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If you’re moving to Budapest for more than a few weeks, getting a Hungarian tax number and, in many cases, an address card is one of the first bureaucratic hurdles you’ll face — usually within days of arrival, before you can even open a bank account or sign a longer lease. Neither document is complicated once you know the process, but the offices, the forms, and the Hungarian-only signage trip up almost every newcomer. Here’s the step-by-step version nobody hands you at the airport.

We’ve helped hundreds of guests and long-stay tenants across our 100+ apartments in Budapest get through this exact process since 2019, and the same two or three questions come up every time. This guide walks through both documents in the order you’ll actually need them.

Why You Need a Tax Number and Address Card in Budapest

The adóazonosító jel (personal tax number) is required to be paid legally in Hungary, to sign most employment or freelance contracts, and increasingly to open a bank account or register a SIM card in your name. The lakcímkártya (address card) proves your registered address in Hungary and is needed for longer-term residence permits, some banking processes, and anything involving Hungarian public administration. Short-stay tourists don’t need either. Anyone staying more than 90 days, working locally, or renting a longer-term apartment almost certainly will.

Step 1 — Getting Your Hungarian Tax Number

The tax number is issued by NAV (the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration) and is genuinely the easier of the two documents to obtain.

Where to apply

You apply in person at a NAV customer service office (ügyfélszolgálat). Budapest has several locations; the busiest are near the city center, so arriving right when doors open — or booking a timeslot online where available — saves a significant wait.

What to bring

• Valid passport or EU national ID card
• Proof of address in Hungary, if you already have one (not always required for the tax number itself)
• The completed ’32T34′ form for non-EU citizens, or the simpler form used for EU/EEA nationals

How long it takes

Most applicants receive their tax number card the same day, or within a few working days by post to a Hungarian address. There is no fee for a first-time application.

Step 2 — Registering Your Address (Lakcímkártya)

Address registration happens at a district government office (kormányablak) rather than at NAV, and the process differs slightly for EU and non-EU citizens.

EU/EEA citizens

EU citizens staying longer than 90 days first register their right of residence, then register their address. You’ll need your passport, proof of accommodation (a signed lease or a landlord’s declaration), and — if applicable — proof of employment, self-sufficiency, or study.

Non-EU citizens

Non-EU nationals generally register an address as part of the residence permit process, meaning the address card often follows once your residence permit application is already underway rather than being a fully separate first step.

What landlords need to provide

Whoever you rent from needs to confirm the accommodation — either by accompanying you to the kormányablak, signing a lease that clearly states the address, or providing a separate ownership/authorization document. This is exactly the kind of paperwork gap that causes the most delays for expats renting from private landlords who aren’t used to the process.

Common Mistakes Expats Make

• Assuming a short-term Airbnb-style booking counts as address proof — most kormányablak offices want a lease or a landlord declaration, not a booking confirmation
• Applying for the address card before confirming the landlord will cooperate — always ask upfront whether your landlord has done this before
• Skipping the tax number because “I’m not working yet” — you’ll often need it sooner than expected, for a SIM card, bank account, or gym membership requiring a Hungarian ID number
• Not bringing an official translation of foreign documents when one is requested — NAV and kormányablak staff will not always accept an English-only original

How Long Does It Take, and What Does It Cost?

Budget half a day for the tax number appointment (often much faster) and a similar visit for address registration, though non-EU residence-permit-linked registrations can take longer depending on visa processing times. Both the tax number and the address card are free of charge for first-time applicants — there’s no legitimate reason to pay a third party a large fee simply to fill out the forms, though many expats do use a relocation consultant to handle the appointment scheduling and translation.

Do You Need Both If You’re Only Staying a Few Months?

If your stay is under 90 days and you’re not working locally or opening a Hungarian bank account, you likely need neither document — this is one advantage of choosing a fully furnished, short-to-medium-term apartment over signing a long lease. Once a stay stretches past three months, or once local employment or freelance income enters the picture, both documents move from “optional” to “expected” fairly quickly, so it’s worth starting the tax number process in your first week.

Managing Budapest properties since 2019, our local team can point new tenants toward the right kormányablak office for their district and confirm what a lease needs to include to satisfy an address registration application. For the practical side of settling in beyond paperwork, see our guide on 12 things nobody tells you before moving to Budapest, and if you’re still deciding on a visa route, our Hungary long-stay visa guide for 2026 covers the residence permit side in detail.

Looking for a furnished apartment while you sort out the paperwork? Browse our Budapest apartments or email us directly — our team replies within 2 hours and can confirm exactly what documentation we provide for your address registration.