Driving license in Hungary

Information as of summer last year/this year(no more practice course exam this year for cars...) :

Can a foreigner take the driving test in Hungary?

Yes.

What are the formalities to get a driver's licence in Hungary?

- Find a driving school ... register ...

- Proof you are resident in Hungary (for at least 185 days).
  Address card is needed for that. Whatever else applies VISA etc.

- Proof you visited a school for at least 8 years (no joke). School leaving certificate.

- If you dont have any other driving license (or before 1984):
Visit First aid course and Pass First aid exam

- Pass Medical check-up

- Pass Theory Exam (only available in hungarian or with translator...)

- Pass Driving Test

Do you need special or extra documents being an expatriate?

Yes.

- Official translation of your school leaving certification/diploma (just possible at www.offi.hu - run by the gov aka ripoff) be prepared to fork out a lot of cash...

- Recognition of your school leaving certification/diploma
just possible at :
http://www.oh.gov.hu/hungarian_equivalence_and_080122

be prepared to fork out a lot of cash again...

They will ask you for the official translation of the school papers. If you are lucky and talk with them and they understand the language the documents are written in you might get away without official translation but every driving school will tell you its needed. Still takes about 6 weeks : )

How much does it cost?

Really depends if you can speak hungarian or not and how much the translation of documents costs.

Nothing is available in english by the gov - which kind of blows... You need a translator for the theory exam and it depends on the driving school how much they charge you for english documents and preparing you for the exams.

On average (hungarian language only):

Category B    : 90.000 HUF (300Euro)
Category A    : 90.000 HUF (300Euro)
Category A2   : 60.000 HUF (200Euro)
Category A1   : 60.000 HUF (200Euro)

Category B125 : 30.000 HUF (100Euro)
(A1 when you already do have B)

Thank you TornadoHH for your contribution

Aurélie

TornadoHH is more or less correct.  I am going through the process now.  You don't have to register at a diving school but I did it through a friend as you can only take the practical test in a driving school certified training car. The written is now only on a computer and it is Google translated from Hungarian. I failed the first test but would have even if it were in good English as I had no clue about handicapped parking rules or towing a trailer so you also need to know that stuff. There are nuances in Hungary which don't follow the rest of the EU so you should take some practice tests (in Hungarian with a translator which are available through a school).  The proof of passing school through the 8th grade was  a bit if a surprise but my PhD diploma worked okay. In the US we don't have any such a document for grade school. I will try taking  the written again but am not optimistic. Also, scheduling tests takes a long time.  Once submitting my documents in Budapest it took 5 weeks to get permission to take the exams.  Once I got the letter the earliest test date was another 4 weeks so this process takes months. Only 2 English speakers have passed the computer test with 1 on the 4th try and the other who had training from a tutor using the 3,000 question test bank passed on the second try.  A lot depends on the luck of getting "good" questions.  Some I had no clue what they were askking and could only glean a bit from the possible choices.  You only get 60 seconds per question though so you have to be quick.  Really, it is the worst transltion I have ever seen. From what I understand no one has passed the French, German, or Spanish exams at all. There is a request to go back to allowing to take it in Hungarian with a translator but one thing I have learned that when a bureaucrat makes a decision in Hungary it is final, stubbornly so. Anyway, that is where I am ayt now.  I have taken about 6 hours of driver's training as that is apparently another big problem to pass. From my training I can see why.  One wonders how all the terrible drivers in Hungary passed these tests.

borschelrh wrote:

TornadoHH is more or less correct.  I am going through the process now.  You don't have to register at a diving school but I did it through a friend as you can only take the practical test in a driving school certified training car.

I guess you dont do the license from scratch but rather just apply to have your foreign (US) driving license changed in for a hungarian one.

The proof of passing school through the 8th grade was a bit if a surprise but my PhD diploma worked okay. In the US we don't have any such a document for grade school.

Did they make you pay for the translation ?

Only 2 English speakers have passed the computer test with 1 on the 4th try and the other who had training from a tutor using the 3,000 question test bank passed on the second try. A lot depends on the luck of getting "good" questions.Some I had no clue what they were askking and could only glean a bit from the possible choices. You only get 60 seconds per question though so you have to be quick.Really, it is the worst transltion I have ever seen. From what I understand no one has passed the French, German, or Spanish exams at all.

