Knowledge base · The process

The Hungarian Kft formation process
step by step.

Four phases, 2–8 working days, attorney countersignature on a video call. The guide below walks through it in detail — you answer the questions in a single Zenty form in 15–25 minutes, and we carry the rest. Zenty coordinates the platform side; Tallár Law Firm performs the legal acts.

Start the formation Read the full process

The short answer

Forming a Hungarian Kft has four phases: (1) intake and a company-name check, (2) preparation of the articles of association and the accompanying documents, (3) attorney countersignature on a video call (§ 6 of the Companies Act, Ctv.), and (4) electronic filing with the registry court and entry into the commercial register (§ 36 of the Ctv.).

The whole process takes 2–8 working days on the Zenty platform, if the data is complete and the video-call slot comes together in the first offered window. By the traditional, in-office route it is 2–4 weeks.

The process · 4 phases

2–8 working days. Four phases.

A linear map of the whole process — marking exactly where Zenty does something, where the partner law firm does, and where you have to act. The wait intervals are shown too.

01
Zenty + you15–25 minutes
Intake and company-name check
Zenty’s intake form asks for the formation data in a structured sequence. The form walks you through everything and leaves nothing material out — you will not get a callback a week later because we forgot to ask something.
The data requested
The company name — we check the proposed name against the commercial registry and flag any risk of confusing similarity. The name check is a manual review by the partner firm, with a reply within one working day.
Company form — single-member or multi-member Kft.
The members’ details — natural persons or legal entities, Hungarian or foreign.
Ownership ratios and capital contributions — within the 3,000,000 HUF minimum share capital (§ 3:161 of the Civil Code).
The managing director(s) — may be a member or an external person.
Activity codes — a primary TEÁOR code plus secondary activities. Zenty suggests a code from your business description.
Registered office — owned, leased, or Zenty HomeBase.
Financial year and business year.
Company formation in Hungary
02
Zenty + youAutomatic · ~30 min review
Document preparation
Zenty assembles the full document set from the data captured in phase 1. The attorney review of the legal content is performed by the partner firm in phase 3 — Zenty does structural automation here, not legal advice.
The document set
Articles of association — per the requirements of § 3:161 of the Civil Code and § 8 of the Companies Act.
Signature specimen for each managing director.
NAV (tax authority) form — with TEÁOR codes and a VAT-status election.
Landlord consent declaration for the registered office — for a leased property; with HomeBase, Zenty inserts it automatically.
Apport (in-kind) valuation — where any member contributes a non-cash contribution (§ 3:162 of the Civil Code).
What you do: you review the documents in your Zenty account, and once everything looks right, you accept the final version with an e-signature. This is not the attorney countersignature — it is only your recording of your own intent.
Wait · 1–3 working days for the attorney slot
03
Tallár Law FirmVideo call 20–45 min
Attorney countersignature by video
This is the phase Zenty, as a software company, cannot and does not perform. The attorney countersignature is a validity condition of the articles of association under § 6 of the Companies Act (Ctv.) — without it, the registry court rejects the application.
What happens on the call
Scheduling. After phase 2 closes, the partner firm offers a slot automatically, typically within 1–3 working days.
Identification. At the start of the video call you present a valid identity document through the camera. The process is documented.
Reviewing the articles. The attorney asks whether everything matches your intent. This is where changes can be made.
E-signature.You sign the articles electronically through the Zenty interface. With multiple members, every member’s signature is required.
Countersignature. The attorney applies the countersignature and immediately starts phase 4.
Wait · 1–5 working days for court turnaround
04
Tallár · registry court · ZentyRegistration 1–5 working days · Handoff 2 working days
Court registration and launch
The partner firm files the application electronically. The registry court registers the company; in parallel, Zenty starts the launch handoff — NAV, bank, accountant. A company is registered by the registry court with jurisdiction over its registered seat — for a Budapest seat, the Budapest Metropolitan Court.
Court turnaround
In the electronic company procedure, the registry court’s typical turnaround is 1–5 working days. For a Kft the court is faster — the application is examined within 1–3 working days if everything is in order. In the event of a supplementary filing (hiánypótlás), the partner firm corrects it within one working day.
Launch handoff
NAV registration — we start the company with the tax authority, with a VAT-status notification and TEÁOR codes.
Bank onboarding — we initiate customer identification with a partner bank.
Accountant introduction — we recommend three partner accountants based on your profile.
Cégkapu setup guide — a template and a step-by-step instruction for the company gateway.
Local business tax notification — a portal that differs by municipality, with a template.

