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Passport for children between 12-18 years
The information below is regarding children who are Hungarian citizens, are older than 12 years of age but have not yet turned 18 years old at the time of submitting the application and they were either born in Hungary or their birth abroad has already been registered in Hungary (i.e. they have a Hungarian birth certificate).
In the absence of a Hungarian birth certificate, please make sure to read the section on civil registry events first.
The passports contain a signature, a photo and the fingerprints of the applicants.
Please read through the following information below (click on the relevant ’+’ signs):
The application can be submitted in person by the legal representative(s) of the minor acting on his/her behalf.
A minor is under guardianship if no adult exercises parental rights over them, meaning that their legal representative(s) can be either
- both parents holding parental responsibility together, or
- a parent holding parental responsibility on his/her own, or
- the guardian of the minor.
Parents still exercise parental rights together even if they are not living together any longer – with the exception of them having previously agreed or being ordered to do otherwise by social services, or if the parental rights of one of the parents have been ceased, suspended or terminated.
In some circumstances the presence of only one parent (or the guardian) is sufficient, but any child over the age of 12 must be present as well.
A child who legally became of age after getting married in Hungary may apply for passport on his/her own (provided that they present their original marriage certificate).
Passport applications can be submitted in person at the Consular Office of the Hungarian Embassy in London after having booked your appointment.
The Embassy and the Consular Office are not at the same locations. Administrative work, including passport applications, is carried out at the Consular Office at
First Floor, 100 Brompton Road, London, SW3 1ER
The fingerprints of the applicants between the ages of 12 and 18 must be digitally recorded as well, thus the applications cannot be submitted at any of the honorary consuls.
Depending on the exact location of the submission and the number of people authorised to proceed please choose either section 3/A or section 3/B from the drop-down menu and continue with the section “What do we need to bring to the appointment” afterwards:
There is no form to be filled out in advance.
Should the parents visit the Consular Office and submit the passport application for their child together, they both have to sign the form printed and filled out by the administrator, which will also serve as their authorisation for the passport to be issued for the child.
If you have two, three or more children in the household, we kindly ask you to fill out the relevant form as this may affect the fee you have to pay.
The form can be downloaded by clicking here.
In case you are not able to present the child’s valid passport, you must declare the loss/theft of the document in a report which will be printed out at the time of the appointment.
There is no form to be filled out in advance.
In case only one of the parents (or the guardian) appears in person to submit the application, the parent or the guardian will have to sign the form printed and filled out by the administrator which will also serve as their authorisation for the passport to be issued for the child.
Additional necessary documents if
1. only one of the parents comes to the Consular Office, but both parents are on the Hungarian birth certificate:
- the original parental consent form of the absent parent must be attached, OR
- the termination, revoking or suspension of parental responsibility of the absent parent must be verified by presenting the original agreement of the parents set forth in a court of law, or the death certificate of the other parent, etc.;
2. the guardian visits the Consular Office with the child: - the guardian will need to present the original Hungarian guardianship order stating that the name of the father on the Hungarian birth certificate is that of an imaginary father only (i.e. there is no person to be considered as father).
Parental consent form can be done:
The parent coming to the appointment has to bring along the printed version of the electronic consent form with a QR code on it.
Forms must be filled out and signed with blue ink pen and the parent submitting the application must present the original form when visiting the Consular Office.
Regarding passport applications the form of parental consent must be dated within 15 days of the appointment, otherwise the Consular Office will not be able to accept it.
Decree of a Hungarian court can only be accepted if it can no longer be challenged and is absolute.
Court decree (e.g. child arrangement order) can only be accepted if
- the child has British citizenship, and/or
- the child’s actual habitual residence in the United Kingdom, and
- the decree specifically entitles and authorises one of the parents to apply for passport without the other parent’s consent (specific issue order).
The Consular Office is not able to accept the document if it only states which parent the child is placed with (live with order).
The form can be downloaded by clicking here.
In case you are not able to present the child’s valid passport, you must declare the loss/theft of the document in a report which will be printed out at the time of the appointment.
