Hungary
Europe · Eastern Europe
Hungary is a landlocked country, so there is no marine spearfishing; all underwater fishing would be in inland fresh waters (rivers, lakes such as Lake Balaton, and ponds). Spearfishing is illegal there. Under Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish (a halgazdálkodásrol es a hal vedelmerol szolo 2013. evi CII. torveny), the only lawful form of recreational fish catching is rod-and-line angling (horgaszat), defined in Section 2(16) as catching fish with an angling outfit (rod, line and at most three hooks) or a cast/lift net of up to 1 square metre for baitfish. Section 46(4)e) expressly lists 'the use of a diving spear or other diving equipment suitable for catching fish' (buvarszigony vagy mas, halfogasra alkalmas buvareszkoz hasznalata) as a prohibited fishing tool and method on all fish-management waters. There is therefore no legal pathway, licence or season for spearfishing anywhere in Hungary.
Last updated June 14, 2026
Governing framework
- §Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish (2013. evi CII. torveny a halgazdalkodasrol es a hal vedelmerol)
- §Government/Ministerial Decree 133/2013 (XII. 29.) VM implementing the fisheries Act (133/2013. (XII. 29.) VM rendelet a halgazdalkodas es a halvedelem egyes szabalyainak megallapitasarol)
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Scuba
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Not allowed
- Max spears
- 0
The law, verbatim
Legal texts
The exact statutory and regulatory provisions that govern spearfishing here, quoted as published, with a link to each official source.
Prohibited fishing tools and methods - diving spear / spearfishing equipment
Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish (2013. evi CII. torveny a halgazdalkodasrol es a hal vedelmerol)
46. § (4) Halgazdalkodasi vizteruleten tiltott halfogasi eszkoznek es modnak minosul: a) olyan eszkoz hasznalata, valamint halgazdalkodasi vizteruleten vagy annak partjan torteno birtoklasa, amelynek mukodese az elektromos aram halakra kifejtett elettani hatasan alapul; b) mergezo vagy kabito hatasu anyag alkalmazasa; c) robbanoanyag alkalmazasa; d) szuroszerszam alkalmazasa; e) buvarszigony vagy mas, halfogasra alkalmas buvareszkoz hasznalata.
Definition of angling (horgaszat) - only lawful recreational fish-catching method
Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish (2013. evi CII. torveny a halgazdalkodasrol es a hal vedelmerol)
horgaszat: rekreacios celbol a halnak halgazdalkodasi vizteruleten es haltermelesi letesitmenyben az e torvenyben es a vegrehajtasara kiadott rendeletben megengedett modon es horgaszkeszseggel vagy a csalihalnak 1 negyzetmeternel nem nagyobb emelohaloval valo fogasa.
Definition of fishing (halaszat) - excludes angling, limited to permitted tools
Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish (2013. evi CII. torveny a halgazdalkodasrol es a hal vedelmerol)
halaszat: a halnak vagy mas hasznos viziallatnak megengedett modon es eszkozzel halgazdalkodasi vizteruleten torteno rekreacios vagy bemutatasi celu, illetve okologiai celu, szelektiv fogasa, tovabba gyujtese, ide nem ertve a horgaszatot.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
No seasonal closures recorded — verify locally before diving.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
No spearfishing licence is available. Recreational anglers must register in the Horinfo system, pass a state fishing exam, and obtain an electronic state fishing licence plus a territorial (local water) permit via MOHOSZ; this only authorises rod-and-line angling, never spearfishing.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · nyito.mohosz.hu
- Type
- Not applicable - no spearfishing licence exists. Only rod-and-line angling is licensed (state fishing licence / allami horgaszjegy plus a territorial permit). Spearfishing cannot be licensed and is prohibited.
- Cost
- unknown
- Validity
- unknown
- How to obtain
- No spearfishing licence is available. Recreational anglers must register in the Horinfo system, pass a state fishing exam, and obtain an electronic state fishing licence plus a territorial (local water) permit via MOHOSZ; this only authorises rod-and-line angling, never spearfishing.
- Authority
- MOHOSZ (Magyar Orszagos Horgasz Szovetseg - Hungarian National Anglers' Association)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Diving spears (buvarszigony) and any other diving equipment suitable for catching fish are a prohibited fishing tool/method on all fish-management waters (Act CII of 2013, Section 46(4)e).
