Hungarian government housing programmes: what exists and who qualifies

The rule that decides it for foreigners

The good news is that the question "can a foreigner use it?" has a consistent answer. The decrees behind Wekerle Plusz, CSOK Plusz, Babaváró, rural CSOK and the family mortgage reduction all name the same groups of eligible people:

• Hungarian citizens.
• EU and EEA citizens who exercise their right to stay in Hungary for more than three months. In practice this means you have registered your stay and hold a registration certificate (regisztrációs igazolás) and an address card (lakcímkártya). The decrees also ask for a registered Hungarian address, and the support lasts only while your right of residence does.
• Non-EU nationals with long-term residence status (huzamos tartózkodási jogosultság). The Wekerle Plusz decree lists documents such as an immigration permit or a settlement permit as proof. A standard work or study residence permit, EU Blue Card or White Card on its own is generally not long-term status, so ask the bank which document it accepts.
• Recognised stateless persons.

So the three cases look like this. EU and EEA citizens resident in Hungary pass the status test once they have registered. Non-EU residents pass it only with long-term residence status. Non-residents do not pass it, and each of these schemes also asks you to live in the home as your registered address. On top of status, each scheme has its own conditions, and for most expats the real question is the Hungarian social-security record: Wekerle Plusz asks for none, CSOK Plusz and rural CSOK ask for two years, and Babaváró asks for three.

If you have not registered your address yet, start there: our guide to registering your address walks through it. Sources: Government Decree 298/2026, sections 4 and 43; Decree 518/2023, section 13; Decree 44/2019, section 4; Decree 302/2023, section 13; Decree 337/2017, section 3 (texts on the National Legislation Database, read 11 November 2026).

Subsidised loans

Wekerle Plusz loan

What it is: a state-subsidised, fixed-rate mortgage for buying or building a first home, which replaced Otthon Start.

• Status and dates. Open. Government Decree 298/2026 (X. 27.) was published on 27 October 2026 and took effect the next day. The decree sets no closing date. For a purchase, you apply within 180 days of signing the sale contract.
• Main terms. Up to 50 million HUF (about 137,000 EUR) over up to 25 years. You pay at most 3 percent on a new home (purchase or build) and at most 5 percent on a used one; the state pays the rest of the bank's rate. You need at least 10 percent of your own funds, unless you offer extra collateral.
• Price caps. At most 100 million HUF (about 274,000 EUR) for a flat, 150 million HUF (about 411,000 EUR) for a house, and 1.5 million HUF per m² (about 4,100 EUR). The per-m² cap is indexed yearly from 1 January 2028. The price can differ from the bank's valuation by no more than 20 percent.
• Who qualifies. Adults aged 18 to 45 buying a first home: you have not held a share of 50 percent or more in a home, although a home worth 30 million HUF (about 82,000 EUR) or less does not count. One use per person, no other state-subsidised housing loan running, a clean criminal record, no public debt above the legal limit and no unsettled default on the central credit register. Couples apply together. There is no marriage, child or social-security condition (Bankmonitor, 28 October 2026).
• What you commit to. Register the home as your address within 180 days, live in it for five years, and do not let it out during that time.
• Combining. You can hold Babaváró alongside it. It cannot be combined with CSOK Plusz or rural CSOK for the same home (Bankmonitor, 28 October 2026).

Can a foreigner use it?

• EU and EEA citizens resident in Hungary: yes. The deciding rule is a registered stay of more than three months plus a Hungarian address (sections 4 and 43). No Hungarian social-security history is needed, although the bank still checks your income.
• Non-EU residents: only with long-term residence status (section 4). An ordinary residence permit is generally not enough.
• Non-residents: no. You need one of the statuses above and must live in the home.

Banks are rolling the loan out one by one. Raiffeisen began taking applications on 29 October 2026 and other large banks were preparing to follow (Bankmonitor, 29 October 2026), so ask your own bank whether it is live there. Source: Government Decree 298/2026 (X. 27.), sections 2, 4, 6 to 9, 11, 14, 15, 19, 20, 31, 32, 35 and 41 (National Legislation Database, read 11 November 2026). More on how this fits a normal mortgage: mortgages and financing for foreigners.