In order to submit the application, you must bring along all the documents below that are available to you:
- valid Hungairan passport or ID card of the Hungarian parent (guardian);
- the non-Hungaran parent’s (guardian) valid passport, or ID card/ driving licence – not provisional – issued by the United Kingdom/ EEA member state;
- If the parents exercise custody jointly, but only one of them appears in person, the signed consent form by the other parent;
- if the parent appearing in person exercises custody rights alone but the other parent is also on the child’s birth certificate, the document verifying the suspension of custody rights of the absent parent (e.g.: court decision, death certificate);
- if application is submitted by a guardian, the court decision appointing the guardian (if the original document is in English then a legalized Hungarian translation is also needed);
- original Hungarian birth certificate of the child;
- the valid passport of the child or one that has expired within a year;
- in the adbsence of a passport, the child’s valid ID or one that has expired within a year (if applicable);
- Hungarian address card of the child;
- marriage certificate of the child who legally became of age after getting married in Hungary
The decision of a Hungarian court can be accepted if it can no longer be challenged/ appealed by ordinary legal remedies. (Final order/ Decree Absolute)
The decision of a British court (e.g.:. child arrangement order) can be accepted if:
- the child also holds British citizenship and/or
- their habitual residence is in the United Kingdom, and
- the decision sepcifically states that the parent being present can apply for a passport for the child alone (without the consent of the other parent) (e.g.: specific issue order).It is not enough if the decision only stipulates which parent the child should live with (live with order), and
- it is provided with a legalized Hungarian translation.
You can find further information about British court decisions and applications here
The photograph, fingerprint and signature are recorded digitally at the Consular Office.
In the absence of the above-mentioned documents please read the next section (If something is missing)
Please read the following information only if you are unable to present the documents mentioned in the previous section – otherwise you may move onto the next section “How much does it cost”.
If the parents are unable to prove their identity with valid documents, they will have to apply for their own passport or ID card first.
In case the child does not have a Hungarian birth certificate because his/her birth has not yet been registered in Hungary, please read the section regarding Civil registrations.
If the parents are unable to present the child’s valid passport at the time of the appointment, the appropriate report of it being lost, stolen or destroyed must be taken as well.
If the birth of the child has already been registered in Hungary but the child’s Hungarian citizenship cannot be confirmed with documents such as a passport (or one that has expired not more than a year ago), an ID card, a citizenship certificate (issued not longer than 3 years ago) or a naturalisation certificate, and the child cannot be found in the Personal Data and Address Register (i.e. the child never had an address card), the application can be submitted but the passport can only be issued after the child has gone through a verification of citizenship process. In such cases, the verification of citizenship process is mandatory and could delay the passport application by 6-12 months.
Once the child’s citizenship has been confirmed, based on the parents’ or the guardians’ choice he/she will automatically be entered in the Personal Data and Address Register either as a “Hungarian citizen living in Hungary” or as a “Hungarian citizen living abroad” depending on the parents’ addresses registered in the Personal Data and Address Register.
The application is subject to fees, which must be paid by debit card at the consular office.
Passports applied for at our Consular Office are issued in Hungary. The duration of the procedure depends on whether you wish to have the document
- delivered to Hungary or abroad, and
- collected or sent to you via post.
Taking the above into account, the total duration of the procedure is usually 20-40 days (including postal delivery).
Should the passport be collected in Hungary or delivered to a Hungarian address, the Consular Office in London has no further tasks with the document. The passport authority will deliver the document directly to the requested address.
Should you request the passport to be delivered to a foreign mission other than London, the passport will be sent to the consulate you chose by diplomatic courier after the passport authority forwarded the document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The duration of such transfers is not included in the legal deadline of the procedure.
The consular office in London will process the documents in order of their arrival and will post them or notify customers choosing personal collection afterwards.
Documents are usually available for collection within 20-40 days from the date of submission. The duration of the procedure may be extended
- with the time of receiving a deficiency order and the time of its completion;
- if the applicant needs to go through the process of citizenship verification (approximately 6-12 months);
- during the summer and Christmas period, due to the smaller frequency of the diplomatic courier (about 10 days);
- if the child does not have a Hungarian birth certificate, with the length of the birth registration procedure;
Considering the fact that due to the above circumstances the duration of the procedure may be prolonged, it is highly recommended not to purchase any travel tickets prior to receiving the document and checking the personal data contained therein. Please note that the Consular Office does not take any responsibilities for losses or damages.
The consular office is unable to intervene in the process of issuing the document. Please note that the modification of your declaration regarding the method of collection (in person or via post) is not possible at a later time.
Should there be any changes to the postal address provided at the time of the application, it is the responsibility of the applicant to have the postal deliveries redirected to their new address as follows:
- in case of deliveries to a Hungarian address, such enquiries can be made to the provider Magyar Posta;
- in case of deliveries to a UK address, you may enquire at Royal Mail.
