Wekerle Plusz: what changes for buying in Budapest

Hungary's subsidised home loan has changed. Government decree 298/2026 (X. 27.), in force since 28 October 2026, creates the Wekerle Plusz loan, which replaces the Otthon Start loan launched in September 2025. The price limits stay the same, but the rate now depends on whether the home is new or not, and the conditions are stricter. Here is what changes, and what it means if you buy, sell or invest in Budapest.

Wekerle Plusz in brief

• Interest rate: fixed at 3% for a new-build home bought from the developer, or for building a home; fixed at 5% for a resale apartment. The rate is fixed for the whole term.
• Loan: up to 50 million forints, over up to 25 years, with at least 10% of the price as own funds.
• Price caps: an apartment up to 100 million forints (150 million for a house), and up to 1.5 million forints per m² of usable floor area. The same caps apply to new and resale homes, everywhere in Hungary. From 2028, the per-m² cap follows the new-home price index.
• Fees: application and disbursement fees capped at 30,000 forints; early repayment fee capped at 1%.

Who can apply

• Buyers aged 18 to 45 when they apply.
• Hungarian citizens, EEA citizens living in Hungary for more than three months, and foreigners with long-term residence. A foreign investor living abroad does not qualify.
• Buyers who have never owned 50% or more of a residential property, ignoring homes worth 30 million forints or less. Couples apply together and both must meet the conditions.
• Each person can use it only once.

The obligations

• Living there for five years: the buyer must live in the home and register at the address within 180 days.
• No renting out: the home cannot be let or handed over to a third party for five years. The loan cannot finance a buy-to-let.
• If the rules are broken: the loan switches to the market rate and the subsidy received must be repaid, with a penalty. The state registers a mortgage and a five-year ban on sale.

The end of Otthon Start

Otthon Start is closing. Buyers who signed their sale contract by 31 October 2026 can still apply for the 3% Otthon Start loan, but the application must reach the bank by 15 November 2026. Loans already approved are not affected.

What it costs each month

For a 50 million forint loan over 25 years, Bankmonitor calculates a monthly payment of about 237,100 forints at 3%, 292,300 forints at 5%, and 337,600 forints at a market rate of 6.5%. For a resale apartment, the subsidy is therefore much smaller than under Otthon Start.

What it changes in Budapest

• New-build has the advantage: at 3% against 5%, the same buyer can borrow more for a new apartment. Expect developers to use it in their marketing.
• The 1.5 million forints per m² cap matters: in the city centre, many apartments are above it. In District V, asking prices are around 2 million forints per m². In practice, the loan targets smaller or outer-district apartments, roughly up to 65 m² at the cap.
• For sellers of resale apartments: buyers who relied on Otthon Start will borrow less at 5%. Price your apartment within the caps where possible, and expect more negotiation below 100 million forints.
• For investors: Wekerle Plusz is not for you, since the home cannot be let for five years. But less financed demand on resale apartments can make it easier to negotiate when you buy with your own funds.

What we recommend

Check the conditions with your bank before signing, as each bank applies them in its own way. If you are selling, we take the new caps into account when we set your price. If you are investing, we can tell you which apartments these buyers are targeting, and which ones they are not.

Sources: decree 298/2026 (X. 27.) Korm. rendelet; Bankmonitor (October 2026). Figures as of November 2026.