Legalisation Procedure of Documents to Be Used Abroad

design elem
Information on the legalisation procedure of documents to be used abroad 

Legalisation procedure of documents to be used abroad from 15 June 2020

Legalisation requests may be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in person or by post.

It is possible that you do not need your document to be legalised at all. Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 abolished the Apostille-requirement and simplified obtaining official translations for commonly used public documents (e.g. birth and marriage certificates, certificates of being alive, certificates of family status, criminal record certificates) within the European Union. For further information please refer to https://e-justice.europa.eu/content_public_documents-551-en.do

design elem
In person  

The application can be submitted at the customer service at Nagy Imre tér 4, 1027 Budapest, only after booking an appointment online.

1. Fill in the application form here: https://konzinfostart.mfa.gov.hu

Please note that the application form must be filled in online and presented when applying in person at all times. 

The web assistant will help with the completion of the application following the registration of a user profile.

After logging in, select the “Legalisation (in Hungary)” option from the menu, fill in the request form, save it with the Save button above and send it (Submit button). The application form can be downloaded and printed by pressing the Form (pdf) button.

The saved request will also be available for reference from “Pending cases” on the main page. 

2. Book an appointment here: https://konzinfobooking.mfa.gov.hu. Please note that we open new appointments every day in our online system. We would like to inform you that – in addition to personal administration – your application can be submitted via post as well. You can find detailed information about it on this page.

When you submit your documents in person, the administrator will provide information on the exact date when the documents are ready for collection.

The processing time of the documents is governed by Act CL of 2016 on General Public Administration Procedures. A simplified summary procedure (processing time 8 days maximum) will be used if the application is complete and all the necessary data are at the authority’s disposal. Otherwise, the full processing time will be up to 60 days. 

The consular fee of legalisation is 5,500 HUF per signature, which must be paid by card. Customer hours: Monday to Thursday from 9AM to 12PM (noon). 

Only customers with an appointment may enter the building! Please arrive on time, since there is no possibility to wait – due to the pandemic – in the customer area, only on the street. If a customer arrives late, the booked appointed will be cancelled after 5 minutes, and a new appointment must be booked for a later day.

design elem
By post 

Please examine carefully the requirements, particularly regarding the intermediate legalisation. In the case of missing intermediate legalisation, the documents cannot be legalised, therefore they will be sent back by post with a notice requiring the applicant to address the deficiencies. 

Please note that the general terms and conditions of the postal service apply to any valuable or irreplaceable papers. The legalised documents will be sent back by registered post, without any extra insurance. The Ministry forwards the documents as a registered item only to a Hungarian address, there is no way to provide value insurance! 

The application form must be filled in online on the Konzinfo Start website.

1. Fill in the form (Legalisation in Hungary)

2. Pay the fee online or transfer to the account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade  [10032000–01410608–00000000 at Magyar Államkincstár], each signature to be legalised costs 5,500 HUF. Please write in the notice box: FH + surname  ( IBAN No: HU89 10032000-01410608-00000000; SWIFT code: HUSTHUHB )

3. Print the form and the official notice of a bank transaction

4. Please check up on the requirements of intermediate legalisation of your documents.

5. Sign the form and mail it with your original documents and the notice of the bank transaction along to the following address:

Külgazdasági és Külügyminisztérium
Konzuli és Állampolgársági Főosztály, Felülhitelesítés
1525 Budapest, Pf. 28

design elem

In accordance with 15.§ (2) of Act 46 of 2001 on Consular Protection (hereinafter ”Act”), if the necessary signature and stamp samples are available in the register of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for the purpose of foreign use, the minister legalises signatures and seals appearing on documents issued by Hungarian central administrative bodies, public bodies, personnel or bodies authorized to exercise public executive powers by law or by Government Decree. Such documents are divided into two categories based on the country where the document will be used. Distinction shall be made between legalisation procedures by Apostille Certificate and diplomatic legalisation. It is imperative in case of each and every document to expressly name the country in which the document will be used on the form by which the legalisation procedure is initiated (Request Form).

In accordance with the above, with respect to countries which are members of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, signed on 5 October 1961 (hereinafter: “Apostille Convention”), the Department of Consular Affairs and Citizenship issues the Apostille certificate as per Legislative Decree 11 of 1973 (the updated list of State Parties to the Convention is found at: www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.status&cid=41). In this case the document may be used in each and every member state of the Convention without any further legalisation.

With respect to countries which have not joined the Apostille Convention, the Department of Consular Affairs and Citizenship carries out the diplomatic legalisation of the documents. In this case, following the legalisation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the documents shall be further legalised by the accredited mission of the target country in Hungary.

It should be noted that certain documents need to undergo intermediate legalisation before the issuing of an Apostille certificate or diplomatic legalisation. The organization carrying out the intermediate legalisation may vary according to the type of document (see: Detailed Guidance below).

