All Hungarian citizens must have their marriages officiated abroad registered in Hungary. Marriages are usually registered in Hungary at the registrar’s office, however it is also possible to file an application through the Consulate.
If a change of name occured, an application for a passport in your new name can also be submitted (see note on Hungarian Passport application) but a separate appointment must be booked for the passport application as well.
Please note that the whole registration procedure takes on average 2-4 months but the Consulate cannot guarantee the length of the procedure. There is no possibility to expedite the process. Thus, we do not recommend e.g. to book any tickets on your married name until you receive the documents.
Who can apply for the procedure
The condition for submitting the application is that one of the parties (spouse) can prove his/her Hungarian citizenship both at the time of the marriage and the submission of the application. (If it cannot be proven, a Hungarian citizenship verification process is required of the applicant(s) first.)
How to apply
The application may only be submitted in person with both parties (spouse) present. Appointments are required and can be scheduled online.
At the same day, an application for a passport can also be submitted but a separate appointment must be booked for the passport application as well.
Documents to be submitted
- The original marriage certificate. (In Scotland: 'Extract of an entry in a register of marriages')
If the marriage was concluded in a country other than the UK you might need to get an Apostille or diplomatic legalisation from the country of marriage. If the marriage certificate was not issued in the UK, please inform us in advance via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu. - The applicants must present their identity documents (ID card or passport) and prove their nationality.
If the current document proving the applicant’s citizenship was issued after the marriage, please also provide the previous passport/ID card or its copy. Should you have any question regarding this, please contact us via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu. - Hungarian birth certificate and Hungarian address card of the Hungarian citizen spouse
(we also appreciate if the non-Hungarian spouse brings a copy of his/her birth certificate as well)
More information on how to obtain a Hungarian birth/marriage certificate can be found here. - Certificate of marital status of the non-Hungarian party prior to the marriage
EU and UK citizens are not required to present such a certificate. - If the bride's or the groom's family status at the time of the marriage was divorced or widow, you have to submit the Hungarian-issued or foreign marriage certificate, and/or the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a court decree (with Hungarian translation).
More information on how to obtain a Hungarian birth/marriage certificate can be found here.
If the marriage was dissolved within the EU (including the UK) between 1 May 2004 and 31 December 2020, please also submit the certificate issued by the court in accordance with Brussels II regulation (Certificate referred to in Article 39 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 concerning judgments in matrimonial matters).
- If the divorce from the previous marriage of a Hungarian citizen has not yet been registered, it has to be done simultaneously (but in this case please book your appointment accordingly!). For the list of necessary documents, please check this website.
There is no need to complete an application form in advance, as all necessary forms will be provided during your appointment.
Translation of the documents
There is no need for translation:
- if the marriage certificate is issued in English, German or French language;
- OR, if the marriage certificate is issued by other countries in two or more languages if one of them is English, German, or French.
If the marriage certificate is issued in a different language, a legal translation should be presented:
- the translation could be prepared by the Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation Ltd (OFFI) – in this case, it does not need to be further legalized;
- OR, the translation should be legalized by the responsible Hungarian Consulate.
If the marriage certificate was not issued in the UK, please let us know in advance via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu
Please note that court decrees (if relevant in your case) are to be submitted with Hungarian translation (even if they were issued in English, German or French).
Consular fee
The registration of marriage is free of charge. However, there might be an extra consular authentication fee in addition for any translations (please see previous point).
Should you have any questions or if you can’t provide any of the listed documents, please contact us via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu.