Start your Hungarian business the right way
Setting up a company in Hungary is straightforward and fully electronic, but the structure, documents and tax set-up need to be right from the start. Our Budapest team handles the whole process: choosing the right legal form, attorney-prepared founding documents, registration with the Court of Registration, your tax and VAT numbers from NAV, registered seat and bank account, so you are ready to trade from day one.
Expert Hungarian Company Setup, Tax Registration and Banking Guidance
End-to-end support from incorporation to your first invoice: founding documents, registration, tax and banking, handled by one team.
01
Full electronic registration of your Kft. with the Court of Registration through a Hungarian attorney, as Hungarian law requires. Using the template deed of foundation, the court registers the company on the working day after the tax number is issued; a bespoke deed usually takes around a week, and no more than 15 working days. Founders can sign remotely through a power of attorney.
02
Formation of a privately held company limited by shares (Zrt.) for investor-backed or larger businesses, and of limited (Bt.) or general (Kkt.) partnerships for smaller and family businesses.
03
Every Hungarian company must have a registered seat (székhely) in Hungary. We provide a Budapest registered seat through a registered seat service provider, with document safekeeping and mail handling, for founders who live abroad or prefer not to use their own address.
04
Bespoke founding documents (deed of foundation for a single-member company, articles of association for several members) prepared and countersigned by a Hungarian attorney, tailored to your business, ownership and decision-making, in Hungarian with an English translation.
05
Setting the registered capital (minimum HUF 3 million for a Kft. and HUF 5 million for a Zrt.), contribution and payment terms, appointment of the managing director(s), the register of members, and beneficial owner (UBO) reporting, which runs through your Hungarian bank.
06
Pre-registration with the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) to obtain your tax number, choosing between standard corporate tax (9%) and the KIVA small business tax, local business tax (HIPA) registration with your municipality, and company e-gateway (Cégkapu) setup.
07
Hungary has no minimum turnover threshold for VAT registration: every company receives a tax number that includes its VAT status. We advise on the subjective VAT exemption (annual turnover up to HUF 20 million in 2026), register you for an EU VAT number for cross-border trade, and set up NAV Online Invoicing (Online Számla) reporting.
08
Advice on Hungarian banks and help with opening your company account, preparing the KYC documents the bank needs and depositing share capital where required.
Legal structure: Individual registered with NAV; not a separate legal entity
Owners: One individual
Liability: Unlimited personal liability
Compliance: Electronic registration through NAV; tax returns and contributions
Tax: Personal income tax (15%), flat-rate taxation or the KATA itemised tax where eligible
Capital: No minimum
Best for: Freelancers and micro-businesses
Legal structure: Partnership registered with the Court of Registration
Owners: At least two members
Liability: Members are jointly and severally liable, without limit, for debts the partnership cannot pay
Compliance: Company registration, bookkeeping and annual report
Tax: Corporate income tax (9%) or KIVA
Capital: No minimum
Best for: Small professional and family businesses
Legal structure: Partnership registered with the Court of Registration
Owners: At least one general partner (unlimited liability) and one limited partner
Liability: General partner unlimited; limited partner generally not liable beyond their contribution
Compliance: Company registration, bookkeeping and annual report
Tax: Corporate income tax (9%) or KIVA
Capital: No minimum
Best for: Small family and owner-managed businesses
Legal structure: Separate legal entity
Owners: One or more members (individuals or companies, any nationality)
Liability: Limited to members’ capital contributions
Compliance: Attorney-prepared deed; annual report by 31 May; statutory audit above thresholds
Tax: Corporate income tax (9%) or KIVA; local business tax up to 2%
Capital: HUF 3 million minimum; cash contributions can be paid in later if the deed allows
Best for: Most startups, SMEs and foreign-owned subsidiaries
Legal structure: Separate legal entity; shares not publicly traded
Owners: One or more shareholders
Liability: Limited to shareholders’ contributions
Compliance: Board of directors or CEO; share register; annual report; audit always required
Tax: Corporate income tax (9%) or KIVA
Capital: HUF 5 million minimum
Best for: Investor-backed companies and larger businesses
Legal structure: Separate legal entity with shares listed on a stock exchange
Owners: Public shareholders
Liability: Limited to shareholders’ contributions
Compliance: Capital markets rules, Budapest Stock Exchange requirements, audit and enhanced governance
Tax: Corporate income tax (9%)
Capital: HUF 20 million minimum
Best for: Large companies raising public capital
Legal structure: A Kft. or Zrt. operating on a not-for-profit basis
Owners: One or more members or shareholders
Liability: Limited, as for the underlying company form
Compliance: Profits must be reinvested in the purpose; cannot pay dividends
Tax: Corporate tax with nonprofit concessions where conditions are met
Capital: As for the Kft. or Zrt.
