According to chamber guidance, the MKIK (Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) began checking compulsory contractor's liability insurance on 3 March 2025, and since then it has been continuously examining whether the businesses listed in the chamber's contractor register (KIVREG) have uploaded cover in line with their revenue. The same three questions keep coming up at the customer services of the regional chambers of commerce: what exactly do they look at, what documents do they accept, and what happens if something is missing. As a broker, I see that most of the hold-ups stem not from a missing contract but from a missing upload or an unsuitable document: there is a valid policy, but the chamber cannot see it, or it sees something from which the statutory minimum cannot be read. Who the obligation applies to and what the minimum is are summarised in the earlier article, and whether an existing contract complies is covered in the piece on the five points to check; this article is about the check itself.
- Since 3 March 2025, the MKIK (Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) has been checking in the chamber's contractor register (KIVREG) whether cover matching the statutory band for the declared revenue has been uploaded – at registration and at least once a year thereafter.
- The accepted documents are the policy or a certificate of cover no more than 30 days old, together with the insurance proposal or the revenue declaration; uploading them with an Ügyfélkapu+ login is the contractor's personal task, and the chamber does not process policies sent by e-mail.
- If cover is missing, under Section 37 of Government Decree 191/2009 the chamber prohibits the activity until the contract is concluded, for no more than six months, after which it removes the contractor from the register.
Who checks, and what do they look at?
The register of construction contractors is kept by the MKIK, while the regional chambers of commerce and industry assist with the administration and with providing information – so questions can be addressed to the KIVREG customer service of your own county chamber. According to chamber guidance, the MKIK checks whether the contractor has liability insurance at registration and then at least once a year thereafter. The subject of the check is not the business's accounts but how the uploaded documents relate to one another: the revenue stated in the revenue declaration or in the insurance proposal, and the amount of cover corresponding to it, are compared with the statutory bands. According to the guidance, the chamber compares the declared revenue with the amount of cover corresponding to it – the contractor making the declaration is responsible for the figure declared. According to the chamber FAQ, the chamber does not assess whether the content of the policy complies – that is something the insurer can establish, so it has to be clarified with the insurer; the chamber looks at whether the document shows the cover corresponding to the declared revenue.
What is requested: three documents in KIVREG
Chamber guidance names three documents: the insurance policy or a certificate of cover issued by the insurer no more than 30 days old, and the insurance proposal or the revenue declaration – the latter goes to a non-public area and cannot be seen in the public part of the register. Uploading is done on the KIVREG portal with an Ügyfélkapu+ login (the Hungarian government's secure online identification); the guidance of the Győr-Moson-Sopron County Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GYMSMKIK) points out that the chamber cannot process policies sent by e-mail. According to chamber guidance, the upload is carried out by the person authorised to represent the business, using their own Ügyfélkapu+ login – so this is a task that I cannot take over, even as a broker. Where I can help is with the content of the document: according to the chamber's requirement, the certificate of cover must prove revenue-based cover, which means that the limit and the construction activity must be legibly stated on it. What a good certificate of cover should contain and how to request it from the insurer is covered in the article on certificates of cover and in the checklist for requesting a certificate.
When do you need to provide proof again?
According to chamber guidance, with an indefinite-term contract there is nothing to do at the renewal date if the insurer, the revenue band and the contract terms have not changed. New data must be submitted if a fixed-term contract expires, if you switch insurer, if your revenue moves into another band, or if the contract ends for any reason. With a project-based contract, according to chamber guidance, the documents of the individual projects must also be uploaded – your regional chamber can give you guidance on the details. An important asymmetry: insurers report the termination of contracts to the MKIK, but not the conclusion of new ones – so the chamber will learn of a termination on its own, but of new cover only if you upload it. When switching insurer, therefore, do not let any time pass between cancelling the old contract and uploading the new document, otherwise you may temporarily appear in the register without cover.
The consequence: a prohibition for up to six months, then removal
The legal consequence is set out in Section 37(1)(c) of Government Decree 191/2009, and the chamber FAQs quote it as well: if the contractor does not have adequate liability insurance, the chamber prohibits the continuation of the construction activity until the contract is concluded, but for no more than six months; if the contractor still fails to meet its obligation to conclude a contract within this period, the chamber removes it from the register. The decision typically arrives electronically, via Cégkapu or Ügyfélkapu (the official electronic mailboxes for companies and individuals). During the prohibition, the contractor may appear in the register as not entitled, which may also be visible to clients and main contractors on the public interface, and may be a disqualifying factor in tenders and when contracts are concluded. The six months are for putting things right: according to chamber guidance, once the contract has been concluded and the document uploaded, the entitlement can be reactivated, while after removal, according to chamber practice, you should expect a new registration procedure and a fresh certificate of cover – the details are provided by your regional chamber. The article on chamber requirements gives a broader picture of the logic by which chambers generally handle insurance requirements.
Seven typical mistakes that the check picks up
- A contract that has been concluded but not uploaded – in the chamber's eyes, this is just as much a deficiency as having no insurance at all.
- A policy sent by e-mail – it is not processed; it must be uploaded to KIVREG.
- A certificate of cover more than 30 days old at registration.
- A certificate that does not show the revenue-based limit or the construction activity.
- A lower limit left in place without reporting the change of band, while revenue has grown.
- A subcontractor relying on the main contractor's contract who is not named on it as an insured, or who did not upload the document themselves.
- An expired fixed-term or project-based contract that was not followed by a new upload.
What should you do if the chamber's notice or decision has arrived?
First, log in to your KIVREG account and see what has been uploaded and what is missing – often it is only the document or the update that was left out. If you have a valid contract, ask the insurer for a fresh certificate of cover showing the revenue-based limit and the construction activity, and upload it together with the proposal or the revenue declaration. If you have no contract, or the existing one does not comply, you need to request a quote based on your actual list of activities and your construction revenue, conclude the contract and then upload it – that is what the six months are for, not for waiting. If you let me know, I coordinate the content of the certificate of cover with the insurer, or prepare the comparison of quotes; the revenue declaration, the signature and the KIVREG upload remain your own non-transferable tasks. If you have questions, the KIVREG customer service of your regional chamber gives an official answer – the chamber decides on the register, the insurer on what is an insured event.
A question tailored to your own case with the chamber? Book a free 20-minute consultation →
Sources
- Government Decree 191/2009 (IX. 15.), Sections 21/B–21/G and 37 (njt.hu)
- Győr-Moson-Sopron County Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Checks of compulsory contractor's liability insurance have begun
- Pécs-Baranya Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Contractor registration, frequently asked questions
- MKIK (Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) – Construction contractor businesses: frequently asked questions
- Sopron Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Contractor's liability insurance FAQ 2.0
Related articles
- Compulsory liability insurance for construction contractors: for whom, from when, with what minimum?
- Certificate of Insurance: How to Prove Your Cover to Clients and Chambers
- Certificate Request Checklist: How to Ask for One Smoothly
- Professional Chambers and Insurance: What Does the Chamber Expect?
