This guide is the checklist behind a Hungarian bid: the registration, declarations, securities and evidence a procedure can ask for, the order they come in, and who may handle each one. For how Hungarian procurement works overall (thresholds, procedures, evaluation, payment and challenges), see How to bid for public tenders in Hungary.
Before you bid
1. Register in the EKR (ekr.gov.hu). Every procedure runs in the EKR, and a company that isn’t registered can’t be invited. Two things are registered: the person and the economic operator. Each natural or legal person registers once only, and the data must be kept up to date.
- How: the authorised person of your company registers the organisation; the data can be prepared for you. Further users, each with their own EKR registration, are then linked to the organisation and work under their own login.
- Who does it: your authorised representative completes or approves the organisation registration and approves every linked user.
2. Your SME status. In the EKR you record whether your company is micro, small or medium-sized. There is no separate certificate; it is free, and you keep it current. It can be recorded from your data; you confirm the size figures.
3. Optional: an official or chamber list of qualified bidders. A bidder on such a list is presumed to meet the exclusion and capacity criteria it covers. The application can be prepared for you; you sign it.
4. Know what needs no signature. Statements made in EKR electronic forms, and documents uploaded as simple electronic copies, need no electronic signature, and the buyer may not require one (Kbt. §41/A). Where no EKR form exists, a document may be attached with at least an advanced electronic signature. A declaration that must be your representative’s own can be signed on paper and uploaded as a simple copy.
With your bid
5. The EEKD or self-declaration. In EU procedures you file the EEKD (the ESPD) with the bid, made by your authorised representative; national procedures use a simple self-declaration. It is filled in as an EKR form, free, takes about a day and covers one procedure.
- Who does it: the form can be completed for you. Your authorised representative confirms and signs it, or the holder of your power of attorney makes the declaration.
6. The ownership declaration (átlátható szervezet). You identify your beneficial owners and ownership structure. A non-transparent owner holding more than 25% leads to exclusion; listed companies follow simplified rules. It is free and same-day: it can be drafted from your ownership data, and your representative confirms it.
7. The sanctions declaration. In EU procedures you declare that there is no Russian involvement prohibited by art. 5k of EU Regulation 833/2014. The buyer provides the template; it is free, done the same day and uploaded in the EKR. You confirm it.
8. A meghatalmazás and signature evidence, where the call asks. If someone other than your company signatory signs bid declarations, they need a power of attorney (meghatalmazás). Buyers commonly also ask for the signatory’s notarial signature specimen (aláírási címpéldány) or a signature sample countersigned by an ügyvéd (aláírás-minta). The power of attorney can be drafted for you; your company signatory signs it, and the specimen comes from a notary or a countersigning lawyer, usually the same day.
9. Bid security (ajánlati biztosíték), where the call requires it. The call sets the amount, and you choose the form: a cash deposit, a bank or insurer guarantee, a surety, or an insurance bond. A bank or insurer issues it in your name, usually in 1–5 business days for a market fee, and it must cover the bid validity period. You apply and pay; the wording can be checked for you.
10. Submit through the EKR’s submission function. A bid counts only if it is submitted that way, before the deadline. Submission is free. A user linked to your organisation can submit, and no e-signature is needed for EKR forms; you approve the final bid and price.
If your bid ranks first
The buyer then asks the best-ranked bidder for its exclusion and suitability evidence.
| Evidence | Where it comes from | Who can get it for you | Accepted if | What only you do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company data (cégkivonat) | The free company information service (e-cegjegyzek.hu) | The buyer checks it itself; any pending change filing and the court receipt are attached | Data is current | Keep your register data up to date |
| Tax debts (köztartozásmentes adózói adatbázis) | NAV, the tax and customs authority | The buyer checks the free database; if you aren’t listed, an accountant or tax adviser applies for listing or a certificate | A certificate issued for another purpose counts if it shows no tax debt older than 1 year | Authorise the adviser with a NAV meghatalmazás |
| Criminal offences | The Integritás Hatóság register; for natural persons, a notarised or chamber-certified statement | The buyer checks the register for Hungarian companies | — | Natural-person bidders make the statement |
Costs and timing. The company data check and the tax database are free and same-day.
