Hungarian Birth Certificate Translation for UK Visa
Hungarian birth certificates (Születési anyakönyvi kivonat) come from civil registry offices and are written entirely in Hungarian. Hungarian also puts the family name first, and that name order causes more confusion in UK visa applications than anything else.
Hungary has one of the largest EU communities in the UK, with around 70,000–80,000 Hungarian residents. Since Brexit, Hungarian nationals have had to prove their identity and family links with certified translations. That applies to the EU Settlement Scheme, spouse visas, and family reunion. The Hungarian birth certificate sits at the heart of all of them.
Hungarian Name Order: Surname Comes First
Hungarian is one of the few European languages that writes the family name before the given name: Kovács Péter, not Péter Kovács. That is the opposite of English. So a certified translator must show clearly which name is the family name and which is the given name, or UKVI records can end up wrong.
Hungarian Birth Certificate Format
The Születési anyakönyvi kivonat (birth certificate extract) is issued by the anyakönyvvezető (registrar) at the local önkormányzat (municipality). It comes in these forms:
Standard Extract (Kivonat)
A one-page summary of the birth registration. It shows the child's full name, the date and place of birth, and the parents' names. This is the form most people send with a visa application.
Full Certificate (Másolat)
A full copy of the original registry entry. It holds more detail, including notes and changes. It is sometimes asked for in complex cases or for older records.
Multilingual Extract
Hungary issues multilingual birth certificate extracts under EU Regulation 2016/1191, with a standard form in several languages. Even so, UKVI still wants a certified translation from a qualified translator, not the multilingual form on its own.
Digital Authenticated Document
Hungary's Ügyfélkapu (government portal) lets citizens download digitally authenticated documents. You can use one as the source document for a certified translation.
Hungarian Special Characters
Hungarian uses the Latin alphabet plus several extra characters that English does not have. Getting these right matters, above all in personal names:
| Hungarian Character | Description | Common in Names |
|---|---|---|
| Á / á | Long A sound | Márton, Ádám |
| É / é | Long E sound | Éva, Béla |
| Í / í | Long I sound | Zsófia, Bíró |
| Ó / ó | Long O sound | Zoltán, Kósa |
| Ö / ö and Ő / ő | Short and long Ö sounds | Török, Győző |
| Ú / ú | Long U sound | Dúl, Búzás |
| Ü / ü and Ű / ű | Short and long Ü sounds | Füzesi, Tűkör |
Name Discrepancies from Dropped Accents
Problems often start when a Hungarian name goes into a system that cannot handle accents. Péter becomes Peter, Ádám becomes Adam, Győző becomes Gyozo. If your passport uses the plain version of your name but your birth certificate uses the accented one, your translator will point that out in writing, so UKVI knows both refer to the same person.
EU Settlement Scheme Applications
Hungarian nationals who lived in the UK before 31 December 2020 can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. For EUSS applications:
- A birth certificate that proves your link to an EU national may need a certified translation
- A child born in Hungary who is added to a parent's EUSS status needs their Hungarian Születési anyakönyvi kivonat translated
- A late EUSS application needs extra evidence, and every supporting document should be translated
- An EUSS family permit for a non-EU family member needs translated proof of the EU national's citizenship and of the relationship
Obtaining Your Hungarian Birth Certificate
You can get a copy of your Hungarian birth certificate from:
- Ügyfélkapu (government.hu): Hungary's digital portal, where citizens can download authenticated civil certificates
- The local anyakönyvvezető: The registrar in the town where the birth was recorded can issue copies
- The Hungarian Embassy in London: It offers consular services to Hungarians abroad, including document requests
- By post from Hungary: Send a completed form and proof of identity to request documents
Costs and Turnaround
| Service | Turnaround | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Translation | 24 hours | From £17.99/page |
| Rush Translation | 8 hours | From £29.99/page |
| Same-Day Translation | Same day, on request | From £29.99/page |
Frequently Asked Questions
My Hungarian birth certificate shows my name as Kovács Péter. How will the translator write it?
Your translator will write the name in English order, given name first and family name last: Péter Kovács. They will also add a note saying the original puts the family name first, as Hungarian always does. That stops any confusion for a UKVI caseworker who does not know Hungarian name order.
Does Hungary issue multilingual birth certificates that UKVI accepts without translation?
Hungary can issue multilingual extracts under EU Regulation 2016/1191, with standard forms in several EU languages. But UKVI does not take these forms in place of a certified translation. A UK visa application always needs a certified translation from a qualified translator.
My birth certificate is from before 1990 (communist era Hungary). Will it translate differently?
Older Hungarian birth certificates from before 1990 follow the same format, though some of the wording differs. The layout is the same. If yours is handwritten or typed rather than printed, send the clearest scan you can, so the translator can read every detail.
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