What You Need to Know About Vessel Registration in Hungary
Hungary may be a landlocked country, but it boasts several waterways. These include several freshwater and salt lakes where people can sail, windsurf, and fish.
If you want to explore these lakes on a vessel, you may need to register it first. The following guide highlights which vessels need registering and how to do it.
These Vessels Need to Be Registered
If you have one of the following, you will probably have to register it before you can operate it in Hungary:
-
Sailboat. If your sailboat is longer than 6.2 meters and bigger than 10 square meters in the sail area, you must register it.
-
Motorboat. If your motorboat is longer than 5 meters long and has an engine stronger than 4 kilowatts, you must register it.
It is important to note that motorboats are not allowed in Hungary’s Lake Balaton.
Where to Register Your Vessel
There is only one place to register your vessel, and that is the Roads, Railway, and Shipping Office. This office belongs to the National Transport Authority, more commonly known as the Registration Authority.
It falls under the Ministry of National Development, Office of the Minister of State for Transport Policy.
What Is the Registration Process?
To register your vessel, you must submit a written application to the Registration Authority. Their offices are in Budapest and only accept applications within 15 days of the vessel’s occupation.
Your application form must include your full name and date of birth. You must add your address and details about your citizenship in Hungary.
You must also provide all the necessary information about your sailboat or motorboat. The office needs to classify your vessel by name and type. It will also want to know what your cruising area is and what engine your boat has.
You will also likely need to provide supporting documents, including ownership papers and proof of compliance with safety standards.
All your documents must be either notarized or be original copies. The Hungarian consulate abroad has the power to certify copied documents. However, they do not accept registration applications.
If your registration is successful, you will receive a Certificate of Registration. The certificate is issued in Hungarian and English and remains valid indefinitely. However, you must notify the Registration Authority if any details regarding your boat need to be updated.
What to Remember When Registering Your Vehicle
Your boat cannot be registered until the Registration Authority has inspected it. Your boat will also have to be inspected regularly afterward.
If you have another type of vessel, like a ferry or passenger carrier, it will undergo an inspection every two to five years. Moreover, an official foreign classification society must classify any seagoing vessel. The European Commission must acknowledge this society.
If you have a passenger carrier, your crew must be properly trained. If your vessel transport includes international traffic, your shipmaster and first mate must be citizens of a European Economic Area (EEA) member state.
You cannot employ a non-EEA citizen without permission from the regional Labour Office.
Furthermore, you can also register a bareboat charter for seagoing vessels. This means you can temporarily register a vessel under a different flag. The vessel will retain its original registration according to a bareboat charter agreement. However, the vessel must be temporarily deleted from its original register during this agreement.
Register Your Vessel in 2025
Hungary is an EU member state that adheres to European Union directives regarding vessel registration and operation.
It is important to keep this in mind and stick to inspection schedules if you want to register a vessel in the country. Doing this will allow you to safely and lawfully operate your vessel in all Hungarian waterways.
Sources
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/partner-content-hungary-water
https://www.officialguidetoshipregistries.com/ogsr-ship-registries-database/hungary
https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/hungary/lifestyle/sports-leisure/sailing
https://www.corte.be/national-authorities/69-ministry-of-construction-and-transport
https://guidetoshipregistries.com/shipregistries-country/hungary
https://www.icomia.org/rrg-country/hungary/
https://www.officialguidetoshipregistries.com/ogsr-ship-registries-database/hungary
https://2010-2014.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-national-development/organisation
https://brill.com/downloadpdf/display/title/10442.pdf
https://immigration-portal.ec.europa.eu/hungary-employed-worker_en
Did you find this article useful?
Subscribe to our newsletter for more!