Shooting in Hungary
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Swift and Duty-Free Import of Props and Filming Equipment to Hungary
Last updated on May 27th, 2021
Last updated on May 27th, 2021
For our international productions, we often have to bring props and equipment to Hungary from abroad for the duration of a shoot. Whether it’s valuable clothes for a fashion photoshoot or a foreign car manufacturer’s latest model for a car commercial, they can all be imported into the country with similar ease. The system for this is based on international agreements and laws specifically designed to assist film production companies. Our goal is to provide our readers with a comprehensive picture of this system and of how Progressive Productions can make the custom clearance processes the smoothest for its clients.
For our international productions, we often have to bring props and equipment to Hungary from abroad for the duration of a shoot. Whether it’s valuable clothes for a fashion photoshoot or a foreign car manufacturer’s latest model for a car commercial, they can all be imported into the country with similar ease. The system for this is based on international agreements and laws specifically designed to assist film production companies. Our goal is to provide our readers with a comprehensive picture of this system and of how Progressive Productions can make the custom clearance processes the smoothest for its clients.
A Passport for Goods, the ATA Carnet
The movement of goods within the territory of the European Union is free, so if the props are already within the borders of the EU, no additional documents or administration is required to transport these to Hungary. However, if the goods arrive from outside the EU’s territory, then appropriate documents will be needed, among which the ATA Carnet is the most convenient solution available for productions. This document enables the smooth and duty-free temporary import of props and filming equipment between the agreement’s countries, providing that the goods return to the country of origin and remain unaltered throughout this process. Currently, the citizens of the agreement’s 87 countries and territories can apply for this type of Carnet, the entire list of which can be found on the website below, but a few notable member countries are the USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, South-Korea, Mexico, India, Russia, Brazil and China.
The ATA Carnet covers almost all types of filming props and equipment, such as audio-visual equipment, props, costumes, set elements and clothing. In addition, the import of airplanes, cars, racing cars, vehicle prototypes and even animals are made possible by the Carnet for the duration of the shoot. However, in special cases, additional permits may be required, for example, in the case of the importation of prop weapons, but we will return to this in more detail later.
In most cases, the ATA Carnet is issued by the request of the company that has its headquarters in the country of origin by the Chamber of Commerce of that same country. The official documents have to be purchased from the Chamber, that the owner of the props or equipment has to fill in, authenticate and finally resubmit to them or to the designated office for validation, which in most cases takes 1-2 days.
The ATA Carnet document requires a detailed list of the goods, including their quantity, weight, amount, value and country of origin. The Carnet is valid for 1 year from its validation, which can be extended for another 1 year if necessary. During this period, the props can cross the borders of these countries without limitations. In our experience, the document has to be presented in Hungarian at the border, so it is recommended to get it translated in advance. If the client or the commissioned customs agency is not able to do this, then Progressive can get it translated, but in this case, it is important to send us the original language version as soon as it is finalized to save valuable days.
Customs Agencies and Transport Companies
If an ATA Carnet is required, we advise that a customs agency or a customs consultancy agency also gets involved on behalf of the client. These companies assist in carrying out the processes in the country of origin and obtaining the required permits. Most consulting agencies are only involved in customs administration, but in case of larger props that are more complicated to transport (such as cars, airplanes, etc.), it is worth commissioning a company that offers combined services and, in addition to administration, also executes the transportation. Furthermore, it is important to mention that if the transport is carried out by those commissioned by the owners of the goods, then they must carry a letter of authorization signed by the owner when crossing the border, as well as the validated Carnet.
Importation of Weapons
As previously mentioned, the ATA Carnet is not solely sufficient for the importation of weapons, as carrying arms has serious restrictions in Hungary. Additional permission is required in all cases, even for weapons only suitable for firing blank cartridges. This permit has to be applied for at the territorially competent police department of the border crossing point, and not at the Chamber of Commerce or at the customs office (Hungary’s Act XXIV of 2004 on Firearms and Ammunition).
Furthermore, it is also specified by a government decree (Hungary’s Government Decree 253/2004 (VIII. 31.) on weapons and ammunition), that those are eligible for the importation of prop weapons, who hold a license for holding or importing those weapons. Progressive Productions also meets this criterion thanks to Section 31 of the Government Decree, which enables film production companies to import theatrical weapons that comply with certain technical restrictions (Annex 22 of the Government Decree).
"Section 31
(1) The permit authorizing the possession of firearms for theatrical and traditionalist use may only be granted to economic organizations engaged in producing theatre, theatrical and other performances or film shoots, as well as traditionalist organizations.
(2) For theatrical and traditionalists’ use only may
a) a theatrical firearm meeting the technical requirements set out in Annex 22 …
b) ...
be authorized." Hungary’s Government Decree 253/2004 (VIII. 31.) on weapons and ammunition
According to these restrictions, the weapons must be designed in a way that they can not receive ammunition originally made for other firearms and that narrowings have to be placed within the barrel and muzzle in such a manner that they cannot be removed without damaging the firearm beyond usability. In the case of firearms with replaceable barrels, the receiver or slide must be modified in a way that the original barrel cannot be installed without damage causing the unusability of the firearm. In addition, all other narrowings must be secured with glue, soldering or clamps to prevent these untwisting and falling apart. Furthermore (as specified in Section 48 of the Government's Decree), it is obligatory to present the imported weapons to the designated official organization (which is the Civil Small Arms and Ammunition Inspection Private Limited Company, according to Section 6 of the GKM’s Decree 31/2006 (VI. 1.)) so that they may ensure that the aforementioned technical requirements are met.
Under the above-mentioned government decree, the import of weapons into Hungary that do not comply with the previously mentioned restrictions is only permitted to companies whose scope of activity has included providing armourer and pyrotechnic services for at least ten years (Section 28 of the Government Decree). There are many armourers with decades of film industry experience in Hungary, who have precise knowledge of the legislation and who hold appropriate licenses, also for importing weapons deemed suitable for firing live ammunition for filming purposes. With the involvement of an armourer, a much wider range of weapons can be imported to Hungary for production purposes, with additionally the possibility to have those repaired and modified. Of course, even in this case, the imported weapons still have to be presented to the above-mentioned official organization, which may request the modification of the weapons if anomalies are detected.
Import of Vehicles
As mentioned above, the importation of vehicles for film shooting is enabled by the ATA Carnet, however, after the arrival of the vehicle, dependent on its use, further permits may be necessary. For example, in the case of a vehicle that does not yet have a license plate (a prototype or a model that has not been released yet and has arrived straight from the factory), applying for a temporary license plate and temporary registration is required for it to be used on public roads. There is a specific type of license plate in Hungary for such cases, which can be issued within one working day, provided that the required documents are submitted with the application. One such document, which is required in all cases, is the document certifying the compulsory liability insurance, and the other is the document certifying the vehicle’s sufficient technical condition. The former can also be obtained in Hungary, but other internationally acknowledged insurances obtained in other countries of the EU are also accepted (for example the green card). While the latter document may also be a traditional technical test, in the case that this cannot be issued, a declaration of conformity presented by the manufacturer is also sufficient.
Our Services
The administration takes place almost entirely in the prop’s country of origin, but Progressive helps with every necessary step that affects the country of destination, be it the translation of applications and product lists into Hungarian or, for example, communication with the authorities. In addition, if requested we can arrange the coordination and communication with the transporting personnel, and take care of the placement and safety of the goods during the production. After the project has wrapped, we can also help arrange the returning of the props.
