RC tracks, model airfields and boat waters in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the Българска Федерация по Авто-моделни Спортове (БФАМС) organises the state championship for RC cars – electric and nitro, on- and off-road up to 1:5 – and publishes calendars, programmes and protocols. Ship models are looked after by the Българска федерация по корабомоделен спорт (БФКС), a member of NAVIGA since 1964. Our list includes seven tracks – from the first Bulgarian outdoor track “Огнян Филипов” in Vratsa (2004) and the Multi RC Track in Shumen to the off-road track in Sopot opened in 2026 – and three waters in Ruse, Pazardzhik and at the Batak reservoir, where competitions for RC ship models took place in 2026.

Where can you drive RC cars in Bulgaria?

Club	Location	Province	Track
СК Моделизми ген.Владимир Заимов	Sopot	Plovdiv	Off-road
Multi RC Track „Юрий Трънчев“	Shumen	Shumen	Off-road, On-road, Large scale, Mini-Z
SimplyRc	Novi Iskar	Sofia City	Off-road
Sofia RC Track	Sofia	Sofia City	On-road
RCSofiaDistrict Race Track	Slivnitsa	Sofia Province	On-road
Офроуд писта с. Аврен	Avren	Varna	Off-road
СТМК Враца	Vratsa	Vratsa	On-road, Large scale

Where can you fly model aircraft in Bulgaria?

We have not yet found a model airfield in Bulgaria with current evidence, either on a club website or from the national federation.

Where can you sail model boats in Bulgaria?

Club	Location	Province	Models
Модел яхт клуб Пазарджик	Pazardzhik	Pazardzhik	Racing boats
Язовир Батак	Batak	Pazardzhik	Sailing models, Racing boats
СК по корабомоделен спорт „змс Иван Маринов“	Ruse	Ruse	Racing boats

What are the rules in Bulgaria?

These associations are responsible in Bulgaria:

• Bulgarian Federation for Auto-model Sports (BFAMS): According to its website, БФАМС (BFAMS) runs the Bulgarian state championship (Държавно първенство) for RC cars – electric and nitro, on-road and off-road up to 1:5 Large Scale – and publishes the sports calendar adopted by its general assembly, race programmes and results. It registers clubs and drivers and collects the entries of Bulgarian drivers for the EFRA European Championships.
• Българска федерация по корабомоделен спорт (BFKS) – Bulgarian Federation of Ship Modelling Sport: According to its website, the БФКС (BFKS) has been a member of NAVIGA since 1964 and was a founding member of the worldwide NAVIGA in 1977; it has sections for tethered speed models (A/B), static models (C), RC boats with combustion engines for group races (FSR/ENDURO), scale models (NS), sailing yachts (S) and ECO RC boats for group races (M). It keeps a register of 14 member clubs and publishes its 2026 competition calendar with state championships and tournaments, including regulations and results.

The key points from the law and official pages (retrieved 11/10/2026):

