As the summer holiday season comes to an end, employers and HR professionals typically turn their attention to outstanding leave balances, year-end capacity planning and workforce management for the following year. By the end of September, many companies already have a clear overview of which employees have used most of their annual leave entitlement and which employees still have a significant amount of leave remaining for the last months of the year. At such times, a precise understanding of the Hungarian rules on holidays and leave entitlements applicable in 2026 becomes particularly important, as granting, recording and administering various special leave entitlements regularly raise practical and compliance-related questions towards year-end.
The system of annual leave in 2026
The fundamental framework of holidays and leave entitlements in 2026 continues to be based on the Hungarian Labour Code. Under these rules, employees are entitled each calendar year to a basic annual leave entitlement and supplementary leave based on specific eligibility criteria.
The basic annual leave entitlement remains 20 working days per year in 2026. Additional days are granted based on age, number of children or certain special circumstances.
The amount of age-based supplementary leave remains unchanged:
- from the age of 25: +1 day
- from the age of 28: +2 days
- from the age of 31: +3 days
- from the age of 33: +4 days
- from the age of 35: +5 days
- from the age of 37: +6 days
- from the age of 39: +7 days
- from the age of 41: +8 days
- from the age of 43: +9 days
- from the age of 45: +10 days
As a result, an employee who has reached the age of 45 is entitled to a total of 30 working days of annual leave per year.
Supplementary leave for children
For employees with children, supplementary leave for children continues to represent a significant additional entitlement.
Employees are entitled annually to:
- two working days for one child,
- four working days for two children,
- seven working days for three or more children
as supplementary leave.
The entitlement arises from the year of the child’s birth and may be claimed for the last time in the year in which the child turns 16. In the case of a child with disabilities or a child suffering from a long-term illness, employees are entitled to an additional two working days per child.
A particularly important aspect of supplementary leave for children is that the employer must grant it at the time requested by the employee, provided that the request is submitted within the statutory deadline.
Paternity leave: still ten working days with greater flexibility
One of the most significant employment law changes of recent years affected the system of paternity leave. Following the birth or adoption of a child, a father continues to be entitled to ten working days of paternity leave.
However, from 1 January 2025, paternity leave may be taken not until the end of the second month following the child’s birth but until the end of the fourth month, in no more than two instalments. This rule remains applicable in 2026.
The compensation rules also remain unchanged:
- the first five working days are paid at 100% of the absence fee;
- the following five working days are compensated at 40% of the absence fee.
The cost of the first five days is reimbursed to the employer from the central budget.
Parental leave: still 44 working days until the child reaches the age of three
Parental leave, introduced on 1 January 2023 as part of the implementation of the European Union’s work-life balance rules, remains part of Hungarian employment law in 2026.
Employees with at least one year of employment are entitled to a total of 44 working days of parental leave until their child reaches the age of three.
During parental leave, employees are generally entitled to 10% of their absence fee. Employers must grant parental leave at the time requested by the employee if the request is submitted at least 15 days in advance.
Although this type of leave is still less well known in practice, it is playing an increasingly important role in the flexible employment of employees with young children.
The most important rules for granting leave
According to Sections 122-123 of the Hungarian Labour Code, leave is granted by the employer after consulting the employee. This differs from the widespread assumption that employees themselves “take” leave. Employees must be notified of the leave schedule at least 15 days in advance.
Employers are required to grant seven working days of annual leave each year in accordance with the employee’s request, in no more than two instalments, except during the first three months of employment.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, leave must be granted in a way that allows the employee to be released from work and availability obligations for at least 14 consecutive calendar days once per year. Weekly rest days and public holidays must also be included in this period.
It is important to note that leave must generally be granted in the year in which it becomes due.
If employment begins on or after 1 October, the employer may grant the leave by 31 March of the following year.
Where leave could not be granted due to circumstances on the employee’s side, it must be provided within 60 days after the obstacle ceases. Such circumstances may include:
- a prolonged illness,
- absence due to child care benefit (gyed),
- absence due to child care allowance (gyes).
Leave is deemed to have been granted in the year in which it is due if:
- its utilisation begins during the relevant year, and
- the portion carried over to the following year does not exceed five working days.
In 2026, if an employee starts leave on 31 December, up to five working days may extend into 2027. In such cases, the leave period may only be interrupted by weekends or public holidays.
Based on a written agreement concluded for the relevant calendar year, employers may grant age-based supplementary leave in the following year, no later than 31 December.
These rules continue to form the basic framework for the administration of holidays and leave entitlements in Hungary.
Funeral leave: not actually leave
The entitlement commonly referred to as funeral leave is in fact not a type of leave but an exemption from work obligations.
Under the Hungarian Labour Code, in the event of the death of a relative, an employee is released from work and availability obligations for two working days and is entitled to absence pay during this period. Funeral leave does not reduce the employee’s annual leave entitlement.
Due to the unexpected nature of such situations, the usual advance notification requirements applicable to annual leave cannot be applied.
Other supplementary leave entitlements
Employees may also be entitled to additional supplementary leave in certain special life situations.
These include in particular:
- five working days per year for young employees, granted until the year in which they reach the age of 18;
- five working days per year for employees with health impairments, reduced work capacity or disability benefits;
- supplementary leave related to certain hazardous or special working conditions, such as underground work performed for more than three hours per day.
Although holidays and leave entitlements in 2026 continue to operate in a fundamentally stable regulatory environment in Hungary, the rules governing paternity leave, parental leave, supplementary leave for children and employment-law benefits related to the death of a relative continue to raise numerous practical questions. To minimise risks, employers should regularly review their corporate practices and internal HR processes, particularly during year-end leave planning periods.
The proper application of leave regulations is not only an employment law matter but also a question of HR administration and labour compliance. The HR Services team of WTS Klient Hungary provides support in the interpretation of employment law rules relating to leave entitlements and working time, the review of HR processes and internal policies, the identification of labour compliance risks, the establishment of HR administration and employment record-keeping processes, expert advice on employment law and workforce-related issues, and the management of Hungarian HR and employment challenges for international corporate groups. If you have any questions regarding holidays and leave entitlements applicable in 2026 or regarding employment and HR processes in general, our experts will be pleased to assist you.
This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as advice.
