How to Check a Hungarian Company Before Signing a Contract: 4 Things to Look At
If you are planning to work with a Hungarian company — or you already have a partner who is not paying — one of the first questions is:
👉 What can I find out about this company?
In Hungary, several types of company data are publicly available.
The challenge is usually not the lack of information.
The data exists — but it is stored in different systems, and it is not always clear what to check or how to understand it.
In some cases, a single piece of information can already be a warning sign.
In other situations, only a combination of data gives a clearer picture.
Where can you find the data?
Checking a Hungarian company usually involves the following sources:
– company extract: https://www.e-cegjegyzek.hu/
– financial reports: https://e-beszamolo.im.gov.hu/
– in specific cases:
– register of civil organisations
– register of public institutions
– register of sole traders
– tax number-based search (available only with a tax number)
4 things worth checking
1. Equity and financial data
Financial reports show the company's financial position.
It is useful to look at:
– equity
– profit or loss
– trends over several years
Low or negative equity does not automatically mean a problem, but it can be an important signal.
2. Availability of financial reports
Hungarian companies are required to publish their financial statements every year.
An important question is:
👉 have they actually been published?
Missing reports:
– may indicate non-compliance
– and can raise questions about how the company operates
This information can be checked in the official reporting system.
3. Registered office and its changes
The company extract shows the registered office and any changes over time.
It is worth checking:
– how often the address has changed
– how frequently updates were made
A change of address is not a problem in itself, but it can provide useful context when seen together with other data.
4. Basic company data and consistency
The company extract also includes basic information such as:
– business activities
– management
– company type
It is useful to compare this with what the partner claims about their business.
Differences do not automatically mean a problem, but they may raise further questions.
What makes this difficult in practice?
Most of the information is available.
The challenge is understanding:
👉 what to check
👉 and what the data actually means in a specific situation
In summary
Checking a Hungarian company is not a single search.
It is about reviewing and understanding the available information.
In practice
In my legal work, I have often seen situations where a simple check already provided a clear answer.
Not every case is complex.
But not everything is obvious at first glance either.
What is natural in a Hungarian legal or business environment is often not obvious for a foreign partner:
– where to find the data
– what to look at
– and how to understand it
Closing
If something is not clear at first glance, there is usually a reason for that. And in many cases, it already helps to know where to look and what to check.
If you are unsure in a specific situation, taking a closer look can make a difference.