Otthon Start loan (closed)

What it was: a fixed 3 percent first-home mortgage of up to 50 million HUF (about 137,000 EUR) over up to 25 years, launched in September 2025.

• Status and dates. Closed to new buyers. The sale contract had to be signed by 31 October 2026 and the loan application filed by 15 November 2026; its decree expires on 16 November 2026 (Bankmonitor, 27 and 28 October 2026).
• Existing loans. Signed Otthon Start loans are unchanged and keep the fixed 3 percent for the whole term.
• Can a foreigner use it? Not any more, whatever your status. If you were planning on it, Wekerle Plusz is the scheme to ask about, and it no longer requires the roughly two years of Hungarian social-security cover that Otthon Start did.

CSOK Plusz loan

What it is: a subsidised mortgage for married couples who commit to having a child, with part of the debt cancelled when later children arrive.

• Status and dates. Open since 1 January 2024. The decree sets no closing date, and the 2027 budget plans leave it unchanged (MTI via Adózóna, 20 October 2026).
• Main terms. 15, 30 or 50 million HUF (about 41,100, 82,000 or 137,000 EUR) depending on the children you have and commit to. You pay at most 3 percent, over at least 10 and up to 25 years, with interest-only payments in the first year. From the second child born after the contract, 10 million HUF (about 27,400 EUR) of the debt is cancelled per child.
• Price caps. 100 million HUF for a couple's first shared home and 150 million HUF otherwise, with the price within 20 percent of the bank's valuation.
• Who qualifies. A married couple where the wife is under 41 (or at least 12 weeks pregnant), with at least one spouse holding two years of continuous social-security cover. You live in the home for 10 years. A home bought with CSOK Plusz is exempt from transfer duty.

Can a foreigner use it?

• EU and EEA citizens resident in Hungary: yes, with a registered stay of more than three months and a Hungarian address (section 13). The practical hurdle is the two-year social-security record: cover in another country counts only in limited cases, and you would need to become insured in Hungary within 180 days, so ask the bank to check your record.
• Non-EU residents: only with long-term residence status.
• Non-residents: no.

Source: Government Decree 518/2023 (XI. 30.), sections 6, 11 to 15, 32 and 46, text in force 28 October 2026; duty exemption in the Duties Act, section 26 (1a). The marriage and child conditions are detailed, so let a bank or adviser confirm your case.

Babaváró (baby-expecting loan)

What it is: a general-purpose loan for married couples that stays interest-free if a child arrives within five years, often used as part of a home deposit.

• Status and dates. Open, with no application deadline in the decree. Core terms did not change when Wekerle Plusz arrived (Bankmonitor, 28 October 2026).
• Main terms. Up to 11 million HUF (about 30,100 EUR) over up to 20 years, with the monthly instalment capped at 51,000 HUF (about 140 EUR) while the subsidy runs, plus a 0.5 percent yearly guarantee fee. A first child pauses repayments for three years, a second cancels 30 percent of the remaining debt, and a third cancels the rest.
• Who qualifies. A married couple where the wife is 18 to 34, both spouses have a Hungarian address, and at least one has three years of continuous social-security cover.
• If no child arrives. The interest subsidy becomes repayable. A decree of 27 October 2026 eased this from 1 November 2026: instalments are allowed, and lower-income households with loans signed by 31 October 2026 can ask for part of it to be waived. Ask your bank how this applies to you.

Can a foreigner use it?

• EU and EEA citizens resident in Hungary: yes, if both spouses fit the status list and have a Hungarian address (section 4). The three-year social-security record is the deciding rule: time insured abroad can count, but the months just before you apply generally need to be Hungarian cover.
• Non-EU residents: only with long-term residence status.
• Non-residents: no. A Hungarian address is required for both spouses.

Source: Government Decree 44/2019 (III. 12.), sections 4, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19 and 42, text in force 1 November 2026, as amended by Decree 322/2026 (X. 27.).

Grants for families

Rural CSOK (falusi CSOK)

What it is: a non-repayable grant for families who buy, build or renovate a home in one of about 2,630 designated small settlements. Budapest is not among them, so this matters only if you are looking at village life.

