Dealing with a Death Abroad in Hungary

Practical and legal help for families after a death in Hungary, or a death elsewhere that touches Hungary: registering the death, the Hungarian death certificate, the embassy and the funeral director, and the first steps of the notary's probate.
lawyer in Hungary
1
cases in this service
1
clients' rating in Hungary
4.96 ★

About Dealing with a Death Abroad in Hungary

Dealing with a death abroad is hard when the country is unfamiliar and the papers are in Hungarian. This page covers a death abroad that involves Hungary: the death of a relative or partner in Hungary, and the death in another country of a Hungarian citizen or of someone who owned property or money in Hungary. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Managing the Death Abroad of a Loved one”. The Hungarian words that come up are halotti anyakönyvi kivonat (the death certificate, an extract from the civil register), hazai anyakönyvezés (recording in the Hungarian register a death that happened abroad) and hagyatéki eljárás (the probate a notary runs). English-speaking lawyers in Hungary can take on much of the paperwork for a family that is far away.

When someone dies in Hungary

  • A doctor confirms the death and the registrar (anyakönyvvezető) of the place of death records it; the family then asks for the certificate extract, and for use in other EU countries a multilingual form may be attached.
  • The embassy or consulate of the person's own country is told; it can explain what its authorities need back home.
  • A funeral director (temetkezési vállalkozó) arranges a burial or cremation in Hungary, or the transport of the remains with the documents that the countries involved ask for.
  • Bank accounts, a rented flat, a car or a property in Hungary then lead to the notary's probate.

When a Hungarian citizen or owner dies elsewhere

A death abroad of a Hungarian citizen is usually entered in the Hungarian register through a consulate or a Hungarian registrar before Hungarian authorities, banks and the notary act on it. Where the person left property in Hungary, a Hungarian probate is usually needed for it, wherever the person lived.

What a lawyer does

A lawyer can request certificates and translations, speak to the registrar, the funeral director and the bank, find out whether a will exists, and represent the family in the probate under a power of attorney. The estate itself is described on the inheritance page; obtaining Hungarian civil documents is a separate service, see birth, marriage and death certificates, and so is closing a bank account.

Questions and answers

Who registers a death that happens in Hungary?

The registrar of the town or district where the person died, based on the medical certificate. The family receives the certificate extract.

Can the family get a Hungarian death certificate from abroad?

Yes, a lawyer or another authorised person can request it and have it translated or certified for use in another country.

Who arranges repatriation of the remains?

A funeral director, working with the consulate of the destination country. Travel insurance of the deceased may cover part of it; that depends on the policy.

Does a death abroad start probate in Hungary?

When the person left property in Hungary, usually yes. The notary needs the death to be on record, which for a death abroad can mean the Hungarian registration first.

1 lawyer who provides Dealing with a Death Abroad in Hungary

Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.

  • Peter, lawyer in Budapest

    Peter

    Lawyer · Budapest, Hungary

    • 199 cases handled · 1 in this service
    • 10+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English, German, Hungarian
    • Law, University of Pécs
    • 4.94(17 reviews)
    Contact Peter
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What our clients say about our service in Hungary

  • A Google search led me to this service when I needed legal help in Lithuania. The lawyer offered a well-informed opinion along with a quote for the fees, the job was done efficiently and effectively, and the solution to my problem pleased me.
    — David
    11 Mar 2024
    Dealing with a Death Abroad
  • He replied incredibly fast and soon found the answers I needed, so I started to feel less stressed. He went out of his way to make certain I understood the procedure and the legal terms, and the assistance could not have been better.
    — Danni
    23 Jan 2026
  • The lawyer handled my request very well, and his English was perfect. I am completely satisfied.
    — Carl
    18 Feb 2025
  • He was extremely helpful from beginning to end. I live with chronic fatigue and very little energy, so at times I had to pause the probate process, occasionally for a few months. Whenever I felt able to continue, he picked it up again straight away and we moved a little further. He could always explain what was going on in words I understood, and he sent me copies of every document, including the Hungarian ones, telling me what they contained and sometimes giving me an English version. I found the charges very good value for money. I know he put in quite a few hours, and I said more than once that he should tell me if I owed anything more. I was completely satisfied with how it all went and could not have asked for more.
    — Pamela
    28 Jan 2026
  • The lawyer successfully solved the problem we brought him. He was always reachable by whatever means, and his advice and work were pro-active. He grasped the problem quickly and was not fazed by what seemed to us a large, esoteric and complex financial nightmare. He was excellent value for money, explained everything clearly and was approachable, professional and courteous. It was a fantastic experience, and we were very satisfied with the result. We do not want more legal problems, but we hope to stay in touch!
    — Daniel
    07 Jul 2023
  • I asked the lawyer to help me trace where my father was born in Hungary. The lawyer was very diligent and took up my request right away, since there was not much time before I travelled to Hungary. Sadly we did not manage to find the address, and that was in no way his fault: the records in Mezafalva lacked the information needed from the mid 1930s. Still, I highly recommend this service, and him in particular.
    — Michael
    10 Apr 2024
  • I cannot praise my solicitor enough. He was patient, caring and knowledgeable, and he updated me on everything, even outside working hours and while he was on holiday! I am thankful to the service for connecting me with him, and to him for going above and beyond every time.
    — Ciaran
    17 Oct 2022
  • Thanks to the lawyer I reached a compromise in a dispute over a deposit with my landlord in Budapest. He is a real professional who will do all he can to solve a legal problem, and while he worked on my case he stayed responsive and flexible. I recommend him to everybody who needs legal help in Hungary.
    — Diar
    16 Dec 2021
    Rental Deposit Recovery, Hungary
  • After my daughter died, I asked the lawyer to help me close her bank account in Budapest. He was extremely helpful in handling the bank. It was a difficult situation, since getting proper information from them was quite hard, but he kept firmly on top of the case and did everything he could to make sure everything necessary was done. He always kept me properly informed about progress, and he also supported me with the local steps I had to take here in Luxembourg with the Hungarian Consulate. He assisted with other Hungarian administrative papers that had come in for my daughter too, so that nothing stayed pending, and he took the time to contact the offices concerned to tell them she had died and to see that whatever needed doing with them got done. I could not have resolved this without him. He was very professional throughout, and I felt he got truly involved in the matter. His English was perfect, so we never had trouble understanding each other. I deeply appreciated his help, and it would be a pleasure to meet him one day and thank him in person. A better person and better support would have been impossible to ask for.
    — Murielle
    02 Jun 2021
    Assistance with Official Procedures, Hungary
  • I am very thankful to the lawyer, and completely satisfied with the result.
    — Mohit
    30 Sep 2025
  • I cannot thank my solicitor enough. He was patient, caring and knowledgeable, and he kept me informed about everything, even outside working hours and while he was on holiday. Thank you to this service for putting me in touch with him, and thank you to him for going above and beyond every time.
    — Ciaran
    29 Aug 2022