The short answer
A foreigner — EU or non-EU — can open a Hungarian limited liability company (Kft), own all of it, and act as its sole managing director. The process is fully remote: the legally required attorney countersignature happens on a video call. Being a non-resident adds two requirements — a process agent to receive legal documents, and apostilled identification with a certified Hungarian translation. The company is a Hungarian tax resident and pays 9% corporate income tax on its worldwide profit.
Can a foreigner own a Hungarian company?
Yes — without restriction on the ownership share. Hungarian law allows a non-resident natural person to be the sole founder and the sole managing director of a Kft, and this holds for EU and non-EU nationals alike. There is a point worth stating plainly, because it causes the most confusion:
Owning or directing a Hungarian company does not, by itself, require a Hungarian residence permit. A residence permit governs living and working in Hungary — not company ownership.
If you do intend to relocate, the residence question is separate and sits alongside the company, not inside it. For the company itself, your nationality and country of residence do not block formation; they only add the two logistics steps below.
The two extra requirements for non-residents
1. A process agent (kézbesítési megbízott)
If you have no Hungarian address, you must designate a Hungarian process agent — a party authorised to receive official legal documents addressed to you personally. It is required under Hungarian court rules and is legally distinctfrom the registered office, which is the company’s own address. The same provider can fill both roles: Zenty’s HomeBase registered address plus the process-agent service does exactly that in the International tier, while the two roles remain separate in law.
2. Apostilled identification and certified translation
A foreign founder provides an apostille on the foreign identity documents and a certified Hungarian translation. The International tier handles the apostille and translation logistics so you are not coordinating a notary, an apostille authority, and a sworn translator across borders yourself.
Doing it without flying to Hungary
The one act that cannot be skipped or outsourced to software is the attorney countersignature of the articles of association, a validity condition under § 6 of the Companies Act (Ctv.). The partner firm performs it on a video call: identity verification on camera under the Attorneys Act (Üttv.), a substantive review of the articles, your electronic signature through the Zenty interface, and the countersignature itself. No in-person appointment, no courier of wet-ink documents. The full sequence is on the formation-process page.
Banking as a non-resident — the honest version
This is the step that most often surprises foreign founders. The business bank account is opened after the company is registered, using the tax number (adószám) issued at registration. For non-resident-owned companies, banking due diligence has been tighter since 2018 — expect some banks to ask for additional documentation, proof of business activity, or a short call before opening. It is routine, not a barrier, but it is rarely instant. Zenty introduces you to a partner bank and manages the sequencing so the account is ready as soon as the registration completes.
Tax: the 9%, and taking money out
A Hungarian-resident company pays 9% corporate income tax — the lowest headline rate in the EU — on its worldwide profit, with credit for foreign taxes paid. Local business tax (HIPA) and, on salary or dividends, social contribution tax push the effective all-in burden higher; the 9% corporate tax page gives the full breakdown.
On distributions to a non-resident individual shareholder, Hungary does not withhold tax on dividends, subject to the tax treaty with your country of residence and your specific circumstances. This is country-specific — confirm the outcome with a Hungarian tax advisor, which the accountant Zenty introduces after registration can do for your case.
Which tier fits a foreign founder?
The International tier is built for non-resident founders: it bundles the process agent, the apostille and translation logistics, English-language onboarding, and a period of bundled legal backing. Pricing is on the pricing page (the legal price is in HUF, with an EUR charged equivalent for non-resident founders). If you are weighing Zenty against a law firm or an incorporation agent, the how-to-choose guide lays out the trade-offs.
The remote process, step by step
- Intake and name check.Submit the company name, members, ownership, director, activities, and registered office in Zenty’s form; the partner firm checks the name against the registry.
- Documents and foreign-founder logistics. Zenty assembles the document set; for a non-resident, the apostille, certified translation, and process-agent designation are prepared.
- Attorney countersignature by video. Identity verification on camera, review of the articles, e-signature, and the countersignature required by § 6 of the Ctv.
- Court registration and launch. The firm files electronically; on registration the company receives its registration number and tax number, and Zenty starts the bank, NAV, and accountant handoff.
Sources
- Civil Code (Ptk.) — Act V of 2013: Kft rules, including § 3:161 (share capital) and § 3:162 (contributions). NJT
- Companies Act (Ctv.) — Act V of 2006: § 6 (attorney countersignature), § 36 (electronic company procedure). NJT
- Attorneys Act (Üttv.) — Act LXXVIII of 2017: the rules for the 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)