Company formation in Hungary

Form a Hungarian Kft online
the full process, explained.

Hungary requires three things to incorporate a Kft (limited liability company): minimum share capital of 3,000,000 HUF, articles of association countersigned by a Hungarian attorney, and electronic filing with the commercial court. None can be avoided — all can be done remotely. Zenty coordinates the platform side; Tallár Law Firm performs the legal acts. The process takes 2–8 working days.

Start your Hungarian Kft Read the full process

The short answer

Forming a Hungarian Kft in 2026 requires three legal elements: minimum share capital of 3,000,000 HUF (~€7,900) under § 3:161 of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.); articles of association with attorney countersignature under § 6 of the Companies Act (Ctv.); and electronic filing with the commercial court under § 36 of the Ctv. Foreign founders can complete the process remotely — no in-person visit to Hungary is required.

Zenty handles intake, document preparation, status tracking, and the post-formation handoff (bank, accounting, NAV). The attorney countersignature and court filing are performed by Tallár Law Firm. The process takes 2–8 working days.

Why a Hungarian Kft?

The Kft (Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság, “limited liability company”) is the standard Hungarian incorporation vehicle. Two features explain its dominance.

Limited liability. Member liability is capped at the share-capital contribution. Personal assets are shielded from corporate creditors, with the standard exceptions for managerial misconduct and personally guaranteed obligations. This is the most important practical difference from the sole proprietorship form (egyéni vállalkozás).

The 9% corporate income tax. Hungary has had the lowest corporate tax rate in the European Union since 2017, applied to worldwide profit without preferential carve-out. The effective all-in burden is closer to 11–13% once local business tax and social contribution tax are accounted for — the full breakdown is on a dedicated page.

The process

The four phases of Hungarian Kft formation

115–25 minutes · you + Zenty

Intake

A single structured form collects every data point: company name, founders' identification and shareholding, TEÁOR activity codes (suggested from your business description), registered address, managing director(s), and signature-specimen data. A live check against the commercial registry verifies the name is available before you proceed.

2Automatic + your review

Document preparation

Zenty generates the document set from your intake: articles of association, signature specimens, the NAV registration form, the lease-consent declaration where needed, and apport valuation documentation where applicable. Intelligent validation flags incomplete fields before the documents reach the attorney. You review and e-sign — this is your acknowledgement of intent, not the countersignature.

320–45 minutes · the partner firm

Attorney countersignature by video

The phase Zenty cannot perform. Tallár Law Firm schedules the video call within 1–3 working days: identity verification on camera under the Attorneys Act, a substantive review of the articles, e-signature through the Zenty interface, and the attorney countersignature that makes the articles valid under § 6 of the Ctv.

41–5 working days + handoff

Court filing and registration

The partner firm files electronically with the commercial court (Cégbíróság) under § 36 of the Ctv. A company is registered by the registry court with jurisdiction over its registered seat — for a Budapest seat (for example a HomeBase address), the Budapest Metropolitan Court. On registration the company receives its registration number (cégjegyzékszám) and tax number (adószám). Within 2 working days Zenty initiates NAV registration, hands off to a partner bank for account opening, shortlists partner accountants, and delivers the founder's post-formation checklist.

Requirements at a glance

Share capital — 3,000,000 HUF (≈ €7,900)

Hungarian law (§ 3:161 of the Civil Code) sets the minimum at 3,000,000 HUF. It can be paid as a cash contribution — in full at incorporation, or in part with the remainder due within a defined period under § 3:161 (4) — or as an in-kind contribution (apport); apport above 50% of total contribution requires audited valuation under § 3:162. Payment is made to the company's Hungarian bank account, opened after registration. The capital is not a fee — it is the company's own working capital.

Members — one or more

A Kft requires at least one member, with no statutory upper limit. Members may be natural persons or legal entities, Hungarian or foreign. Foreign members provide apostilled identification and certified Hungarian translations; the International tier handles the apostille and translation logistics.

Registered office — a Hungarian address

The Kft must have a registered office (székhely) in Hungary: an owned property, a leased property with landlord consent, or a registered-address service provider such as Zenty HomeBase (regulated under Ministry of Justice Decree 7/2017. (VI. 1.) IM). The registered office is public in the commercial registry.

