Company Registration in Hungary

For a company to operate legally in Hungary, a specific company registration procedure must be completed with the Trade Register. However, this is not the only role of this institution, as it performs other duties as well.

Below, our Hungarian lawyers explain how to register a company with the Companies Registrar and what other actions you can complete through it. We also offer representation in relation to the Register.

Business registration through the Hungarian Trade Register

If you want to register a company with the Registrar, you need to complete a few formalities, such as:

• preparing a set of documents, in accordance with the chosen structure;
• checking and reserving a company name (the procedure is carried out with the Register);
• filing the documents with a receiver of the Register.

Once these steps are completed, a representative of the Trade Register will check them and issue a Certificate of Registration. However, in case the documentation is incomplete, you will be asked to submit it. To avoid uncertainties, you can rely on our law firm in Hungary, which can also represent you during the business registration process.

Documents required by the Companies Register

Here are the papers to draw up for company registration in Hungary:

• the application form which must be filled out;
• the Articles of Association/partnership deed;
• information about the shareholders/partners in the entity;
• details of the directors in the case of companies;
• information about the company representative (if applicable);
• proof of having a legal address in Hungary;
• proof of depositing the share capital.

In the application form, it is necessary to provide the following details:

• the date the Articles of Association were drafted;
• the activities of the company in accordance with the nomenclature of the Central Statistical Office;
• information about the subscribed capital of the company, with delimitations of the cash and in-kind contributions.

Please note that in the case of foreign companies, additional information may be required, such as their names in the foreign language.

You can rely on our Hungarian law firm for representation in the business registration procedure. All we need is a power of attorney to complete any formality.

We also have an infographic on the functions of Hungarian Trade Registry:

The main functions of the Hungarian Companies Register

Apart from enabling company registration in Hungary, the Trade Register also:

• allows the completion of searching for information for existing companies;
• records alterations brought to businesses;
• issues various documents that companies need to perform their activities;
• receives papers from other authorities that indicate the correct functioning of entities (such as trade licenses);
• registers companies going through insolvency and dissolution procedures.

The Trade Register also keeps statistics on the number of companies registered in Hungary for statistical purposes.

The register is kept by the courts of registration (cégbíróság), while the Ministry of Justice operates the Company Information Service.

Altering company details in Hungary

Any change in the shareholding structure, at a management level, or even in its capital, must be notified to the Registrar. Also, trading name and legal address amendments must be registered with it, as these are identification markers for businesses.

For these procedures to be completed, it is necessary to fill out specific forms. Following that, the Registrar will update its records with the new details.

Here is also our video on this subject:

How many companies operate in Hungary?

The latest data from the Hungarian Statistics Office show that:

• at the level of 2023, there were 929,593 active businesses;
• in August 2025, their number decreased by 0.2%;
• also, the largest number of companies in August 2025 operated in the agriculture sector – 413,793;
• during the same month, there were also 163,612 retail and 145,216 construction companies operating in Hungary.

For more information and support in the interaction with the Trade Register, please contact our Hungarian lawyers.