The validity of the passport depends on the age of the applicant at the time of the application:
|
between the age of 12-18 |
it is 5 years, which starts from the birthday following the issuance of the passport (hence it will always be more than 5 years) |
If the child was born on 29th February and this day is missing in the year of expiry, the passport will expire on the 28th February.
Applications can only be submitted by booking an appointment as follows:
- if your child still has his/her previous passport, please book for “Passport application” to the Consular Office in London
The duration of the appointment is 15 minutes. Late arrival may result in the loss of the appointment.
- if your child’s previous passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, please book for “Report of stolen or lost passport/ID + replacement” to the Consular Office in London.
The duration of the appointment is 20 minutes. Late arrival may result in the loss of the appointment.
Please note that the booking should be completed with the data of the child you wish to have a new passport issued for. Along with the passport application – with the exception of civil registrations and authentications – other case types can be booked for the same appointment as well.
You can book an appointment at the consular office in London by clicking here.
Passport for children under 12
Passport applications can be initiated at a foreign mission for Hungarian national children who have not reached the age of 12, if
- They were born in Hungary or their birth abroad has been registered in Hungary (they have a Hungarian birth certificate); or
- the registration of their birth is initiated at the same time as the passport application (applies only to children under the age of six).
In the absence of a Hungarian birth certificate, please make sure to read the section on civil registry events first.
The passport contains a photograph. It does not contain fingerprints and signature.
Please read through the following information below (click on the relevant ’+’ signs):
The application can be submitted in person by the legal representative(s) of the minor acting on his/her behalf.
A minor is under guardianship if no adult exercises parental rights over them, meaning that their legal representative(s) can be either
- both parents holding parental responsibility together, or
- a parent holding parental responsibility on his/her own, or
- the guardian of the minor.
Parents still exercise parental rights together even if they are not living together any longer – with the exception of them having previously agreed or being ordered to do otherwise by social services, or if the parental rights of one of the parents have been ceased, suspended or terminated.
Under certain conditions (see 3/C-D), the presence of only one parent (or guardian) may be sufficient; and minors under the age of 12 do not have to attend.
Passport applications can be submitted in person at the Consular Office of the Hungarian Embassy in London after having booked your appointment.
The Embassy and the Consular Office are not at the same locations. Administrative work, including passport applications, is carried out at the Consular Office at
First Floor, 100 Brompton Road, London, SW3 1ER
Digital record of fingerprints is not required for children under the age of 12, thus the parents can submit the passport application (in person) at one of the honorary consuls (Belfast, Cardiff, Sheringham, Torquay) if the child already has a Hungarian birth certificate. Birth registrations cannot be initiated at the honorary consuls.
Contact details of the honorary consuls for appointments can be found here.
There is no form to be filled out in advance.
Should the parents visit the Consular Office and submit the passport application for their child together, they both have to sign the form printed and filled out by the administrator, which will also serve as their authorisation for the passport to be issued for the child.
If you have two, three or more children in the household, we kindly ask you to fill out the relevant form as this may affect the fee you have to pay.
The form can be downloaded by clicking here.
In case you are not able to present the child’s valid passport, you must declare the loss/theft of the document in a report which will be printed out at the time of the appointment.
Application at the honorary consul can only be submitted if the child is under 12 years of age and he/she has a Hungarian birth certificate. You must book an appointment with one of the honorary consuls.
The passport application form must be filled out with blue ink pen prior to the appointment with the honorary consul. You must date and sign the document at the presence of the honorary consul.
The form can be downloaded by clicking here.
If you have two, three or more children in the household, we kindly ask you to fill out the relevant form as this may affect the fee you have to pay.
The form can be downloaded by clicking here.
In case you are not able to provide the child’s valid passport, you must declare the loss/theft of the document in a report in front of the honorary consul.
A sample of the report form can be downloaded from here.
Instructions for filling out the report can be found here.
The application form and the attachments signed by the honorary consul must be posted to the Consular Office in London. The followings need to be included in the postage.
- application form signed by the parents/guardian and signed and stamped by the honorary consul.
- the child’s passport (if it’s still valid);
- report of the lost or stolen passport, if applicable;
- the declaration of the number of children in the household, if applicable;
- valid passport or ID card of the legal representatives
- original Hungarian birth certificate
- 1 passport photo of the child that cannot be older than 6 months. Please note the background must be white or light grey. (Please click here for the criteria of the passport photos)
- a postal order issued for the exact amount to be paid for the passport and addressed to the „Embassy of Hungary” as payee.
