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Hungary: Identity documents, including passports, identity cards and residence cards; procedures to obtain identity documents

Types of passports

Keesing Reference Systems lists five types of valid passports for Hungary: diplomatic passports (Keesing Reference Systems n.d.a), diplomatic service passports (ibid. n.d.b), national passports (ibid. n.d.e), service passports (ibid. n.d.f) and service passports for seamen (ibid. n.d.g).

According to Keesing Reference Systems, national passports have a dark blue cover and contain the following features:

Validity

Two years for bearers between zero and four, five years for bearers between four and eighteen, ten years for bearers between eighteen and seventy, five years for bearers over seventy

Biodata card entry 'Date of expiry'

Booklet

c. 125 x 88 mm / 4.9 x 3.5 in.

32 pages excluding the integrated biodata card,

Pages 1, 2 and the biodata card not numbered

Laminate

None

Photo

Integrated, background printing runs across the photograph

Numbering

Six digits, preceded by two letters

Front cover – page 16, perforated, starting from page 16

Page 32, printed

Biodata card, machine-written

Observations

This passport was first issued in 1998

Red fibres in the paper (n.d.e).

Apart from the five-year period of validity, all four of the following passports share the same features as the national passport: diplomatic passports have a green cover and are valid for five years (Keesing Reference Systems n.d.a); diplomatic service passports have a maroon cover and are valid for five years (ibid. n.d.b); service passports have a scarlet cover and are valid for five years (ibid. n.d.f); service passports for seamen have a scarlet cover and are valid for five years (ibid. n.d.g).

Passport application procedures

According to the Web site of the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in London, Law XII of 1998, which regulates travel abroad, stipulates that in order to receive a new passport, applicants must submit proof of Hungarian citizenship along with the passport application (Hungary n.d.a). In order to prove his or her Hungarian citizenship, the applicant must submit one of the following: a valid Hungarian identity card, an expired Hungarian passport whose expiry date is less than a year old, or a certificate of Hungarian nationality issued no longer than one year ago (ibid.).

The Web site of the Hungarian Embassy in London notes that passport applicants can submit their applications in person or, if this is extremely difficult, by mail (ibid.). For mail-in applications, a notary public or solicitor must verify the personal identity and signature of the applicant, and the Hungarian Consulate must subsequently endorse the signature and seal of the notary public or solicitor (ibid.). All new passports are issued in Budapest and the procedure takes roughly eight weeks (ibid.).

At the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in London, passport applicants are charged between GBP32 and GBP76 [approximately CAN$67 (Bank of Canada 28 Aug. 2006b) to CAN$160 (ibid. 28 Aug. 2006c)], excluding postal charges (Hungary n.d.a). Price depends on the age of the applicant, the type of passport issued and the method of delivery (ibid.).

Along with their completed application forms, passport applicants must submit their expired passport (or identity card or certificate of Hungarian nationality), three photographs, the consular fee and a stamped, self-addressed envelope (ibid.). If the applicant submits his or her application by mail, he or she must include a GBP14 [approximately CAN$30 (Bank of Canada 28 Aug. 2006a)] consular endorsement fee and an employer's letter of permission with Hungarian translation if he or she wishes to receive a second passport (Hungary n.d.a).

Children under the age of 18 must apply for their own passports as they are no longer entered into their parents' new passports (ibid.). Both parents of a minor applicant must sign a parental declaration in the presence of a Hungarian consular official, notary public or solicitor (ibid.). Single parents must provide proof of legal guardianship (ibid.).

If the applicant's passport has expired more than one year before the date of application for the new passport and he or she does not possess a valid identity card or a certificate of nationality issued within the past year, he or she must complete a "nationality questionnaire" (ibid.), a copy of which can be found on the Web site of the Hungarian Embassy in London (ibid. n.d.b).

If the applicant has never held a Hungarian passport or his or her passport was issued prior to 1992, a special "investigation of nationality" procedure is required (ibid. n.d.a). Passport applicants in this category must complete a special questionnaire and attach the necessary personal documents (either an expired passport or the applicant's parents' birth and marriage certificates) (ibid.). The investigation takes approximately six months to complete (ibid.). Additional information on this procedure can be found on the Hungarian Embassy of London Web site (ibid. n.d.c).

