Schmidt & Schmidt covers the full spectrum of legalization services for documents issued in Hungary.
Hungary joined the Hague Convention on the Simplified Authentication of Documents on 18 April 1972; the Convention entered into force on 18 January 1973.
The apostille, or the “Hague apostille” is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or death certificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or a notarial attestation). It confirms the authenticity of the signature and the authority of an official who signed the public document.
Documents issued in Hungary are certified with an apostille in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1961 are recognized in all Member States of the Hague Convention and do not require any other form of certification, such as consular legalization, which considerably reduces the costs and time required for the certification of documents. So far, more than 120 states have joined the Convention.
The apostille is not sufficient for use in the states that are not party to the Hague Convention. In this case, consular legalization applies to a public document.
In Hungary, the official entities responsible for apostilles are as follows:
The apostille in Hungary is a square stamp in Hungarian with the obligatory heading "Apostille" and a reference to the 1961 Hague Convention in French (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961). The apostille certificate’s sides will be at least 9 centimeters long.
The apostille process can vary depending on the sender and recipient country, but typically to obtain an apostille for a document in Hungary, you must go through the following steps:
This process can be time-consuming, especially if it includes multiple documents and different countries. To ensure a smooth and accurate apostille process, it is recommended to seek guidance from specialists familiar with the requirements and procedures. Their expertise can help avoid delays and errors in obtaining documents apostille.
Document requirements that might apply:
The apostille is issued in a uniform format. In Hungary, it has the form of a printed sticker with a handwritten signature of an official, an official seal, and a hologram.
In cases where apostilles are not recognized, holders of foreign documents will need to legalize them instead. However, If the country of destination of the document recognizes and issues apostilles, then legalization is unnecessary.
If you require new original documents, the information here will help you.In order for educational documents issued in Hungary, such as school reports, university degree certificates, transcripts of records, enrollment certificates, and other certificates from schools or universities, to be valid and recognized abroad, they must undergo a process of certification through legalization or apostille.
To utilize your Hungarian diploma abroad, a two-step process for legalization is required:
In order to do this, you will most likely need to visit the Customer Service at the Office of Education in Budapest, bringing original documents along with necessary copies.
For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles the process of issuing apostilles. Interim authentication by the Office of Education is necessary before proceeding. You will need to submit stamped documents in person at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a legalization fee of 5,500 HUF per signature, payable upon document submission. The processing time varies, and the above process and requirements can be subject to change based on prevailing regulations and policies.
Hungary has established Bilateral agreements with Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Iraq, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Korea, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
Furthermore, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016 on public documents simplifies the circulation of certain public documents that must be presented in an EU Member State and have been issued in another EU Member State, thus exempting public documents from the confirmation of authenticity with the Apostille with the aim of reducing administrative burden and costs for citizens.
Consular legalization is the process of authenticating or certifying a legal document so a foreign country's legal system will recognize it as with full legal effect that is carried out by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country in which the document is to be used.
Consular legalization is more complex, time-consuming and costly than the simpler apostille procedure. Whereas apostille is usually issued within one step, consular legalization requires several pre-certifications before a public document can be certified at the embassy or consulate of the destination country.
It is a common requirement that the document has to be translated into the official language of the destination country before submission to the embassy. It is up to the diplomatic mission to decide about the authentication procedure.
The common feature between apostille and consular legalization is that they authenticate an official document for presentation to institutions in another country. However, they have many differences.
| Apostille | Consular legalization | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal effect | Can be used in all countries that are party to the Hague Convention on the Simplified Legalization of Documents. | Use between States one or both of which is not a member of the Hague Convention, or where one of the contracting States has protested the accession of the other. |
| Difficulty | Moderate. To obtain an apostille, contact the competent apostille authority of the state of origin of the document. | High. For consular legalization, various inland authorities and a diplomatic mission of the state of destination must be involved. |
| Pre-certification | Usually not required. | Is obligatory. |
| Attestation at the state of destination embassy in the state of origin of the document | No need to contact the Consulate of the country of destination. | Is the final step of legalization. |
Schmidt & Schmidt provides apostille and consular legalization services for public documents originating from all regions across Hungary. We handle the entire process, from document review to obtaining the necessary certifications, ensuring that your documents are valid and recognized internationally. With our reliable services, you can confidently use your Hungarian public documents abroad.
If the important documents are lost or damaged, or current copies of the documents are needed, the re-issue of the documents is required. It is not unusual for people outside Hungary to encounter difficulties with obtaining new documents when abroad. Our consultants will help you procure new documents from Hungary remotely, and we can arrange for your documents to be sent by courier anywhere in the world.
