CSED, GYED, GYES in Hungary 2026 – How Much Do You Get?
If you're an expat working and planning a family in Hungary, the maternity and childcare benefit system can be confusing: three different benefits, three different calculation methods. The good news is that 2026 brought a major improvement affecting all three. This guide breaks down exactly how much net money you receive from CSED, GYED and GYES, and how much more than under the old rules.
Updated:
- How much is CSED worth in 2026: CSED equals 100% of your average daily earnings, and since 1 July 2025 it is entirely free of tax and contributions, so the gross amount arrives in full.
- Can I work while receiving GYED: Yes, under the GYED Extra rules you can work without limit once your child turns 6 months old, without any reduction to the benefit.
- What is the difference between GYED and GYES: GYED is an income-based benefit proportional to your previous earnings (70%), available only to those with social security history, until the child turns 2. GYES…
Work it out for your own situation: Open the CSED/GYED/GYES calculator – free, no registration required.
The three benefits at a glance: what's the difference?
Hungary's family support system has three sequential benefits for parents of young children:
| Benefit | Period | Based on | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSED (maternity benefit) | 24 weeks of maternity leave | 100% of average daily earnings (no upper cap) | Min. 365 days of insurance in the preceding 2 years |
| GYED (childcare fee) | After CSED, until the child turns 2 | 70% of earnings, capped | Insurance history, income-based |
| GYES (childcare allowance) | Typically until the child turns 3 | Flat amount | Universal, no insurance history required |
The sequence is: CSED → GYED → GYES, though if someone doesn't qualify for CSED or GYED (insufficient insurance history), they can claim GYES directly after giving birth.
For expats: these benefits are generally tied to Hungarian social security (TB) coverage, not citizenship. If you've been legally employed and paying contributions in Hungary, you typically build up eligibility the same way a Hungarian citizen would.
CSED 2026: the highest-value benefit
CSED equals 100% of your average daily earnings — the only benefit that can match your full pre-birth gross salary. Since 1 July 2025 it is entirely free of tax and contributions: no personal income tax, no social security contribution and no pension contribution are deducted, so the gross amount arrives in full. There is, however, no upper cap: however high your earnings were, CSED equals 100% of the full daily base. (One thirtieth of twice the minimum wage — HUF 21,520 per day in 2026 — becomes the base only where the daily base cannot be established from income. Caps apply to sick pay and to GYED, not to CSED.)
💰 Example: on a 500,000 HUF gross salary
CSED is 100% of gross earnings and is free of all deductions, so the full 500,000 HUF arrives. Under the old taxable rule, 15% PIT (75,000 HUF) would have been withheld, so the exemption adds 75,000 HUF per month to what you actually receive. Even if your salary exceeded HUF 645,600 per month, CSED would still match it in full — there is no cap.
GYED 2026: the cap you need to know about
GYED is also 70% of average earnings, but here there's an upper cap: the calculation base cannot exceed 70% of twice the current minimum wage. In 2026 this cap sits at roughly 451,920 HUF gross per month. If your salary was higher than that, your GYED gets capped at this point — the portion of your real 70% above it simply isn't counted.
A 10% pension contribution is deducted from GYED, but as of 2026 it's no longer subject to PIT. So net GYED = gross GYED × 0.90.
💰 Example: on a 500,000 HUF gross salary
(350,000 HUF gross GYED, minus the 10% pension contribution.) On a higher 800,000 HUF salary, GYED is capped at 451,920 HUF gross, which works out to 406,728 HUF net — even though the uncapped 70% would be higher.
Important: under the GYED Extra rules, you can work without limit once your child turns 6 months old, without any reduction to the benefit.
GYES 2026: the safety net
GYES is a flat-rate benefit based on the current minimum old-age pension (currently 28,500 HUF per month). Only the 10% pension contribution is deducted, no PIT. The biggest advantage of GYES is that it's available without prior insurance history — so it's payable even if someone wasn't working before, or didn't have enough insurance time for CSED/GYED.
💰 Net GYES amount
This is a flat amount, regardless of the parent's previous earnings.
Calculate your own CSED/GYED/GYES amount
Enter your pre-birth gross salary and our calculator instantly shows the exact net amount for all three benefits — including the impact of the 2026 tax exemption.
Open the CSED/GYED/GYES calculator →How to apply: step by step
CSED and GYED are claimed through the paying entity (typically your employer, if authorised, or otherwise the government office) or the Hungarian State Treasury (Magyar Államkincstár, MÁK). The process generally looks like this:
- Claim submission: after the birth (or at the start of maternity leave), on the designated form, with the birth certificate attached.
- Income verification: the employer certifies income for the relevant reference period (typically the calendar year preceding the birth), used to calculate the average daily earnings.
- Assessment: the paying entity or MÁK verifies eligibility (insurance period, income) and determines the benefit amount.
- Payment: CSED and GYED are paid monthly, in arrears, typically in the month following the reference month.
Applying for GYES is simpler: it's submitted to the government office responsible for your place of residence, or to MÁK, with no insurance history verification required.
Practical tips to keep in mind
- The reference period matters: if you were on sick pay or another benefit in the year before giving birth, it can lower the base used for the average earnings calculation. It's worth checking in advance which period will be used.
- CSED generally can't be combined with active paid work during the CSED period itself — you cannot work your own job while receiving CSED; with GYED this is allowed once the child is 6 months old, under GYED Extra.
- With consecutive births, you may become eligible for a new CSED while still receiving GYED/GYES from a previous child — in that case the two benefits don't stack, the higher one replaces the other.
- The 2026 tax exemption is automatic — no separate declaration is needed; the paying entity already disburses the tax-free amount.
Frequently asked questions
What if I don't have enough insurance history for CSED?
If you don't have 365 days of insurance coverage in the 2 years before giving birth, you won't qualify for CSED or GYED, but you can still claim GYES as a universal benefit, without insurance history, after the birth.
Is the adoption fee also tax-free from 2026?
Yes, the adoption fee is a CSED-equivalent benefit for adoptive parents, and from 2026 it is equally fully exempt from personal income tax.
Is GYED paid for longer with twins?
Yes, with twins GYED is payable until the children turn 3 (instead of the usual 2), and the amount is also increased with a multiplier for twins.
Checked against the sources below in October 2026. Editor: Norbert E.
- Act LXXXIII of 1997 on compulsory health insurance benefits
- Act CXXII of 2019 on social security entitlements and contributions
- Hungarian Tax Authority (NAV) information booklets
If you find a discrepancy with the law in force, please tell us on the contact page – we correct it and note the date. See our corrections policy.