Hungary Civil Registration (2024)

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    Contents

    • 1 Definition
    • 2 Time Coverage
    • 3 Information Content
      • 3.1 Births
      • 3.2 Marriages
      • 3.3 Deaths
    • 4 Locating Records
      • 4.1 Online Civil Registration
      • 4.2 Research by Mail
    • 5 Civil Registration Record Forms with Translations
      • 5.1 Birth Civil Registration Record Translation (pre-1907)
      • 5.2 Marriage Civil Registration Record Translation (1898-1906)
      • 5.3 Death Civil Registration Record Translation (pre-1907)
      • 5.4 Post-1907 Civil Registration Records (tabular format)

    Definition[edit | edit source]

    Civil Registration (Állami anyakönyvek) refers to records of births, marriages, and deaths maintained by civil authorities. One of the main reasons for the introduction of Hungarian civil registration in 1895 was the conflict in the late 1800s over the baptism of children of mixed marriages.

    Time Coverage[edit | edit source]

    Hungarian Civil registration began on October 1, 1895 and continues to the present.

    Information Content[edit | edit source]

    The format varies slightly over time: prior to 1907 records were kept with a single event per page, beginning with 1907 the format is tabular with many events listed on the same page (examples of both appear below).

    Births[edit | edit source]

    • name of child,
    • date of entry,
    • place and date of birth;
    • names, ages and residence of parents
    • until 1948, also the religion of parents,
    • names of witnesses.

    Marriages[edit | edit source]

    • date and place of marriage
    • names, occupations, dates and places of birth and residences of groom and bride
    • names and residences of parents and witnesses
    • until 1948, also the religion.

    Deaths[edit | edit source]

    • name,
    • occupation,
    • residence and age of the deceased
    • dates of death and burial
    • names of surviving spouse and parents
    • place and cause of death
    • until 1948, also the religion.

    Locating Records[edit | edit source]

    The originals of these registers are kept at Civil Registrars’ offices (anyakönyvi hivatal) in town halls (állami nyilvántartási hivatal). Up to 1980 the registrars’ offices sent transcripts of these volumes to the county archives, or, in the case of Budapest, to the municipal archives.

    • Some information can be obtained by correspondence or by visit if proof of relationship is given.
    • Hungary’s so-called “personality law” prohibits archives from providing access to birth registers for 90 years, marriage registers for 60 years, and death registers for 30 years.

    Online Civil Registration[edit | edit source]

    Civil registration records from Budapest are now available on FamilySearch website:

    • 1895-1980 Hungary Civil Registration, 1895-1980 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Also at MyHeritage ($)

    Research by Mail[edit | edit source]

    If the records you want are not available through the FamilySearch Library, you can write to the Hungarian Embassy to request information. For instructions on how to obtain birth, marriage or death certificate from Hungary go to: Obtaining Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Death Certificates From Hungary The fee is $57.00 per certificate.

    Civil Registration Record Forms with Translations[edit | edit source]

    Birth Civil Registration Record Translation (pre-1907)[edit | edit source]

    Hungarian birth civil registrations were recorded on pre-printed standard civil registration forms. Small variations may occur in different areas of the country. A translation of this form will help you in reading the birth civil registration record. The birth registration forms from 1895 to 1906 were one to a page/side. All of the civil registration forms were revised to a tabular format in 1907.

    Marriage Civil Registration Record Translation (1898-1906)[edit | edit source]

    Hungarian marriage civil registrations were recorded on pre-printed standard civil registration forms. Small variations may occur in different areas of the country. A translation of this form will help you in reading the marriage civil registration record. The pre-1907 marriage registration format was two pages: the right-hand side on one image and the left-hand side on the next image. The initial format had the mother of the bride on the second page; this was revised in 1898 to move all of the parents to the first page, with only the witnesses, remarks, and signatures on the second page. All of the forms were completely revised to a tabular format in 1907.

    Death Civil Registration Record Translation (pre-1907)[edit | edit source]

    Hungarian death civil registrations were recorded on pre-printed standard civil registration forms. Small variations may occur in different areas of the country. A translation of this form will help you in reading the death civil registration record. The death registration forms from 1895 to 1906 were one to a page/side. All of the civil registration forms were revised to a tabular format in 1907.