How long — the total

Phase	Time required
1. Intake	15–25 minutes (you)
2. Document preparation	Automatic + 30 min review
Wait for the attorney slot	1–3 working days
3. Attorney countersignature by video	20–45 minutes
Court turnaround	1–5 working days
4. Launch handoff	2 working days (parallel)
Total	2–8 working days

What the company-name check is

The company-name check is a manual, transactional service. When you submit a proposed name, the partner firm reviews it against the commercial registry and replies within one working day, flagging any risk of confusing similarity with an existing registered name. There is no live or automatic search behind it — the value is the lawyer’s judgement on distinguishability, which is the standard the registry court applies. The legal-form designation (Kft) must appear in Hungarian, and a foreign-language trade name is permitted as long as it is distinguishable regardless of language.

Where the company is registered

A company is registered by the registry court with jurisdiction over its registered seat (székhely). For a Budapest seat — including a HomeBase registered address in the capital — that is the Budapest Metropolitan Court (Fővárosi Törvényszék). The registered office is public in the commercial register, and the jurisdiction follows the seat, not the founder’s residence or nationality.

A note on taking money out, and KIVA

Two facts founders ask about during formation, though both are tax rather than formation questions. Dividends paid to a private individual are taxed at 15% personal income tax (SZJA) plus 13% social contribution tax (SZOCHO); the SZOCHO applies only until the individual’s combined income for the year reaches the cap of 24× the minimum wage, after which no further SZOCHO is due on dividends. And KIVA (the small business tax) is an optional flat 10% regime: from 2026 the entry thresholds are revenue and balance-sheet total under 6 billion HUF and at most 100 employees, with exit above 12 billion HUF or 200 employees. The full picture is on the corporate-tax page; the accountant Zenty introduces after registration works through the specific case.

Sources and legal framework

Companies Act (Ctv.) — Act V of 2006: § 6 (attorney countersignature), § 36 (electronic company procedure), § 8 (the mandatory contents of the articles of association). NJT
Civil Code (Ptk.) — Act V of 2013: § 3:161 (Kft share capital), § 3:162 (apport), § 3:163–3:182 (the organisation of the Kft). NJT
Duty Act (Itv.) — Act XCIII of 1990: in the electronic company procedure the Kft court registration fee is 0 HUF in 2026. NJT
Attorneys Act (Üt.) — Act LXXVIII of 2017: the rules for the attorney countersignature and remote video identification. NJT
NAV (the Hungarian tax authority) — nav.gov.hu

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

What most commonly causes a delay?

Two things. First, member availability for the attorney video call — if a shared time cannot be found, the process stalls. Second, incomplete intake data, for example a missing landlord consent declaration when the registered office is a leased property. Both are avoidable: Zenty flags data gaps immediately, and the scheduler offers three slots drawn from the members' combined calendar.

What happens if the registry court rejects the application?

Rare, but it happens — usually over a formal discrepancy. The partner firm corrects it through a supplementary-filing (hiánypótlás) procedure and the application is re-examined. You do not handle any of this; you see the status in Zenty. A supplementary filing typically adds 1–3 days and carries no additional fee.

Do I have to pay in the 3,000,000 HUF share capital before the video call?

No. The share capital is paid to the company bank account after registration. The articles of association may also provide that half the capital is paid in later (within one to two years) — § 3:161 (4) of the Civil Code permits this. The capital is not a fee; it is the company's own working capital.

What does “secure identification” mean on the video call?

The partner firm applies the procedure prescribed by the Attorneys Act: presentation of a valid identity document in live video (not a scanned image), identification through the camera, and documentation of the process. This is not a generic video chat — it is a specific obligation of the attorney under the rules governing legal practice.

Can I ask for a different attorney if scheduling with the partner firm keeps failing?

The partner firm is our primary firm — the process is built around them. If scheduling stalls persistently, contact Zenty support; we escalate directly to the managing partner of Tallár Law Firm, which typically clears the queue within 24 hours.

After formation, does the partner firm take over ongoing legal representation?

Not automatically. The Pro and International tiers include a direct attorney line for 12 months, but this is a consultation service — not full legal representation. A traditional retainer with the partner firm is a separate engagement you can contract for directly.