LeannePajkos

Hi I am moving just outside of szeged in the new year.
hoping you guys can help with info on applying for residence permit, bringing uk car etc etc basically anything I need to know fairly quickly

Leanne

Pilis Nemzeti Park Fella

You can legally use your UK car in Hungary for 6 months provided it is taxed & MOT'd in the UK - you need paid-for vignettes to use the motorway network - National Toll Payment Services PLC

Have a read through the threads below and check your understanding/ further questions by asking a more specific supplementary.

LeannePajkos

After the 6 months, can I then register my car in Hungary?

Peter_in_Hungary

You can register your car at any time - but it is a bit of a PITA to do so and there is registration tax to pay the amount of which depends upon the age and type of vehicle. The amount due can be found on this calculator
https://regisztraciosado.hu/

Quite a few people decide it is not worth the cost/effort especially when you consider that you finish up with a car with the steering on the wrong side and because of this the car will have scrap value only when/if you want to sell it. The alternative is to sell in the UK and buy here, but then Hungary does not have the consumer protection laws of England as a result the second hand car market is less than honest. - Buyer beware!!

Szeged

Don't forget about the Headlamp Beam Deflectors (stickers) or permanently changing the beam lights to LHD lights. And the Tyres rule as well.

LeannePajkos

The car I am bringing lives constantly with its light deflector stickers as it is only used when I travel. What is the tyres rule??

Szeged

In Hungary there is an obligation (but not a legal requirement) that all vehicle owners fit their vehicle with the correct type of tyres according to the season they are in; winter or summer. For tyres, the winter season normally begins around 1st November and lasts until around 31st March. As a general rule: When you see ice, snow, frost, etc begin to appear on a daily basis, especially when the temperature falls to zero or less, you should change ALL of your vehicle's tyres; unless you want a fine!

Either way, as a vehicle owner, you MUST have snow chains onboard just in case winter driving conditions become extreme. And when you fit them, you must NOT drive any faster than 31 Mph (50 Km/h). Also note: When arriving at a border checkpoint make sure you have satisfactory snow chains, otherwise your vehicle might be refused entry into Hungary.

Peter_in_Hungary

The other tyre rule which is a regulation is that tyres on an axle have to be of the same type - and that means the same tread pattern not just make and size. Different tread patterns on the same axle is an MOT fail. Spare wheels are ignored for this regulation.

LeannePajkos

Thanks. That should all be no problem

PaulinEger

Sounds a lot like scaremongering to me. I've never heard of anyone being fined for not having winter tyres, after all, you did state that it's not a legal requirement. It would be foolish not to fit winter tyres but that's all.

Please provide a reference for this information as I'm not aware that it is a legal requirement to carry snow chains in winter or potentially get turned back at a border for not having them :/

If you intend to re-register your British car here you will have to replace the headlights as beam deflectors won't pass the inspection.

Szeged

Not all of the highway code is law, but people see it (the whole thing) as 'common sense law'. It is not illegal to 'not have snow chains or winter tyres' (hence why I said it is not a legal requirement). However, Hungarians take these things serious enough to have snow chains and winter tyres fitted. Why? Because 'common sense' and the fact that if they have a serious accident with summer tyres on in winter with no snow chains fitted (i.e. in the mountains) the insurance companies are not going to pay out, the police would do you for having a vehicle not fit for purpose (i.e. not fit for the road conditions, hence your accident).

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/country/hungary/Snow chains:

Snow chains may only be used on snow-covered roads. The use of snow chains or their presence in a car can be made compulsory on some roads when weather conditions require. The maximum speed for vehicles fitted with chains is 50 km/h.


Hence, in the above context, the following is true:

Either way, as a vehicle owner, you MUST have snow chains onboard just in case winter driving conditions become extreme. Also note: When arriving at a border checkpoint make sure you have satisfactory snow chains, otherwise your vehicle might be refused entry into Hungary << Based on the above mentioned conditions.

Szeged

Sometimes you need to remember you are not the only one on the road and therefore do whatever you can to prevent accidents from happening. You would be foolish not to fit winter tyres and snow chains for example in extreme snow conditions. The same applies to other safety kit equipment (i.e. a reflective triangle and jacket during breakdown, spares light bulbs, first aid kit, etc). They are not sold for profit making. They are sold to help save lives. Tell the parents of the daughter you just ran over and killed "It was not law to have these safety features/items fitted, that why I did not care to much about killing your daughter".

Szeged

My HU wife just pointed something out, which is very true, and that is that in Hungary the police are always on the lookout for extra earnings. These type of police, if they do stop you for whatever reason(s), WILL pick your car apart looking for anything that is required (but missing), is illegal and so on.

Pilis Nemzeti Park Fella

Legal requirement in Austria, for starters. So you might get turned around there if you somehow got a random check.

enter

Never had any of that malarkey, they have always been ok maybe the odd breath test but that is expected, nothing to hide ,nothing to worry about.