The pink social security booklet will be abolished in Hungary

What is the pink social security booklet?

The social security booklet, sometimes also called the pink booklet because of its distinctive color, is a document that indicates your social security status. Every employee in Hungary has one, and it lists the first day of your employment as well as all the benefits you have received related to social security, such as sick leave benefits or maternity benefits.

If you are on a work permit in Hungary and you are still working for your first employer, there is a chance you have not yet seen this document, since it is created by every employee’s first employer, and then it is kept by them throughout the employment relationship. If you change employers, you are supposed to receive it with your exit documents and submit it to your next employer when you start.

If you are an employer, most probably your HR or payroll specialist handles the pink booklets of your employees.

Changes from 2026

According to a new regulation, the social security booklet will be abolished starting from January 1, 2026, since it has become redundant due to the digitalization of administration related to social security and employment. Employers will be required to make their reports to the Tax Authority the same as before, while employers that are also paying agents for social security will be able to access relevant data through a new platform.

Are you an employee?

As an employee, not much will change for you. Starting from January 2026, you will not be required to carry your pink social security booklet from one employer to the next when you are changing employers. If your employer is a paying agent for social security (so you get your benefits from your employer and not directly from the Treasury), the data management policy of your employer should be updated, and you are supposed to receive a notice of this.

Are you an employer?

As an employer, you will no longer need to worry about managing the pink social security booklet of your employees. You, or rather your payroll specialist, just need to keep electronically reporting employment related data to the authorities the same as before, and starting from January 2026, you will be spared the hassle of redundant paper-based documentation. HR and payroll related workflows should be updated accordingly.

If your business is a payment agent for social security (so you are paying social security related benefits to your employees, for which you are being reimbursed by the state), you will be able to access relevant data currently listed in the pink social security booklet through an online platform. Accordingly, you will need to update your data management policies and notify your employees about this.

In case of healthcare providers, employers will also be able to check if their employees have alternative employment, which is necessary for compliance with the rules governing minimum rest periods for healthcare professionals.

Helpers Hungary at your service

Helpers provides comprehensive business and personal solutions to foreigners living, working, and doing business in Hungary. If you are an employer and you have accounting and/or payroll services with Helpers, our colleagues will manage the changes related to the abolition of the pink social security booklet, and you will need to get involved only if your personal touch is needed. Otherwise, we are happy to take the burden of administrative tasks off your shoulders, so you can focus on making your business a success in Hungary.

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