Hungary

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Road Goods Transport Licence Required

Yes

Yes, for the company operating the vehicles. Under Government Decree 261/2011, carrying goods by road for payment (“díj ellenében végzett közúti árutovábbítás”) requires a road goods transport licence. The licence is issued by the transport authority of the county government office (vármegyei kormányhivatal), or in Budapest the Budapest Capital Government Office (Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala), for the area of the company’s registered seat. The licence states the number of vehicles it covers, and a licence extract (engedélykivonat) is issued for each vehicle, tied to its registration plate. Changes must be reported to the authority within 15 days.

Good Repute, Financial Standing, and Professional Competence

Yes. Following EU Regulation 1071/2009, a licence is granted only if the business meets the conditions of good repute (jó hírnév), financial standing (pénzügyi helyzet), and professional competence (szakmai alkalmasság), and has an effective and stable establishment. Good repute applies to the company, its managers, its professional manager, and, for a single-member company, its owner. Financial standing means having the capital required by the EU regulation (at least EUR 9,000 for the first vehicle and EUR 5,000 for each additional vehicle) and being free of public debts (köztartozásmentes adózó) when applying. It can be shown by an auditor’s statement or by security such as a bank guarantee or insurance. Professional competence is held by a named professional manager (szakmai irányító), the EU “transport manager”, who effectively and continuously directs the transport activity and must complete authority-approved training and pass a written and oral examination, with refresher training every ten years.

Ownership and Nationality Conditions

No minimum Hungarian ownership share was identified. The licence is issued to businesses with their registered seat in Hungary, and the EU conditions require an effective and stable establishment there. Non-EU drivers are covered under Driver Requirements below.

Vehicle Requirements

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. A vehicle used under the licence must carry its licence extract during every journey, and the operator’s name and address (or an official identifier) must be shown on the vehicle’s right front door. Vehicles must be kept at the company’s premises (telephely) or at a registered storage site, not on public roads or other public land except where the road authority permits it. Leased vehicles are allowed within limits set by the decree.

Driver Requirements

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Drivers need the driving licence category that matches the vehicle (C1 or C for trucks) and must meet the decree’s training and employment conditions. Professional truck drivers also need the EU driver qualification (initial qualification plus 35 hours of periodic training every five years), shown as code “95” on the driving licence or driver qualification card. A driver who is not a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country also needs a driver’s certificate (járművezetői igazolvány) issued by the transport authority on the company’s application.

Compulsory Motor Insurance Required

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Under Act LXII of 2009 on compulsory motor third-party liability insurance, the operator of every Hungarian-registered vehicle must hold compulsory motor liability insurance (kötelező gépjármű-felelősségbiztosítás) with an insurer licensed in Hungary. It covers injury and property damage caused to others by the vehicle’s use. It does not cover objects carried in the insured vehicle, so it does not protect the customer’s household goods. No statutory requirement for removal firms to insure customers’ goods was identified.

Carrier Liability Rules

Set mainly by Government Decree 120/2016 on road freight contracts, which applies to carriage of goods by truck where both collection and delivery are in Hungary, together with the contract of carriage provisions of the Civil Code. Research for this page found no rules written specifically for household removals. The carrier is liable for loss of or damage to the goods between taking them over and delivering them, and for delay, unless it proves one of the exemptions in the decree, such as fault of the claimant or a circumstance it could not foresee. Compensation is based on the value of the goods at the time and place they were taken over. Available sources indicate that it is capped at the limit in Article 23 of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR), an international treaty on road freight liability, unless the carrier agreed in writing, for an extra charge, to a higher declared value. Goods not delivered within 30 days after the agreed delivery date are treated as lost. Under the Civil Code, a term that excludes or limits the carrier’s liability is void where the damage was caused intentionally or through gross negligence, and claims under the contract generally become time-barred after one year (except for intentional or grossly negligent damage). Customers who want cover above the statutory limit should agree a declared value in writing.

Consumer Protection

Yes. The Fgytv. (Act CLV of 1997) is Hungary’s general consumer protection law. It requires businesses to handle complaints: an oral complaint must be examined immediately, and a written complaint must receive a reasoned written reply within 30 days. Complaint records must be kept for three years. When rejecting a complaint, the business must tell the consumer in writing which authority or conciliation body can deal with it. The capital and county government offices are the general consumer protection authorities, with the National Trade and Consumer Protection Authority (Nemzeti Kereskedelmi és Fogyasztóvédelmi Hatóság, NKFH) and the minister responsible for consumer protection holding designated functions. Contracts concluded at a distance or away from the business’s premises (for example after a home survey) are also covered by Government Decree 45/2014 (II. 26.), which generally gives the consumer 14 days to withdraw from a service contract. This right may not apply to transport services agreed for a specific date.

