Setting up an s. r. o. and a kft. in 2026: procedure, deadlines and costs

From 17 August 2026 the first registration of an s. r. o. is carried out, as a rule, by a notary acting as registrar, for a fee of EUR 220. Registering a kft. in Hungary is exempt from the court fee and from the publication charge, but legal representation is mandatory. In both countries the constitutive document must be drawn up by a notary or an attorney.

In Slovakia an s. r. o. is founded by articles of association in the form of a notarial record or a document authorised by an attorney. The registration is usually carried out by a notary within two business days and the statutory costs of a model incorporation reach EUR 270 to 320 excl. VAT. A kft. in Hungary requires an attorney for the registration application; the court decides within 15 business days, with a template of articles within one business day, and the statutory fees are zero.

At a glance

Which rules govern setting up an s. r. o. and a kft.?

In Slovakia, the new Act No. 29/2026 Coll. on the Commercial Register applies from 17 August 2026; in Hungary, the 2006 Act (Ctv.). The substantive rules of incorporation are contained in the Commercial Code and the Hungarian Ptk. respectively.

Slovakia: the new Commercial Register Act

Act No. 29/2026 Coll. on the Commercial Register replaced Act No. 530/2003 Coll. The foundation and incorporation of an s. r. o. continue to be governed by the Commercial Code (§ 57, § 62 and § 105 et seq. ComC).

Hungary: the 2006 Ctv. and the online-formation amendment

Hungary applies the act on company publicity, court company proceedings and winding-up, i.e. 2006. évi V. törvény (Ctv.). The substantive rules of incorporation are in the Ptk. (§ 3:95, § 3:100 and § 3:101).

The frequently cited label „Ctv. 2006/2021“ does not denote a new act. It is the original 2006 act, amended among others by 2021. évi CXXIV. törvény. That amendment introduced online company formation (online alapított cég, § 9/G Ctv.) with effect from 1 August 2022.

Step 1: In what form are the articles of an s. r. o. and a kft. drawn up?

In both countries the constitutive document must be drawn up by a notary or an attorney. In Slovakia, an officially certified signature is no longer enough as of 17 August 2026.

Articles of an s. r. o. from August 2026

The articles of association are drawn up in the form of a notarial record or a document authorised by an attorney and are signed by all founders (§ 57(1) ComC). The founding deed of a sole founder must have the same form (§ 57(3) ComC).

When can an s. r. o. be set up in a simplified way via a form?

Simplified formation via the ministry’s electronic form remains available (§ 57(4) and § 110a ComC). It can be used if all of the following conditions are met:

• the company has no more than five shareholders and only cash contributions,
• the business activity is at most 15 free trades,
• the administrator of the contribution is the managing director,
• the company has no supervisory board.

Who cannot set up an s. r. o.?

A company cannot be founded by a person listed in the register of tax debtors, with arrears on social insurance, or recorded as an obligor in the register of enforcement authorisations. A tax debtor may found one with the consent of the tax administrator. The rule does not apply to a foreign founder (§ 105b ComC).

The constitutive document of a kft. (létesítő okirat)

The létesítő okirat takes the form of a notarial deed (közjegyzői okirat) or a private deed with attorney countersignature (ügyvédi ellenjegyzés). It may also be countersigned by the in-house lawyer of one of the founders (§ 3:95(2) Ptk.).

The constitutive document may also be created by completing a statutory template of articles (szerződésminta). Its content is then formed exclusively by the template’s provisions (§ 9/A Ctv.).

From when does the company exist?

A kft. may, from the signing of the constitutive document, operate as an előtársaság, i.e. a company in formation (§ 3:101(1) Ptk.). An s. r. o. comes into existence only on registration (§ 62(1) ComC). The persons acting are responsible for acts before its incorporation until the company approves them (§ 64 ComC).

Step 2: Who files the registration application and by when?

In Slovakia the application is filed within 90 days and is registered, as a rule, by a notary; legal representation is not mandatory. In Hungary the application is filed within 30 days with the registry court and exclusively through a legal representative.

Who registers an s. r. o. in the Commercial Register from August 2026?

