Application only for a permanent identity card may be submitted to the consular officer. Permanent identity cards may be replaced or substituted in the event of a change of data, expiry or defective manufacture, loss, theft, damage or destruction. An application for the replacement of an expiring identity card may be submitted no earlier than 60 days before the expiry date.
In certain cases, an administrative service fee is to be paid when applying for an identity card (see below under "Procedure fees").
Important! It is not possible to apply for an electronic signature (E-signature) at the diplomatic mission or consular post; the applicant can apply for it in person at a government office in Hungary afterwards, provided he/she has the e-identity card.
Submitting the application, booking an appointment
To submit your application, you need to make an appointment, which can be done here. For the case type, select the case type "ID card (eID)".
The application must be submitted in person at the consulate; it is not possible to submit the application by proxy! Minors with limited legal capacity (over 14 years) and adults with partially limited legal capacity may apply for an identity card themselves.
When submitting your application, you must provide the following:
1.- a valid Hungarian document proving your identity (identity card or passport or Hungarian driving licence in card format) and
- an official identity card proving personal identity and address (address card)
2. If your identity card has expired no more than one year before the date of application, you must also present a valid foreign identity card or passport.
3. If you do not have the above valid documents, you must present
- an official identity card and proof of residence; or
- a birth certificate issued by a Hungarian authority and
- a marriage certificate issued by a Hungarian authority which is suitable for establishing the name of the person concerned.
4. In the case of applicants under 14 years, one parent must be present in person and sign the application for an identity card.
5. A photograph of the applicant and the fingerprint of applicants aged over 6 years will be taken at the time of application. For children under 6 years, 1 colour passport photograph of 3,5 x 4,5 cm - taken by a professional photographer in accordance with Passfoto/ICAO/standard - is required.
If the applicant is physically unable to provide fingerprints, a medical certificate will be required. No medical certificate is required if the physical incapacity can be clearly established without one.
If the applicant is physically unable to give fingerprints only temporarily, he/she does not need to provide a separate medical certificate to prove this, but in this case the identity card will be valid for one year from the date of issue.
Hand in your previous identity card: the expired identity card must submitted at the consulate.
Procedure for applying for an identity card
When the application is submitted, the applicant's facial image, fingerprints and signature are recorded.
No fingerprints are required if:
- the Hungarian citizen is under 6 years of age;
- The applicant refuses to provide a fingerprint (note! in this case the issued E-tags will not be able to perform the functions that are linked to the storage of the fingerprint on the chip) or the validity period will be limited;
- is physically unable to provide a fingerprint.
PIN code for e-Szig related services
When the application is submitted, the applicant will receive a PIN envelope containing the e-ID PIN, PUK code and a code that will allow the customer to open an electronic account at www.magyarorszag.hu while in possession of the e-ID. The PIN code is required to access the services provided by the e-ID and can be changed after receiving the card. Without activating the PIN, the functions linked to the e-ID data carrier cannot be used, but the document can be used for travel and identification purposes!
Important: if the applicant loses the envelope containing the PIN before receiving his/her ID card, the consulate cannot help you obtain a new PIN, which can only be requested at a document office in Hungary! The consulate is also not competent to unblock a PUK code that has been blocked due to a wrong entry.
e-ID mobile app
Electronic functions and services related to the ID card are also available through the eIDM mobile application. The application can be used to view the data stored on the chip of the document, check the status of electronic functions, activate and modify PIN codes associated with the document and, in the case of Android smartphones, use the phone as an external card reader, replacing the need for special USB card readers. Detailed information on the application is available on this page.
Recording social security number, tax identification number
When submitting an application for an e-ID, the consular officer checks that the applicant has a social security number or tax identification number at the time of application. If the query fails, the social security number or tax identification number is not recorded in the Eszig storage element.
If available, please bring your social security card and tax card with you for the application.
Telephone number of the person to be notified in case of emergency
It is possible to record the telephone number of the person to be notified in the event of an emergency. The request must be submitted to the consulate together with the e-ID application.
Indication of place of origin on the identity card
It is possible, at the request of the citizen, to indicate on the back of the permanent identity card issued to him/her his/her place of origin in a visually perceptible way (this is not the same as the place of birth, which is always indicated). The indication of place of origin can be requested when applying for the document, using the form that can be downloaded here. It is not compulsory to request the indication of origin!
Time limit, validity of the document, refusal of the application
The procedural time limit (20 days) is prolonged by the delivery time of the documents from Hungary to the consulate, so the documents usually arrive at the consulate within 5-8 weeks after the application has been submitted. The consulate will then notify clients in the order of arrival.
The validity period of the e-ID:
- For applicants younger than 12 years of age, the validity is 3 years after the date of issue, but not later than the date on which the applicant reaches the age of 12.
- for applicants aged between 12 and 18, the validity is 3 years after the date of issue;
- for applicants over 18 years, the validity is 6 years after the date of issue.
A person aged 65 or more may request an identity card with an unlimited period of validity. An identity card with no expiry date shall not contain a storage element and shall be valid until the first day of January, 60 years following the date of issue.
Fees for the procedure
There is no fee for applying for an ID card within 60 days before expiry or after expiry. In addition, there is no fee for applicants under 14 years of age or over 70 years of age.
An administrative service fee is charged for applying for an identity card if the document is lost, damaged or destroyed.
An administrative service fee is also to be paid for postage to a Hungarian address even if the application for an identity card is otherwise free of charge.
Information on the administrative service fees for the issue of certain documents and for postal delivery is provided in the Annex to MK Decree 19/2024 (31.12.1924).
Receipt of the e-ID
The document can be collected in person at the consulate.