Our postal address is the following:
Embassy of Hungary, Consular Office
First Floor, 100 Brompton Road, London, SW3 1ER
The original birth certificate and the – invalidated – previous passport of the child will be sent back to the applicant together with the new passport, therefore we kindly ask for a cover letter to be attached to the application, in which you include your postal address. It is recommended to add an email address and a phone number as well to be able to reach you if there are further details to be clarified.
There is no form to be filled out in advance.
In case only one of the parents (or the guardian) appears in person to submit the application, the parent or the guardian will have to sign the form printed and filled out by the administrator which will also serve as their authorisation for the passport to be issued for the child.
Additional necessary documents if
1. only one of the parents comes to the Consular Office, but both parents are on the Hungarian birth certificate:
- the original parental consent form of the absent parent must be attached, OR
- the termination, revoking or suspension of parental responsibility of the absent parent must be verified by presenting the original agreement of the parents set forth in a court of law, or the death certificate of the other parent, etc.;
2. the guardian visits the Consular Office with the child:
- the guardian will need to present the original Hungarian guardianship order stating that the name of the father on the Hungarian birth certificate is that of an imaginary father only (i.e. there is no person to be considered as father).
Parental consent form can be done:
the parent coming to the appointment has to bring along the printed version of the electronic consent form with a QR code on it
or
Forms must be filled out and signed with blue ink pen and the parent submitting the application must present the original form when visiting the Consular Office.
Regarding passport applications the form of parental consent must be dated within 15 days of the appointment, otherwise the Consular Office will not be able to accept it.
Decree of a Hungarian court can only be accepted if it can no longer be challenged and is absolute.
Court decree (e.g. child arrangement order) can only be accepted if
- the child has British citizenship, and/or
- the child’s actual habitual residence in the United Kingdom, and
- the decree specifically entitles and authorises one of the parents to apply for passport without the other parent’s consent (specific issue order).
The Consular Office is not able to accept the document if it only states which parent the child is placed with (live with order).
More details about British court orders and how to apply for them can be found here.
If you have two, three or more children in the household, we kindly ask you to fill out the relevant form as this may affect the fee you have to pay.
The form can be downloaded by clicking here.
In case you are not able to present the child’s valid passport, you must declare the loss/theft of the document in a report which will be printed out at the time of the appointment.
Application at the honorary consul can only be submitted if the child is under 12 years of age and the child has a Hungarian birth certificate. You must book an appointment with one of the Honorary Consuls.
Should you wish to submit your application this way, you need to fill out an application form in advance. Forms must be filled out with a blue ink pen, and signed and dated in front of the honorary consul.
By signing the application form, the parent (or the guardian) submitting the application is giving his/her consent for a passport to be issued for the child.
The application form can be downloaded from here.
If you have two, three or more children in the household, we kindly ask you to fill out the relevant form as this may affect the fee you have to pay.
A sample of the declaration form can be downloaded from here.
Should the parent/guardian not be able to present the valid passport of the child, a report about the document being lost/stolen must be taken in front of the honorary consul.
A sample of the report form can be downloaded from here.
Instructions for filling out the report can be found here.
In case the parents exercise parental rights together, the parent that is absent from the appointment has to fill out a consent form that the other parent must bring along (strictly the original, signed copy is accepted) when coming to the honorary consul.
With this declaration the absent parent is confirming his/her consent for a passport to be issued for the child, as well as for the entry of the child into the Hungarian personal data and address register (if they have not been registered yet, i.e. they have never had an address card before).
The parent may give his/her consent one of the following ways:
the parent coming to the appointment has to bring along the printed version of the electronic consent form with a QR code on it
or
Forms must be filled out and signed with blue ink pen and the parent submitting the application must present the original form when visiting the honorary consul.
You may only use the parental consent form in passport application procedures strictly within 15 days of it being issued and dated.
