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Hungary

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Article 24(1)(a) - languages accepted by the Member State for the public documents to be presented to its authorities pursuant to point (a) of Article 6(1)

Hungarian.

Article 24(1)(b) – an indicative list of public documents falling within the scope of this Regulation

(a) birth:

birth certificate

(b) life:

certificate that the person is alive

(c) death:

death certificate, court order declaring the presumption of death, court order registering a death

(d) name: name change certificate

(e) marriage, including capacity to marry and marital status:

marriage certificate, marital status certificate

(f) divorce, legal separation or marriage annulment

court judgment on divorce, court judgment on marriage annulment, court judgment on the validity of a marriage, court judgment establishing the existence or non-existence of marriage

(g) registered partnership, including capacity to enter into a registered partnership and registered partnership status:

registered partnership certificate, marital status certificate

(h) dissolution of a registered partnership, legal separation or annulment of a registered partnership:

order establishing the dissolution of a registered partnership by a notary

(i) parenthood:

birth certificate, court judgment establishing paternity, court order or judgment rebutting the presumption of paternity, court judgment establishing maternity

(j) adoption:

guardianship authority adoption order, court judgment dissolving adoption

(k) domicile and/or residence:

official residence card

(l) nationality:

certificate of nationality

(m) absence of a criminal record: extract from the judicial record

Article 24(1)(c) – the list of public documents to which multilingual standard forms may be attached as a suitable translation aid

(1) birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate and registered partnership certificate issued after 1 July 2014, provided that the contents of the certificate were not changed prior to the issuing of the standard form

(2) certificate that the person is alive

(3) marital status certificate

(4) official residence card

Article 24(1)(d) – the lists of persons qualified, in accordance with national law, to carry out certified translations, where such lists exist

In Hungary, a certified translation is any such translation produced by the organisation authorised to produce certified translations.

In general circumstances, only the Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation (Országos Fordító és Fordításhitelesítő Iroda Zrt., or OFFI Zrt.) may produce certified translations by law in Hungary.

Notaries licensed to draw up documents in a foreign language may produce certified translations in that language of public documents and the annexes thereto in matters falling within a notary’s competence or certify the accuracy of the translations of such documents. It is possible to search for notaries with a language licence on the following website: https://start.mokk.hu/kozjegyzokereso.html.

A career consular official of Hungary authorised by the minister for foreign affairs to perform certain notarial tasks may draw up a consular certificate

to certify a translation, including a translation produced by that same official. The current list of consular officials authorised to issue certificates can be found here: http://www.kormany.hu/hu/kulgazdasagi-es-kulugyminiszterium/kulkepviseletek.

Article 24(1)(e) – an indicative list of types of authorities empowered by national law to make certified copies

In principal, each body is authorised to make certified copies under its rules of procedure and within its area of responsibility.

Notaries may issue a certificate stating that a copy is identical to a document presented to them.

Article 24(1)(f) – information relating to the means by which certified translations and certified copies can be identified

Certified translations produced by OFFI Zrt.:

A. Elements used since 2 July 2018:

1. OFFI prepares its certified translations on 210 x 297 mm security paper, surrounded by a guilloche-pattern border and containing elements that can only be seen when magnified to several times original size.

2. The text is contained within the claret-coloured border, above which is printed the coat of arms of Hungary, and the company’s name and logo. The unique code identifying the document is included in the first line within the claret border and on the line above the attestation clause.

3. The certified translation printed on a separate sheet is attached using a stapler to the translated authentic document or a certified copy thereof and the staple is sealed with a square, 30 × 25 mm security label bearing the OFFI logo, a holographic strip and a unique serial number. This label forms an essential part of the certification.

4. For a translation from a foreign language into Hungarian, the following attestation clause is included in Hungarian on the translation:

‘The Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation certifies that this certified translation corresponds exactly to the text of the attached document.

The Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation assumes no responsibility for the authenticity and content of the document forming the basis for the translation.’

This is followed by the place and date of issue, the authentic signature in blue ink, a name stamp and the text ‘on behalf of the chief executive officer’.

For a translation into a foreign language, the above attestation clause is included on the translation in the appropriate language.

B. Elements used before 2 July 2018:

The elements and attestation clauses are the same as those described under point A, with the following differences:

1. A printed barcode and unique identifier are visible on the back of the security paper in the top right-hand corner.

2. The certified translation printed on a separate sheet is tied to the translated authentic document or a certified copy thereof with red, white and green string, the ends of which are fixed to the document by the certified OFFI label, to which the official OFFI stamp is affixed in such a way that it would be impossible to separate the documents without damaging the label.