Kindly note that if the legalisation concerns the translation of a public document we can only accept the translation made by the Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation (OFFI). For more information: https://www.offi.hu/ 

design elem
Detailed Guidance for requesting an Apostille certificate 

Since 1 September 2008 the following organizations issue Apostille certificate in Hungary:

  1. The Ministry of Justice in respect of documents and official translations of such documents issued by the Ministry of Justice, the specialized agencies of justice under the supervision of the minister, and the documents by the courts.
  2. The Hungarian Chamber of Civil Law Notaries in respect of documents made by, or legalised by civil law notaries, and official translations of such documents. https://mokk.hu/ugyfeleknek/index_en.php
  3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of documents issued by other bodies, and the official translations of such documents.

The Apostille legalisation procedure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is governed by KüM Decree 1/2009. (I.9.). As per 2. §, the process is initiated by handing in the Request Form. Documents to be legalised can be submitted together with the Request Form by any person (without a power of attorney) at the Legalisation Office of the Department of Consular Affairs and Citizenship, at 1027 Budapest, Nagy Imre tér 4, E building ground floor. 

A Request Form for an Apostille certificate may be submitted abroad at Hungarian delegations, if the issuing of the certificate falls within the competency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Ministry of Justice (see above). For legalisation of documents that fall within the competency of the Hungarian Chamber of Civil Law Notaries, see the website of the Chamber (above).

design elem
Process of obtaining an Apostille certificate for the most common document types 

Birth Certificate

As per 73/A.§ (8) of Act 1 of 2010 on registration procedure, only those birth certificates can be legalised by way of an Apostille certificate or diplomatic legalisation which were issued after 01 March 2006.

It should be noted that certain countries accept only birth certificates that were issued no more than 6 months before submission.

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited mission of the target country in Hungary

Certification of family status

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited mission of the target country in Hungary

Private documents issued by ecclesiastical institutions

Documents concerning guardianship, Acknowledgement of paternity

Documents by the chief veterinary officer

Criminal record

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary

Income Certificate, Certificate of Residency (National Tax and Customs Administration)

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary

Primary and Secondary level education certificates, attendance certificates

Degree Certificates, Supplements, Attendance certificates, etc.

Documents by Civil Law Notaries

  • 1. Intermediate legalisation at the Hungarian Chamber of Civil Law Notaries https://mokk.hu/ugyfeleknek/index_en.php
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary

Medical Reports

  • 1. Intermediate legalisation at National Healthcare Service Center (https://www.enkk.hu/index.php/en)
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary

Police Reports

  • 1. Ministry of Interior (appointment is necessary based on prior agreement +36-1-441-1466)
    www.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-interior/contacts
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary

Abstract of title from the Title Register

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary

The most common document types that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade cannot issue Apostille certificates for:

Documents by Courts, Commercial Courts

Documents by Civil Law Notaries

design elem
Detailed Guidance for requesting ministerial legalisation 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade legalises documents to be used in countries other than the aforementioned Apostille Convention state parties by way of a legalisation clause. The process is also initiated by handing in the Request Form. Documents to be legalised can be submitted together with the Request Form by any person (without a power of attorney) at the Legalisation Office of the Department of Consular Affairs and Citizenship of the Ministry, at 1027 Budapest, Nagy Imre tér 4, E building ground floor. 

design elem
Legalisation process (most common document types) 

Birth Certificate

As per 73/A.§ (8) of Act 1 of 2010 on procedure concerning birth certificates, only those birth certificates can be legalised by way of Apostille certificate or ministerial legalisation which were issued after 01 March 2006.

It should be noted that certain countries accept only birth certificates that were issued no more than 6 months before submission.

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited mission of the target country in Hungary.

Documents by Courts, Commercial Courts

  • Useful link: http://ceginformaciosszolgalat.kormany.hu
  • 1. Intermediate legalisation at the Ministry of Justice
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited mission of the target country in Hungary.

Certification of family status

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.

Private documents by ecclesiastical institutions

Documents concerning guardianship, Acknowledgement of paternity

Documents by the chief veterinary officer

Criminal record

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.

Income Certificate, Certificate of Residency (National Tax and Customs Administration)

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.

Primary and Secondary level education certificates, attendance certificates

Degree Certificates, Supplements, Attendance certificates, etc.

Documents by Civil Law Notaries

  • 1. Intermediate legalisation at the Hungarian Chamber of Civil Law Notaries https://mokk.hu/ugyfeleknek/index_en.php
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.

Medical Reports

  • 1. Intermediate legalisation at National Healthcare Service Center (https://www.enkk.hu/index.php/en)
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.

Police Reports

  • 1. Ministry of Interior (appointment is necessary based on prior agreement +36-1-441-1466)
    www.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-interior/contacts
  • 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 3. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.

Abstract of title from the Title Register

  • 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • 2. Accredited delegation of the target country in Hungary.