Apr 12 2023
For long-term Hungarian residents, a Hungarian driver's licence could be quite handy. The procedure for getting a Hungarian driving license is relatively efficient and takes around or less than three months to complete, however, there are a few requirements and restrictions you should be aware of.
For anyone living in Hungary for longer than one year, foreign driving licenses must be naturalised to a Hungarian license in order to stay on the road. Holders of driver's licenses that have been issued by any country in the Convention of 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which establishes standard rules of the road, are eligible to exchange theirs for a Hungarian driver’s license without taking the exam; however, holders of licences from countries that are not part of the Convention are required to take the Hungarian driving test.
To naturalise your foreign license to a Hungarian license, the following requirements must be met:
1. The foreign licence must be translated into Hungarian by OFFI, the official translation service in Hungary, or by the embassy. Expired licenses will also be accepted for translation as long as it is in the applicant's name.
2. Applicants must get a Medical certificate from their family doctor for a B category driving licence. The certificate is not part of any insurance scheme, and it usually costs between 7,000 to 7,500 forints.
3. ID or passport is required together with a 'lakcímkártya' or address registration card and resident permit, if applicable, and the applicant must be aged at least 17 years.
The above documents should be brought to the Central Registration Office. If you are an EU citizen, applying in any district office is acceptable, but for non-EU citizens, only the Central Registration Office is allowed to process the application.
Waiting times at the CRO are lengthy. It costs between 9,000 to 10,000 forints, and applicants are typically given a date to return for an appointment.
The theory exam, which costs 4,600 forints when taken online, is available in Hungarian, English, Romanian, and German languages. Exam-takers are given ten chances to pass the test.
Extra fees will add up quickly if exam-takers bring their own translators, and the price for a translator is 10,000 forints.
Following the issuance of the decision paper to the applicant, there's a nine-month window period to take the theory exam and a one-year time limit to pass it. Once the theory exam has been passed, there's a two-year window period before the practical exam has to be taken. With five chances to pass the practical exam, we suggest having at least ten classes to prepare.
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