3. For a translation from a foreign language into Hungarian, the attestation clause in Hungarian on the translation is followed by the place and date of issue, the authentic signature in blue ink and the text ‘on behalf of the chief executive officer’.

3. The features of electronic certified translations from OFFI

The appearance of the translation and the text of the attestation stamp are the same as those of the paper version.

The e-certified translation is contained in a folder (in .es3 or .dosszie format) produced by OFFI, which also contains the original file submitted for translation. In addition to the electronically signed e-certified translation with the OFFI electronic stamp (in .pdf format), the original file submitted for translation contained in the folder also retains its authenticity.

The original file and the file containing the translation are placed in the folder in such a way that separating the files destroys the certification, so the files that belong together are securely ‘attached’ to each other.

E-certification guarantees that the translation was produced by OFFI Zrt., that the content of the files has not changed since certification and that the text of the finished translation has the same content as the text submitted for translation.

Certified translations produced by a notary:

Certified translations produced by notaries are identified using the notarial case number. The translation must be written onto the original document or attached to it. Notaries certify a translation of an original document by adding an attestation clause to the end of the translation.


Certified translations produced by career consular officials:

The translation must be written onto the original document or attached to it and an attestation cause added to the translation. Finally, a clause certifying that the translation corresponds exactly to the original document must be added to the end of the translation.

If the career consular official attaches the translation to the original document, this must be done using red, white and green string fixed in place with a white, circular, self-adhesive label, which is stamped on two sides with the numbered stamp of the diplomatic representation.

The text of the attestation clause reads as follows:

I hereby certify that the translation presented to me/drawn up by me corresponds exactly to the attached document in the ……………………………………………………………………………. language.-----------------------------------

The customer has paid the consular fee of ....................................................
Case number: …………………………………………………………………………..

Done on: ……………………….………………………………………………………….

stamp

signature

The clause may also take another form, provided that it cannot be separated from the original document or the translation and contains the following mandatory elements:

(a) an indication of the foreign language from which the document is translated,

(b) the underlining of the appropriate option in ‘the translation presented to me/drawn up by me’, according to whether the consular official is certifying the accuracy of a translation presented to him/her or has prepared the translation himself/herself,

(c) the amount of the consular fee paid,

(d) the case number,

(e) the date,

(f) the numbered stamp of the diplomatic representation,

(g) the signature of the career consular official,

(h) the indication of his/her capacity as a career consular official.

In the date, the year and the day must also be written in letters in parentheses.

The clause most commonly takes the form of a stamp placed on the document or on a separate sheet that cannot be separated from the original document or the translation.

Where necessary, the consular attestation may also be drawn up in a foreign language within the parameters described above, if this is accepted by the authorities of the receiving country.

Article 24(1)(g) – information about the specific features of certified copies

Certified copies produced by a notary:

A notary may certify a copy of a document if the document from which the copy has been made is clearly legible. The notary compares the copy with the original document and certifies that the copy corresponds to the original by placing an attestation clause on the copy.

The attestation clause must indicate:

(a) that the copy was made from the original document, or from an official duplicate or copy thereof,

(b) whether there was a duty stamp on the document presented,

(c) whether the copy represents only part of the original,

(d) whether any changes, damage or other circumstances giving cause for concern are visible on the original document.

These rules must be applied mutatis mutandis for the certification of an electronic copy or extract produced under the notary’s supervision from a document or from an electronic database, and for the certification of a paper copy or extract produced from an electronic document. The notary signs the electronic copy or extract with a qualified electronic signature. There is no need to add an attestation clause to a certified electronic duplicate or certified electronic copy if it is produced from an undamaged paper document or electronic notarial document and contains the full document, the notary’s qualified electronic signature and a time stamp.

Certified copies produced by a court:

A copy produced by the court from a document presented to the court or a copy produced elsewhere and presented to the court for certification must contain the following:

(a) the phrase ‘true copy:’,

(b) the signature of the person who prepared the copy,

(c) the stamp of the court,

(d) the time and date on which the copy was made.

If the case file is available as an electronic document, the above rules must be applied when making a paper copy based on a printout of the electronic document. If a paper copy is requested of a court decision created as an electronic document, the copy must display the time stamp and electronic signature on the electronic document, as well as indicating the person whose electronic signature appears on the electronic document.

Last update: 02/01/2024

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