How to request a kivonat at an anyakönyvi hivatal
The anyakönyvi hivatal lives inside the town hall (polgármesteri hivatal) — and since the electronic registry, any of them reaches any record in the country. The well-assembled Hungarian request has the names in the Magyar order, the right era identified and, for third parties, the meghatalmazás in the envelope.
The request
In writing (email or post) to the hivatal — preferably the one of the event's place for old records not yet migrated (the first request triggers the digitisation). In Hungarian whenever possible: English works in Budapest and the big cities; in the countryside, Hungarian is the office's language. The bilingual request with reviewed machine translation is the usual insurance.
The data kit
- Name in the Hungarian order (Kovács János) AND in the Western one — with the era's spelling variants.
- Date and place of the event — with the place's historical Hungarian name when it differs.
- Parents' names (in the Hungarian order too).
- The type: születési (birth), házassági (marriage), halotti (death) anyakönyvi kivonat.
- Purpose and connection; identification.
Third parties: the meghatalmazás
The Hungarian power of attorney — written, with both parties' details and the specific act; for administrative use, the simple one with document copies usually serves, and the one made abroad travels better with authentication. Direct family members request in their own right; Hungarian law lists the entitled, and descendants prove the line.
Fees and timelines
The kivonat has a small fee (Hungary kept symbolic charges — and several records come out exempt). Timelines: days for records in the electronic system; weeks when the request triggers the paper migration. Payment from abroad: the usual knot, in forints — solved by European transfer or someone local.
Frequently asked questions
Which hivatal do I choose if any of them issues?+
For records already migrated: the most responsive (Budapest). For old ones: the one of the event's place — it holds the book and does the migration. The era decides the address.
Does the hivatal really answer email?+
The urban ones, yes — at the Hungarian pace (days to weeks). The countryside prefers post and phone; polite persistence is part of the method.
Informative content about request procedures. We do not cover citizenship or visa eligibility. Rules and amounts may change; always confirm before acting.