• Status and dates. Open. The decree sets no closing date; for a purchase you apply within 180 days of the sale contract.
• Main terms. For buying or building: up to 1 million HUF with one child, 4 million HUF with two and 15 million HUF with three or more (about 2,700, 11,000 and 41,100 EUR). With a used home, no more than half the grant can go on the purchase price; the rest is for extension or renovation. For renovating a home you already own: up to 600,000 HUF, 2 million HUF or 7.5 million HUF.
• Who qualifies. Families with children, or couples committing to them, where at least one applicant has two years of continuous social-security cover. You live in the home for 10 years. The purchase is exempt from transfer duty.
• Combining. It can be applied for together with CSOK Plusz (section 25), but not with Wekerle Plusz (Bankmonitor, 28 October 2026).

Can a foreigner use it?

• EU and EEA citizens resident in Hungary: yes, with a registered stay of more than three months and a Hungarian address (section 13), plus the two-year social-security record.
• Non-EU residents: only with long-term residence status.
• Non-residents: no.

Source: Government Decree 302/2023 (VII. 11.), sections 12, 13, 15 and 26, text in force 28 October 2026; settlement count from Bank360, October 2026.

Mortgage reduction for families (jelzáloghitel-elengedés)

What it is: the state pays off part of an existing home mortgage when a second or later child is born.

• Status and dates. Open, with no end date in the decree. You apply within one year of the birth or adoption.
• Main terms. 1 million HUF (about 2,700 EUR) for a second child, 4 million HUF (about 11,000 EUR) for a third, and 1 million HUF for each child after that, up to the amount still owed. For the same child you choose between this and the CSOK Plusz debt cancellation.
• Who qualifies. Parents with a forint mortgage on a home in Hungary, where at least one applicant owns 50 percent or more.
• Can a foreigner use it? EU and EEA residents: yes, with a stay of more than three months. Non-EU residents: with long-term residence status, or as a recognised refugee or person with subsidiary protection. Non-residents: no.

Source: Government Decree 337/2017 (XI. 14.), sections 3, 4, 6, 7 and 12 (National Legislation Database, read 11 November 2026). The birth-date conditions vary by child, so confirm yours with the bank.

Home renovation programmes

What they were: two schemes that paired a grant with a subsidised loan for upgrading an existing house. Both are closed, and a successor is announced for 2027.

• Energy-efficiency programme (Otthonfelújítási Program): closed. It offered up to 5 million HUF as a grant and up to 5 million HUF as a subsidised loan (about 13,700 EUR each) for family houses built before 2007, provided the works saved at least 30 percent of energy use. New applications stopped in April 2026 when the budget was used up (Bank360, 15 April 2026; Telex, 1 July 2026).
• Rural programme (Vidéki Otthonfelújítási Program): closed. It offered a grant of up to 3 million HUF (about 8,200 EUR) and a subsidised loan of up to 6 million HUF (about 16,400 EUR) to families with children and pensioners in settlements under 5,000 people. It ended on 30 June 2026 (Telex, 1 July 2026).
• What is next. The government announced a nationwide home modernisation programme from 2027: a grant of 30 to 50 percent of costs, capped at 7.5 million HUF (about 20,500 EUR), for works that save at least 30 percent of energy, with no child or marriage condition (MTI via Adózóna, 20 October 2026). A ministry announcement the next day gave smaller per-flat figures for condominiums; our renovation guide covers those. Hungary's revised EU recovery plan also sets aside 57 million EUR for household energy efficiency (Telex, 1 July 2026). The application rules are not published yet.
• Can a foreigner use it? Nothing is open to apply for today, whatever your status. The eligibility rules of the 2027 programme, including for foreign owners, are not known yet. Until then, renovation is financed with a bank loan or, in small settlements, through rural CSOK above.

VAT and transfer-duty reliefs

5 percent VAT on new homes

What it is: a reduced VAT rate of 5 percent, instead of the standard 27 percent, built into the price of a new home.

