Obtaining a Hungarian ID card

davidpearce wrote:

My only ID is a UK passport which I'd rather not have to carry everywhere with me. I am home owner in Hungary living there for a substantial part of the year. I remain a UK national. Is there any way I can gain a Hungarian ID card?

You could always carry a photocopy or obtain a 2nd UK passport (no, it's not illegal and yes, it's perfectly possible to have 2 UK passports).

I have my HU resident card and an address card. On my resident card info it stated I was also to carry my passport at all times.
I have a photo copy but am not 100% sure that is "legal".
I know for an extra fee I could get a ID size passport card from the US but I am a bit cheap about doing that.
So far so good, the cops have never stopped me for anything as of yet, knock on wood!!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....So far so good, the cops have never stopped me for anything as of yet, knock on wood!!

Same for me.  Only time I ever get stopped is when I am in my car and they've only done that perhaps 5 times in 20 years.

It is a pain to carry a passport around everyday everywhere. Looks like the dog chewed it up after it's been tossed around inside a few pockets.

I admit that I've been stopped 4 times by police in Hungary, 3 of them to check my Mway carnet, and on no occasion have I been asked for my passport, BUT I was fined 19 euros in Czech Republic for leaving it in the hotel.
My big issue is to prove my age for the free transport, because nobody would believe that I am 65 otherwise. I am quite prepared to pay the normal charge for a Hungarian ID card, but have no idea where to start in getting one or if I would be allowed one. Am EU citizen and Hungarian property owner, if either of those help..

What is Hungarian resident card? I am property owner in Hungary and pay my local tax, but am completely unaware of this one. I think I'm still in naivety zone!

My husband is a HU citizen who lived in the US for 40 years.
Even he had a heck of a time getting it sorted out at age 65 for his free transportation.
Right now, he just needs to show his HU ID whenever he wished to use public transport.
He rarely uses it however.
I am not sure how a person from another EU country can get a HU ID , I got mine through the immigration office after a battle and a half.
I do know my husband went into the HU SS offices at age 62 to get a discount for half price travel.
At first they didn't want to give him his discount but he kept bugging them for his rights.
He said perhaps you need to go into the BKV offices and show your current EU ID and retirement paperwork.
We are pretty sure if you are over 65 and from another EU country you can travel in HU for free. The catch my be you need to prove you live here. Good luck.
Perhaps some research on the internet will have more answers.

Forgot to mention, my husband turned in his US ID and now only has a HU one. Perhaps that is another catch to getting the free transportation.He gave up his US driving papers for HU ones. Only uses his US passport when going overseas to the US.

I have a resident card from immigration because I come from what they call a 3rd country, a non EU country.
My husband is a HU citizen  so sorry, not really sure about people coming here from other EU countries as seniors and getting the ok for the transportation.
Husband now only has to show his HU ID that shows his age and he can travel within HU for free.
Again, he uses that service about 4 times a year, we walk or take our car everywhere. I do not travel on public transportation unless I am in dire straits, long story but I wold rather walk my feet off then be subject to the BKV police, just too rude and too much for my peace of mind.

Ok back again, husband said to get a HU ID card you must go into the city hall in your district where you live.
My husband got his ID card because he is a citizen but if you live here and are a resident  it is worth asking them. For some reason my husband thinks the free travel my only be offered for HU citizens. That's going to leave me out too then.

My husband is reading the info in Hungarian for you.
It says clearly that any EU ID that proves your age over age 65 to ride free in HU.

The site he is reading is in HU.

Sorry, best to try to enter the subway and see if they let you go or not.
The rule is: You can not discriminate EU citizens, every country they have certain discounts all other EU citizens .
It is to be free for everyone over 65, if you are in another country then their discount price applies.

davidpearce wrote:

What is Hungarian resident card?