- Stabbing/piercing implements (szuroszerszam) are prohibited (Section 46(4)d).
- Lawful recreational catching is limited to an angling outfit: rod, line and at most three hooks, or a baitfish lift/cast net up to 1 square metre (Section 2(16)).
Because spearguns and diving fishing equipment are explicitly banned, no spearfishing equipment may lawfully be used or even possessed on or beside fish-management waters.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
Not applicable to spearfishing (prohibited). Catch limits exist only for licensed rod-and-line angling, set by Act CII of 2013, Decree 133/2013 (XII. 29.) VM and individual water managers.
Spearfishing is illegal, so no spearfishing-specific catch or size limits exist. Angling catch limits and minimum sizes are defined per species in Decree 133/2013 and local water rules.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not allowedRestrictions
- Spearfishing is prohibited for everyone, residents and foreigners alike; there is no special-permit route for foreigners.
- Foreigners may only fish by rod-and-line angling, for which a tourist state fishing permit (valid ~90 days / 3 months) plus a territorial permit is required.
The ban on diving spears and diving fishing equipment applies regardless of nationality. Foreign visitors can legally angle with a tourist state permit but cannot spearfish.
Residents
State fishing licence (allami horgaszjegy) for rod-and-line angling only; no spearfishing licence exists.
Requirements
- Registration in the Horinfo system.
- Passing the state fishing exam (allami horgaszvizsga) for a full adult state licence.
- A territorial fishing permit for the specific water.
Residents are subject to the same prohibition on spearfishing as everyone else; their licences only authorise angling.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Nemzeti Elelmiszerlanc-biztonsagi Hivatal (NEBIH) - National Food Chain Safety Office
fisheries / food-chain safety authority
portal.nebih.gov.huhttps://portal.nebih.gov.hu/gyik/allat/gyakran-ismetelt-kerdesek/halgazdalkodas-vadgazdalkodasMOHOSZ - Magyar Orszagos Horgasz Szovetseg (Hungarian National Anglers' Association)
national anglers' federation / permit issuer
nyito.mohosz.huhttps://horgaszjegy.huAgrarminiszterium (Ministry of Agriculture) - fisheries policy
environment / agriculture ministry
kormany.huunknown
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish - consolidated official text (Nemzeti Jogszabalytar / net.jogtar.hu)
Officialnet.jogtar.huAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Decree 133/2013 (XII. 29.) VM implementing the fisheries Act - official text (Nemzeti Jogszabalytar)
Officialnet.jogtar.huAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
Decree 133/2013 (XII. 29.) VM - FAOLEX repository copy
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
NEBIH FAQ on fisheries management (halgazdalkodas, vadgazdalkodas)
Officialportal.nebih.gov.huAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Act CII of 2013 on fisheries and the protection of fish - One Planet Network policy record
Secondaryoneplanetnetwork.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [06]
Fishing in Hungary: a guide for foreigners, tourists and expats (tourist state permit, MOHOSZ)
Secondarydailynewshungary.comAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
Hungary is landlocked (no sea coast), so spearfishing could only occur in fresh waters. It is illegal nationwide: Act CII of 2013, Section 46(4) point e) lists 'buvarszigony vagy mas, halfogasra alkalmas buvareszkoz hasznalata' (use of a diving spear or other diving equipment suitable for catching fish) as a prohibited fishing tool/method on all fish-management waters, and Section 2(16) limits lawful recreational fish-catching to rod-and-line angling. Verbatim Hungarian legal texts were taken from the official Nemzeti Jogszabalytar (net.jogtar.hu) consolidated version of the Act; accented characters were transliterated to ASCII in the stored excerpts (e.g. 'o' for 'o-acute') but wording is otherwise as published. The exact full enumeration of Section 46(4) continues with further prohibited methods (raking, certain net and hook methods, etc.) beyond point e); only points a) to e), which are the relevant ones for spearfishing, are reproduced here. No spearfishing seasons, zones, licences or catch limits exist because the activity is banned outright. Confidence is high: the prohibition is grounded in the primary statute retrieved directly from the official legislation portal and corroborated by a secondary web search.
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