Anti-drug regulations for restaurants to be relaxed from 2026

According to the amendments to the legislation published in the Hungarian Gazette at the end of the year, the emergency decree related to the prohibition of the production, use, distribution and promotion of drugs, which adversely affected catering establishments, has become invalid. The change followed previous signals from the Hungarian Catering Industry Association (MVI), which reached legislators through the Hungarian Tourism Agency and the Ministry of the Interior.

In parallel, Act LXXV of 1999 on combating organized crime was also amended. According to the new regulations, the temporary closure of shops is no longer automatic: the authorities must examine the operator’s behavior, cooperation, and whether they have taken preventive steps to avoid violations.

Under the new regulations, the police may close a shop for a maximum of three months if criminal proceedings are initiated on its premises for a crime related to drugs or other mind-altering substances. However, this can only happen if such a procedure is initiated in the given business for at least the second time. In the first case, the principle of gradualism applies.

The amendment creates a more predictable legal environment for hospitality operators and recognizes those operators who actively cooperate with the authorities and apply preventive measures to avoid violations.