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Criminal penalties in Hungary

Checked in October 2026 against the Btk. (2012. évi C. törvény), in force text on net.jogtar.hu, read in Hungarian in October 2026.

These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. We read the code in its original language and give the offences in plain English, with the legal term where it helps. For anything that matters, rely on the code itself. Not legal advice.

How Hungary sets penalties

  • Hungary's Criminal Code states most penalties as a range ('öt évtől tizenöt évig terjedő szabadságvesztés', five to fifteen years of deprivation of liberty) or as a maximum ('három évig terjedő', up to three years). The Code also describes each offence as a 'vétség' (misdemeanour) or 'bűntett' (felony).
  • A killing has a basic offence (s. 160(1), 5 to 15 years) and an aggravated one (s. 160(2), 10 to 20 years or life). This table maps the aggravated killing to the 'first degree' row and the basic killing to the 'second degree' row.
  • Hungary grades property crimes by the value involved: small ('kisebb'), greater ('nagyobb'), considerable ('jelentős'), particularly great ('különösen nagy') and particularly considerable ('különösen jelentős'). The money thresholds are set elsewhere in the Code and were not read for this table.
  • Hungary does not have a separate burglary, embezzlement or arson offence in the same form as other systems. This table maps them to theft, embezzlement and the offence of causing public danger, as explained on each row.
  • This table shows first-offence ranges. Repeat offending and the general rules on reducing a sentence below the minimum were not read.

Death penalty: No. The most serious punishment in the Criminal Code is life imprisonment (életfogytig tartó szabadságvesztés), set for murder in aggravated cases (s. 160(2)).

Read the Hungary legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

First-degree murder

10 to 20 years, or life imprisonment (aggravated killing)

The aggravated killing (s. 160(2)) covers a killing committed with premeditation, for gain, from a base motive or purpose, with particular cruelty, against an official or a public official on duty, against more than one person, while endangering the lives of several, by a particularly dangerous repeat offender, among other listed circumstances.

Second-degree murder

5 to 15 years

Voluntary manslaughter

2 to 8 years (killing in a state of justifiable strong emotion)

  • Killing in a state of strong emotion arising from a justifiable cause (erős felindulásban elkövetett emberölés) (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    2 years
    Most
    8 years

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 161

Robbery

2 to 8 years (robbery); up to 15 years (aggravated)

Burglary

Up to 2 years (theft of small value) up to 10 years (theft of particularly considerable value)

Hungary has no separate offence of burglary. Break-ins are theft (lopás, s. 370). The Code names things such as using force against the object stolen, entering a room by deception, or committing it in a criminal association as aggravating circumstances that raise the range. Hungary grades property crimes by the value involved: small ('kisebb'), greater ('nagyobb'), considerable ('jelentős'), particularly great ('különösen nagy') and particularly considerable ('különösen jelentős'). The money thresholds are set elsewhere in the Code and were not read for this table.

Arson

2 to 8 years (causing public danger) up to 20 years or life (if death results)

Hungary has no offence called arson. Starting a fire that endangers the public is the offence of causing public danger (közveszély okozása): bringing about public danger by setting off the destructive effect of a material or of energy, or hindering the removal of the danger. Setting a fire to damage another's property is covered by other offences that were not read for this table. Causing public danger by negligence is a separate, lower offence (s. 322(5): up to 3 years, and more if the damage is particularly great or death results).

Aggravated assault

Up to 2 years (light injury, healing within 8 days) up to 8 years (injury endangering life or causing death)

Hungary distinguishes bodily harm by how long it takes to heal: within eight days (light) or longer (serious). Injury that causes permanent disability or severe deterioration of health is punished more heavily, and injury that endangers life or causes death most.

Rape and sexual assault

2 to 8 years (sexual violence); 5 to 10 years (child under 12)

  • Sexual violence (szexuális erőszak): sexual coercion by force or a direct threat to life or physical integrity, or using a person's incapacity to resist or to express their will (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    2 years
    Most
    8 years

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 197(1)

  • Sexual act with a person who has not turned 12 (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    5 years
    Most
    10 years

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 197(2)

Kidnapping

Up to 3 years (deprivation of liberty) up to 20 years or life (aggravated kidnapping for ransom)

  • Deprivation of personal liberty (személyi szabadság megsértése) (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    3 years

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 194(1)

  • Kidnapping (emberrablás): depriving a person of liberty by force, threat or incapacitation, and making release depend on a demand (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    2 years
    Most
    8 years

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 190(1)

  • Kidnapping, aggravated (for example, a victim under 18, a criminal association, or an official victim) (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    5 years
    Most
    15 years

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 190(2)

  • Kidnapping, further aggravated (for example, a victim under 14, or causing particularly serious harm) (Offence (deprivation of liberty))

    Least
    5 years
    Most
    Life imprisonment

    The range is 5 to 20 years or life.

    Criminal Code of Hungary (Btk.), s. 190(3)

Embezzlement

Up to 2 years (small value) up to 10 years (particularly considerable value)

Embezzlement (sikkasztás) is unlawfully appropriating a thing entrusted to the offender. Breach of fiduciary duty (hűtlen kezelés, s. 376) carries the same tiers for property under another's management. Hungary grades property crimes by the value involved: small ('kisebb'), greater ('nagyobb'), considerable ('jelentős'), particularly great ('különösen nagy') and particularly considerable ('különösen jelentős'). The money thresholds are set elsewhere in the Code and were not read for this table.

Forgery

Up to 3 years (forgery of a public document); 1 to 5 years (official abuse)

The offence read here is the forgery of a public document (közokirat-hamisítás). Forgery of a private document was not read for this table.

Drunk driving, first offence

Up to 2 years (drunk driving); higher if it causes injury or death

Driving while drunk (járművezetés ittas állapotban) is a misdemeanour. It becomes a felony if it causes serious bodily harm (up to 3 years), permanent disability or severe deterioration of health (1 to 5 years), death (2 to 8 years) or the deaths of more than two people (5 to 10 years).

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