Digital citizenship: life to change in Hungary from 2026

A new scheme dubbed Digital Citizenship (DAP) will bring about an unprecedented transformation for Hungarian citizens in digital data handling at the end of next year, the head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office said on Friday.

Antal Rogán told journalists that in the initial phase the programme will enable personal identification, electronic signature and conducting a part of personal business for citizens by using their mobile phones. The DAP will later ensure them a safe digital access and use of state and market services and the payment of public utility bills.

A trial period for the app will start in April with the involvement of several tens of thousands of users and launched for citizens across the board in September. From this time, the DAP can be used for full identification if requested by police, submitting applications to authorities for certificates or conducting the most common personal businesses, Rogán said.

The circle of digitally accessible services will be significantly expanded in 2025 and, in a consecutive phase, in 2026, he said.

The DAP is a cloud-based application and optional for citizens, said Rogán, adding that the older, conventional methods for using services would also remain in place.

The scheme has been developed in line with the EU’s new Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS) regulatory framework, he said. The government released the draft of the DAP for a public debate on Friday and will submit a related bill to parliament next week. In connection with the DAP, the government will also submit a constitutional amendment proposal regulating the handling of personal digital data by the state.

Read also:

• Digital citizenship scheme to start next summer in Hungary – Read more HERE
• Hungary’s government approves new citizenship programme – THIS is our article