I guess its still easier than learning hungarian

There is a request to go back to allowing to take it in Hungarian with a translator but one thing I have learned that when a bureaucrat makes a decision in Hungary it is final, stubbornly so

Good observation

Anyway, that is where I am ayt now. I have taken about 6 hours of driver's training as that is apparently another big problem to pass. From my training I can see why.One wonders how all the terrible drivers in Hungary passed these tests.

One of the first things they told me in the driving school is that : "You know you can also buy the license on the blackmarket but its much more secure to actually do it here and learn how to drive"

Well i didnt know so much but ... ya... maybe explains some things.

I took the test on the first try in hungarian but yes i kinda "cheated" since i learned hungarian already since a few years and learned a lot by hard and it was a damn close call :p

borschelrh wrote:

One of the first things they told me in the driving school is that : "You know you can also buy the license on the blackmarket but its much more secure to actually do it here and learn how to drive"

Well i didnt know so much but ... ya... maybe explains some things.

I took the test on the first try in hungarian but yes i kinda "cheated" since i learned hungarian already since a few years and learned a lot by hard and it was a damn close call :p

No sure if it would work but one could always go to another EU country to do the test in English, then trade in the other EU country license for a HU one no questions asked. Or just another country which recognises the UN convention.  For EU, I'm thinking Ireland, UK, Cyprus or Malta.

fluffy2560 wrote:

No sure if it would work but one could always go to another EU country to do the test in English, then trade in the other EU country license for a HU one no questions asked. Or just another country which recognises the UN convention.  For EU, I'm thinking Ireland, UK, Cyprus or Malta.

Sure you can go to any other EU country and do the test but they most likely will ask for proof of residential status (185 day rule). A license which is aquired in another EU country while being resident in Hungary is not valid.

Plus :

Lets say you go to another EU country and it exchanges your US to a local license (and you are resident) that would probably work BUT Hungary or any other EU country for that matter is not forced to recognize these licenses :

If you have an EU driving licence that has been issued in exchange for a non‑EU licence in the country where you now live, and you wish to move to another EU country with your converted licence, you cannot assume that your new licence will be recognised there as this is up to each EU country.
You will need to check with the local authorities in your new country which conditions apply for recognising non-EU licences.

FROM:

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/ve … ent_en.htm

Worst case if I pass, I'll just have to go back to the US and renew my expired VA license and then make sure I leave the country (EU) and have my passport stamped. Bosnia is only 5 hours away and I like to visit Sarajevo for skiing so can schedule that once a year or go see my in-laws in Russia. I need to go back to the US to deal with Social Security Administration anyway. My wife filed back in December and they still haven't processed it. I went ahead and paid the 4,000 HUF for the next written test I am taking this Friday.  No big deal either way.

Good luck!

Well to offer translations is a first step. In 2011 there was no translation at all... but the bottom line is they should provide a proper translation !! :S

Isnt there a way to renew your VA license via internet or phone?

The crossing borders and having your passport stamped "trick" probably would work out in a police control but in case of an accident(and further investigation) might bring a lot of troubles?!!

I am planning to move to Hungary next year from UAE. I have a current UAE licence & a lapsed UK licence, where I learned to drive. Can I legally drive on these or do i have to submit for a Hungarian licence?

desertbhoy wrote:

I am planning to move to Hungary next year from UAE. I have a current UAE licence & a lapsed UK licence, where I learned to drive. Can I legally drive on these or do i have to submit for a Hungarian licence?

When you say UK lapsed license, is it a photo license or the old green one? They do not become invalid other than the photo renewal each year. 

The green ones without photos never expire  (well, at least they last until you reach 70, whereupon you need a medical).   If you update your UK license, then you'll be able to drive here without any problem and do it for a long time.  Within the EU, licenses are a straight swap but watch out for the entitlements (like 7.5t trucks) as these do not necessarily translate well.

If you have a UK passport, you should be able to apply online. They will use your passport photo in your license.

I am assuming you have a UK addresss you can use (even if you don't live there)

Thanks for the feedback. I have the photo licence which expired in 2009 & having been out of the UK so long, never renewed. I no longer have a UK address but I can use a family member address. I guessed the UAE licence would not be of much use.

Thanks again

Once I get my new UK licence do you suggest handing over for a Hungarian licence or just use the UK licence?