Can a foreigner buy property in Hungary?

Purchase by foreigners is closed or allowed only in narrow cases

Hungary requires foreign buyers to obtain a permit for most real estate, and foreigners generally cannot buy agricultural land at all.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the structure of the rule, not prices, taxes or quotas. Confirm the current position with the official source listed below, and with a lawyer in the country, before you pay anything. This is general information, not legal advice.

Land

Agricultural and forest land cannot be bought by foreigners, with narrow exceptions, and local rules favour farmers who live in the area.

Houses and flats

A foreigner needs permission from the government office to buy a house or flat. EU and EEA buyers are treated differently from others, so check which group you are in.

Buying through a company

A foreign-owned company is treated as foreign for this purpose.

Limits and closed zones

Farmland is closed to non-Hungarians in almost all cases.

What to watch for

A contract signed before the permit is granted is not effective until it is. Take Hungarian legal advice before paying a deposit.

Understand the legal system first

Hungary belongs to the Civil law family. Property is registered and transferred differently in different traditions, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Hungary legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Hungary with another country →

Official sources

Hungarian government portal (magyarorszag.hu)

TheLawToKnow Tools’s guide to foreign property ownership is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.