Also asked where the call sets a suitability criterion:
- Financial capacity: a bank statement covering a period up to 2 years before the notice, annual accounts (beszámoló), turnover for up to 3 years, and proof of professional liability insurance. An accountant compiles the figures, which takes days; you ask your bank for the statement.
- References (referencia igazolás): supplies and services from the last 3 years (the buyer can extend this to 6), works from the last 5 (extendable to 8). Each is issued by the other party to the contract and states the period, subject, value and that the work was performed properly. The form can be drafted for you; you get past customers to sign it, which can take days or weeks.
- Quality and environmental certificates from accredited independent bodies (Decree 321/2015 §24), usually valid 3 years with surveillance audits; EU equivalents are accepted.
Before the contract
- Performance and defects security, where required: each at most 5% of the net contract price, in the form you choose, which you may switch later. A bank or insurer issues it in your name, and you sign.
- Construction works: builders must be on the contractor register of the Magyar Kereskedelmi és Iparkamara (through the regional chambers) and, since January 2025, hold mandatory contractor liability insurance before performing works. The register application can be prepared for you; you sign it and take out the insurance.
- Signing: in writing, after the 10-day standstill, by your company signatory or the holder of your power of attorney.
Who does what
| Step | Who can do it | What only you do |
|---|---|---|
| EKR registration | The data is prepared for you | Your authorised person registers the organisation and approves linked users |
| SME status | Recorded from your data | Confirm your size figures |
| EEKD or self-declaration | Completed in the EKR form for you | Confirm it; your representative or attorney makes the declaration |
| Ownership and sanctions declarations | Drafted from your ownership data | Disclose your ownership chain and confirm |
| Meghatalmazás and signature specimen | Drafted for you; specimen by a notary or ügyvéd | Your company signatory signs |
| Bid security and performance security | A bank or insurer | Apply and pay; sign |
| Submission | A user linked to your organisation | Approve the final bid and price |
| Tax-debt listing or certificate | An accountant or tax adviser | Grant the NAV meghatalmazás |
| Financial evidence | An accountant | Request the bank statement |
| References | The form is drafted for you | Ask past customers to sign |
| Hungarian translations | A translator, or prepared for you | Take responsibility for their accuracy |
| Contract | — | Your company signatory or attorney signs |
The professionals involved
| Professional | Licensed or regulated by | What they do for a bidder |
|---|---|---|
| Ügyvéd (attorney) | Magyar Ügyvédi Kamara | Countersign signature samples (ellenjegyzés) and powers of attorney; represent you under a meghatalmazás in the EKR, in preliminary dispute resolution and before the Közbeszerzési Döntőbizottság; draft consortium agreements and project-company documents |
| Közjegyző (notary) | Magyar Országos Közjegyzői Kamara | Issue signature specimens (aláírási címpéldány) and certify copies; take notarised statements on exclusion grounds, required for natural-person bidders and used by foreign bidders where no home certificate exists |
| Translator | Igazságügyi Minisztérium (OFFI) | Translate foreign documents into Hungarian; certified translations from OFFI where a buyer or another authority demands them |
| Könyvelő, adótanácsadó or bejegyzett könyvvizsgáló | Magyar Könyvvizsgálói Kamara; NGM register of tax advisers and accountants | Prepare the beszámoló and turnover figures for financial capacity; handle NAV registration and a tax number for foreign bidders, as tax representative where required; audit statements (auditors only) |
| Bank or insurer | Magyar Nemzeti Bank | Issue bid security and performance and defects security, bank statements for financial capacity, and the mandatory contractor liability insurance for construction |
| Certification body | Nemzeti Akkreditáló Hatóság (NAH) | ISO quality and environmental certificates |
| Public procurement consultant | No licence on the bidder side; the Közbeszerzési Hatóság lists accredited consultants for buyer-side work | Prepare the EEKD, self-declarations and bid documents in the EKR forms as a user linked to your organisation |
If your company is from abroad
You don’t need a Hungarian company to bid, though a winning consortium can be required to form a project company after award; who may bid from abroad depends on your tax residence and ownership, as set out in How to bid for public tenders in Hungary. For the paperwork:
- Company data: your home register extract; your own translation is acceptable.
