Greenlight to rebate, step by step.
The full timeline of a Hungarian production: registration and cultural test, the 6-month photography window, the shoot, the NFO audit, the tax certificate and the rebate payment.
Filming in Hungary is well-worn ground, and the path from greenlight to rebate payment is predictable when you know the milestones. Here is the whole journey.
1 · Structure & model
Before anything is committed, we rate the budget, map qualifying spend to reach the full 37.5%, and choose stages and locations to fit the film. If a co-production is in play, we model the stack. You start with real numbers, not hopeful ones.
2 · Registration & cultural test
We register the production with the National Film Office and file the cultural test (16 of 32 points). A 0.2% registration fee applies. Once registration is approved, the clock starts: principal photography must begin within six months.
3 · Prep & the floor
Line producer, heads of department, crew, stages, permits and vendors are assembled — from relationships already in place. Cash-flow and, where useful, upfront rebate financing are arranged.
4 · The shoot
Twelve-hour days, flexible independent-contractor crews as independent contractors. Qualifying spend is tracked cleanly per the three categories — local Hungarian, up to 25% foreign, and foreign cast/crew — because the audit depends on it.
5 · The audit
Itemised finance and budget reports go to the NFO bi-monthly, quarterly and at end of production. The NFO reviews random invoices and contracts on roughly a 60-day turnaround. Admin fees are 0.2% at registration and 2.5% of the rebate.
6 · Tax certificate & payment
On approval, the NFO issues a tax certificate; the National Film Institute processes it and the rebate is deposited into a local Hungarian bank — a 2–4 week transfer. VAT is reclaimed monthly under the EU VAT Directive throughout.
Register, pass the cultural test, shoot within six months, audit, certificate, cash. Predictable — which is exactly what a finance plan needs.
Where we sit
Dopamine (a registered Hungarian company, Dopamine Ventures Kft.) runs the Hungarian side of every step — and can monetize the rebate upfront. Read what qualifies, the audit detail, or model your rebate.
Questions producers ask us
How long does the whole Hungarian rebate process take?
What is the first step to film in Hungary?
What fees apply?
Related insights
Bring your production to Hungary.
Tell us the budget and territory. We'll model the rebate and plan the floor — and we can arrange to monetize the rebate upfront.
Model Your Rebate