The application must be filed within 90 days of the company’s foundation (§ 62(1) ComC). The first registration is carried out by a notary as registrar; the applicant chooses the notary themselves (§ 42(2) Act No. 29/2026 Coll.).

The registry court carries out the first registration only exceptionally:

• in company transformations,
• if the applicant is exempt from court fees,
• for an application filed through the single point of contact.

How is an s. r. o. application filed?

The application is filed electronically via a designated form and a specialised portal. It must be authorised and the applicant must have an activated electronic mailbox (§ 44 and 45 Act No. 29/2026 Coll.).

For a founded s. r. o. the application is filed by all managing directors (§ 46(3)). They may be represented only by an attorney, a notary or an employee of the company (§ 47(1)). The law does not require mandatory representation for an ordinary application.

If the company applies to register only free trades from the statutory list, the trade licence arises on the day of registration in the Commercial Register (§ 10(3) and Annex 4a of the Trade Licensing Act).

The kft. registration application in Hungary

The application must be filed within 30 days of signing the constitutive document (§ 3:100(1) Ptk., § 34(1) Ctv.). For a delay the court may impose a fine from HUF 50,000 to HUF 900,000, i.e. roughly EUR 137.59 to 2,476.61 (§ 34(2) Ctv.).

Proceedings before the cégbíróság (registry court) are exclusively electronic and legal representation is mandatory (§ 33(2) and § 35(1) Ctv.). Unlike in Slovakia, an entrepreneur cannot file the application themselves.

Step 3: How long does registering an s. r. o. and a kft. take?

An s. r. o. is registered within two business days of delivery of a flawless application. A kft. within 15 business days, with a statutory template of articles within one business day of notification of the tax number.

The s. r. o. registration deadline and correcting errors

Both the registrar and the registry court carry out registration within two business days of delivery of the application, if the conditions are met (§ 58(1) Act No. 29/2026 Coll.).

With a notary there is room to remedy defects: if the application is deficient, the registrar invites the applicant to remove the defects within 15 days (§ 45(6)). An application filed with the court cannot be withdrawn or supplemented (§ 44(5)). An error can be corrected only by objections filed within 15 days of delivery of the notice of refusal (§ 60(1)).

The kft. registration deadline

The court first obtains a tax number via the tax authority. If the tax authority does not notify it within one business day, the court suspends the proceedings (§ 44(2) Ctv.). The further procedure depends on the chosen route:

If the court misses the deadline, registration takes place by operation of law according to the data in the application (§ 47(2) and § 48(8) Ctv.).

Step 4: How much does it cost to set up an s. r. o. and a kft.?

The statutory costs of a model s. r. o. incorporation via a notary reach EUR 270 to 320 excl. VAT. In Hungary the statutory fees are zero and the decisive item is the attorney’s fee, without whom the application cannot be filed.

The table shows the costs of a model company with the statutory minimum capital and one or two shareholders. The statutory fees are based on the applicable tariffs; attorney fees are indicative market estimates, not statutory amounts.

Notes on the costs

• Registration in SK: EUR 220 is the fee of the notary as registrar under item N point 2 of Decree No. 31/1993 Coll. The court fee is the same amount under item 17(a) point 2 of the schedule of court fees. VAT is added to the notary’s fee if the notary is a VAT payer (§ 23b of the Decree); at a 23 % rate this is EUR 270.60.
• Publication in SK: the court fee for registration also covers publication in the Commercial Bulletin (note 2 to item 17).
• Notarial record: under item A point 1 the rate is 1 % of the base, at least EUR 50; if the base cannot be determined, EUR 100. VAT is added if the notary is a VAT payer.
• Registration and publication in HU: registering a kft. is exempt from the fee (§ 45(1a) of the Fees Act, Itv.) and is not subject to a publication charge (§ 20(2a) Ctv.).
• Name reservation: EUR 50 under item 17a of the schedule of court fees.
• Capital is not a cost; it is tied-up cash. Payment rules are set out in § 111 ComC and § 3:162 Ptk.
• Exchange rate: conversions use the ECB reference rate of 19 Oct 2026, EUR 1 = HUF 363.40.

Need advice?

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