Best for: Social enterprises, clubs and mission-driven ventures
Legal structure: Registered extension of a foreign company; not a separate entity
Owners: The foreign parent company
Liability: The parent company is fully liable
Compliance: Registered with the Court of Registration; a branch needs a Hungary-resident representative
Tax: A branch pays Hungarian corporate tax on its profits; a representative office cannot trade
Capital: No minimum
Best for: Foreign companies testing or serving the Hungarian market
Why Form a Company in Hungary?
Hungary offers a fully electronic company registration system, one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the EU, and a central location in Europe, making it an attractive base for local businesses and international groups alike.
A Hungarian company gives you full access to the EU single market, with Budapest as a natural hub for Central and Eastern Europe and strong road, rail and air links.
A flat 9% corporate tax rate, the KIVA small business tax option, no withholding tax on dividends paid to foreign companies, and competitive salary and office costs compared with Western Europe.
A skilled, multilingual workforce, particularly in engineering, IT and shared services, and a modern banking and payments system with full online banking and EUR accounts.
EU-standard legal protections for contracts, intellectual property and data, a wide network of double tax treaties, and access to Hungarian and EU investment incentives.
Who Is This For?
Our service is for entrepreneurs and businesses who want a compliant, scalable Hungarian company set up quickly and correctly.
- • Hungarian residents starting their first business, or moving from sole trader to a limited company
- • Foreign entrepreneurs and companies establishing a subsidiary or branch in Hungary
- • Sole traders (EV) who want to separate personal and business liability
- • Startups that need an investor-ready Kft. or Zrt. structure
- • Existing businesses restructuring or creating a Hungarian holding company
4-Step Process
Step-01
Discovery
A free consultation to understand your goals, ownership and plans for Hungary.
Step-02
Analysis
We assess the right legal form, tax regime (corporate tax or KIVA), VAT position and any licences your activities need.
Step-03
Strategy
A clear formation plan with documents, timeline and costs, including registered seat, banking and, for foreign founders, any delivery agent or residence permit requirements.
Step-04
Execution & Support
Our attorney partner files your registration, we obtain your tax numbers and set up banking, and we stay on as your adviser for accounting, payroll and ongoing compliance.
Trusted by Businesses Across Three Continents
From startups to multinationals, we have helped clients in Hungary, the UK, Ireland, the EU, North America and beyond set up, expand and stay compliant.
- 18+ Years Experience
- 30+ Satisfied Clients
- 25+ Expert Team
- 4 International offices
- Glasgow
- London
- Dublin
- Budapest
Frequently asked question
Using the standard template deed, the Court of Registration registers a Kft. on the working day after the tax number is issued. With bespoke founding documents it usually takes about a week, and by law no more than 15 working days. Registration is electronic and handled by a Hungarian attorney.
Both are limited liability companies. A Kft. is simpler and cheaper to run, needs HUF 3 million in capital and suits most businesses. A Zrt. needs HUF 5 million, has shares rather than quotas, must be audited and is often preferred by investors. A Kft. can be converted into a Zrt. later.
Yes. Every Hungarian company must have a registered seat in Hungary. We provide a Budapest registered seat service if you do not have your own office.
Yes. A Kft. can have a single member who is also the managing director, which is common for small businesses.
The main obligations are:
– bookkeeping by a registered Hungarian accountant;
– VAT returns (monthly, quarterly or annually) and real-time invoice reporting through NAV Online Invoicing;
– monthly payroll returns if you have employees;
– annual report, corporate tax return and local business tax return, generally by 31 May;
– registering any changes with the Court of Registration within 30 days.
Yes. Members and managing directors can be of any nationality and live anywhere, and the process can be completed remotely by power of attorney. Foreign members and directors without a Hungarian address may need to appoint a delivery agent, and non-EU nationals who will live and work in Hungary need a residence permit. We guide you through both.
work with us
We would love to hear more about your Hungarian project
Whether you are forming your first Kft. or setting up a Hungarian subsidiary, our Budapest team will get you registered and ready to trade.
Monday - Thursday : 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
