How do you hire a Hungarian employee in 2026?
Miss one deadline and you start on the wrong foot. A Hungarian employer owes the new hire written terms within 7 days of the first day, on top of the signed contract. Probation can run up to 3 months. Map both clocks before the offer goes out.
· Hungary guide
Illustration · Budapest, Hungary
The Hungary hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, statutory registrations, first payday.
Sign the written contract on or before day one. Then give the employee written terms within 7 days of starting (Labour Code Act I of 2012). Probation can last up to 3 months.
The 2026 monthly minimum wage is Ft 322,800/month. Skilled roles that need a secondary qualification get a higher floor of Ft 373,200/month. Hungary has no legal 13th-month salary. Any extra month is a contract choice, not the law.
What does the end-to-end Hungary hire process look like?
Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written contract, statutory registrations, first payday.
EU and EEA citizens can start without a permit. A non-EEA national needs work authorisation in place before day one.
| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, gross salary, start date, working location, and probation terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-authorisation check | Confirm EU or EEA status, or verify a valid combined work and residence permit for non-EEA nationals before the start date | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. Written employment contract | Signed written contract covering all terms required under the Labour Code (Act I of 2012) | Teamed (legal employer) | On or before day one |
| 4. Statutory registrations and written information | Register the employee with the tax authority (NAV), set up social contributions, and hand over the written terms statement within 7 days of the start date | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued and wages settled at least once a month, with income tax and social contributions remitted to NAV | Teamed | End of first payroll month |
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Issue the offer letter
Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, gross salary above the right wage floor, start date, working location, and probation of up to 3 months.
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Complete the work-authorisation check
Confirm EU, EEA, or Swiss status from a passport or ID card, or verify the combined work and residence permit for non-EEA nationals before the employee starts. Retain copies.
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Issue the written employment contract
The signed written contract must be in place on or before day one. Teamed's standard Hungary contract covers all Labour Code requirements. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer.
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Register and hand over written terms
Register the employee with NAV, set up the social contributions, and give the written terms statement within 7 days of the start date. Collect the tax number, social security number, and bank details.
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Issue the first payslip
Run the first payroll and settle wages at least once a month. Remit personal income tax and social contributions to NAV. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record.
What must a Hungary offer letter include?
The offer letter is not the binding contract. It is the document the candidate decides against.
Include role title, reporting line, start date, gross monthly salary, working location, probation period of up to 3 months, and any conditions such as work-authorisation status or reference checks.
Three traps to avoid in Hungarian offer letters:
- Quoting a salary below the legal floor. The 2026 monthly minimum wage is Ft 322,800/month. A role that needs at least a secondary qualification carries a higher guaranteed floor of Ft 373,200/month. Quote a gross figure that clears the right floor for the job.
- Leaving the probation length open. Probation can run up to 3 months. State the exact length in the offer. A vague probation clause is hard to enforce later.
- Implying a 13th-month bonus. Hungary has no legal 13th-month salary. If you promise one in the offer, it becomes a contract term you must pay. Mark any extra month clearly as discretionary.
Teamed's standard Hungary offer letter template covers all required ground and aligns with the Labour Code (Act I of 2012). Clients choose the commercial terms. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues the final contract.
Hungary work-authorisation checks for foreign national employees
EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens can start work in Hungary without a permit. Non-EEA nationals need a valid combined work and residence permit before their first day.
Employing a non-EEA national without the correct permit exposes the employer to fines and to liability for the unpaid public charges (Labour Code Act I of 2012).
EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens
There is no separate work-authorisation check for citizens of the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland. They have the right to work in Hungary on the same terms as a Hungarian national. The employer keeps a copy of a valid passport or national identity card as a standard identity record.
Non-EEA nationals
A national of a country outside the EU or EEA needs a single combined work and residence permit before starting. The application runs through the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Orszagos Idegenrendeszeti Foigazgatosag). The process usually involves a labour-market test showing the role could not be filled locally, so employers should allow several weeks of lead time.
The signed written contract must exist on or before the first day. Separately, the employer owes the new hire a written statement of the main terms within 7 days of the start date. That deadline applies to every employee, EU national or not.
The Labour Code (Act I of 2012) governs the employment relationship in Hungary. It sets the written-contract requirement, the 7 days written-information deadline, the probation cap of 3 months, working-time limits, and employee protections.
Source: Nemzeti Jogszabalytar: Act I of 2012 on the Labour Code
Keeping the permit current
Work permits in Hungary are time-limited. Employers track expiry dates and start renewals well ahead of the deadline. Teamed monitors each permit and alerts the employee and the client before the renewal date so no lapse happens.
The Hungary written employment contract: what must it contain?
Hungary requires a signed written employment contract for every employee. Sign it on or before the first day.
Then give the employee a separate written statement of the main terms within 7 days of starting. The contract sets the core deal. The statement fills in the detail.
