Converting non-European driving license

EuropaExpat wrote:

Got a little question... has anyone directly converted a non- European car driving license to a Hungarian one before? It was my understanding that probably only European ones could be converted without the need to do any driving tests.....

You don't say from which country you have a driving license.

If I remember correctly, it depends on treaties which Hungary ratified with other countries for mutual recognition. These are UN conventions and there are several and there's inconsistency - not every country agreed to say, both treaties.

For example, in the UK, there are designated countries (where you can exchange licenses) and these are:

Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Zimbabwe.

With the above, you can change your license after 5 years without taking a test. There's probably a similar list for Hungary but you'd have to look for it. It won't be the same as the UK one as these are (I think) bilateral arrangements, not UN convention.

My other suggestion is to ask someone at the Magyar Autoklub.

Alright, maybe a bit more info might be helpful I'm not living in Hungary yet. I'm originally from New Zealand and also have British citizenship - the last 9 years I've been in Holland and if all goes to plan in about 4 months I'll be moving on to Budapest. I hold a NZ car and motorbike license, in 2 weeks I'll do the Dutch car theory test in English. But I'm 50/50 whether I'll pass that (practical test won't be a problem), and if I do pass the theory I'll do the practical straight after and I should be happy. But if not, I won't have time to get a Dutch license before I go to Hungary.

So, if I'm in the situation where I arrive in Hungary with only a NZ license, could I just convert that to a Hungarian one without all the pain of having to re-do license tests in Hungarian etc?

Cheers.

EuropaExpat wrote:

So, if I'm in the situation where I arrive in Hungary with only a NZ license, could I just convert that to a Hungarian one without all the pain of having to re-do license tests in Hungarian etc?

Cheers.

Dunno, but you could try and get a UK license by swapping your NZ license but to do that you need a UK address (might not be a problem). Then you have an EU one which is 100% recognised here in Hungary. On the other hand, you can drive a year (I think) on any EU license in another EU country and then just change it after a year. The same would go for the Dutch license as the UK one.

You might find the NZ license is recognised. I think, try calling the Magyar Autoklub. In many countries, the car club is often the place to get this kind of thing answered.

It looks like New Zealand is finally coming into line with the rest of the world with regard to give way rules so perhaps a NZ licence will be more favourably accepted elsewhere:
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/around- … -rule.html

Hi,

   The following website could give you some idea about converting non Hungarian driving license into Hungarian.

Wikiprocedure.com >> Hungarian >> Hungarian General

That didn't work for me. I did everything which adds up in expenses BUT I have driver's license from Virginia which for passenger auto's states class as NONE  To Hungarians this means I do not have a driver's license in Virginia and no amount of haggling would get them to budge once they made their decision. My only option now is to take the entire driver's training course and test regimen and then, as I am told by my Hungarian friends, I will fail the test unless I bribe my way out of it. The other recourse is to wait until 2014 when the EU requires implementation of reciprocity for driver's licenses.  Interestingly, I could do this easily in Germany. My wife who is originally Russian, had a very old Soviet license from the USSR which expired in 1989 was able to just hand that over for a Hungarian license.  She also has a Virginia license but given my problem she tried with her Soviet license and it worked so go figure. If you have a state license from the US which adheres to international standards, i.e., Class B for autos, then you will have little problem assuming your district office decides to be willing to accept it.  The decision is arbitrary and dependent on some petty bureaucrat who may decide to be a pain. What is even more interesting is the problem that Hungarians fervently believe they have higher standards and that other countries don't measure up.  Given the overall poor driving in Hungary, the evidence speaks otherwise. Anyway, I am waiting until 2014 when they will be forced to comply with EU standards assuming the get them translated correctly  This is a constant problem between the EU and Hungary with far reaching consequences such as no foreigner can get a speeding ticket in Hungary because of bad translation of the EU mandates unless physically stopped by the police.  Thus the cameras are ineffective in Hungary for cars with non-Hungarian plates as evidenced by all the foreign cars driving at wild speeds.

I do not consider the standard of driving to that bad in Hungary, although it does seem worse in the Balaton area than elsewhere. I have heard the same as you about the driving tests though, they are looking to fail everyone, especially people who have foreign licences. A lot of drivers in USA have only driven automatics so I assume they would be restricted to driving automatics (which are not popular)in Hungary.

I understand what you are saying and it is a relative comparison especially when compared to Slovakia or Italy which are really bad. However, if you drive like me at speeds at or just below the speed limits you will see what I mean. I drive a Prius which doesn't like speeds in excess of 125 kph so you get blown on the autobahns. One strange thing I see in Hungary is that when passing they cut back into your lane almost clipping you even when there is no traffic at all. No one in Hungary seems to ever signal for changing lanes back to the right either and roughly 1/2 of drivers never signal at all.  Nearly all Hungarians speed like crazy but paradoxically won't drive after drinking. I was referring to the crazy speeds foreigners drive on M0 in Budapest which is limited to 80 kph but foreign plated cars drive at or above 120 kph without any care. I see many cars on M7 going at a minimum 180 kph and many going a lot more without a care about being caught. This is especially true for those driving very expensive cars which I infer means they are immune to being ticketed.

borschelrh wrote:

but paradoxically won't drive after drinking.

Because there is a zero percent blood level alcohol law in Hungary for drivers. If you are caught, the fines can be huge.