Identity and residence cards

According to Keesing Reference Systems, the Hungarian identity card, which is multi-coloured, contains the following features:

Validity

Ten years, six years for bearers younger than twenty, unlimited after the age of seventy, front entry 'Date of expiry'

Card

c. 86 x 54 mm / 3.4 x 2.1 in.

Synthetic (polycarbonate)

Laminate

None

Photo

Integrated

Numbering

Six digits, followed by two letters

Front and back, laser engraved

Observations

This card was first issued on 1 January 2000 (n.d.d).

The domestic identity card shares the same features as the identity card described above, except that it is issued to "aliens" (immigrants and refugees) (Keesing Reference Systems n.d.c).

Additional recent information on identity cards could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within time constraints. However, on 19 September 2002, a consular officer at the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Ottawa provided the information in the following five paragraphs during a telephone interview with the Research Directorate:

Hungary issues a passport-like identity document to all citizens who reside in Hungary. Before 1989, this document contained a wide range of information on the bearer; after 1989, the booklet-like format was kept, but the information contained in the document was drastically reduced, to little more than the name, vital statistics and place of residence.

Around 2001, two types of identification forms were implemented to replace the booklet-form document: a plastic national identity card indicating the card-holder's name, vital statistics and whether the person is a Hungarian citizen, and a separate card indicating where the person resides. In 2002, Hungary had a central registry for residence information where each person registered their place of residence, whether temporary or permanent; however, a person could have both types of residence at the same time (for example, university students whose permanent residence was their parents' home, but their temporary student residence was in another city). Some Hungarians still have old booklet-type identification documents that have not yet expired and may be valid for several more years.

Hungarian citizens are required to obtain a national identity card at 18 years of age.

Hungarians residing abroad or persons who have reclaimed Hungarian citizenship only require a passport as proof of citizenship. However, the national identity card gives access to social security and other services; a passport alone does not entitle the person to those services because it is not proof of residence, nor of payment of taxes in Hungary.

In addition to the military service card, Hungarians used to have a "job booklet," which listed the jobs one had held, and was used for social security purposes. This card was phased out around 1990. Other documents that can be used as identity documents in Hungary include birth certificates, driver's licenses and marriage certificates, although the latter two are not issued to all Hungarians.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Bank of Canada. 28 August 2006a. "Exchange Rates." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/converter.htm> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. 28 August 2006b. "Exchange Rates." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/converter.htm> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. 28 August 2006c. "Exchange Rates." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/converter.htm> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]

Hungary. 19 September 2002. Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Ottawa. Telephone interview with a consular official.
_____. N.d.a. Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in London. "Hungarian Passport." <http://www.huemblon.org.uk/mpassprt/hupass.html> [Accessed 17 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.b. Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in London. "Application for the Establishment of Nationality." <http://www.huemblon.org.uk/adatlap/nationality_form.htm> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.c. Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in London. "Verification of Hungarian Citizenship." <http://www.huemblon.org.uk/mcitizen/citizena.html> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]

Keesing Reference Systems. N.d.a. "Hungary – Diplomatic Passport: Cover (D1)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.b. "Hungary – Diplomatic Service Passport: Cover (D2)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.c. "Hungary – Domestic Identity Card: Cover (B2)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.d. "Hungary – Identity Card: Cover (I1)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.e. "Hungary – National Passport: Cover (P2)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.f. "Hungary – Service Passport: Cover (S1)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]
_____. N.d.g. "Hungary – Service Passport for Seamen: Cover (N1)." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2006]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral Sources, including: The Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Ottawa.

Internet Sites, including: Consulate General of Hungary in New York; Consulate General of Hungary in Toronto; Embassy of Hungary in Ottawa; Embassy of Hungary in Paris; Embassy of Hungary in Washington, DC; Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Hungarian Ministry of Interior (inaccessible); Magyarorszag.hu (inaccessible).