Activity codes — TEÁOR

The primary activity is registered under a TEÁOR code (mirroring the EU’s NACE Rev. 2), with secondary activities added as needed. Some activities are licensed and require permits in addition to registration.

Managing director(s)

At least one managing director (ügyvezető) is required — a member or non-member, Hungarian or foreign — with signature specimens. Director liability under § 3:24 of the Civil Code is real and personal.

Articles of association with attorney countersignature

The articles are the constitutive document, with mandatory elements specified in § 8 of the Companies Act. The attorney countersignature under § 6 is the validity condition — without it, the court does not register the company.

What it costs

What you pay Zenty. Packages range from the Start tier to the International tier; the fee includes attorney countersignature, court filing, document preparation, NAV initiation, bank introduction, and accounting referral. The full breakdown by tier is on the pricing page.

What you do not pay Zenty.The court filing fee is 0 HUF in the simplified electronic procedure under the Duty Act (Itv.) — it has been 0 HUF since 2017. The 5,000 HUF publication fee in the official gazette is included in the Zenty package, not added on top. And the 3,000,000 HUF minimum share capital is not a cost — it is the company’s own money, transferred to the company bank account after registration.

Who signs?

The partner law firm signs the formation documents. Attorney countersignature is exclusive lawyer work under § 6 of the Companies Act, and Zenty as a software company does not perform it. The named attorney executing your formation is Dr. Tallár Ákos, attorney admitted to the Hungarian Bar (Magyar Ügyvédi Kamara), bar registration number 5203. Zenty and Tallár Law Firm are independent entities; the firm carries its own professional liability insurance for the legal work. Read more about the legal partner.

Sources and legal framework

Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.) — Act V of 2013: § 3:161, § 3:162, § 3:178, § 3:24. NJT
Hungarian Companies Act (Ctv.) — Act V of 2006: § 6, § 8, § 36, § 3 (3). NJT
Hungarian Duty Act (Itv.) — Act XCIII of 1990: 0 HUF court fee. NJT
Attorneys Act (Üt.) — Act LXXVIII of 2017: countersignature and remote identification. NJT

Reviewed by Dr. Tallár Ákos, attorney (Tallár Law Firm, MÜK 5203)

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Still have a question?

Write to us and we'll answer — like a human, no legal boilerplate.

hello@zenty.hu

Do I need a Hungarian bank account before the company is formed?

No. The bank account is opened after the company is registered, using the company's tax number issued at registration. Some banks let the founder begin the account-opening process earlier (held until the company exists), but the account itself opens post-registration. Zenty's bank introduction covers this sequencing.

Can a non-resident be the sole founder and director?

Yes. Hungarian law permits a non-resident natural person to be the sole founder and the sole managing director of a Kft. Non-resident status triggers two additional requirements: a process agent (kézbesítési megbízott) under Hungarian court rules to receive official legal documents, and apostilled identification with certified Hungarian translation. The Zenty International tier includes both.

What activity codes (TEÁOR) should I use?

TEÁOR is the Hungarian classification mirroring EU NACE Rev. 2. The choice depends on your actual business activity — Zenty's intake suggests a primary code from your business description and lets you add secondary codes. Some activities are licensed and require post-registration permits (construction, hospitality, certain care services); the intake flags licensing requirements automatically.

Can I form the company under an English-language trade name?

Yes. Hungarian law permits foreign-language company names, with two restrictions: the legal-form designation (Kft) must appear in Hungarian, and the name must be distinguishable from existing registered names regardless of language. "Almafa Solutions Kft" is valid; "Almafa Solutions GmbH" is not (wrong form designation); "Almafa Solutions Limited" is not (the form must be Kft).

Will Hungarian VAT apply to my services exported from Hungary?

This is a tax question, not a formation question, and the answer depends on the type of service and the customer location. The Zenty process registers the company for VAT in line with your election; the substantive VAT treatment of cross-border services is best handled with the accountant Zenty introduces after registration. EU intra-community supplies and exports to third countries each have specific rules.

Can the same Hungarian address serve as both the registered office and the process agent?

The two roles serve different functions — the registered office is the company's official address; the process agent receives legal documents addressed to a non-resident founder personally. The same provider can fill both, and Zenty's HomeBase + process agent service (in the International tier) does so. The roles stay legally distinct even when bundled.