Copies and transcripts of civil status documents can be translated into any language by a sworn translator in Hungary or the translation can be done in the country of destination. We offer certified translations of civil status documents with further certification. The cost of the work is calculated according to the volume of the document in question.
Any foreign document issued in one country and used in another country must be legalized for use abroad. Therefore, the authenticity of a certified translation from Hungary needs to be certified by an apostille. Consequently, many authorities may not accept certified translations from Hungary if the translation has not been properly authenticated in Hungary for use abroad. To avoid this confusion, translations should better be made in the state of the destination of the document.
We offer a wide range of services and supplies related to the legalization of documents to suit all your needs. If you have a tight budget or need to have your documents legalized in record time, we can find a suitable solution. The deadline begins with the receipt of your documents.
incl. German VAT 19%
Price excl. VAT from 120€
Apostille and consular legalization for document from abroad
incl. German VAT 19%
Price excl. VAT from 140€
Certified translation of documents into foreign language
incl. German VAT 19%
Price excl. VAT from 60€
Express delivery of documents with apostille from abroad is charged separately according to the rates of delivery services.
Send us a request with a copy of your documents by email or via a special form on the website. We will examine your documents and let you know whether legalization is possible, as well as information on the costs and conditions of the procedure. We will need some time to complete the initial review. We will contact you as soon as we have all the necessary information.
It is not necessary to make an appointment or visit our office. Simply send us your documents by courier service and pay the amount due online. If necessary, we are always ready to answer further questions by e-mail or telephone.
The legalization of documents will take some time. Our experts work quickly and efficiently because they know their stuff well. As soon as the documents are ready, we will inform you.
As soon as the documents are legalized, we will send them to you by courier service worldwide. Our company also offers you translation services.
Kanada ve Hollanda'dan birçok resmi belge için noter ve apostil onaylarını Schmidt & Schmidt aracılığıyla aldik. Bilgesu Hanim işini çok iyi yapıyor. Her sorumuza vakit ayırıp detaylı cevap verdi. Tüm aşamaları takip etti ve bizimle irtibat halindeydi. İşlemler çok hızlı bir sekilde sorunsuz tamamlandı. Yardımlarınız için çok teşekkürler.
04 September 2024I really enjoy the service. It was easy to agree on all details online. I received all the documents translated and registered within a month. Thanks
26 August 2024 great professionals!What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Legalization of a document is a process, which allows to legitimate the document issued in one country for its usage in another. It means, if you want to submit a document, issued in one country, to authorities in a target country, the document must primarily prove its authenticity. Legalization confirms the authority of the issuing official as well as an authenticity of his signature and seal. Legalization is needed for official non-commercial documents.
No, not always. In some cases, countries can make bi- or multilateral agreements that completely revoke legalization of documents for their recognition in the member countries. For example, a CIEC convention from 1976 or bilateral treaties between Germany and Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Austria and Switzerland.
When foreign documents have to be presented to local authorities, a certified translation is required. These documents therefore must be translated and signed by a sworn translator and then certified by a notary, court or any other authority.
We work with qualified sworn translators and offer you certified translations of various documents such as contracts, extracts from commercial registers, court decisions and certificates into various languages.
The certified translations we offer will be recognized in more than 100 countries.
It often happens that personal documents are lost or damaged. Current copies of these documents are also sometimes required. In this case it is necessary to obtain documents again. Our service allows you to obtain documents remotely in more than 100 countries around the world. We can also legalize documents and deliver them by courier anywhere in the world.
Duplicate birth, marriage, name change, divorce or death certificates may be required to register a marriage abroad, register a newborn child, obtain citizenship or inheritance, data to apply for a pension confirm opening bank accounts and handling other bureaucratic matters.
We ensure that our services are legally flawless and your documents will be accepted in the target country.
We include the cost of our services, government fees, and delivery in the price. You don't need to worry about additional expenses. Obtain an apostille or consular legalization of your documents without registration or subscription.
Stay informed on our latest news.
A conference entitled “Addressing International Private Law through the Lens of the Apostille Convention” was held in Thailand as part of the 62nd annual session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO). This was reported on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.
13 September 2024
The Ministry of International Relations (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) of the Dominican Republic announced a temporary suspension of apostille and document legalization services, according to the local publication Listin Diario.
03 September 2024
The authority to certify documents with an apostille will be transferred from the courts of appeal to the notary chambers from January 1, 2025. This was reported by La Gazette Du Midi, citing the head of the Toulouse Notary Chamber, Hubert Letignier.
27 August 2024 
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry held a ceremony to mark the Islamic Republic's accession to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention), Radio Pakistan reported.
