Every Hungarian EPR declaration is built on one identifier: the KF code, the eight-digit circular product code. It decides which product stream your goods belong to, and therefore which fee rate per kilogram applies to them. Getting it wrong is not a formality — under-declaring because of a wrong classification is treated the same way as under-declaring quantities. This guide explains what a KF code is, why it is not the same thing as your customs tariff code, and how the eleven product streams are coded.
- The KF code is an eight-digit circular product code that identifies a product for Hungarian EPR purposes.
- Classification is derived from the product’s customs tariff number (VTSZ/HS) and the nature of the product — the tariff code alone does not decide it.
- There are eleven main product streams, from packaging and electronics to tyres, textiles and wooden furniture.
- Packaging is coded by material: M01 plastic, P01 paper/board, V01 metal, U01 glass, F01 wood, K01 composite, C01 textile, X01 other.
- You declare your streams by KF code at registration, and your mandatory records must be broken down by KF code and kept for five years.
What a KF code is
Hungarian EPR covers eleven main product streams. Within them, each liable product is identified by a KF code — an eight-digit circular product code. The KF code is what your registration declares, what your records are broken down by, and what determines the fee rate applied to every kilogram you place on the market.
Note that the same product can generate more than one code. A sold appliance is one entry as electrical equipment; the cardboard box it ships in is another entry under packaging; the battery inside it may be a third. EPR is charged stream by stream, not per invoice line.
KF code vs customs tariff code
This is the single most common confusion. Your customs tariff number (VTSZ in Hungary, HS internationally) is a customs classification. The KF code is an EPR classification. They are related — the classification into a product stream is made on the basis of the product’s customs tariff number and its nature — but they are not interchangeable, and you cannot simply copy your HS code into an EPR declaration.
Wooden furniture is the clearest illustration: within that stream, classification follows the nature of the material (solid wood versus chipboard, MDF or plywood) rather than the tariff number. So the tariff code narrows the field; the actual nature of the product settles it.
The eleven product streams
The streams and their stream identifiers are:
| Stream | Identifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging | M01 / P01 / V01 / U01 / F01 / K01 / C01 / X01 | Coded by packaging material |
| Single-use and other plastic products | SUP01 | Includes single-use plastic carrier bags |
| Electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) | E01–E06 | Further split into KF groups 10–99 |
| Batteries and accumulators | A11 / A21 / A31 / A41 / A51 | Portable, LMT, EV, SLI, industrial |
| Motor vehicles | J01 | KF 10 = M1, KF 20 = N1, KF 30 = three-wheelers |
| Tyres | G01 | KF 10 new, 20 retreaded, 30 solid, 99 mixed |
| Office paper | I01 | Excludes advertising paper, school exercise books, book covers |
| Advertising paper | R01 | Excludes business cards and producer-details-only material |
| Cooking oil and fat | Z01 | KF 10 oil, KF 20 fat, KF 99 mixed |
| Textile products | T01 | KF 11 clothing, 21 home textiles, 31 footwear |
| Wooden furniture | B01 | KF 10 solid wood, KF 20 non-solid wood |
For advertising paper produced domestically there is a timing rule worth knowing: the obligation arises when the printing service is performed, not at the later sale.
Packaging material codes
Packaging is the stream almost every seller touches, and it is coded purely by material. Each material carries its own rate per kilogram — the spread is wide, from 22 to 219 HUF/kg, so the split between materials materially changes your bill:
| Material | Code | 2026 rate (HUF/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | M01 | 219 |
| Paper and board | P01 | 173 |
| Metal | V01 | 186 |
| Glass | U01 | 107 |
| Wood | F01 | 22 |
| Composite | K01 | 191 |
| Textile | C01 | 148 |
| Other | X01 | 129 |
How electronics and batteries are coded
Electrical and electronic equipment (E01–E06) is split into KF groups, largely by function and by the 50 cm size boundary: KF 10 heat exchangers (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps); KF 20 screens and monitors over 100 cm²; KF 30/31/32 lamps (LED, gas-discharge, incandescent); KF 40 large appliances over 50 cm; KF 41 large luminaires; KF 42 photovoltaic panels over 50 cm; KF 50 small appliances up to 50 cm; KF 51 small luminaires; KF 60 small IT and telecommunications equipment up to 50 cm; KF 99 mixed.
Batteries start from two tariff headings — 8506 for primary (non-rechargeable) and 8507 for secondary (rechargeable) cells — and are then assigned to a category: A11 portable, A21 light means of transport (LMT), A31 electric vehicle (EV), A41 starting/lighting/ignition (SLI) and A51 industrial. A few tariff distinctions do a lot of work here: 8507 10 covers SLI starter batteries only, 8507 20 covers all other lead-acid, 8506 50 is non-rechargeable lithium (the CR2032 coin cell, for example), and 8507 60 is rechargeable lithium-ion.
Why the code matters
Three practical reasons:
- It sets your fee. The EPR fee is calculated as declared kilograms × the rate per kilogram for that stream. Rates range from 22 HUF/kg for wooden packaging to 419 HUF/kg for lamps, so the classification is not a rounding error.
- It defines your registration. In the KGYF-NY data package submitted to the authority you declare which product streams affect you by KF code, together with your statement on collective or individual compliance.
- It structures your records. The mandatory records must show the name, quantity and origin (domestic or imported) of products placed on the market broken down by KF code, and must be retained for five years.
And the flip side: a classification that produces a lower fee than the correct one is treated as under-declaration. The fine for false or understated data is 50% of the concealed fee difference, and fines accumulate per product stream and per infringement.
Frequently asked questions
Is the KF code the same as my HS or customs tariff code?
No. The customs tariff number (VTSZ/HS) is a customs classification; the KF code is an eight-digit EPR classification. The tariff number and the nature of the product together determine the EPR classification, but the codes are not interchangeable.
Can one product have several KF codes?
The product itself has one classification, but a single shipment typically generates several EPR entries: the product (if it is itself liable), each packaging material, and any battery. EPR is reported stream by stream.
How is my fee calculated from the KF code?
The fee is the declared weight in kilograms multiplied by the rate per kilogram set for that product stream. Rates for 2026 run from 22 HUF/kg for wooden packaging to 419 HUF/kg for lamps.
What happens if I classify a product incorrectly?
If the classification results in a lower declared fee than the correct one, it is treated as under-declaration. The fine is 50% of the concealed fee difference, and fines accumulate per product stream and per infringement.
Where do I declare my KF codes?
In the KGYF-NY data package submitted to the authority through OKIR at registration, where you state which product streams affect you by KF code and whether you comply collectively or individually.