Starting a business in Hungary: foreigner's guide (2026)

There are no general restrictions on 100% foreign ownership or control of a Hungarian Kft. Foreign nationals may serve as sole owner and managing director without a separate work permit for that role; no minimum local-shareholder requirement exists.

Act V of 2013 (Civil Code) sets the minimum registered capital for a Kft at HUF 3,000,000 (~€7,500). At least 50% must be paid up before registration; each individual quota must be at least HUF 100,000. Capital may consist of cash or contributions in kind.

All company registration proceedings are conducted exclusively in electronic form through the Cégbíróság (Company Registry Court). Once the application is filed, registration is typically granted within 1–3 business days. The public company register is freely accessible at e-cegjegyzek.hu.

Hungarian law requires every registration application to be submitted by a licensed Hungarian attorney (ügyvéd) or notary. Foreign founders may sign documents remotely (including via video link) and post originals, but cannot file without local legal counsel, adding cost and a coordination step.

Act LVII of 2018 mandates a national-security review for acquisitions in sensitive sectors (defence, dual-use technology, energy, telecom, certain financial services). A 2023 amendment extended the review period from 30 to 45 business days and introduced a state pre-emption right for solar-energy enterprises. Out of ~590 notifications filed by mid-2025, fewer than 3% resulted in prohibition.

Opening a Hungarian business bank account is a mandatory step and generally requires in-person attendance, typically the slowest element for non-resident founders. Including attorney engagement, notarisation/apostille of foreign documents, and bank onboarding, the practical end-to-end timeline is usually 5–10 working days in-country.