Death registration

Death Registration in Hungary

In Hungary, the death of a person must be officially registered (anyakönyvezve) for legal and administrative purposes. This is a state-mandated civil procedure and is a prerequisite for issuing the death certificate and proceeding with funeral arrangements.

Who Can Report a Death?

Authorized Individuals:

• The person responsible for the burial (typically a close relative or legal next of kin)
• The funeral service provider acting on behalf of the family

Institutions That Must Report by Law:

• The physician who determines the cause of death
• Institutions that perform pathological or judicial autopsies

These authorities report the death via the Elektronikus Egészségügyi Szolgáltatási Tér (EESZT)—Hungary’s national electronic health services platform—immediately after confirming the death.

Steps of the Registration Process

1. Initial Notification:
• The attending physician or relevant institution enters the death information into the EESZT.
• The system sends this to the registrar (anyakönyvvezető) with all legally required data.
2. Document Submission (Within 5 Days):
   The burial-responsible person or the funeral service provider must submit:
• The deceased’s ID card and address card
• The birth certificate
• A document proving marital status (if available)
• The burial copy of the death certificate
3. Official Record Creation:
• A protocol is drawn up during the death registration procedure.
• The registrar contacts the office holding the birth record to ensure the deceased's data is integrated into the electronic registry within 120 days.
• If the deceased was married or had a registered partnership, the registrar also notifies the respective marital registry.
4. Invalidation of Identification Documents:
• The registrar physically invalidates the ID documents (e.g., by hole-punching or stamping).
• These can be returned to the family upon request unless the documents are found to be falsified.
• Unclaimed or surplus ID documents must be sent to the relevant district office within 3 days.

What If No One Reports the Death?

Even if no family member or funeral provider fulfills their obligation:

• If the registrar becomes aware of the death (e.g., via hospital or police notification), they are still required to initiate the registration.
• The registrar will obtain necessary information from hospitals or other sources to ensure the registration is completed.

Required Information for Registration

For the Deceased:

• Gender
• Full name (birth name and married name, if applicable)
• Birthplace and date
• Personal identification number (or birth date if not available)
• Father's and mother's birth names
• Marital status and details of last marriage or registered partnership
• Nationality and last registered address

For the Surviving Spouse or Partner:

• Full birth and married names
• Personal identification number

For the Person Reporting the Death:

• Full legal name and maiden name
• Relationship to the deceased
• Address
• ID document details (type, number, issuing authority, validity)

Legal and Administrative Framework

• No fee is charged for the death registration process.
• The procedure can be initiated at any registrar's office.
• There is no appeal against the decisions made by the registrar regarding the registry.
• Oversight of registrars is provided by the capital and county government offices.

In the case of foreign deaths, the consulate may act as a registrar, and Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala handles such registrations.