The signed contract and the written statement together must cover, under the Labour Code (Act I of 2012):
- Names of the employer and the employee
- Job title or description of the work, and the place of work
- Start date of employment
- Gross base salary and pay interval (wages settle at least once a month)
- Standard working time of 40 hours a week, normally 8 hours a day
- The minimum daily rest of 11 hours between shifts
- Probation length, where used, of up to 3 months
- Annual leave: a base of 20 days a year, rising with age and dependents
- Employer-paid sick leave of 15 days a year, paid at 70% of absence pay
- Notice periods and any severance terms
- For a fixed-term contract, the end date or the event that ends it, capped at 60 months
Hungary transposes the EU directive on transparent and predictable working conditions. That is why the 7 days written-information deadline sits alongside the contract itself. Teamed's standard Hungary contract and terms statement satisfy both. Clients choose commercial terms. Teamed signs as the legal employer.
Key source: Act I of 2012 on the Labour Code, as amended by Act LXXIV of 2022.
Onboarding admin in the first week
Days 1 to 7 cover contract signing, the written terms statement, NAV registration, social-contribution setup, and bank details.
Teamed handles the statutory registrations. The client handles the operational side.
| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Written employment contract signed | Employee and Teamed | Day 0 or 1 |
| Work-authorisation check completed | Teamed | Day 0 (before start for non-EEA nationals) |
| Tax number and social security number collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 |
| NAV employment registration | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Social-contribution setup (pension, health, labour market) | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Written terms statement handed over | Teamed | Within 7 days of start |
| Bank account details collected for payroll | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
| 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 |
How does Teamed handle Hungary employment for you?
Teamed becomes your legal employer of record in Hungary for from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency.
The Labour Code, NAV registration, and social contributions all run on one platform.
Real HR and legal experts handle your Hungary hires, from the first offer letter through the written terms statement and every monthly remittance to NAV. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice, and the personal income tax flat rate of 15% on the tax base is applied the same way for 2026.
EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Hungary contractor who converts to direct employment keeps their record. Your EOR fee starts at from $599 per person per month. Run the Crossover Calculator to see when your Hungary headcount is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Hungary hiring overview. Each guide here takes one layer of Hungarian employment law.
Key sources: Act I of 2012 on the Labour Code (Nemzeti Jogszabalytar), Act CXVII of 1995 on Personal Income Tax, and Decree 426/2025 on the 2026 minimum wage.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire someone in Hungary through Teamed?
Teamed can onboard an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen within a few business days once the offer is accepted. The signed contract must be in place on or before day one. The written terms statement follows within 7 days of the start date, and NAV registration and social-contribution setup run across the first week. Non-EEA nationals who need a combined work and residence permit must have it in place before the start date, which adds several weeks depending on the permit queue.
What is the probation period in Hungary?
Probation can run up to 3 months under the Labour Code (Act I of 2012). For a fixed-term contract of up to a year, the probation is pro-rated. The length must be set out in the contract. Hungary does not allow a probation period to be extended beyond the legal maximum.
When must a Hungarian employee receive written terms of employment?
The signed employment contract must exist on or before the first day. Separately, the employer must give the employee a written statement of the main employment terms within 7 days of the start date. This follows the EU directive on transparent and predictable working conditions, transposed into the Labour Code by Act LXXIV of 2022. The two duties are distinct, and both apply to every employee.
What is the minimum wage in Hungary for 2026?
The 2026 monthly minimum wage is Ft 322,800/month gross, or Ft 1,856/hour on an hourly basis. Jobs that require at least a secondary qualification carry a higher guaranteed wage minimum of Ft 373,200/month gross. Both rates are set by Government Decree 426/2025 and took effect on 1 January 2026.
Does Hungary require a 13th-month salary?
No. Hungarian law has no statutory 13th-month or 14th-month salary. Any such payment is a voluntary contract term, not a legal entitlement. Standard statutory leave starts at 20 days a year and rises with age and dependents, and there are 11 public holidays in the Labour Code.
What are the standard working hours in Hungary?
Standard full-time work is 40 hours a week, normally 8 hours a day, under the Labour Code. Employees are entitled to a minimum daily rest of 11 hours between shifts. Maternity leave for the mother runs for 24 weeks.
Companies new to Hungary fixate on the contract and forget the second clock. The signed contract has to exist on day one, but the written terms statement is a separate duty owed within seven days of the start. Miss it and you have breached the Labour Code before the first payslip even runs.
Hungary runs two clocks on every hire. The signed contract is due on day one, and the written terms statement follows within seven days.
The 2026 monthly minimum wage is 322,800 forint, with a higher floor for skilled roles. There is no legal 13th-month salary to assume.
Get both clocks and the right wage floor onto the offer before it goes out.
