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Hi,

I urge you to pursue the international license option, because getting the Hungarian one costs a lot of time and money even for us locals who do speak the language! (You can't just take the test, you must pay for a full course. There's an abbreviated course for those who had their license revoked, but that's probably not applicable to you.)

Your embassy should be able to fill you in on the specifics regarding your country.

Koszonom szocske,

I have checked further. The IDP (international driving permit) can be used for the first year. Although the IDP is renewable for another year but seems like I will still have to take the Hungarian licence after that if I want to continue driving here.

Can anyone confirm this?

momotaro wrote:

Koszonom szocske,

I have checked further. The IDP (international driving permit) can be used for the first year. Although the IDP is renewable for another year but seems like I will still have to take the Hungarian licence after that if I want to continue driving here.

Can anyone confirm this?

I cannot confirm the information but I know some info which might be helpful. I am not sure which country you are from but you might be able to exchange your licence without taking the test. It depends on which country you are from.

I know in the UK that licences from say, Canada, South Africa and Japan can be exchanged without taking a test. It might be the same for your country and would probably depend on bilateral or UN agreements.

It says on the UK government web sites the following (and there might be similar info for your country and Hungary)....

GB has reciprocal exchange agreements with Gibraltar and 15 designated countries.

The designated countries are:

Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands*, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea*, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

*Motorcycle entitlement from the Republic of Korea and Faroe Islands is not exchangeable.

I've just gone through this process. I have an English licence and have just exchanged it for a Hungarian one. Not informing the DVLA that you no longer live at the address on your UK licence mens that you're liable for a fine of up to £1,000!!.
The process was fairly straightforward....go to doctor for a check up ( blood pressure, heart rate, sugar level, eye test), pay doctor 4,350 huf, take form from doctor to local documents office (okmanyiroda), have photo taken, give details from UK licence, pay 4,000 huf, wait a week, return to okmanyiroda hand in UK licence and collect new Hungarian licence. This licence has to be renewed every 5 years with a medical check up.
In my opinion, if you live here you'd might as well go down the correct route and avoid any grey areas that might crop up if your licence is checked.
Hope this helps.

I am an American and can say it is a real hassle.  I also had an International DL but basically that is unnecessary.  I did try and get a license here and paid for the official translation of my Virginia license (roughly 13,000 forints), got a medical exam (10,000 forints), and then requested a DL through our Mayor's office.  That took 3 visits and then I was informed because the Virginia DL doesn't specifically state Class B Na in fact a normal car license states No Class they made the decision in Veszprem that I must take the written and practical tests.  I then had to apply for the tests in Veszprem and was informed I must also take an official course of instruction then pay a translator to assist in teach of the tests.  My Hungarian friends tell me there is no way an American will pass the test as it is more profitable for the infrastructure to fail you and keep getting more money from you. So, I have decided to just ignore the requirement until the EU comes up with a single license (I believe in 2014) and then I will go through what I assume is an easier process.  Germany has reciprocity for Virginia licenses but not Hungary (or at least as decided by some bureaucrat). In my experience once a decision is made by someone in authority here they never will reverse it. Interestingly my American wife (but originally from Russia has an ancient USSR driver's license issued in 1982 which they accepted and gave her a license immediately. Go figure.

Up to the very end, your story was just the average, frustrating but boring tale of corruption and bureaucracy from any banana republic.

But the final twist renders it unmistakably Hungarian :-)))

Did you ever get a satisfying answer to your question?

I'm a Swedish citizen living in Budapest. I recently received a Registration Card and an Address Card. I began working about 3 weeks ago so I've also received a Tax Card and a Health Card.

Now I'm wondering if my Swedish Driver's License is still valid here in Hungary or if I need to get an International Driver's License, or maybe I actually need to change my Swedish Driver's License for a Hungarian Driver's License.