• Status and dates. In force. Under the law as it stands, the reduced rate runs to 31 December 2026, with a transition to 31 December 2030 for projects whose building permit is final by the end of 2026. Bill T/927, submitted to Parliament on 27 October 2026, would keep the 5 percent rate with no end date (Adózóna, 29 October 2026; Andersen Hungary, 30 October 2026). We found no report of a final vote by 11 November 2026, so check its status.
• Main terms. It applies to new flats up to 150 m² and new houses up to 300 m². The VAT is part of the price you are quoted, so you do not claim anything; you simply pay a price that includes 5 percent.
• Can a foreigner use it? Yes, in all three cases. The rate attaches to the sale of the home, with no condition on the buyer's citizenship or residence. EU residents, non-EU residents and non-residents all pay the same VAT-inclusive price. Non-EU buyers still need the separate acquisition permit.

Until the bill is passed, ask your lawyer which rate applies to your specific project and have the contract state it. See also VAT on new builds.

VAT refund for self-builders (adó-visszatérítési támogatás)

What it is: a refund of the VAT you paid on invoices when building or renovating a single-family home in a designated small settlement or on the outskirts of a settlement.

• Status and dates. Open in 2026, with no end date in the decree (Biztosdöntés, updated 28 May 2026).
• Main terms. Up to 5 million HUF (about 13,700 EUR), once per property. A self-build recovers the 27 percent VAT on materials and labour and does not depend on rural CSOK; the 5 percent VAT on a new house bought or built through a contractor is refunded only together with rural CSOK. A new house can be at most 300 m².
• Who qualifies. Private individuals building or buying for their own use, with a clean record, no public debt and two years of social-security cover (pensioners are exempt from the last).
• Can a foreigner use it? It sits in the same decree as rural CSOK, so the same status list most likely applies: EU and EEA residents with a registered stay and non-EU residents with long-term residence status. We could not confirm this from the section itself, so ask the bank that handles the claim. Non-residents: no, and it does not apply in Budapest.

Source: Government Decree 302/2023 (VII. 11.), section 60, text in force 28 October 2026.

Transfer-duty (illeték) discounts and exemptions

What it is: the buyer normally pays a 4 percent transfer duty on a home, up to 1 billion HUF per property and 2 percent above that, capped at 200 million HUF. The Duties Act lowers or removes it in a handful of cases.

• First home under 35. A 50 percent reduction for a first-time buyer under 35, but only where the home's full value is no more than 15 million HUF (about 41,100 EUR). That is far below Budapest prices: the average used Budapest flat sold for about 69 million HUF in the first quarter of 2026 (KSH, 31 July 2026). First-home buyers can pay the duty in 12 monthly instalments (Financera, 16 October 2026).
• New builds. For a new home bought from a developer, the first 15 million HUF of value is exempt where the home is worth no more than 30 million HUF (about 82,000 EUR).
• Replacement purchase. If you sell another home within five years before or one year after the purchase, the duty is charged only on the difference in value between the two; if the new home is cheaper, none is due. Some guides still quote an older three-year window, so ask your lawyer to confirm the dates for your sale.
• CSOK-linked purchases. A home bought with CSOK Plusz or rural CSOK is exempt. We found no duty exemption tied to Wekerle Plusz.
• Building plots. A plot is exempt if you build a home on it within four years.

Can a foreigner use it? In the sections we read, the conditions are about the buyer's age, the property and the transaction, not citizenship or residence, so EU residents, non-EU residents and non-residents can all claim a relief that fits their purchase. Your lawyer claims it in the filing to the tax office (NAV). The CSOK-linked exemption follows the CSOK status rules above.

Source: Act XCIII of 1990 on Duties, sections 19, 21 and 26, text in force 1 October 2026 (National Legislation Database, read 11 November 2026). For the full buying budget see the cost of buying.

Support through your employer

What it is: tax-favoured ways for an employer to help with rent, mortgage payments or a purchase. All of them are optional for the employer, so the first step is to ask HR or payroll what your company offers.

