.hu is the country code extension (ccTLD) for Hungary. The registry is managed by the Scientific Association of the Hungarian Internet Service Providers’ Council (ISZT), and the rules governing registration are set out in the Domain Registration Regulations (DRSZ). The summary below is based on the regulations in force from 1 July 2026; the full, current text is available on the domain.hu website.

How does the registration process work?

A .hu domain must be applied for not directly with the registry, but through an accredited registrar, such as aWh. The registrar forwards the application and the details to the registry and is responsible for ensuring that the details are entered accurately into the registry. The article ‘The Registry, Registrar and Registrant: Who’s Who?’ explains the roles of the various parties involved.

Steps for submitting a request:

1. Application: enter the chosen name, the registration period and the domain applicant’s details.
2. Declarations and data verification: the applicant must declare that their details are accurate, that they accept the terms and conditions and the decisions of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum, and that they have read the privacy policy. Contact details (email address, telephone number) must be verified.
3. Verification: the registry checks that the data is complete and complies with formal requirements. In the event of any omissions, 30 days are allowed to rectify them; failure to do so will result in the application being cancelled.
4. Assessment of misleading names: if a name appears to be misleading (for example, if it resembles the name of a well-known company, bank or public authority), the applicant must submit a digitally signed declaration of good faith.
5. Conditional registration and publication: the relevant application will be conditionally registered, and the registry will publish it for 8 days. During this period, the domain can already be used.
6. Permanent registration: if no complaint is lodged within 8 days, the domain will be permanently registered. In the event of a complaint, the matter will be decided by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum’s domain arbitration procedure.

Who can register a .hu domain?

• Any citizen or legal entity of any country, provided that this is not prohibited by law.
• Anyone who is not a citizen or legal entity of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the EEA, EFTA or a country neighbouring Hungary, and who does not hold a Hungarian residence or settlement permit, may apply if they are carrying out or commencing economic or other activities that justify the use of a .hu domain. You must provide evidence of this upon request and must state your nationality and the number of your identity document when submitting your application.
• Only natural persons aged 18 or over may apply for a domain (with the exception of applications made by heirs).

What sort of name can I choose?

Formatting rules:

• The name must be at least 2 and no more than 63 characters long;
• Permitted characters: lower-case letters without diacritics (a–z), lower-case letters with Hungarian diacritics (á, é, í, ó, ö, ő, ú, ü, ű), numerals and the hyphen;
• The name must not begin or end with a hyphen, and the third and fourth characters must not be two consecutive hyphens.

Content restrictions:

• Names that are unlawful, incite hatred or fear, or are misleading may not be chosen;
• It cannot be a name that is already registered, nor one of the protected names published by the registry;
• Only a local authority may register the name of a Hungarian settlement with a local authority directly under the .hu domain, and only the country’s official representation may register the name of a country (in Hungarian or English); this restriction does not apply to second-level public domains;
• Only the applicant’s own trade mark may be registered under the .tm.hu domain.

The applicant is responsible for choosing the name: the regulations require them to check the company register and the main trade mark databases before registration to ensure that the name does not infringe on the rights of others.

Second-level generic domains

As well as names registered directly under .hu, you can also apply for a name under so-called second-level public domains, such as .co.hu, .org.hu, .info.hu or .shop.hu. These are useful if the name you want is already taken directly under .hu.

What information is publicly available?

Public WHOIS data includes the domain name, status, name servers, registration and expiry dates, and the registrar. The domain holder’s name and contact details are only displayed if they do not contain personal data; thus, the details of private individuals remain hidden.

Legal disputes

If a legal dispute arises in relation to a .hu domain (for example, due to trademark infringement), the Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum offers a quicker solution than going to court. Appeals against the registry’s decision to refuse registration may also be made to this forum.

The regulations change from time to time: for example, under the new version coming into force on 18 November 2026, .hu domain names that become available will be subject to an auction process. It is therefore advisable to review the current text before registering.