Do you know anything about such things?

am from liberia and i live in austria and i want to come and rent an apartment in hungary and also when ever i have holiday in my working place in austria,i can travel with my wife and kids to my room that i rent in hungary and i will like to have this information from people and citizen of hungary .because i have a driving licence from my country liberia and i want when i come to hungary for my holidays,i can rent a car to drive my family around.i dont know if my driving licence is permit to drive in hungary.and if its permit to drive in hungary.what about igf i wants to change my liberia driving licence to hungary driving licence.is it going to  be a difficulties or not.if not how and where and where i have top go for the process.and also if i have a car and i want to change the plate number to hungary iots difficult or is better to buy hungary car and put a plate number.i need somebody help and advice.
thanks
coulibaly

thanks

am from liberia and i live in austria and work,am married to austria citizen and we have four kids,actually im want to come to hungary to chnage my driving licence from liberia to hungary driving licence,pls i need information how to process it.and what office to go
thanks

coulibaly issa wrote:

...i dont know if my driving licence is permit to drive in hungary.and if its permit to drive in hungary.what about igf i wants to change my liberia driving licence to hungary driving licence...

Just get an Austrian license. There's no difference between an Austrian license and a Hungarian one.

So, I can now update this process.  I went throught he recommended hassle in 2010 and was told I needed a complete driving course and both tests so I bagged it and put it off in hopes Hungary would adopt some rational concept of reciprocity.  Now it is 2013 and my US license is expiign and I can only renew it in person which is out of the question.  So now I am going through the process again. New is that all foreigners now must go through the Budapest office which is somewhat difficult to find, particularly as I live on Lake Balaton and am relatively unfamiliar with Budapest other than tourist stuff.  As before you need an official translation of your license, Passport, Residence Card, and medical exam.  The place is amazingly buys with 42 windows and about 10 employees. It takes all day for this.  Once you finally get seen they take your photo and charge you 9,000 huf 4,500 each for the written and driving tests.  Then they make copies of everything, lot's of Hungarian stamping of stuff and then you are told it takes a month to receive the "decision". The staff are friendly and helpful but not empowered to make any decisiions as that can only be done by someone "higher" up the food chain. This was all removed from the regional offices to end corruption but it looks like it just moved up the food chain instead. It certainly feels that way. I witnessed a lot of special privledged people, obviously rich and connected, move thorugh the place very quickly while "normal" citzens took all day. Not all that surprising here in Hungary. So, now I wait for the decison and then only have to take the tests which I understand are nearly impossible to pass without some "assistance". The tests can be taken anywhere authorized but it is only the application process that has been centralized to Budapest.

borschelrh wrote:

Now it is 2013 and my US license is expiign and I can only renew it in person which is out of the question.

For what it is worth, your US license is only valid for 12 months in Hungary. When the US license expires is not relevant, even if you have an International license attachment. If you have been in Hungary for more than 12 months, renewing your US license would not change the fact you need to get a Hungarian license before that time frame expires.

If your US license was still valid, then the local police "hold" your US license for you as long as you live in Hungary.

Unless you ae leaving Hungary/EU every 90 days then you are okay.  I was working 1 week a month in  the US for a long time which has now ended. Sadly (or maybe happily as I was hating the travel) it ended and now I can't renew my license in VA. So, I would be legal in that sense.  However, I drive within all the laws and only have been pulled over for using fog lights within the cillage limits which apparently is not permitted. I was also stopped in Slovakia for not driving with my headlights on which is apparently a requirement there.  Neither time did anyone ever ask to see my driver's license and only looked at my passport.

I did receive in the mail today permission to take the tests. They also explained that US license holders have to do this because the US is not a participant in some International treay. So, what goes around comes around.  The US makes EVERY foreigner go through this so it is tit for tat. I don't mind all that much. I am more frustrated that my wife got her ancient Soviet license accepted without question. C'est la vie.

borschelrh wrote:

Unless you ae leaving Hungary/EU every 90 days then you are okay.