Posting the application and all its attachments submitted at the honorary consul to the Consular Office in London is the responsibility of the applicant. Please make sure to include the following documents in the envelope:
- the application form filled out and signed by the parent (or by the guardian) and stamped and signed by the honorary consul;
- the copies of the passports or ID cards of the legal guardians;
- the parental consent form signed in front of 2 witnesses or submitted electronically by the absent parent, if only one of the parents appear in front of the honorary consul but the parents exercise parental rights together;
- if the parent that is present is exercising parental rights on his/her own, the original document proving this fact (Hungarian or British court/authority order, death certificate, etc. – for more details, please see section 4);
- the valid or expired Hungarian passport of the child (if applicable);
- the report on the previous valid passport of the child being lost/stolen, should it be not available at the time of submitting the application;
- if it is relevant to your case, the declaration on the number of children you have in your household;
- the original Hungarian birth certificate of the child;
- a passport photo of the child – the photo shall be taken by a photographer, shall not be older than 6 months and be taken in front of a white (or light grey) background (please click here for the criteria for the passport photos);
- a postal order issued for the exact amount to be paid for the passport and addressed to the „Embassy of Hungary” as payee.
Our postal address is the following:
Embassy of Hungary, Consular Office
First Floor, 100 Brompton Road, London, SW3 1ER
The original birth certificate and the – invalidated – previous passport of the child will be sent back to the applicant together with the new passport, therefore we kindly ask for a cover letter to be attached to the application, in which you include your postal address. It is recommended to add an email address and a phone number as well to be able to reach you if there are further details to be clarified.
In order to submit the application, you must bring along all the documents below that are available to you:
- valid Hungairan passport or ID card of the Hungarian parent (guardian);
- the non-Hungaran parent’s (guardian) valid passport, or ID card/ driving licence – not provisional – issued by the United Kingdom/ EEA member state;
- If the parents exercise custody jointly, but only one of them appears in person, the signed consent form by the other parent;
- if the parent appearing in person exercises custody rights alone but the other parent is also on the child’s birth certificate, the document verifying the suspension of custody rights of the absent parent (e.g.: court decision, death certificate);
- if application is submitted by a guardian, the court decision appointing the guardian (if the original document is in English then a legalized Hungarian translation is also needed);
- original Hungarian birth certificate of the child;
- the valid passport of the child or one that has expired within a year;
- in the adbsence of a passport, the child’s valid ID or one that has expired within a year (if applicable);
- Hungarian address card of the child;
- ID photo of the child taken by a professional photographer no longer than 6 months ago, with a white or light gray background (please click here for the criteria for the passport photos).
The decision of a Hungarian court can be accepted if it can no longer be challenged/ appealed by ordinary legal remedies. (Final order/ Decree Absolute)
The decision of a British court (e.g. child arrangement order) can be accepted if:
- the child also holds British citizenship and/or
- their habitual residence is in the United Kingdom, and
- the decision sepcifically states that the parent being present can apply for a passport for the child alone (without the consent of the other parent) (e.g.: specific issue order).
It is not enough if the decision only stipulates which parent the child should live with (live with order), and - it is provided with a legalized Hungarian translation.
You can find further information about British court decisions and applications here
In the absence of the above-mentioned documents please read the next section (If something is missing)
Please read the following information only if you are unable to present the documents mentioned in the previous section – otherwise you may move onto the next section “How much does it cost”.
If the parents are unable to prove their identity with valid documents, they will have to apply for their own passport or ID card first.
In case the child does not have a Hungarian birth certificate because his/her birth has not yet been registered in Hungary, please read the section regarding Civil registrations.
If the parents are unable to present the child’s valid passport at the time of the appointment, the appropriate report of it being lost, stolen or destroyed must be taken as well. The report shouls only be completed in advance if the application is submitted at an honorary consul. (see 3/B and 3/D).
If the birth of the child has already been registered in Hungary but the child’s Hungarian citizenship cannot be confirmed with documents such as a passport (or one that has expired not more than a year ago), an ID card, a citizenship certificate (issued not longer than 3 years ago) or a naturalisation certificate, and the child cannot be found in the Personal Data and Address Register (i.e. the child never had an address card), the application can be submitted but the passport can only be issued after the child has gone through a verification of citizenship process.
In such cases, the verification of citizenship process is mandatory and could delay the passport application by 6-12 months.
Once the child’s citizenship has been confirmed, based on the parents’ or the guardians’ choice he/she will automatically be entered in the Personal Data and Address Register either as a “Hungarian citizen living in Hungary” or as a “Hungarian citizen living abroad” depending on the parents’ addresses registered in the Personal Data and Address Register.
The application is subject to fees which must be paid by debit card at the consular office.
In the case of applications initiated at one of the honorary consuls, the procedural fee and consular fee must be paid in the form of postal order to the „Embassy of Hungary” with the exact amount. Please ask for the correct amount in GBP by emailing konz.lon@mfa.gov.hu.
