Stricter rules for Hungarian passports ahead: What the new plan means
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The government is preparing to introduce stricter and more transparent regulations regarding Hungarian passport handling and data access, according to a recently published draft decree by the Ministry of Energy. The proposal, which is currently under public consultation, aims to create a more unified, legally secure, and efficient system across various authorities involved in passport-related duties, such as district offices, consular officials, and the general passport authority.
Unified rules for uncollected Hungarian passports
One of the most notable proposed changes concerns uncollected passports. According to Portfolio, under the new rules, if a passport is not picked up within 60 days at a district office (or within one year at a Hungarian consulate), it would be invalidated. The document would then be returned to the Hungarian passport authority, where it would be decommissioned, prepared for destruction, and each step would be logged in the passport registry.
Although this practice partially exists today, the process is not uniformly regulated or consistently applied. The new regulation seeks to standardise this procedure and ensure stricter enforcement.
Tighter conditions for data requests
The proposal also sets out more rigorous conditions for requesting personal data from the passport registry. Applicants would be required to submit their request directly to the general Hungarian passport authority, proving their connection to the individual concerned and providing a legal basis for data use. This legal basis must be documented, either by referencing a specific law or attaching relevant documentation.
