Hungary - Change Your Name (Deed Poll)

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Procedure

If marriage is the reason for seeking a change of name, the person must present the marriage license to the municipal authorities of their place of residence in Hungary or to consular authorities if abroad. A form of personal identification (i.e. the national identity card) would be required also. At the offices of the Hungarian municipal government or consular authorities, the person would request that new documents be issued under the new name.

When the name has been changed for reasons of marriage, the new identity card would indicate the old (maiden) name. At present, only women are allowed to change their name upon marriage, by taking their husband's family name; upcoming legislative changes are expected to allow men to change their names upon marriage and take their wife's family name.

A person who wishes to change his or her name for reasons other than marriage must submit an application to the Ministry of the Interior, with an explanation for requesting the change of name. A possible acceptable reason could be that a person's current name identifies the person with a particular ethnic or religious group, and a more "Hungarian-sounding" name is desired to avoid possible instances of discrimination or to feel more integrated. There are limitations: for example, it is not considered reasonable to assume names of famous people.

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Required Documents

• Certificate of Criminal Record
• Request Addressed to the Minister of Justice
• Application addressed to the Registrar
• Identity Card (original and photocopy)

Office Locations & Contacts

Ministry of Justice
Head office: 1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tr 2-4.
Postal address: 1357 Budapest, Pf.: 2.
Phone: +36-1-795-1000
Fax: +36-1-795-0002
E-mail of the customer service: [email protected]
Phone of the customer service: +36-1-795-6411

Central Office for Administrative and Electronic Public Services
Head office
Address: 1094 Budapest, Balzs Bla utca 35.
Postal address: 1476 Budapest, Pf.: 281.
Phone: +36-1- 550-1730
Fax: +36-1-455-6875
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.kekkh.gov.hu
Information
General information on Administrative affairs
Phone: 1818
From abroad: +36 1 550-1858
SMS : 1818
E-mail: [email protected]
In case of specific issues managed by the Central Office for Administrative and Electronic Public Services
E-mail: [email protected]

National Office for Judiciary
Address: HU-1055 Budapest, Szalay u. 16.
Post: HU-1363, Pf.: 24.
Central phone: +36-1-354-4100
Fax: +36-1-312-4453
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.birosag.hu/obh

Eligibility

To change their first names, minors under the age of 18 require parental authorization; afterwards, no parental authorization is required.

All cases where a change of name is requested are evaluated on an individual basis, and requests have to be well-founded.

Fees

Explain the fees structure which is required for obtaining the certificate/document.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
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Instructions

People choose to change their name for a variety of reasons. Maybe you just want to change the spelling of your name, you don't like the name your parents gave you, you want to get rid of your middle name, you want to remove any family associations, or maybe you just want a change. You can legally change your first name, middle name or surname, or any combination of those.

The processing of an application to change a person's name includes a background check for possible criminal records, outstanding commitments, etc., as a change of name should not be used to hide a criminal past or avoid debts or other outstanding commitments.

Required Information

• Your name as listed on birth certificate or immigration or citizenship documents.
• The full name you are applying to change to (if you are changing your name).
• Date and place of birth
• Marital status and details
• Places of residence for last three months
• Address for Correspondence

Need for the Document

If you are using, or wish to use, a name other than your registered name, there is no legal requirement that you formally change your name. It is, however, recommended that you change your name officially, both for identification and as evidence of your name change.

Name change generally refers to the legal act by a person of adopting a name different from their name at birth, marriage or adoption. The procedures and ease of a name change vary between jurisdictions.

Information which might help

Many people who do not like their original name opt to use a different first name on an everyday basis, without applying for a change of name or after having an application for a change of name rejected. In such cases, persons are advised to ensure that any official paperwork does use their original, legal name, and not an assumed one.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

If an application is accepted, a new birth certificate has to be issued, and based on that certificate, a new identity card would be issued. From then on, all new documents would be issued under the new name, and only the new name would appear in all documents (including the birth certificate and national identity card). The previous name information is "sealed" (not readily accessible to the public); it would require a court to unseal such records. The most common situation where all this arises (change of name, sealing and unsealing of documents) is in cases of adoption.

External Links

Website of the Hungarian Government

Central Office for Administrative and Electronic Public Services (COAEPS)

Courts of Hungary - BRSG

Government Contacts

Others

How you should go about changing your name will depend upon which category you fit into. Changing your name after marriage or divorce is quite a simple process, while changing your name 'just because' requires a little more effort, but it is still quite straight forward and a lot easier than it used to be.

To change your name, submit a petition to your local Superior Court that details the reasons you'd like to change your name. After the court approves your request, you'll then need to update your Social Security card, driver's license and passport.