Consumer Complaint Resources (For Movers Not Vetted as ITMs)

Yes. Consumers can bring a dispute to a conciliation body (békéltető testület), an independent out-of-court dispute resolution body run by the county and Budapest chambers of commerce and industry. The procedure is free. Since 1 January 2024 the bodies have worked on a regional basis, and a consumer normally applies to the body for their place of residence. Businesses must cooperate: they must send a written response and take part in the hearing (at least online). The consumer protection authority can fine a business that does not cooperate, and the Budapest conciliation body publishes the names of businesses that failed to respond or attend. The body first tries to reach a settlement. If none is reached, it issues a binding decision, enforceable like a court judgment, where the business has accepted that or, according to NKFH guidance, where the consumer’s well-founded claim does not exceed HUF 200,000; otherwise it issues a recommendation. Consumers can also complain to the consumer protection department of their government office, contact the European Consumer Centre Hungary (operated by the NKFH) for disputes with a business in another EU country, or go to court.

Industry Association

No dedicated national removals association was identified.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Hungary licenses road haulage at the company level, applying the EU framework for access to the road transport profession through Government Decree 261/2011. A mover that carries customers’ household goods for payment in its own trucks needs a road goods transport licence from the government office for its registered seat, with a licence extract carried in each vehicle. The licence attaches to whichever company operates the vehicles. Where a mover subcontracts the trucking, the carrier’s own licence covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold the licences that transport requires. To get a licence, the business must show good repute, financial standing, and professional competence through a named professional manager, and must have a Hungarian seat and proper premises or storage for its vehicles. Hungary has no removal-specific contract law identified in this research. Domestic truck carriage is governed by a government decree on road freight contracts, which caps compensation at the CMR limit unless a higher value is agreed for an extra charge, together with the Civil Code. Consumer contracts are also subject to the Consumer Protection Act and, for contracts made at home or at a distance, the rules on withdrawal. Consumer disputes can go free of charge to the regional conciliation bodies, in which businesses are required to take part.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing

1. Register the business with its registered seat in Hungary, for example as a company in the company register (cégnyilvántartás) or as a registered sole trader (egyéni vállalkozó).
2. Where the company operates its own trucks to carry customers’ goods, hold a road goods transport licence from the government office for the registered seat, meeting and maintaining the licence conditions: good repute, financial standing (including no public debts), professional competence, and an effective and stable establishment.
3. Appoint a professional manager (szakmai irányító) who holds the qualification and effectively directs the transport activity, and keep their refresher training current.
4. Report changes to the authority within 15 days, including changes to the fleet, managers, or seat.

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

5. Hold a licence extract for each vehicle and keep it on board, mark the operator’s name on the vehicle, and store vehicles at the premises or a registered storage site.
6. Keep compulsory motor liability insurance in force for every vehicle.
7. Ensure every driver holds the correct licence category and a valid driver qualification (code 95), plus a driver’s certificate for any non-EEA driver.

Subcontracted transport

8. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Customer practices

9. Make sure contracts of carriage meet Government Decree 120/2016 on road freight contracts, including its rules on carrier liability and on agreeing a higher declared value in writing.
10. Handle consumer complaints as the Fgytv. requires: reply in writing within 30 days, and tell customers which conciliation body they can approach.
11. Cooperate with conciliation body proceedings by responding in writing and attending hearings.
12. For contracts made online, by phone, or at the customer’s home, give the required pre-contract information and respect any withdrawal right under Government Decree 45/2014.

Records

13. Keep complaint records for three years, as the Fgytv. requires.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• Road goods transport licence held from the government office for the registered seat (good repute, financial standing, professional competence and Hungarian establishment maintained)Where applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Professional manager (szakmai irányító) appointed and holding the professional competence qualificationWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Changes (fleet, managers, seat) reported to the authority within 15 daysWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by AffirmationRequired

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Licence extract (engedélykivonat) held for each vehicleWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Licence extract carried on board, operator’s name shown on the right front door, and vehicles stored at the premises or a registered storage siteWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Compulsory motor liability insurance in force for every vehicleWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Every driver holds the correct licence category and driver qualification (code 95)Where applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Driver’s certificate (járművezetői igazolvány) held for each non-EEA driverWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles with non-EEA drivers)Verified by DocumentRequired

Customer practices

• Contracts of carriage comply with Government Decree 120/2016 on road freight contracts (carrier liability, compensation, higher declared value by written agreement)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Complaint handling complies with the Fgytv. (oral complaints examined immediately, reasoned written reply within 30 days, conciliation body named when rejecting)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Cooperation with conciliation body proceedings (written response, attendance at hearings)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Pre-contract information and withdrawal rules under Government Decree 45/2014 followedWhere applicable (contracts made at a distance or off the business's premises)Verified by AffirmationRequired

Records

• Consumer complaint records kept for three years (Fgytv. § 17/A)Verified by AffirmationRequired