How to time your Hungarian rebate registration.

Now that Hungary's cap on new registrations is off, producers can register into the 30–37.5% incentive at will. But one rule has not moved: principal photography must begin within six months of the National Film Office's decision on registration, or the office can amend or revoke the decision. Timing is now the bottleneck.

The sequence, in order

1. Cultural test. A production must score at least 16 of 32 points, including 2 cultural points. We prepare and file it. Allow 2–4 weeks.
2. Company setup. A Hungarian production entity registers with the National Film Office. Days, not weeks.
3. Registration application. Budget, financing plan, cultural-test result, chain of title, distribution/sales evidence. Allow 4–8 weeks to decision.
4. Six-month clock starts. On the date the NFO issues its registration decision.
5. Principal photography begins. Must be within that six-month window.
6. Audit & payment. Rolling audits during and after production; tax certificate; transfer. Roughly 60 days plus 2–4 weeks.

The mistake to avoid

Producers who register too early — before financing is truly close — burn through their six-month clock in development limbo and risk revocation. Producers who register too late miss the run-up window during which the cultural test and Hungarian entity setup are running. The right moment is when you have a locked-enough budget, real financing momentum, and a target principal date within six months.

The cap is off. The six-month clock is the new discipline. Register when you're actually within six months of shooting.

Where upfront monetization fits

Once registration is in and the cultural test has scored, the rebate becomes a bankable receivable. Through partner lenders and banks in the US, UK and Hungary, we can arrange to monetize it upfront so it funds production rather than arriving after wrap. Start those conversations at registration — not after wrap.

Related: audit and payment, cultural test, greenlight to rebate.