Acknowledgement of paternity
A declaration of fatherhood is required in case the parent(s) of a Hungarian citizen apply for the registration of the birth of their child abroad AND the parents were not married at the time of the child's birth. If the parents of a child were not married during the pregnancy, only the man who acknowledges his paternity may be entered as the father to the child's Hungarian birth certificate, regardless of the contents of the British birth certificate.
When is the acknowledgment of paternity not possible?
A man cannot acknowledge his paternity if
- the mother was married during her pregnancy,
- or she divorced, and less than 300 days passed between the day of birth and the day on which the divorce took effect.
In the above cases, the legal presumption is that the husband or the ex-husband is the father. This presumption can only be contested at the court. There are some special rules for children born via an in vitro procedure. For clarifications, please send us an email at konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu
It is also impossible to acknowledge the paternity if a court has already passed judgment on paternity.
If the parents of the child are under 18, their legal representatives should appear in person as well. For the validity of the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, the father should be at least 16 years older than his child.
Who must give consent to the acknowledgment?
The consent of the
- mother,
- the legal guardian of a minor, and
- child if he or she is at least 14 years of age
are necessary for the full effect of the acknowledgment. Thus, as a general rule the joint presence of both parents (and of the child, if applicable) is required to initiate the procedure.
If the mother or the child is deceased or is permanently hindered, consent may be given by the Hungarian guardianship office. A statement on the family name of the child is part of the acknowledgment and consent. For more information, please contact us via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu
How to apply
The application may only be submitted in person with both parents present. Appointments are required and can be scheduled online.
Documents to be submitted
- The original birth certificate. We only accept a full birth certificate, showing data for parents as well!
If the child’s birth certificate was not issued in the UK, please inform us in advance via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu. - The parents must present their identity documents (ID card or passport) and prove their nationality.
- If available: the child's foreign passport.
- If the marital status of the mother is divorced or widow, proof of the status (marriage certificate, court decree on divorce with a Hungarian translation, death certificate).
- If the child is yet to be born, certification from the obstetrician/gynaecologist on the expected date of giving birth.
There is no need to complete an application form in advance, as all necessary forms will be provided during your appointment.
Translation of the birth certificate
There is no need for translation:
- if the birth certificate is issued in English, German or French language;
- OR, if the birth certificate is issued by other countries in two or more languages if one of them is English, German, or French.
If the birth certificate is issued in a different language, a legal translation should be presented:
- the translation could be prepared by the Hungarian Gazette Publishing Legal Translation Centre Ltd. (MKIFK) (previously known as Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation Ltd. – in this case, it does not need to be further legalized;
- OR, the translation should be legalized by the responsible Hungarian Consulate.
If the child’s birth certificate was not issued in the UK, please let us know in advance via konz.edi@mfa.gov.hu
Procedure for a declaration of paternity if your child was born in the UK
If the parents are not married or married after the birth of the child and the child was born in the United Kingdom and the identity of the parents were announced jointly and in unison by the parents at the registry office (the names of both parents are listed in the so-called “Informant” column of the birth certificate issued in the United Kingdom /Certified copy of an entry/) and otherwise all the legal conditions for making a paternity declaration are met, the person listed in the birth certificate issued by the UK authority can be registered as a father without making a full acknowledgement of paternity declaration. (In other words, there is no need to book a separate appointment to make the declaration of paternity because the declaration will be based on the British birth certificate.)
In this case please fill out the declaration at the bottom of the page and bring it with you to the consulare office. The declaration shall be signed during the administration in front of the employee of the consular office.
N.B.
However, this rule does not apply to cases where the father or the mother is a minor (under 18) or if the child has already reached the age of 14.
Form to be downloaded:
Consular fee
Consular fees are listed here. Please note that we are a cashless office, card payment only!
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.
Form to be downloaded: