Hungary's civil procedure system has entered a new phase. Amendments to civil procedure rules took effect in early 2025, introducing stricter formal requirements for court filings, revised timelines for keresetlevél (statement of claim) submission, and updated conditions for obtaining an ideiglenes intézkedés (interim injunction). International companies active in Hungary – whether as claimants, defendants, or creditors seeking judgment enforcement – face real procedural risk if existing litigation strategies are not reviewed against the new rules.
Hungary's amended civil procedure legislation, effective from 2025, alters the formal requirements for court filing, modifies the threshold criteria for interim injunctions, and introduces tighter deadlines at multiple stages of first-instance proceedings. Any statement of claim filed after the effective date must comply with the new formal requirements or risk rejection without substantive review. International businesses with pending or planned proceedings in Hungarian courts should assess their exposure within weeks, not months.
This alert identifies who is affected, explains the key threshold criteria, and sets out the immediate action items that legal teams must address now.
What changed and when it applies
Hungary's civil procedure rules underwent a structured revision building on the polgári perrendtartás (Code of Civil Procedure) that was substantially reformed in 2018. The 2025 amendments tighten procedural discipline at the pleading stage. They also affect how courts assess applications for interim relief.
The core changes fall into three clusters. First, the formal content requirements for a statement of claim are more demanding. Claims must now state the legal basis with greater precision at the outset. Courts retain the power to reject a claim at the preliminary examination stage if formal deficiencies are not corrected within the prescribed period – typically a short window of weeks. Missing that correction deadline is a hard stop: the court dismisses the claim, and the limitation period may have run in the interim.
Second, the conditions for granting an interim injunction have been restated. Applicants must now demonstrate urgency and a credible risk of irreparable harm with supporting documentary evidence at the time of filing. Courts in Hungary apply a proportionality assessment. The threshold has shifted: bare assertions of risk are no longer sufficient. This matters acutely for cross-border commercial disputes where speed of interim relief is often the deciding factor.
Third, the rules on judgment enforcement – végrehajtás (enforcement of court judgments) – have been adjusted to align with EU enforcement regulation standards. For foreign companies seeking to enforce a Hungarian judgment abroad, or to enforce a foreign judgment in Hungary, the procedural entry points have changed.
International commercial litigation in Hungary is covered in detail in our litigation and arbitration services for Hungary, which sets out the procedural architecture for cross-border disputes.
Who is affected and which thresholds apply
The amendments affect all litigants before Hungarian civil courts. The practical impact, however, concentrates in four business categories.
Foreign creditors and claimants with pending or imminent proceedings face the most direct exposure. Any claim filed on or after the effective date must meet the new formal requirements. Claims in preparation under the prior rules must be reviewed and, where necessary, redrafted.
Defendants in Hungarian proceedings also face changed timelines. The period for submitting a substantive defence response has been restructured. Missing a procedural step now carries more severe consequences than under the prior regime.
Companies with interim injunction applications – particularly those protecting contractual rights, intellectual property, or assets pending final judgment – must reassemble their evidentiary package. The evidentiary threshold is now higher at the application stage.
International groups with Hungarian subsidiaries involved in intra-group disputes or shareholder proceedings need to map their pending matters against the new rules. Corporate disputes handled through Hungarian civil courts are now subject to the revised pleading discipline.
There is no minimum claim value threshold triggering the amendments. Every civil proceeding before a Hungarian court – regardless of the sum in dispute – is subject to the new rules from the effective date. For companies with multiple pending matters, the review burden is proportional to the number of active cases.
To receive an expert assessment of your litigation exposure in Hungary, contact us at info@ferrazwhitmore.com.
Immediate actions for international companies
Legal teams should treat the following as a priority checklist. Inaction carries concrete risk: claims rejected for formal deficiency may be time-barred on refiling.
- Audit all pending Hungarian proceedings against the new formal requirements for statements of claim and defence submissions. Identify any filing due within the next 90 days and verify compliance with the revised content rules.
- Review interim injunction applications in preparation or already filed. Assess whether the evidentiary standard now required – documentary evidence of urgency and irreparable harm – is met. Supplement the application if needed before the court's preliminary review.
- Check limitation periods for any claim not yet filed. If a defective statement of claim is rejected and the limitation period has expired, the substantive right may be lost. Filing a compliant claim promptly is the only reliable protection.
- Map judgment enforcement steps for any Hungarian judgment pending recognition abroad, or any foreign judgment pending enforcement in Hungary. The procedural entry point has changed under the updated enforcement rules.
- Brief in-house legal teams and local Hungarian counsel jointly on the new requirements. The gap between prior practice and current requirements is large enough that reliance on precedent filings without review creates genuine procedural risk.
Companies managing corporate disputes in Hungary should also verify whether any shareholder or board-level proceeding is subject to the revised civil procedure timeline. The amendments apply across the full range of first-instance commercial proceedings.
For a preliminary review of your pending or planned proceedings in Hungary, email info@ferrazwhitmore.com. Our team can assess compliance risk and advise on remedial steps before the next procedural deadline.
About Ferraz & Whitmore
Ferraz & Whitmore is an international law firm based in Lisbon, advising business clients across 46 jurisdictions. Our commercial litigation practice covers Hungary and the broader Central European region, supporting international companies in managing civil proceedings, interim relief applications, and cross-border judgment enforcement. The firm combines Portuguese civil law expertise with English common law tradition – a dual-tradition approach that proves particularly effective in proceedings that span both EU civil law systems and common law enforcement jurisdictions. Our attorneys have advised on commercial litigation matters across civil law and common law systems, with experience before courts and arbitral bodies throughout Europe. Engaging a lawyer in Hungary with that cross-border foundation means your procedural strategy accounts for both the domestic rules and the enforcement picture across borders. As an international law firm in Hungary and beyond, Ferraz & Whitmore provides results-oriented counsel to institutional investors, multinational groups, and in-house legal teams. To discuss your situation in Hungary, contact us at info@ferrazwhitmore.com.
Disclaimer: This publication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal counsel tailored to your specific circumstances. Ferraz & Whitmore assumes no liability for actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this material. For advice regarding your particular situation, please contact info@ferrazwhitmore.com.