If you spend most of the year in Hungary, you are de facto declaring you are a resident of Hungary. So you should get a residency card. If you do not live here most of the time, then you can not get a residency card and you will have to use your passport or address card. If you own property you should already have an address card, and the address card should have your birth date. If you do not have an address card, you should get one. For information how to apply for each (and photos of what each looks like) see here (look under the "Residency & Health care" section):

http://propertyhungary.com/?page_id=10

Your question really got me thinking and asking questions.
I have stated that I personally avoid public transportation as much a s possible but even so I was wondering about people from so called 3rd countries. Those countries not in the EU and over age 65.
I still have several years to go before I am 65 but was curious about us "3rd world" residents.
It clearly states on the HU site that any EU citizen in HU and over the age of 65 can ride for free within Hungary. All that is needed is a valid EU picture ID.
I am a bit miffed right now, taking it rather personally for some insane reason. feeling rejected once again here in Hungary.
As a legal resident, property owner and wife of a Hungarian citizen and mother of a HU citizen, I can not ride for free when I am 65.
I am not a citizen of a EU country but a resident of Hungary.
I am wondering if this is just an over site by the law makers or if they intend to have people living in Hungary, paying taxes, following the laws but still being kept outside of what others receive in their old age.
This includes all US, Canadian, Russian, Chinese, Indian everyone outside of the EU even if they live full time in HU.
You would think as a legal resident living in HU full time that you would be treated like anyone else and not as a underclass no body who doesn't count other then as a source of income for the gov.
Held at a different standard then other senior citizens.
From now on I will be spending less money in HU, that's for sure.
They are discriminated against for the travel benefit.
Those from former HU lands I.E. Romania, SK and others can however have their spouses travel for free if their spouses are residents and  one is a HU citizens.
Confusing but basically I will never get any travel benefits once I turn 65 unless I become a HU or other EU citizen.
Just think that is not right since they have no problem taking taxes from us and we pay our own way here with everything, husband worked in HU for 9 years without now collecting a thing in HU, the best years of his young life too.
Just ranting on my part, once again....
Probably getting time to think about leaving here just because I have just about had my fill of double standards over here. I know for a fact that in my country we don't care if a person is a citizen or a resident to be able to get a break as a senior citizen for travel. In Las Vegas all one needs is a resident ID for the state of NV. Not a big deal to get, just go into the DMV and fill out a form and get a photo taken with your fingerprint.
After that it is 50% off all public transportation for being over 65.
I guess it's  time for this one to go home. I doubt I will ever be a fan of BKV and ride but I hate all forms of discrimination.
Weird thing is on the travel site they give seniors from Switzerland a discount price in HU for travel, did Switzerland join the EU without telling anyone? Why the more favored status?

I think we have to accept that Hungarian government didn't really want to give EU citizens anything at all. They had no choice but to accept the EU equality of treatment rules, because they want to be in the EU having 4 regions qualifying for EU structural funds and I presume being overall a net recipient of EU cash. Meantime I build a lifestyle for part of each year travelling trains in Hungary and Slovakia.

Yes, I think I am making a  big deal out of nothing but...
I know so many Hungarians who live in the US, mostly in beautiful Hawaii who never even bothered to register with immigration.
One guy has never held down a job in his 41 years living in the US, he lives off the dole on land that is not even in his name. He and his wife( she is a Native of Alaska, a Inuit) had 2 children and lived off the gov. never holding down a job. A couple of HU got deported from the US for being losers, not working at all, never paying taxes, collecting welfare and dealing drugs. After years of abuse they finally were given the heave hoe!
I am a bit of a crusader wasting my time about a silly bus pass that I won't use anyways..
Just makes me fell a bit like I am unwanted over here, just being taken for a ride but not on the BKV!

I do understand what you say. It is sort of soothing to hear somebody in another country, suffering the same annoyance as we do here,and know that it's not just Brits who are paying fortunes to the 'work and responsibility refuseniks'.

Yes, many ex pats have high hopes here in Hungary.
I give you and my girl friend also from the UK 5 stars for coming here to spend your "twilight" years.
Not easy at any age to pick up and find yourself in another culture.
I have it easy, for now, my husband  is bi-lingual and takes almost all the pressure off of me. Sometimes however, reality bites me and I realize I should know more Hungarian.
I often ask myself why Hungarian, one of the hardest languages to learn and not exactly easy on the hear.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....I realize I should know more Hungarian.
I often ask myself why Hungarian, one of the hardest languages to learn and not exactly easy on the hear.

