Major change in banking in Hungary: You can now withdraw twice as much cash for free!

From this week, bank customers in Hungary can take out significantly more cash from ATMs without paying fees, after the government doubled the monthly free withdrawal limit.

As of 1 February, the long-standing HUF 150,000 (EUR 391) ceiling has been raised to HUF 300,000 (EUR 782) per month, Bank360 reported on Sunday. The amount can still be withdrawn in a maximum of two transactions, meaning a third visit to the ATM could trigger bank charges.

The rule applies to anyone who receives their salary or pension into a Hungarian bank account but prefers to use cash for everyday spending.

A 12-year-old scheme gets an update

Hungary’s free cash withdrawal scheme was first introduced in February 2014 under the banner of cutting “financial utility costs”. At the time, the HUF 150,000 cap roughly matched the average monthly wage.

However, wages have risen sharply since then. Today, the average net salary is around HUF 525,000 (EUR 1,370), while the median is closer to HUF 420,000 (EUR 1,095). Even with the higher HUF 300,000 allowance, many workers still cannot withdraw their full monthly pay without paying fees.

However, for pensioners, the current average pension of around HUF 250,000 (EUR 652) now fits entirely within the new free limit.

Most people don’t even use the old limit

Interestingly, central bank data suggests that most Hungarians never came close to the previous cap, Mfor writes.

Between 2014 and 2019, customers made roughly one ATM withdrawal per month per card. By autumn 2025, this figure had dropped to just 0.84 withdrawals monthly, or about ten visits per year.

Although the average amount withdrawn has doubled over the years due to inflation and rising incomes (from roughly HUF 56,500 in 2014 to HUF 113,500 today), it still remains well below even the old HUF 150,000 threshold.

In other words, the increase may benefit only a relatively small group of heavy cash users.