Who owns what in a marriage in Hungary?

Property acquired during the marriage is joint by default

Hungary's default is a community of acquisitions: spouses own what they brought and inherited separately, and share what they acquire during the marriage.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

What applies by default

Property acquired during the marriage is joint, except for personal property, gifts and inheritances.

When the marriage ends in divorce

The joint property is divided, in principle equally, with account taken of contributions.

A marriage contract

A marriage contract can be made before or during the marriage in a notarial form or countersigned by a lawyer.

What stays your own, and gifts

Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.

If one spouse is a foreigner

Hungary does not take part in the EU Matrimonial Property Regulation, so check its national rules for the couple.

Understand the legal system first

Hungary belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Hungary legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Can a foreigner buy property in Hungary? →

Official sources

Hungarian Ministry of Justice

TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.