Ah, don't beat yourself up Marilyn. After 20 years of being with my Hungarian other half, I'm starting to get an ear bashing for not being able to speak the language to even a basic level. Even the kids are complaining now about my incompetence. If anything happened to Mrs Fluffy I'd be really up the creek for sure.

I hate to insult anyone but honestly, Hungarian is not a language I would ever chose to learn if I was not in a relationship with a Hungarian. It hurts my ears to hear it and I don't have much interest in speaking in a rough monotone voice.
Why could I not of married a Frenchman?

because every year you would suffer the humiliation of the annual ritual of being humiliated at rugby by the Welsh. It would surely have not been an intelligent alternative. Welsh is my ancestral language, but to my shame I allowed myself to be diverted by the practical need to acquire Hungarian quickly.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Weird thing is on the travel site they give seniors from Switzerland a discount price in HU for travel, did Switzerland join the EU without telling anyone? Why the more favored status?

This is probably due to bilateral agreements having been worked out between Switzerland and Hungary (and/or maybe with the EU in general). Hungary not providing free travel to over 65 year old Americans (even if full time Hungarian residents) may simply be because the two countries have not worked out a similar deal. Probably because travel or living of citizens from either country (USA and Hungary) by people over 65 is not a very large population and the USA and Hungary have more pressing issues to reach in diplomatic agreements. While Switzerland, being in the center of Western Europe, and the EU as a whole have worked out quite a few bilateral agreements that then apply to all EU countries.

Also do be aware, it does cut both ways after all. My wife was always given a much harder time traveling to the USA on her Hungarian passport (this was before we were married) than I was when traveling to Hungary on my US passport before Hungary joined the EU. Hungary, and Hungarian citizens, did not have a much "favored" status either in the US at that time.

Is it fair? No. But life is often not fair.

Welsh, my older sister was married to a Welshman for around 10 years, they lived in London in the late 1960's onwards.
I might have some Welsh in my Heinz 57 mix, had some relations my my mom's side named, Jackson and Jones.
I think anyone who is brave enough to try Hungarian is a brave soul.
My GF from the UK has found a good language school here in Budapest and plans on taking the course once she moves over to stay in HU.
I am in a weird situation, my husband speaks perfect HU and (hate to say it) is s typical practical Hungarian. Can't see spending money on a language course for me when he could teach me, problem is he never teaches me, goes too fast and throws in too many topics at once. I give up before I even start.

I understand how you feel about being up a creek. At least your children could help you out if there ever was a need.
I suppose I would just take the first flight out of Dodge if I was stuck here without language skills on my own, Too chicken to stay by myself here.

My husband said about the same thing about there not being enough US citizens here for the subject of free travel to enter the conversation.
He thinks they are as little as perhaps 50 US citizens over age 65 crazy enough to move to HU to retire.
I am sure the numbers are higher but those people would have dual  citizenship so no issue about travel. He also says most crazy US citizens who move here full time to retire have the resources to take a taxi, if only that were true...

When my son's then GF from HU visited the US she really messed things up. She overstayed her visa buy being in the US for 6 months with only a tourist visa. Of course she didn't let us know until it was too late.
Son came to Hu for over a year because he wanted to be with her.(He has dual citizenship)
he had to come back to the US to make real money so he married her. She had to wait over one year for all her US paper work to come through so they didn't see each other for that one year while he worked.
Now he is married to a Japanese National. That was also trouble with travel in the US. She came to the US 3 times within one year. Her last trip they held her in the airport for over 3 hours grilling her about why she was in the US so often. So horrible, I mean she is a typical sweet little quiet thing from Japan, not a terrorist . Finally they let her out of the airport but my son Married her that trip just so they didn't have to break  up. Married nearly 2 years now and he still is paying for visa, $600. due in a few weeks, think that is his last payment to the gov.
He would be a rich young man if his love life didn't take him all over the world.

Your husband could have a class; banning communication in english of course. Though I firmly believe that we all have different mental routes in learning languages, I found with Hungarian that conquering the vowel sounds was the fundamental platform, that enabled progress to start. I was very slow initially before I reached a take off point. There was a long period in which I could cheerfully have given up.