If you are not registered as a resident in Hungary, then this is true. But I find it interesting that you could apply for a Hungarian license without being a resident.

borschelrh wrote:

Slovakia for not driving with my headlights on which is apparently a requirement there

Daytime running lights are also required in Hungary on many roads. Which is why I really have no problem with Americans being required to take the local driving tests, many things are different here.

borschelrh wrote:

They also explained that US license holders have to do this because the US is not a participant in some International treay.

The Swiss exchanged my US license on the spot. No test required. The US does have agreements with some countries, just not with Hungary in this case. Same with Social Security - There is a SS treaty with the Swiss, but not with Hungary.

And I did the same process you did a few years ago, but could do all the paperwork in my local office.

The more likely *real* reason for having to go to Budapest now is more about home grown Hungarian politics. Local offices are often staffed by people essentially "appointed" by the local powers that be (whichever party that is in power at the time they were hired). And many local offices were created and staffed during a period when the current opposition party was in power. So to "cut out" the powers and authority of the local offices (staffed by opposition party supporters), the current party is consolidating everything in Budapest. It is not just for Americans, but also a lot that must be done by average Hungarians has to now go over some Budapest office (and since the office is new, you can guess which party supporters get the jobs). This is not saying one party is better or worse than another, since they both pull these tricks in one way or another. And the average people just become ping-pong balls in the political games.

Even in the US: think of when it comes time to redraw congressional districts. Oh, yeah, like that is fair and politics free.

borschelrh wrote:

.... The US makes EVERY foreigner go through this so it is tit for tat. I don't mind all that much. I am more frustrated that my wife got her ancient Soviet license accepted without question. C'est la vie.

The USA has not signed up to the conventions for driving licenses, so it's not tit-for-tat as such, simply bureaucracy because USA is not a contracting state (with Hungary).

There are (at least) four conventions all with different dates going back to 1926 (the 1926 one is the most obscure).

The Russian Federation and Hungary both signed and ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and therefore recognise each others licenses. This is why your wife's license was swapped without discussion.

My own country, UK, accepts licenses exchanges from odd range of countries including amongst others Monaco and Korea, but not the USA.

Citizens from following countries can drive in Hungary - Austria, Bahamas Islands, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Central African Republic, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Iran, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, Norway, Russian Federation, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Islands of the Seychelles, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Zaire, Zimbabwe. This is because they have joined the International Vehicular Agreement of Vienna.
All other citizens have to naturalize their driving license for legal driving in Hungary.

Following website has more information which can help you out.

wikiprocedure.com --> Hungary --> Naturalize Foreign Driving License

NewCurly1 wrote:

Citizens from following countries can drive in Hungary

This is more about license exchange for declared foreign residents, not the general ability to drive or not. If you have a license from a country signatory with the International Driving Permit convention, you can still drive in Hungary if you follow the appropriate rules and requirements of this convention.

Americans, for example, can also drive in Hungary with their US license anytime when accompanied with an (1) international driving permit (IDP) (simple and cheap to get in the US) and (2) their passport. For example, an American tourist with an IDP can rent a car in Hungary and drive around completely legally.

However, because the US is not a signatory of a license exchange agreement with Hungary, US citizens that take up residence in Hungary can only continue to use their license for up to 12 months (to give them time to take the necessary tests to get the Hungarian license).

klsallee wrote:

....
Americans, for example, can also drive in Hungary with their US license anytime when accompanied with an (1) international driving permit (IDP) (simple and cheap to get in the US) and (2) their passport. For example, an American tourist with an IDP can rent a car in Hungary and drive around completely legally. ..

Yes, this is all correct. However, when I used to have an IDP (way back when), you had to declare which countries you were going to in order to have the right version of the IDP.

I was planning one time a long trip across Russia to Asia and that was one of the difficulties - working out which country belonged to which treaty and there can be situations where one needs two IDPs. 

The IDP also has to have the right (officially accepted) translations in it for all the bureaucrats along the route.

fluffy2560 wrote:

bureaucrats