    Post-1907 Civil Registration Records (tabular format)[edit | edit source]

    • Birth record

    • Marriage record

    • Death record

    Tabular format birth record headers and translations
    HeaderTranslation
    Folyó számEntry number
    A bejegyzés ideje (év, hó, nap)Date of entry (year, month, day)
    A születés ideje (év, hó, nap)Date of birth (year, month, day)
    A gyermek utóneve, neme, vallásaThe child's given name, sex, religion
    A szülőkThe parents'
    Családi és utóneve,

    állása (foglalkozása),

    lakhelye

    Family and given name,

    position (occupation),

    residence

    vallásareligion
    életkoraage
    A születés helye,

    ha a születés nem

    az anya lakásán

    történt

    Place of birth,

    if the birth did

    not happen at the

    mother's residence

    Aláírás előtti esetleges megjegyzések.

    Aláírások.

    Pre-signature remarks, if any.

    Signatures.

    Utólagos bejegyzések.

    Kiigazítások.

    Addenda.

    Corrections.

    BejelentőInformant
    AnyakönyvvezetőRegistrar
    Tabular format marriage record headers and translations
    HeaderTranslation
    FolyószámEntry number
    A házasságkötés helye és ideje (év, hó, nap)Place and date of marriage (year, month, day)
    A vőlegényThe groom('s)
    családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), vallása, születési helye és ideje, lakhelye

    szül.

    lak.

    family and given name, position (occupation), religion, place and date of birth, residence

    birth

    residence

    szüleinek családi és utónevefamily and given names of parents
    A menyasszonyThe bride('s)
    családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), vallása, születési helye és ideje, lakhelyefamily and given name, position (occupation), religion, place and date of birth, residence
    szüleinek családi és utónevefamily and given names of parents
    A házasságkötési tanuk családi és utóneve, lakhelyeThe wedding witnesses' family and given names, residence
    Házasságkötési kijelentések. Aláírás előtti esetleges megjegyzések. Aláírások.

    tanu

    férj

    feleség

    anyakönyvvezető

    Marriage declarations. Pre-signature remarks, if any. Signatures.

    witness

    husband

    wife

    registrar

    Utólagos bejegyzések. Kiigazítások.Addenda. Corrections.
    Tabular format death record headers and translations
    HeaderTranslation
    FolyószámEntry number
    A bejegyzés ideje (év, hó, nap)Entry date (year, month, day)
    Az elhalálozás ideje (év, hó, nap, napszak, óra)Death date (year, month, day, a.m./p.m., time)
    Az elhaltThe deceased('s)
    családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), lakhelyeFamily and given name, position (occupation), residence
    vallásareligion
    életkoraage
    házastársának családi és utónevespouse's family and given name
    szüleinek családi és utóneveparents' family and given names
    Az elhalálozás helye, ha az elhalálozás nem az elhalt lakásán történtPlace of death, if death did not occur at deceased's residence
    A halál okaCause of death
    Aláirás előtti esetleges megjegyzések. Aláírások.

    bejelentőanyakönyvvezető

    Pre-signature remarks, if any. Signatures.

    informant

    registrar

    Utólagos bejegyzések. Kiigazítások.Addenda. Corrections.

    There were variations in the preprinted register-books over time, but the changes were minor until the 1953 revision, which completely re-arranged the locations of fields, did away with the religion, and added fields for things like the deceased's birth and marriage.

    Post-1953 death record headers
    FolyószámA halálozásra vonatkozó adatokA halott személyi adataiA halál okaMegjegyzésekA bejegyzés ideje, aláírásokUtólagos bejegyzések
    1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.
    a halálozás helye:

    a halálozás ideje:

    év

    nap

    családi és utóneve:

    neme:

    családi állapota:

    foglalkozása:

    lakóhelye:

    születési helye:

    születési ideje:

    év hó nap

    szüleinek családi és utóneve:

    házastársának családi és utóneve:

    házasságkötésének helye:

    házasságkötésének éve:

    év hó nap

    bejelentő

    anyakönyvvezető

    Post-1953 death record translations
    Entry numberData pertaining to the deathThe deceased person's dataCause of deathRemarksDate of entry, signaturesAddenda
    1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.
    place of death:

    date of death:

    year

    month

    day

    family and given name:

    sex:

    marital status:

    occupation:

    residence:

    place of birth:

    date of birth:

    year month day

    parents' family and given names:

    spouse's family and given name:

    place of marriage:

    year of marriage:

    year month day

    informant

    registrar

    Hungary Civil Registration (2024)

    FAQs

    How to find birth records in Hungary? ›

    Requests to obtain certificates or records from Hungary are accepted in person during office hours or via mail. If you submit a request via mail, please ensure that a notary public attests to your identity and signature.

