International driver’s license in Hungary

The Hungarian driver’s license is valid not only in Hungary but also all over the European Union and several member states of the Vienna Convention. However, if you are planning to visit another country, you might need an international driver’s license to rent a car.

Do you even need an international driver’s license?

When you move to Hungary, after some time you are supposed to localize your foreign driver’s license. After that, your Hungarian driver’s license will be valid not only in Hungary, but also in every member country of the European Union and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, together with a few other countries with which Hungary has an agreement (see the list below). When you visit any other country, it is best to check with its consulate what kind of documentation is accepted there if you are planning to drive a car while abroad. For example, in the U.S. requirements vary by state.

A supplement to your Hungarian driver’s license

The international driver’s license is a supplement that is valid together with your original Hungarian driver’s license. It takes the form of a paper notebook, and it contains the same data that are displayed on your driver’s license card, but in more languages, including Spanish, German, Russian, and English as well as Hungarian.

The international driver’s license is valid for 3 years, but at most until the expiry of your original driver’s license. It is not valid on its own, and can be used neither for driving nor as an ID document.

Get your international driver’s license now

Anyone with a driver’s license issued in any member country of either the Geneva or the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic can apply for an international driver’s license in Hungary at any government office (“kormányablak”). Unfortunately, online application is not currently available; however, when you go to the government office in person, you receive the document on the spot.

The processing fee is HUF 2,300 in 2022, which can be paid at the government office with a bank card or at a post office via a yellow check.
You will need to submit 2 passport photos with the application (photos are not taken on the spot). One will be inserted in your international driver’s license, and one will be archived.
You will have to present proper identification (your passport or Hungarian address and ID card) as well as your original driver’s license.

Hungarian driver’s license around the world

Your Hungarian driver’s license is valid in the below countries as well as in the EU, based on the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and on separate agreements between governments. Whenever you travel here, you do NOT need an international driver’s license:

Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
The Bahamas
Bahrain
Belarus
Benin
Bosnia-Hercegovina
Brazil
Cabo Verde
Central African Republic
Congo
Cuba
Ethiopia
Georgia
Guyana
Honduras
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Ivory Coast
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Liberia
Macedonia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Peru
The Philippines
Qatar
Russia
San Marino
Senegal
Serbia
South Korea (Republic of Korea)
The Seychelles
South-Africa
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey (Turkiye)
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Zimbabwe

Whenever you travel to another country, you might need additional documentation to drive a car, such as an international driver’s license. Consult the given country’s embassy or consulate before your trip to make sure you have the right papers.

About Helpers Hungary

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