Passports applied for at our Consular Office are issued in Hungary. The duration of the procedure depends on whether you wish to have the document
- delivered to Hungary or abroad, and
- collected or sent to you via post.
Taking the above into account, the total duration of the procedure is usually 20-40 days (including postal delivery).
Should the passport be collected in Hungary or delivered to a Hungarian address, the Consular Office in London has no further tasks with the document. The passport authority will deliver the document directly to the requested address.
Should you request the passport to be delivered to a foreign mission other than London, the passport will be sent to the consulate you chose by diplomatic courier after the passport authority forwarded the document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The duration of such transfers is not included in the legal deadline of the procedure.
The consular office in London will process the documents in order of their arrival and will post them or notify customers choosing personal collection afterwards.
Documents are usually available for collection within 20-40 days from the date of submission. The duration of the procedure may be extended
- with the time of receiving a deficiency order and the time of its completion;
- if the applicant needs to go through the process of citizenship verification (approximately 6-12 months);
- during the summer and Christmas period, due to the smaller frequency of the diplomatic courier (about 10 days);
- if the child does not have a Hungarian birth certificate, with the length of the birth registration procedure;
Considering the fact that due to the above circumstances the duration of the procedure may be prolonged, it is highly recommended not to purchase any travel tickets prior to receiving the document and checking the personal data contained therein. Please note that the Consular Office does not take any responsibilities for losses or damages.
The Consular Office is unable to intervene in the process of issuing the document. Please note that the modification of your declaration regarding the method of collection (in person or via post) is not possible at a later time.
Should there be any changes to the postal address provided at the time of the application, it is the responsibility of the applicant to have the postal deliveries redirected to their new address as follows:
- in case of deliveries to a Hungarian address, such enquiries can be made to the provider Magyar Posta;
- in case of deliveries to a UK address, you may enquire at Royal Mail.
The validity of the passport depends on the age of the applicant at the time of the application:
|
Until the age of 6 |
3 years, which starts from the birthday following the issuance of the passport (it always will be more than 3 years)) |
|
between the age of 6-12 |
5 years, which starts from the birthday following the issuance of the passport (it always will be more than 5 years) |
If the child was born on 29th February and this day is missing in the year of expiry, the passport will expire on the 28th February.
Applications can only be submitted by booking an appointment as follows:
- if your child still has his/her previous passport, please book for “Passport application” to the Consular Office in London
The duration of the appointment is 15 minutes. Late arrival may result in the loss of the appointment.
- if your child’s previous passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, please book for “Report of stolen or lost passport/ID + replacement” to the consular office in London
The duration of the appointment is 20 minutes. Late arrival may result in the loss of the appointment.
Please note that the booking should be completed with the data of the child you wish to have a new passport issued for. Along with the passport application – with the exception of civil registrations and authentications – other case types can be booked for the same appointment as well.
You can book an appointment at the consular office in London by clicking here.
You can book an appointment at one of the honorary consuls only via e-mail.
The duration of the appointment: 15 minutes, in case if the passport was lost/stolen/damaged: 20 minutes.
You can find the contact information of the honorary consuls by clicking here
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky met Sir Eric Pickles MP, UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky met Sir Eric Pickles, Conservative MP, Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues of the UK government on 18 October 2016 in the House of Commons.
The parties exchanged views about developments in the field of fighting against antisemitism in Hungary and the UK respectively, prospects of the Brexit process and other current topics of mutual interest.
Meetings of Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in the Houses of Parliament
The Ambassador had his first introductory meetings in the House of Commons and House of Lords during the week of 11-15 July 2016.
He met members of the Hungary All-Party Parliamentary Group to discuss the post-EU-referendum situation in Westminster and the Parliament’s role in the process. Brexit was the main topic of discussion with prominent Eurosceptic Bill Cash MP, Chair of the EU Scrutiny Committee and Lord Boswell, Chair of the EU Select Committee.
Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament visited London on 25 May 2016
László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament paid a visit to London on 25 May where he attended events of the Becket Week and met with British counterparts.
The visit included meetings with John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, members of the Parliament’s Hungary All-Party Parliamentary Group and the Hungarian community in London. The Hungarian Speaker attended a Solemn Mass in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Parliament and a reception with MPs and peers to honour the St Thomas Becket pilgrimage.
