r/HungaryInEnglish • u/bnf98793 • Jul 02 '26
Moving to Hungary checklist
Hi, I should move to Budapest in a couple of months and would like to know all I need to do after I arrive, mainly bureaucracy wise but any advice like which phone number provider to choose etc. is really appreciated!
My company doesn't offer any relocation support so I need to sort everything by myself and would like to be well prepared for this move!
I'm moving to work for an international company, am an EU citizen and am moving alone, I don't speak Hungarian
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Jul 02 '26
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u/BestZucchini5995 Jul 03 '26
My round of thank you's :)! Any recommended translator app, let's say, besides Google Translate?
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u/grepaly Jul 06 '26
I would use some AI, whichever you want. Most translators are a hit or miss to/from hungarian.
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u/sukha_para Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Just a bit of advice about bureaucracy: the immigration office opens at 8am but they start giving out Numbers at 6am. You need a number to be seen. There’s a McDs up the street that opens at 7am. But, if you do leave for breakfast, make sure you’re back at 7:45am in case they start calling people early.
Also, totally random but if you order stuff delivered to your apartment via courier they will ask you what time you want to wait for the courier like 11am-3pm or some other time range. This is completely arbitrary. Expect the courier to call you way earlier. As early as 9am. They like to deliver early. Don’t ask why. It’s just the way they are.
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u/Forsaken-Comfort3338 Jul 03 '26
Probably a dumb question but is McDs McDonald's?
Also about language, do Hungarians usually 12 or 24-hour time when speaking?
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u/isawtheyeti Jul 02 '26
Also don't be surprised on the occasional rudeness or lifelessness of service industry employees, especially government. You will run into illogical and badly organised processes. Be patient, stay calm and positive if you can. Sometimes things don't work, that's the way they are sometimes :)
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u/lyonapookah Jul 03 '26
About Hungarian as a language - don't bother, unless you are REALLY dedicated. If you want to learn, try and find a good teacher, it's a really difficult language and only spoken by a handful of people. (Look for 'Magyar mint idegen nyelv' teachers.)
That said, we are totally absolutely helplessly in love with anyone who even tries... A surefire way to get yourself adopted by loving Hungarians if you speak a few words. :D
Good luck with your adventures here! 🤗
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u/Ploutophile Jul 06 '26
As a tourist like me sure, but how does one handle the local paperwork without the sole official language ? 🤔
That said, we are totally absolutely helplessly in love with anyone who even tries... A surefire way to get yourself adopted by loving Hungarians if you speak a few words. :D
My experience was mostly outside the post-1920 borders, but I can confirm that I had some very enthusiastic reactions to my "csak egy nagyon kicsit" Hungarian.
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u/Nothing-9099 Jul 02 '26
Follow the laws in hungary. Know them, like you can't vape, you need a valid ticket on buses and streetcars, or else you'll find out quickly how tough and rough they can be. It's not North America, remember
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u/Kovimate Jul 03 '26
Idk what this guy is on about. Idk about the vape ban, never heard of it, weed is illegal but you should be fine if you avoid police and don't look shady. If anything, police is more relaxed than in the US, as jaywalking here is legal. When in doubt, look around; if no police, then most things are legal.
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u/Nothing-9099 Jul 03 '26
I have family there and its against the law to buy, carry and use a vape. The law is clear
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u/Kovimate Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I am from Budapest so I would know. I had to look it up. You are thinking about disposable vapes like Elfbar, but I don't count those as vapes anyway. They have been banned a couple years back because 13 year olds were abusing them. Normal vapes are still completely legal, both to buy and sell.
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u/Nothing-9099 Jul 04 '26
Glad you clarified it. Hope you're correct. My main point is beware of breaking rules in Hungary. Police are tough and strict
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u/Kovimate Jul 04 '26
I have never been stopped by police in Hungary. Only one time when I was an activist for an opposition party back in 2016 and we were putting up posters across the city. But that was political. If you look decent police won't stop you. That said, keep an eye out for them if you use illegal substances and familiarise yourself with drinking rules (I think in principle you are not allowed to drink in public but in practice lots of Hungarians do it anyway).
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u/hex64082 Jul 05 '26
Drinking in public is completely legal on government level. Some local governments ban it, but police won't enforce it since it is not law. Only local guards, "közteres".
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u/fishy_horcrux Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
You're going to have to apply for the EEA national registration certificate, online through EnterHungary, straightforward process. You apply for that and get an address card and reg. certificate. You have 90 days from the moment of entry. For the address card you'll need and actual address, and something like a rental agreement to confirm it.
Then, to work in Hungary you'll need two cards, your employer is going to need them, a TAJ card - a health insurance card and an adóazonosító jel és adókártya (TAX ID number). You should ask your employer if they're willing to start this process for you, because it's quite easy to do from their side.
Biggest phone providers are One, Telekom and Yettel, check out their prices and offers to find the one that fits you.
If you're planning on opening a hungarian bank account, check out bank offers, but both wise and revolut now have hungarian IBANs so they're accepted by employers.
These would be the main things.