• The competent authority for drones and model aircraft is the Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration (Главна дирекция „Гражданска въздухоплавателна администрация“, ГД „ГВА“). Alongside Regulation (EU) 2019/947, the national Ordinance No. Н-6 of 11 April 2023 on the operation of unmanned aircraft systems applies (State Gazette ДВ No. 37/2023, last amended by ДВ No. 114 of 24 December 2025); among other things it governs registration, remote pilot certificates, model aircraft clubs and operations in geographical zones (ГД „ГВА“ – НАРЕДБА № Н-6 от 11.04.2023 г.).
• Operators must register if their aircraft has a maximum take-off mass (MTOM) of 250 g or more, or is lighter but carries a sensor able to capture personal data (e.g. a camera or microphone) – unless it is a toy within the meaning of Directive 2009/48/EC; in the specific category registration is always required. Residents of Bulgaria register once online on drones.caa.bg, regardless of how many drones they own; the registration number must be displayed on all their drones and entered into the drone’s remote identification system (ГД „ГВА“ – Кога се изисква регистрация и сертификат?).
• Registration as an operator costs EUR 10.23 (Art. 117з(1) of Tariff No. 5), is processed within one working day and has no expiry date; no documents need to be submitted (ГД „ГВА“ – Регистрация на оператор на безпилотна летателна система).
• For A1 with a class C0 drone or a privately built drone under 250 g no training is required (reading the manufacturer’s instructions is recommended). For A1 with C1 and for A3 (C3, C4 or privately built under 25 kg), remote pilots complete an online course and an online theory exam of 40 questions on the ГД „ГВА“ platform x-tesla.caa.bg; the joint A1/A3 certificate costs EUR 10.23, is sent by email within 5 working days of passing and is valid for 5 years (ГД „ГВА“ – Издаване на свидетелство за преминато онлайн обучение за извършване на полети в подкатегории А1 и А3).
• For A2 (class C2), practical self-training and an additional in-person theory exam with ГД „ГВА“ or a recognised entity are required on top of the online course and test; the exam is booked via x-tesla.caa.bg. The A2 certificate of competency is valid for 5 years (ГД „ГВА“ – Издаване на свидетелство за компетентност на дистанционно управляващ пилот за подкатегория А2).
• Remote pilots in the open and specific categories must generally be at least 16 years old. There is no minimum age when flying in subcategory A1 with a C0 drone, flying a privately built drone under 250 g, or flying under the direct supervision of a remote pilot who meets the competency requirements; for pilots in a model aircraft club, the Director General of ГД „ГВА“ may lower the minimum age through the club’s authorisation. If the remote pilot is under 18, a parent or guardian is registered as the operator and is responsible for the flights (ГД „ГВА“ – Често задавани въпроси).
• In the open category, the unmanned aircraft must be kept within 120 m of the closest point of the surface of the earth during flight; the only exception is when overflying an obstacle (Article 4(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947) (EUR-Lex – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Article 4).
• ГД „ГВА“ publishes the geographical UAS zones on interactive maps on its website and as a JSON file. Before every flight the remote pilot must download this file and upload or update it via the geo-awareness function – the published zones, not the manufacturer’s data, are authoritative. During the flight, check every 15 minutes whether a zone for low-flying manned aircraft has been activated (information available after registering on b-flip.bulatsa.com) and, if so, end the flight immediately; flights in prohibited or restricted zones are only possible on application to ГД „ГВА“ (ГД „ГВА“ – Географски зони на БЛС).
• Within a model aircraft club or association (клуб или сдружение за авиомоделизъм), flying is for sport or leisure only and follows the operating authorisation that ГД „ГВА“ grants to the club (numbers ‘BG.UAS.MODEL.xxx’, valid throughout Bulgaria); the remote pilot must meet the minimum competency set in the authorisation or hold a pilot certificate, and the club must insure its third-party liability. According to ГД „ГВА“, the authorisation may deviate from the general rules, for example for models over 25 kg or flights above 120 m; alternatively, model aircraft can be flown in subcategory A3 of the open category (ГД „ГВА“ – НАРЕДБА № Н-6 от 11.04.2023 г. (консолидиран текст)).
• A club applies to ГД „ГВА“ for the authorisation under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and Ordinance No. Н-6, submitting a staff list with qualification records, a declaration of compliance, an operations manual and insurance contracts. It costs EUR 109.93 and is processed within 30 calendar days of a complete application; under Н-6 the club must apply no later than 35 days before the planned start of operations. Its validity follows the period requested or set in the authorisation (ГД „ГВА“ – Издаване на разрешение за експлоатация в рамките на клубове и сдружения за авиомоделизъм).
• For sport and leisure flying in the open category, third-party liability insurance is required if the aircraft has a maximum take-off mass above 20 kg (Art. 29(4) of Н-6); for commercial activities ГД „ГВА“ requires it regardless of mass. Model aircraft clubs holding an authorisation must insure their own third-party liability (ГД „ГВА“ – НАРЕДБА № Н-6 от 11.04.2023 г. (консолидиран текст)).
• Operators register only in the EU member state where they live and may not be registered in more than one member state at a time. Residents of non-EU countries register in the first EU country where they intend to fly – Н-6 allows this in Bulgaria; that registration is then valid throughout the EU, but training or qualifications obtained in the home country are not recognised (ГД „ГВА“ – Често задавани въпроси).

Frequently asked questions

Where can I drive RC cars in Bulgaria?

Our list includes 7 tracks where the state championship and tournaments of the БФАМС are held – on-road in Sofia, Slivnitsa and Vratsa, off-road in Novi Iskar, Sopot and Avren, and both on the Multi RC Track in Shumen. The clubs do not publish guest rules; ask before a visit. At the open day in Shumen in October 2025, admission was free and visitors could drive their own models freely.

Where do RC model boats run in Bulgaria?

In 2026, competitions for RC racing boats and ECO boats were held at the Middle Lake in the “Lipnik” forest park in Ruse, in the “Ostrov Svoboda” park in Pazardzhik and at the Batak reservoir, where sailing yachts also race, among other places. At БФКС tournaments you pay an entry fee; anyone who was not a member of a БФКС club paid double in Ruse in 2026.

Do I need to register again in Bulgaria?

No: you only register in the EU state where you live, and you may not be registered in several member states at the same time. If you live outside the EU, you can register in Bulgaria as your first EU country; the registration is then valid throughout the EU.

Do I need insurance in Bulgaria?

For sport and leisure purposes in the open category, only from a take-off mass of 20 kg; for commercial flights, the authority requires it regardless of weight. Model flying clubs with an authorisation insure their third-party liability themselves.

What rules apply to model flying in a club in Bulgaria?

Clubs can apply to the ГД „ГВА“ for an operational authorisation (numbers BG.UAS.MODEL.xxx); in the club you then fly according to the club’s rules, which may deviate from the general rules, for example for models over 25 kg or flights above 120 m. Without a club, you fly model aircraft in subcategory A3.