- Tax: a home tax certificate; any Hungarian tax debts are still checked in the NAV database.
- Criminal offences: home-country certificates for the company and its managers, or a sworn or notarised statement where none are issued.
- Signature authority: the home-country equivalent of the signature evidence, translated.
- Signatures: EKR forms need no Hungarian certificate.
- Financial evidence and references: your home documents, with your own translation; foreign references are accepted with a translation.
- Certificates and guarantees: equivalent quality certificates are accepted; foreign guarantees can be used if they meet the conditions.
- Qualification lists: EU lists are recognised in some cases.
- Translations: buyers must accept your own Hungarian translation of foreign documents (Kbt. §47(2)); you take responsibility for its accuracy.
- Declarations: the EEKD, ownership and sanctions declarations are the same for you as for a Hungarian bidder.
Pitfalls
- Check tax residence and ownership before anything else. A bidder whose tax residence falls outside the permitted countries, or whose ownership isn’t transparent, must be excluded, also below the EU thresholds (Kbt. §62).
- Don’t buy certificates you don’t need. Buyers can’t demand e-signatures on EKR forms.
- One registration per person and per company. Everyone who works on your bid needs their own EKR registration, linked to your organisation; never share a login.
- Construction: sort out the chamber register and the liability insurance before works start. Both are conditions for performing works.
Doing it with askTender
In Hungary, your askTender Partner is added as a named user on your company’s account on EKR and works under their own login. You keep your own login, and sign what only you can sign: your organisation’s registration, powers of attorney and any declaration that must be your representative’s own, and you approve the final bid and price. The askTender Desk prepares the EEKD, the declarations and reference forms, assembles the bid and coordinates the evidence; askTender Partners, such as an ügyvéd, a közjegyző or an adótanácsadó, do the steps their licence covers.
Questions
Do I need an electronic signature to bid in Hungary?
Not for the EKR forms. Statements made in EKR electronic forms, and documents uploaded as simple electronic copies, need no e-signature, and the buyer may not require one (Kbt. §41/A). Only where no EKR form exists may a document be attached with at least an advanced electronic signature.
Which declarations go in with a Hungarian bid?
The EEKD in EU procedures or a simple self-declaration in national ones, a declaration on your beneficial owners and ownership structure, a sanctions declaration in EU procedures, and any power of attorney for a signatory who isn’t your company signatory. Bid security is added where the call requires it.
How does the buyer check my tax debts?
It looks you up in the NAV tax debt-free taxpayer database, which is free. If you aren’t listed, you provide a tax office certificate; certificates issued for other purposes are accepted if they show no tax debt older than 1 year.
What is an aláírási címpéldány and when do I need one?
It is a notarial signature specimen of your company signatory. Buyers commonly ask for one, or for an aláírás-minta countersigned by an ügyvéd, to show who may sign for you; where someone other than the company signatory signs, a meghatalmazás is needed as well.
Do I have to translate foreign documents officially?
No. Buyers must accept your own Hungarian translation of foreign documents (Kbt. §47(2)). A certified translation by OFFI is needed only where a buyer or another authority demands one.
Sources
- Act CXLIII of 2015 on Public Procurement (Kbt.), consolidated
- Government Decree 321/2015 on evidence of suitability and exclusion
- Government Decree 424/2017 on electronic public procurement (EKR)
- Public Procurement Authority: Kbt. sections amended (August 2026)
- Chamber of commerce FAQ: construction contractor register
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.