• Housing support for employees under 35 (lakhatási támogatás). In force since 1 January 2025, with no end date in the decree. An employer can pay up to 150,000 HUF a month (about 410 EUR), 1.8 million HUF a year, towards your rent or your home-loan instalment, taxed as a fringe benefit with the employer paying the tax. It covers rent under a written lease in Hungary or a loan on a home in Hungary, and you tell your employer which of the two it is for (NAV guidance summarised by Adózóna, 14 January 2025; Government Decree 403/2024).
• Employer home loan and housing grant. An employer loan for housing can be tax-exempt up to 10 million HUF (about 27,400 EUR) over a four-year window (Financera, 16 October 2026). A tax-exempt employer housing grant of up to 30 percent of the purchase price also exists in the Personal Income Tax Act; we could not confirm its current forint cap, so ask payroll.
• Public-sector home support (Otthontámogatás). Since January 2026, eligible public-sector employees can receive a net 1 million HUF a year (about 2,700 EUR) towards a home-loan instalment or a deposit (Government Decree 361/2025, text of 24 April 2026). It is paid only in years when the budget funds it, so confirm with your employer whether it continues in 2027.

Can a foreigner use it?

• EU and EEA citizens resident in Hungary: yes. The deciding rule is your job, not your passport: Decree 403/2024 has no citizenship or residence condition. You need an employer in Hungary that offers the benefit, and you must be under 35 for the monthly support.
• Non-EU residents: yes, on the same terms, if you are employed here and the home or lease is in Hungary.
• Non-residents: no in practice, since it needs Hungarian employment and a Hungarian home or lease.

Pension fund savings and SZÉP card (both closed)

Two temporary options from 2025 still appear in older articles, so here is where they stand.

• Voluntary pension fund savings for housing: closed. From 1 January to 31 December 2025, members could withdraw savings (up to their balance on 30 September 2024) without tax for a home purchase, a deposit, mortgage repayment or renovation in Hungary (NAV, 23 January 2025). Members took out 107.8 billion HUF this way in 2025 (MNB data cited by Bankmonitor, 27 February 2026). We found no extension into 2026.
• SZÉP card for home renovation: closed. During 2025, up to half of a SZÉP card balance could be spent on renovation materials (NAV guidance on the SZÉP card, 2025). We found no extension into 2026.
• Can a foreigner use it? Neither is available now, whatever your status. If a fund or card provider tells you otherwise, ask for the current rule in writing.

Announced for 2027

When it presented the 2027 budget in October 2026, the government announced three more housing measures. None has published rules yet, so treat the figures as plans and check back.

• Wekerle Plusz housing savings. A savings account for a housing goal over 5 to 10 years, where the state adds 10 percent to your payments in the first five years and 20 percent from the sixth. The finance minister has said it is due to start in January 2027, likely on payments of up to 1.2 million HUF a year (about 3,300 EUR) (Biztosdöntés, 19 and 26 October 2026).
• Home modernisation grant. The renovation successor described above, planned for 30,000 families in 2027.
• Wekerle Sándor rental and student housing programme. 30 billion HUF (about 82 million EUR) of EU funds in 2027 for affordable rental flats and student rooms, with 550 million EUR planned over the following three years (MTI via Adózóna, 20 October 2026). This builds homes to rent; it is not something you apply for as a buyer.

Can a foreigner use them? Not known yet. The eligibility rules, including for EU residents, non-EU residents and non-residents, will come with the decrees. We will update this page when they are published.

How the programmes move prices

Subsidised loans do more than help individual buyers; they change who is buying and when. The central bank's figures for the Otthon Start period show it clearly.

• Prices rose fast while the 3 percent loan ran. Hungarian house prices rose 23.5 percent in 2025, or 19 percent after inflation, the largest real rise in 25 years, and 26 percent in Budapest. By the end of 2025 the central bank estimated homes were priced 22.5 percent above what incomes, rents and borrowing capacity would justify nationally, and 20.7 percent in Budapest (MNB Housing Market Report, May 2026, as reported by Világgazdaság, 4 June 2026; MNB house price index, as reported by Bank360, 24 April 2026).
• The buyer mix shifted. After Otthon Start launched, first-time buyers went from about 25 percent of buyers to about 40 percent (MNB Housing Market Report, as reported by Világgazdaság and MTI, 20 May 2026).
• Price caps steer demand. Otthon Start's cap of 1.5 million HUF per m² left many Budapest flats outside the scheme, and in the last quarter of 2025 prices rose 6.0 percent in provincial cities against 2.9 percent in Budapest (Bank360, 24 April 2026).
• The market then cooled. Sales in the first quarter of 2026 were about 18 percent lower than a year earlier nationally and about 29 percent lower in Budapest. In the second quarter of 2026 the MNB index showed prices down 1.1 percent on the quarter nationally and 0.6 percent in Budapest, still 8.3 percent higher than a year earlier in Budapest (Világgazdaság and MTI, 20 May 2026; Telex, 24 July 2026). The index itself does not name a cause.