    How do I find my ancestors in Hungary? ›

    The best sources of genealogical information in Hungary are the church records kept by the local parishes. FamilySearch has indexes of pre-1896 baptisms from Roman Catholic and Reformed church registers for most churches that are still in Hungary. Use Records Search to find your relatives in these indexes.

    How do I register a foreign marriage in Hungary? ›

    The application can be lodged at the register offices in Hungary, as a general rule. Application can also be lodged at the Consular Section of the Embassy. In this case the procedure may take up to 3 months or even more.

    What is civil registry in Lebanon? ›

    The civil registration system in Lebanon is centralized. The ... Ministry of Interior and Municipalities is responsible for the registration of vital events such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces.... There are 52 registry offices working under the central office through regional departments in 6 provinces.

    How do I prove my Hungarian ancestry? ›

    Birth certificates of the applicant and their Hungarian ancestor(s), proving the familial relationship. Marriage certificates (if applicable), establishing the connection between the applicant's parents or grandparents. Hungarian passports or citizenship certificates of the Hungarian ancestor(s) (if available).

    How to obtain birth marriage divorce or death certificates from Hungary? ›

    In order to obtain certificates or records from Hungary, you have to send the application to the diplomatic or consular representation whose area of responsibility includes the state you live in (see the consular districts of Hungarian missions in the US ).

    What ethnicity are you if you are Hungarian? ›

    Hungary is located in Eastern Europe. Ethnic Hungarians call themselves Magyars and account for 84% of the total Hungarian population of 9.98 million. Their language belongs to the language family Uralic, and their race is white.

    What ancestry do Hungarians have? ›

    Their original composition probably included Iranian and Turkish people, while other populations were already present in the territory (Avars, Slavs, Germans). Some of the Hungarian ethnic groups claim to be descendants of ancient Magyars settlers (such as the Orség), others of Huns, Turks or Iranians.

    How many Americans have Hungarian ancestry? ›

    The U.S. Census Bureau has estimated that there are approximately 1.396 million Americans of Hungarian descent as of 2018. The total number of people with ethnic Hungarian background is estimated to be around 4 million. The largest concentration is in the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area in Northeast Ohio.

    What happens if I marry a Hungarian citizen? ›

    Hungarian citizenship by marriage

    Spouses of Hungarian nationals may apply for the naturalization process under the following conditions: at least 3 years of residence in Hungary, minimum 3 years of marriage or. at least 10 years of marriage or. minimum 5 years of marriage and having children together.

    What are the rules for marriage in Hungary? ›

    To be legal, all marriages must be performed by a Hungarian civil authority. Religious ceremonies do not have legal validity under Hungarian law. (Dual Nationals: American citizens who are considered to be Hungarian citizens under Hungarian law may contract marriage in Hungary only as Hungarian citizens.

    How do I get a local civil registry? ›

    Civil registry documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates may be availed of by securing a certified transcript or photocopy from the Municipal Civil Registry Office. Any person/individual concerned or his/her duly authorized person can secure a copy of registered civil registry documents.

    What is the meaning of civil register? ›

    Civil registration is the recording and description of vital events in a population, such as births, deaths, and marriages. It is continuous and compulsory, as defined by decree, law, or regulation. Civil registration systems are foundational systems.

    What is civil registry in the US? ›

    The primary purpose of civil registration is to create a legal document (usually called a certificate) that can be used to establish and protect the rights of individuals. A secondary purpose is to create a data source for the compilation of vital statistics.

    Is there an international birth certificate? ›

    A child born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents may acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if certain statutory requirements are met. In such a case, the Department of State will issue a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, also called a Form FS-240, in the child's name.

    What is the number of birth in Hungary? ›

    The current birth rate for Hungary in 2024 is 9.240 births per 1000 people, a 0.42% decline from 2023. The birth rate for Hungary in 2023 was 9.279 births per 1000 people, a 0.45% decline from 2022. The birth rate for Hungary in 2022 was 9.321 births per 1000 people, a 0.46% decline from 2021.

    How do I find German birth records? ›

    Records of birth, marriage and death are generally kept at the German vital records office (Standesamt) where the event occurred. Most cities have websites at www. (nameofcity).de where you can find the contact information for the appropriate Standesamt and request a copy of your birth or marriage certificate.

    Where can I find birth records in Romania? ›

    To obtain copies of birth, marriage, divorce, or death records, write to the Civil Registration District Office in the Town Hall where the event occurred. Vital records are on file from 1865 and in many cases, from much earlier. Current registration of vital records is considered fairly comprehensive.

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