Can I fly a drone in Hungary?
Yes — but in Hungary drone admin is a sport of its own. The EU baseline (open category, max 120 metres, visual line of sight, never over crowds) gets two Hungarian extras. One: before every flight you check and activate in MyDroneSpace — the HungaroControl app showing banned and restricted airspace. Two: flying over inhabited areas requires ad-hoc airspace designation, requested in advance from the defence ministry's aviation office — without it, even 'just over my house' in town is unlawful. The entry ticket: operator registration (camera or 250 g and up), the online A1/A3 exam, and — a Hungarian speciality — mandatory drone liability insurance. Sub-250-gram camera drones also face registration and the app. GDPR flies too: filming over the neighbour's garden is the shortest route to the data authority.
📋 The key rules
- Operator registration (camera or ≥250 g) + A1/A3 online exam
- Mandatory liability insurance — a Hungarian extra
- MyDroneSpace activation before every flight — airspace checks
- Over inhabited areas: ad-hoc airspace designation required
- Open category: max 120 m, line of sight, never over crowds
🔓 Exceptions
- Indoor flying: not airspace — the rules govern outdoor flight
- Designated model-flying fields: eased conditions in club settings
- Tiny camera-less devices: they fall in the toy category, outside the registration duty
⚠️ Penalties
Flying without activation or permits, or inside banned airspace, draws aviation fines — from hundreds of thousands to millions of HUF — and the drone can be seized. The camera is a separate risk: filming the neighbour's garden or strangers opens NAIH proceedings, grounds personality-rights claims, and since 2021 a Criminal Code offence punishes unlawful drone surveillance in its own right. Fly uninsured and you carry the damage yourself: missing the mandatory cover means full exposure for any collision.
📎 Official sources
- MyDroneSpace (HungaroControl) · Knowledge base and app (HU) →
- Légtér.hu · The drone law explained (HU) →
- Drónshop · Drone-law summary 2026 (HU) →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Does my 249-gram mini drone need the app and exam?
Registration and MyDroneSpace activation apply to camera drones below 250 g too, and the A1/A3 exam underpins open-category flying. Only tiny camera-less devices fall in the toy category — the camera is what draws the line.
What is ad-hoc airspace and when is it needed?
For flights over inhabited areas the airspace is designated on request by the defence ministry's aviation office — apply in advance, with fees and lead times. Without it, urban flying is unlawful even directly above your own house.
Can I fly over my own garden in a village?
Built-up land counts as inhabited, so ad-hoc airspace applies as a rule there too. In practice the viable hobby route is flying on the open outskirts — activated in MyDroneSpace, within 120 metres and in visual line of sight.
What do violations cost?
Aviation fines up to millions of HUF, plus seizure of the drone. Camera violations — filming neighbours or strangers — add NAIH proceedings and solatium damages, and unlawful surveillance has been a standalone offence since 2021.
Can I fly over a festival or a crowd?
No — in the open category flying over crowds is banned, and it is one of the most strictly enforced rules. Event airspace is typically restricted as well: MyDroneSpace shows you exactly where you may not take off.
🔎 What people actually search
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