identification labels 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
• The drone was purchased before 1 January 2023, with no class identification label as above.
• The drone has a maximum take-off mass of less than 25 kg (55 lbs).
• The remote pilot keeps the drone at a safe distance away from people.
• The drone will not be operated directly over people unless it has a class identification label or is lighter than 250 g (0.55 lbs). (Please refer to subcategories of operations: A1, A2, and A3 to find out where you can fly with your drone).
• The remote pilot will maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) or the remote pilot will be assisted by a UA observer.
• The remote pilot will not operate the drone above 120m (400ft).
• The drone will not carry any dangerous goods and will not drop any material.

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Hungary

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Hungary.

• A permit and drone insurance are required for all drone operations. See the section below for more information on how to obtain a permit.
• Insurance is required for all drone operations.

We understand that more drone legislation is pending, but for now this is all the information we’ve been able to find about drone laws in Hungary.

For more information on Hungary’s drone laws, see this informational page provided by a private drone company in Hungary.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Hungary? Send us an email at support[at]horizonap[dot]com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Hungary can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

Permit Requirements for Flying a Drone in Hungary

To obtain a permit to fly you must submit an application to the Military Aviation Authority at least 30 days prior to your flight. Here is a link to the application, which may be submitted via email to: rpas@nfm.gov.hu.

The application must include:

• Name, address and phone number of applicant
• The coordinates for the proposed operation (for ex.: 200 m radius centered at coord point 47°24’49″N 18°45’56″E)
• Lower and upper limits of the proposed operation (for ex.: GND-1500’ AMSL)
• The date of the proposed operation in Hungarian format (YYYY.MM.DD.) and time in UTC (for eg.: 2017. Július 20. – 2017. Július 29. SR-SS)
• Reason: operation of unamnned aircraft
• Name and phone number of the person responsible for airtraffic coordination in the required airspace (generally the name of pilot)
• The name and phone number of the person applying for the permit.

For more information on how to obtain a permit, see this informational page provided by a private drone company in Hungary.

Want to get a feel for the kind of footage you could get flying a drone in Hungary? Here you go: