Tree felling permits in Budapest
You don’t always need a tree felling permit for a tree in your own garden, because in Budapest the district decree decides, and the districts regulate felling in very different ways. On this page we’ve summarised what to look out for, and during the site visit we also check what your district requires.
What does the national decree say?
Since October 2024, the protection of trees and shrubs has been governed by 282/2024. (IX. 30.) Korm. rendelet, a Hungarian government decree that replaced the earlier and widely quoted Decree 346/2008. If a guide still refers to the old decree, it is out of date.
The new decree mainly requires a permit for felling trees in areas of public use, such as streets, parks and the edges of public squares. At national level, no permit is needed for a purely private garden, but in the capital almost every district regulates felling in its own decree. In Budapest, then, it is always the district decree that tells you whether you need a permit.
Tree felling permit rules in some Budapest districts
We reviewed the district decrees in November 2026, but as they change often, it’s worth checking them on the district’s official website before any felling. We do this ourselves during the site visit too.
District 17, Rákosmente
Apart from fruit trees, you need a permit for every tree with a trunk diameter of 10 centimetres or more. The permit is valid for one year, the felling must be reported within five days, and the tree must be replaced (Decree 10/2022.).
District 2
Apart from fruit trees, a tree may only be felled with a permit, and the felling must then be reported within five days.
District 11, Újbuda
A permit is required for felling, and also for topping and heavy pruning. Since the stricter rules introduced in March 2026, felling trees is banned between 15 March and 31 August, and a permit, once issued, is valid for one year.
District 12, Hegyvidék
Since 10 May 2026, tree felling has been governed by a new decree (7/2026.), whose provisions on fruit trees apply from 1 September. The district has also published an official questions-and-answers summary on it.
District 13
You need a permit from the mayor for every tree whose trunk diameter, measured one metre above the ground, is 9 centimetres or more, and this applies to fruit trees too. The procedure is free of administrative fees.
District 15
Two trees per property per year may be felled without a permit, provided the felling is notified in advance. In an emergency, the felling must be reported within three days.
District 22
Trees may be felled between 1 September and 1 March, and in spring and summer, during the bird nesting season, only after a zoological survey (Decree 21/2021.).
How we handle tree felling for you
Site visit
We look at the tree, measure its trunk and tell you whether it can still be saved by branch removal or pruning.
District rules
We check what your district or town requires, whether you need a permit or a notification, and whether there is a period when felling is banned.
Paperwork
If a permit is needed, we tell you what has to be submitted and gather the details and photos of the tree that go with the application.
Felling and replanting
As soon as the permit is in place, we fell the tree, and if the decree requires it, or you’d like us to, we plant a new one in its place.
Birds also have a say in when we cut
Several districts don’t allow tree felling during the bird nesting season, roughly from spring to the end of summer. Even where there is no such ban, care is needed: under the Hungarian nature conservation act, damaging the nest of a protected bird is forbidden everywhere, so before felling we always check that there is no occupied nest in the tree.
This is why late autumn and winter are the main season for tree felling. The tree stands bare, so it is easier to cut up and take away, and in most districts you can get a permit at this time of year. It’s worth getting in touch now.
Sources
What we’ve written on this page is based on these official and expert sources, all of them in Hungarian.
- 282/2024. (IX. 30.) Korm. rendelet, Nemzeti Jogszabálytár
- Fakivágási engedély magánterületen lévő fákhoz, XIII. kerület
- Fakivágási engedélykérelem, XV. kerület
- Egyre több kerület tiltja meg a fakivágást költési időszakban, enbudapestem.hu
- Fák, bokrok kivágása költési időszakban, Magyar Madártani Egyesület
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in my own garden in Budapest?
National law doesn’t require one, but most Budapest districts require a permit or a notification in their own decree. The rule that applies to you depends on your district, and often on the size and species of the tree as well, so we check this during the free site visit too.
What happens if I cut down a tree without a permit?
Districts can impose a fine and often require replacement planting, meaning a new tree has to be planted. In District 15, for example, the fine can be up to HUF 150,000. So it’s best to clarify the rules first and only then start felling.
Do I need a permit to cut down a fruit tree?
It varies from district to district. In District 2 you don’t need a permit to fell a fruit tree, whereas in District 12 the decree also covers fruit trees from September 2026. During the site visit we check what applies to you.
What should I do if a tree is about to fall?
Don’t wait: if the tree is threatening to fall, call us and we’ll look at what needs to be done straight away. On public land and in several districts, a tree felled because of the danger it posed has to be reported afterwards within a short deadline, in District 15, for example, within three days.
Do the same rules apply outside Budapest?
No, in the surrounding towns you have to follow the local council’s rules. If the tree stands in Budaörs, Budakeszi, Szentendre or Érd, for example, we check the regulations there during the site visit.
When are you allowed to cut down trees?
Late autumn and winter are the best time, because where a district sets a ban period, felling is generally not allowed from spring to the end of summer. The tree is also bare at this time of year, which makes it easier to work with.
We’ll check whether you need a permit
Tell us which district or town the tree is in, and we’ll call you back within one working day. The site visit is free. You can write to us in English.
Quicker by phone? Call us on +36 20 944 3464.
Tree felling permit in District 17 and nearby
We mostly work in District 17 and the surrounding towns, but we come out to every district of Budapest. See what your district or town requires.
