Changes Relating to Warranty (Statutory Guarantee)

From 1 March 2026, the mandatory statutory guarantee will apply not only to private individuals but also to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), provided that they are not acting within the scope of their business activities, as in such cases they qualify as consumers. This classification is independent of whether the product is subsequently accounted for by the undertaking within the framework of its economic activity.

Another important amendment is that, in the event of a request for replacement within three working days, the business may no longer rely on disproportionate additional costs and is obliged to replace the consumer good within eight days (provided that the defect hinders proper use). If replacement is not possible, the business is required to refund the purchase price without delay.

The mandatory content of the warranty certificate is also expanded: it must now include the date of delivery or commissioning of the consumer good, as well as the name, address and contact details of the repair service.

A further significant change is the increase of the value threshold below which businesses are not required to issue a separate warranty certificate. Instead of HUF 50,000, the new threshold is an sales price of HUF 100,000. Accordingly, if the sales price of the consumer good does not exceed HUF 100,000, the issuance of a separate warranty certificate is not mandatory. In such cases, rights arising from the statutory guarantee may be enforced on the basis of proof of payment of the consideration (e.g. a receipt or invoice).

Changes Affecting Webshops and Online Service Providers

From 19 June 2026, webshops and online service providers will be required to provide an online withdrawal function. This must take the form of a clearly worded, easily readable online withdrawal statement through which the consumer may notify the business of their intention to withdraw from the contract. Businesses are obliged to make this function clearly visible and easily accessible throughout the withdrawal period. Upon becoming aware of the withdrawal, the business must send an acknowledgement of receipt to the consumer.

This amendment is expected to simplify the withdrawal process for consumers and, at the same time, to make businesses’ withdrawal practices more transparent, better documented and more effectively enforceable.

Changes Related to the Restructuring of the Authorities

(effective from 1 January 2026)

In the field of market surveillance, new regulation has been introduced in line with EU legislation. From the beginning of the new year, the National Consumer Protection Authority (NKFH) and the government offices will be entitled to act jointly. In practice, this is expected to result in more frequent and stricter product safety inspections, accompanied by an increase in the liability of manufacturers and distributors.

Under the amendment affecting tobacco products, the competent authority will henceforth be the consumer protection authority uniformly, instead of the “minister responsible for consumer protection”. The purpose of this change is to establish a more coherent and transparent system of authorities, which will also promote the standardisation of inspection practices relating to tobacco products.

The decree on the designation of the consumer protection authority is amended in such a way that the NKFH becomes an expressly designated consumer protection authority in several areas. The practical consequence of this may be faster and more focused enforcement action by the authorities, as well as an increase in compliance risks for businesses.

What Does Compliance Mean? Compliance means that a business operates in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, official requirements and its internal policies. If a business fails to comply with the relevant rules, it may face legal consequences, such as the imposition of consumer protection fines.

Government Decree No. 415/2025 (XII. 23.) on the amendment of consumer protection–related government decrees with a view to ensuring a higher level of consumer protection introduces substantial changes in the field of consumer protection as of 2026.

In this article, we briefly summarise those amendments which will be perceptible to consumers in everyday life and may be of particular practical importance from 2026 onwards.

Government Decree No. 415/2025 (XII. 23.) amends a total of six government decrees related to consumer protection.
The objectives of the amendments are, on the one hand, to strengthen consumer protection and, on the other hand, to reduce the administrative burden on businesses, while also ensuring compliance with EU law and legal harmonisation.

What Do Carriers and Affected Businesses Need to Know?

On 23 December 2025, two new pieces of legislation affecting public roads and freight traffic were promulgated, both of which entered into force on 1 January 2026. The primary objective of the new regulatory framework is to ensure that international and domestic transit traffic is conducted along uniform, legally designated routes, primarily using high-capacity dual-carriageway (2×2 lane) road networks. The regulation serves both to enhance road safety and to reduce the burden on residential areas and secondary roads.

The two relevant legal instruments are: 

• Decree No. 44/2025 (XII. 23.) of the Ministry of Construction and Transport (ÉKM), aimed at defining the Hungarian sections of the transit route network; and

• Government Decree No. 439/2025 (XII. 23.), aimed at curbing freight traffic diverted from expressways.

Opinion leaders, commonly referred to as influencers, have become key actors in modern communication as a result of the rapid expansion of the internet and social media.
The development of digital technologies, the widespread use of smartphones, and the global proliferation of social media platforms—such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch—have fundamentally transformed users’ content consumption habits, as well as their entertainment and purchasing behaviours. As a consequence, influencer marketing has emerged as one of the most significant and fastest-growing tools of the modern advertising market.

By way of an interesting observation, it should be noted that, from a legal perspective, the category of influencers is not limited to natural persons acting as opinion leaders. An influencer may also include a CGI or deepfake character, an animal, or even an object.

The rapid growth of this phenomenon and the intermingling of personal and commercial content on social media platforms primarily justify the need for regulation in this field. For consumers—particularly audiences younger or older than the average user—it is often not clear whether an influencer’s recommendation is based on a paid collaboration, the provision of a gifted product, or another form of material interest.

The Hungarian Civil Code recognises the existence of a domestic partnership in two distinct forms. It sets forth the institution of marriage, which several legal scholars have described in elevated terms as an “emotional and economic alliance,” and it also provides for the possibility of living together without entering into marriage, in the form of a cohabitation (élettársi kapcsolat). The law strictly characterises this latter form as an obligational legal relationship, regulated under Title XXV of the Book on the Law of Contracts.

Under the Act on the Protection of Local Identity (Hötv.), more than fifty local governments have already enacted decrees. The law regulates settlement in municipalities in order to allow local governments to protect their traditions, social order, and values. The content of these decrees varies significantly, as the Hötv. grants municipalities a very broad scope of discretion. Due to the diversity of the regulations, let us take a closer look at exactly what authorizations municipalities have.