Compliance
Romanian hunting regulations
A plain-English summary of the legal framework. This is not legal advice — confirm specifics with your booking coordinator.
Quotas and species management
Romania regulates trophy hunting under Law 407/2006 (the Hunting Act) and ministerial orders revised annually. The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests issues species-specific quotas to licensed hunting concession holders. Brown bear quotas are particularly tight — typically 140–220 animals nationwide per season — and are allocated to outfitters based on territory population surveys. Carpathian Safari operates under quota allocations across our concessions; we never accept bookings exceeding our allotted quota.
Hunting seasons
Season dates are fixed by ministerial order each calendar year. Approximate windows: Brown bear (spring) 15 March – 15 May; Brown bear (autumn) 15 September – 31 December; Red stag (rut) 1 September – 15 December; Wild boar all year (driven hunts October–February); Wolf 15 September – 31 March; Chamois 15 September – 15 December. Exact dates are confirmed at booking and may shift slightly year to year.
Hunter licensing and recognition
Foreign hunters must hold a valid hunting license recognized in their country of residence. EU hunters benefit from the European Firearms Pass system. Non-EU hunters require: (1) hunting license from country of residence, (2) firearm permit, (3) third-party hunting insurance with minimum coverage €500,000. Carpathian Safari handles all Romanian permit recognition and registration with regional authorities.
Firearm import
Sporting rifles and shotguns may be imported with prior authorization. We file the import authorization request with the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police 14 days before arrival. Maximum 2 rifles per hunter, 200 rounds of ammunition, no semi-automatic actions, no fully-automatic anything. Border presentation of original firearm permit, EU pass (if applicable), and our authorization letter is required. Rifle rental from our armory is offered as an alternative (Sako, Mauser, Blaser bolt-actions in .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, .375 H&H).
CITES export documentation
Brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus) and chamois trophies require CITES export permits to leave Romania. We handle the entire process: Romanian CITES export permit, taxidermy preparation certificate, veterinary health certificate. Average processing time is 21 days post-harvest. Trophies are shipped to your address worldwide via specialized taxidermy courier. Import documentation in your country of residence is your responsibility — we provide all originating paperwork required.
Ethics and fair chase
Carpathian Safari operates a strict fair-chase code. No baiting beyond legally permitted feeding stations, no shooting from vehicles, no driving game with vehicles, no dogs on bear, no electronic calling on wolf during quiet seasons. Wounded animals are pursued by certified blood-tracking dogs (Hanovarian or Bavarian Mountain Hounds) until recovered. We will end an expedition early if a hunter requests practices outside Romanian law or our ethical code.