My husband and I moved to Hungary in 2013.  We have retired and decided to settle in Hungary.  We weren't able to have children of our own so we hosted many year long exchange students. Those students, many of them from Europe, have become very close to us and treat us as second parents.  They are starting to get married and have babies (our only chance to be grandparents) so we decided to come to Europe to experience our lives with them.  We chose Hungary because we are very close to our Hungarian son's entire family and friends and Hungary was in our best financial decision for retirement. 

I agree the Hungarian government does not favor non EU expats.  We are both over 65 and found that private health insurance is way too expensive so we have the national program.  We are required to pay 52.500 ft each per month until we qualify for plastic address cards (three years), which, believe it or not, is a lot cheaper for us than private insurance.  We assumed after we got the plastic address card we would then be able to ride the trains for free.  However, from what I have read on this site that may not be the case. 

We did some research on other countries senior options and many of them provide great benefits for seniors as they expect them to spend money and help the economy.  We have done that in spades here in Hungary including buying a house, car and giving a lot of trades people work.   Maybe we need to get together and talk with our ambassador to let her know our situation???

Here's two more US expats who moved to Hungary.  We don't have any blood relatives here but have great relationships with our former European exchange students and their family and friends.  They've helped us so much with translations, residence permits etc. But we too, being over 65, are frustrated with the rules regarding public transportation and address cards.  Even though we bought a house and car and have paid many tradespeople during our first year in Hungary we can't qualify for discounted travel or a plastic address card.  Plus we have to pay 52.500 ft per month for each of us for the national health insurance for a minimum three years until we can get our address cards.  Hungary needs to realize our worth for their economy and start providing some benefits like other countries do who realize the worth senior expats bring to their country.

Hiya,
Greetings to all! I'm bilingual in Eng/Hun and am keen to get to know ppl outside of the Eu. Originally from SA, now back here after a 30 year break over there. I think we do share the joys of being on the outside and if anyone is interested to continue from there, i'm quite willing to chat some more.
Looking forward to hear some
with kind regards
also on skype

I am not an expert in immigration requirements. I think every case is handled differently by them.
I am guess you can get an address card but perhaps what you are waiting for 3 years time is a  resident card?
I thought everyone living in HU long term had to have an address card to be carried with at all times, I could be wrong though...I was given 2 cards at immigration, one an address card and one a resident card.
I had a terrible time with getting my 5 year resident card although both my husband and son are HU citizens.
Immigration is not very helpful with giving pointers on spending up the process, they like to drag it out to be justified in charging for more services, my experience at least.
Hungary so far does not allow 3rd country seniors to ride for free, only those from other EU countries. Hungary is however about the only European country to let those over 65 and either EU members or citizens ride for free, totally free. Other EU countries only offer a discount to seniors not a free ride.
I am only 60 but it does sort of put me out to think my husband can travel for free and I don't even qualify  for a discount price when I turn 65, if we are still living here by then.
Hungary is however allot cheaper then living in the USA and it is not a rich country that can offer free programs to everyone who happens to be older.
Many HU seniors are living on a very low SS so low one can not even imagine how they can survive. These free benefits were thought of to help them get by. Now that HU is part of the EU they must offer it to other EU members even if those people can afford a taxi or private driver.
As far as the National Health goes, my HU born and raised husband worked in Hungary for nearly 10 long hard years during the dark commie days. He does not even qualify for any HU SS benefits since one needs at least 15 years, those long 12 hour days under pressure do not count in his case.
He had to wait over one year as a returning HU citizen to get on the National Health so waiting only 3 years as a person who came here on their own behalf isn't really all that long.
We are all just guests here and don't make the rules, no one made us come here we were not forced to move here.
If you don't need free services because you can afford to pay out of pocket, then it isn't really so bad over here.
I have some issues that get under my skin but there are problems anywhere one lives.
One must pay to live on earth be it in Hungary or in the USA. At least in HU as a retired American it is cheap.Can't have it both ways, cheap and free just because we chose to buy an airline ticket over.
I except they don't really want or truly need us from the US or anywhere else, they like tourists the best. They spend money and leave without asking for things to be given just because...
Perhaps we can ride for free when the US becomes part of the New World Order and people from not only the EU are getting benefits.
I have been in Hungary as a visitor twice during the Soviet times and believe me the seniors citizens of Hungary deserve allot more then just a free bus ride.