President János Áder met with David Cameron in London on 24 May 2016
During his visit to the United Kingdom connected to the Becket Week, President János Áder met Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street on 24 May. The two leaders touched upon the upcoming EU referendum in the UK and exchanged views about climate change and global water issues.
Talking about the EU referendum, which is to take place on 23 June, Prime Minister Cameron informed President Áder that polls showed growing support for staying inside the EU. He expressed the hope that this would also be reflected in the results of the referendum.
President Áder proposed to Prime Minister Cameron that the world’s ten largest greenhouse gas emitters, among them the United Kingdom, should use the momentum gained by the Paris Climate Change Agreement to reach an even more ambitious agreement. The President also proposed that the OECD could coordinate climate cooperation between either the G7 or G20 countries in finding cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for storing excess renewable energy.
Global water issues were briefly touched upon as well as Hungary is due to host a World Water Summit in November this year.
Source: Embassy / MTI
The Ambassador met John Whittingdale MP
On 21 February 2017, Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky met John Whittingdale, Conservative Member of the Parliament for Maldon, who will be heading the delegation of the British Group Interparliamentary Union (BGIPU) to Hungary between 27 February and 2 March.
The Ambassador and the MP, who is also member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hungary exchanged views about current topical issues, like prospects of the Brexit process, expectations regarding the new US administration or the current situation in Eastern Europe.
The Ambassador met Michael Gove MP
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky met Michael Gove, Conservative Member of the Parliament for Surrey Heath on 20 February 2017.
In light of a recent interview by Mr Gove with the new US President Donald Trump, the Ambassador and the MP discussed different expectations regarding the new US administration, prospects of Brexit and recent topics of mutual interest about Hungary and the UK.
Meeting with Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP
Ambassador Szalay-Bobrovniczky met Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP Co-Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Trade and Investment, and Chairman of APPG on Shooting and Conservation on 7 September 2017.
They exchanged views on the future of trade as well as on the traditions of shooting in the United Kingdom and Hungary. The Ambassador also introduced the concept of the World Hunting Exhibition to be hosted in Budapest in 2021.
Meeting with Nigel Dodds MP
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky had on 9 october 2017 an insightful meeting with the Westminster leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Nigel Dodds MP in preparation of the Ambassador’s upcoming visit to Northern Ireland.
The meeting focused on the political situation in Belfast, the legislative work at Westminster, and the implications of Brexit.
Minister Péter Szijjártó in Kent
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary participated at the informal meeting of foreign ministers of the V4, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia hosted by Boris Johnson, Foreign secretary of the United Kingdom in Kent on 15 October 2017.
They discussed current issues of foreign and security policy among others Iran, North Korea and the future of Europe in the context of Brexit.
The visit of Gergely Gulyás in London
Gergely Gulyás, leader of the FIDESZ parliamentary group and Vice-President of the FIDESZ arrived in London for an official visit on 23 November 2017. He met Greg Hands, Minister of State for Trade Policy to discuss bilateral relations and British plans for international trade after Brexit. In Westminster he held talks with Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Leader of the House of Lords, with Bob Neill MP, the head of the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Hungary and David Davies MP on current political topics such as the stand of the Brexit negotiations. Gergely Gulyás continued his visit with meetings with Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform and Ben Harris-Quinney, president of the Bow Group.
V4 meeting with Keir Starmer shadow minister
As part of the Hungarian Presidency of the V4 in London, Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky invited Keir Starmer, Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU for a discussion with the Ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
Meeting with Jacob Rees-Mogg MP
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Deputy Head of Mission Beáta Margitay-Becht met Jacob Rees-Mogg Conservative Member of Parliament in the Palace of Westminster on 12th December 2017 and had an excellent exchange of views on British current affairs.
Military delegation at the Royal Gun Salute
A delegation led by Dr Vilmos Kovács, the Commander of the Institute and Museum of Military History and Dr Ferenc Papp, the head of public relations coordination department of the Ministry of Defense arrived to London for an official visit on 6-8 February 2018.
The delegation visited the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in the Wellington Barracks, where they received with the Commanding Officer the salute of the troops. The delegation later participated at the Royal Gun Salute in Green Park.
Sean Crane, Brigadier (RET), chief executive of the Honourable Artillery Company hosted the delegation at the Artillery House and showed the equipment used for the Royal Gun Salute.
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky also hosted a dinner for the delegation and the commanding officers of the troops visited.
Meeting with Sir Nicholas Soames MP
Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky met Sir Nicholas Soames Conservative MP in the Westminster Parliament on 28 March 2018.