What this means for you: Wekerle Plusz keeps the same caps (1.5 million HUF per m², 100 million HUF for a flat), so the subsidised demand concentrates on homes priced under them, and the rate is now lower for new builds (3 percent) than for used homes (5 percent). It is too early for data on how Wekerle Plusz itself is affecting prices. When you compare flats, the transaction figures on our data and sources page are a steadier guide than asking prices.

Frequently asked questions about government housing programmes

Can foreigners use Hungarian government housing programmes?

Yes, if they live in Hungary with the right status. The decrees behind Wekerle Plusz, CSOK Plusz, Babaváró and rural CSOK cover Hungarian citizens, EU and EEA citizens exercising a right of residence of more than three months, non-EU nationals with long-term residence status, and recognised stateless persons. Each scheme then adds its own conditions, such as age, a first home, marriage or a Hungarian social-security record. Non-residents cannot use the loans and grants, but the 5 percent new-build VAT and the transfer-duty reliefs apply to the purchase itself.

Can EU citizens get the Wekerle Plusz loan?

Yes. Under Government Decree 298/2026, an EU or EEA citizen who exercises the right to stay in Hungary for more than three months and has a registered Hungarian address can apply, on the same terms as a Hungarian citizen: aged 18 to 45, buying or building a first home, with a clean criminal record and no public debt. No Hungarian social-security history is required. The loan is up to 50 million HUF over up to 25 years, at no more than 3 percent for a new home and 5 percent for a used one. The bank still assesses your income, so confirm your case with it.

Can non-EU residents use Wekerle Plusz, CSOK Plusz or Babaváró?

Only with long-term residence status (huzamos tartózkodási jogosultság), for example a settlement permit. A standard work or study residence permit, EU Blue Card or White Card on its own is generally not enough. Until you hold long-term status, plan your purchase on a normal market mortgage, and note that the 5 percent new-build VAT, the transfer-duty reliefs and employer housing support do not depend on residence status.

Is Otthon Start still available?

No. Otthon Start closed to new buyers in autumn 2026: the sale contract had to be signed by 31 October 2026 and the loan application filed by 15 November 2026. Existing Otthon Start loans keep their fixed 3 percent rate. Its replacement is Wekerle Plusz, open since 28 October 2026, which charges at most 3 percent on a new home and 5 percent on a used one and adds an age limit of 45.

Is the 5 percent VAT on new homes ending in 2026?

Under the law as it stands, the 5 percent rate runs to 31 December 2026, with a transition to the end of 2030 for projects whose building permit is final by then. Bill T/927, submitted to Parliament on 27 October 2026, would keep the 5 percent rate with no end date. We found no report of a final vote by 11 November 2026, so ask your lawyer which rate applies to your project and have the contract state it.

Do first-time buyers pay less transfer duty in Hungary?

Sometimes. A first-time buyer under 35 gets a 50 percent reduction on the 4 percent transfer duty, but only where the home is worth no more than 15 million HUF, which is far below typical Budapest prices. Other reliefs matter more often: duty only on the price difference if you sell another home within five years before or one year after buying, a partial exemption for new builds worth up to 30 million HUF, and a full exemption for homes bought with CSOK Plusz or rural CSOK. Your lawyer claims the relief when filing the purchase.

Is there a home renovation grant in Hungary right now?

Not at the moment. The energy-efficiency renovation programme stopped taking applications in April 2026 and the rural renovation programme ended on 30 June 2026. The government has announced a new home modernisation programme from 2027, with a grant of 30 to 50 percent of costs capped at 7.5 million HUF for works that save at least 30 percent of energy, but the application rules are not published yet.