Hungary Property Buying Guide for Non-Residents and Non-EU Citizens

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can buy residential property in Hungary without any permit. The same goes for people with dual nationality where one is Hungarian or from the EU, and for those with refugee or protected status. Inheritance is also exempt.

Non-EU buyers need an acquisition permit (ingatlanszerzesi engedely) from the government office of the county or district where the property sits. Your lawyer normally files it with a passport copy, the draft or signed contract and proof of funds. Reported fees range from about 50,000 to 65,000 forints, and decisions take roughly 30 to 75 days, though a clean file for an ordinary flat can come back in a few weeks. The contract should be conditional on the permit being granted.

The principal substantive limit applies to agricultural and forestry land, which non-EU foreigners, and in practice most foreigners, cannot buy. If the plot you like is classed as farmland in the register, a nice garden does not change that.

1. Hire a Hungarian lawyer. Hungarian law requires contracts for real estate to be countersigned by a lawyer or notary, which makes representation essential.
2. Check the title deed (tulajdonilap). It lists owner, mortgages, easements, and notes about disputes. Your lawyer can pull it from the land registry online.
3. Agree terms and sign a deposit agreement. Deposits are commonly around 10%, held by the lawyer.
4. File the permit application if you are a non-EU buyer.
5. Sign the sale contract, drafted by the lawyer in Hungarian with a translation.
6. Pay the balance to the seller or via lawyer's escrow, and receive the keys at handover with meter readings.
7. Register with the land registry, which the lawyer lodges. Registration can take a few weeks.
8. Pay the duty when the tax office (NAV) sends a bill after registration, normally due within 15 days.

Because Hungarian contracts are written in Hungarian, insist on a bilingual version and have your lawyer explain every clause.

The transfer duty is the same for everyone, with no extra charge for non-EU buyers.

Budapest flats vary hugely by building type. Pre-war blocks have courtyard galleries and high ceilings but need the common-ownership accounts reviewed, panel blocks from the socialist period are cheaper and have been renovated in many cases with subsidies, and new developments sell off-plan with staged payments. Ask for the energy certificate, the condominium's repair fund balance and any approved works, since special levies can be sizeable.

In the countryside, houses may sit on plots whose boundaries have never been surveyed, so ask for a surveyor's sketch. Lake Balaton second homes are popular with Germans and Austrians, and rules for gardens (zart kert) and holiday plots can be restrictive. Look at apartments, houses and commercial property to compare formats.

Hungarian banks lend in forints, often at variable or short-fixed rates, and foreign-currency lending to consumers is restricted after the 2008 episode, so any quote in euros should be treated carefully. Non-residents face a stricter test. Many foreign buyers fund from cash or home-country equity. See our Hungary financing guide for lender expectations and the mortgage calculator for scenarios.

Property purchase does not give residence. Non-EU buyers who want to live in Hungary must use standard visa categories, and the old residency-bond scheme has ended. Check with the Immigration Office for current rules.

For market context, see the Hungary analysis. Entry-level homes are on the cheap and under 100k pages.

• Signing without a permit condition when you need one.
• Assuming the seller's lawyer represents you. Hire your own.
• Overlooking tenants or usufruct rights registered on the title deed.
• Treating farmland as buildable.
• Forgetting reliefs: some buyers, such as first-time buyers under 35 or people trading up, can reduce the duty, but non-residents should check eligibility.

To see more markets, use the consultation index.