The discussion was about the state of the Brexit negotiations, the politics of the United Kingdom, current topics of foreign affairs such as Russia and migration and the legacy of this grandfather, Sir Winston Churchill.
The visit of Justice Minister László Trócsányi
Smooth legal cooperation between the UK and Hungary is very important, regardless of the direction that the process of the cessation of Britain’s EU membership (Brexit) might take, Justice Minister László Trócsányi said in London.
On 29 November 2018 the Justice Minister had talks with his British counterpart David Gauke about their views on current challenges in the justice system and post-Brexit cooperation in criminal and civil judicial matters at the Embassy of Hungary upon the invitation of Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
Furthermore he met Baroness Natalie Evans, Leader of the House of Lords, member of the British Cabinet, Bob Neill MP, Chair of the Justice Committee of the House of Commons and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Hungary Group and Sir William Cash MP, chair of the European Scrutiny Committee.
After his talks, Mr Trócsányi told the Hungarian news agency MTI that cooperation between the two countries currently equally extends to the areas of civil law, family law, trade law and penal law. Thanks to the large Hungarian community living in Britain and the intensive commercial and judicial relations, the two countries are connected together by “a thousand ties”, he added.
Ministerial talks in Chevening
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó arrived in Chevening upon the invitation of Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to participate at talks about current challenges in security policy.
The Minister took part in an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the countries of the Visegrád Group (V4), Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, at the invitation of his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt at the Foreign Secretary’s country residence in Chevening, Southeast England. The discussions with his counterparts focused on current challenges in security policy.
At the site of the meeting, Mr. Szijjártó told the Hungarian news agency MTI: “The region expects the EU to achieve a Brexit agreement that can be acknowledged as fair by both parties”. “The lack of such agreement would grossly violate the interests of Central Europe in view of the fact that the region realises an extremely high level of trade turnover with the United Kingdom and there is a major level of British investment in the region’s economies. In addition, millions of people from the countries of Central Europe live and work in the United Kingdom and their rights must also be guaranteed”, he added.
Photo credit: FCO
Minister of State Szabolcs Takács held information session on Brexit and EU citizen’s rights
Minister of State for EU Policies Szabolcs Takács made a multi-day visit to the United Kingdom meeting the Hungarian community to discuss the situation after Brexit.
The Minister of State held an information session first in London, then in Edinburgh, Manchester and Chester in the next two days, with the contribution of a British legal expert commissioned by the European Commission to inform the Hungarian citizens about the consequences of UK’s departure from the European Union. Szabolcs Takács underlined that the protection of the acquired rights of Hungarians living in the UK is a priority for the Hungarian government, and, although Hungary is interested in a Brexit with a deal, the intentions of the British government guaranteeing these rights even in the case of a no-deal Brexit are also welcomed.
Mr Takács participated as guest of honour in the national day receptions in London, Manchester and Chester to commemorate the 1848/1849 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight, moreover he also had talks with prominent British politicians, analysts and heads of research institutions. Among others he met in London Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan to exchange views on bilateral relations and Minister of State at DExEU Lord Callanan to talk about Brexit negotiations and the Future of Europe. In the Westminster Parliament Minister of State Takács also had talks with Bob Neill MP, the chair of the Hungarian APPG and he discussed the topics of Brexit negotiation, EP election and migration with Lord Hill, former EU Commissioner and Charles Grant, the director of Centre for European Reform.
In Edinburgh, Szabolcs Takács met Ben MacPherson, Minister for Europe and Migration of the Scottish Government and Gillian McGregor, director of the UK Government Office for Scotland.
Minister of State Takács participated at a debate at University College London about the possibilities to reform the EU and met Hungarian nationals living in the UK to brief them on Brexit and their rights as EU citizens. He also gave an interview to Sky News All Out Politics on College Green, and he laid a wreath on Lajos Kossuth’s plaque in Manchester.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian National Assembly in London
Mr Zsolt Németh, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian National Assembly, visited London to participate in a PACE Monitoring Committee meeting of the Council of Europe.
During his visit to London, Mr Németh held bilateral discussions with David Lidington MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office to exchange views about post-Brexit foreign and security policy cooperation and Tom Tugendhat MP Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons to discuss bilateral relations, including cooperation opportunities between their committees and the future of conservative parties.
During the visit, Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovnicky welcomed Mr Németh and other prominent actors of the British political life for a working dinner.