Yes, I understand the zero tolerance for alcohol and fully support it but the danger from speeding and very poor driving habits (no signals, tail gating, passing on shoulders etc.) is perhaps even worse now.  Also, note that all traffic fines have been doubled by the Fidez government in an attempt to increase tax revenues.  I recently received a fine for sailing without a life preserver (I was wearing a float rated wetsuit and trapeze harness also float rated but that wasn't sufficient to the Rendorseg who ONLY accept a licensed and tagged personal floatation vest) for 30,000 forints. I was told it would be 10,000 forints at the time so it seems the fines are all increased so probably the drinking fines have also gone up as well.  I also note, semi-related, that we are all going to have to pay for new license plates (price unknown but I read somewhere it could be 40,000 forints) as another scheme to get more money. My earlier point was if they would re-do the translation of the traffic laws to EU standards they could bring in all the fines from foreign plated vehicles and perhaps increase safety. In all my trips on M7 to Budapest I have never seen any police ever so it seems they only use cameras which currently are useless for foreign registered vehicles. I do see the control vehicles for the Vignette inspections though but never any police. I maintain my legality for driving on my US license as I typically leave Hungary at least every 90 days for business so my passport gets stamped so I am technically legal. I would, of course, prefer to get a Hungarian license but that is currently an insurmountable problem I have already wasted a lot of hours and money in pursuit of. I will say thought the Rendorseg have been relatively accommodating and I have been stopped (as every does in random stops for paperwork etc.) fairly often and never had a problem.  Usually after asking them if they speak English and they look at the car documents and my driver's license they send me on my way. They have never asked to see my passport. So, perhaps one can get by for a long time without actually getting a Hungarian license? I have also seen a fair number of US plated cars with long expired license plates from California and New York so there appears to be some gap in the law covering that as well. I did, however, register my car here after shipping it from the US.  That is a very long and complicated story which makes getting a driver's license seem easy in comparison. Luckily, I am able to find humor in everything (it comes from serving in the Army for 28 years which teaches infinite patience), especially inane bureaucracies, so this was actually hilarious.

borschelrh wrote:

but the danger from speeding and very poor driving habits (no signals, tail gating, passing on shoulders etc.) is perhaps even worse now.

Agreed. I grew up in LA, so I am use to pretty poor driving habits, but the passing behavior here is unconscionable; such as passing on blind curves and at hill crests. I have seen more than one accident because of this here. Some fatal. All those little crosses and flowers by the side of the roads are stark reminders of how bad they drive here, yet do not learn.

But I have seen DE and AT license plate vehicles do the same in Hungary, so the disease spreads.

borschelrh wrote:

Also, note that all traffic fines have been doubled by the Fidez government in an attempt to increase tax revenues.

Yeah, that is the current government in a nutshell: punitive to gain revenue, even to the point of making homelessness a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment. And if you can't pay the fine, you have to work it off as "community service" which amounts to free labor.

borschelrh wrote:

I recently received a fine for sailing without a life preserver (I was wearing a float rated wetsuit and trapeze harness also float rated but that wasn't sufficient to the Rendorseg who ONLY accept a licensed and tagged personal floatation vest) for 30,000 forints.

Good grief. I will add that to my growing list of silly fines I have heard about here.

borschelrh wrote:

as another scheme to get more money.

What a shock....... not.

borschelrh wrote:

My earlier point was if they would re-do the translation of the traffic laws to EU standards they could bring in all the fines from foreign plated vehicles and perhaps increase safety.

But that assumes politicians can be rational, smart, transparent and responsible.....

borschelrh wrote:

I have also seen a fair number of US plated cars with long expired license plates from California and New York so there appears to be some gap in the law covering that as well.

Gaps in enforcement for sure.

borschelrh wrote:

Luckily, I am able to find humor in everything

Yes, that at times is the only option.

Still, I love it here and hope that once they find a fair and equitable government (not likely in the near future) things will settle down in not only Hungary but also in Europe. Maybe that is a pipe dream though.  If economists stopped working for only the banks and seriously consider the disaster they are causing then we might have a chance of recovery.  Austerity and/or Keynesian economics clearly are not working.  Fighting never ending and inane wars isn't helping either. I was examining the MMT economic theory and to me it makes the most sense but no one in power seems to be listening. What is happening in Hungary is sad and so many Hungarians I know were far better off under Communism. It is crazy.  The recent decision to move military retirement to age 65 here in Hungary is insane.  Can you imagine a 64 year old sergeant trying to fight? The life expectancy for men in Hungary is 56 (more or less) so obviously they are counting on no one living to retirement so it was a safe move. The US wants to increase retirement age again for much the same reason. Only Russia moved theirs down which makes perfect sense.  It frees up jobs for the younger generation at a relatively low cost. I won't even start on the US which is so FUBAR I can't see any hope there either.

Hello.

It is going a little bit off topic

Aurélie

Sorry, I have a tendency to digress.  The relationship is the dysfunction of government as a cause of the problems which are broader than just getting a driver's license and include other bureaucratic processes not only here but the US as well.  My main problem is not caused by the Hungarian government although they could have been a bit more acceptive and seen that Germany accepts a driver's license from Virginia.  But, as the VA license stated Call: NONE I can see how they reached their conclusion.  I asked for after my Mayor's Office, who did understand the problem, but the decisions were made in Szekeshfehervar (as part of the re-organization of Hungarian offices to regional offices), to get an official letter from the VA Department of Motor Vehicles stating Class:None is the same thing as an International Class:B.  They flatly refused as it is clearly described on the Web Page, but that is unacceptable to Hungarian officials.  So, the impasse was on my end caused by the intransigence of the VA DOMV. So, these problems are broader than just Hungary and the US, just as in the EU, has no standardization between states as for Driver's licenses and this is the real problem.

borschelrh wrote:

S..... So, these problems are broader than just Hungary and the US, just as in the EU, has no standardization between states as for Driver's licenses and this is the real problem.

All EU licenses are standardised for classes etc. They all use the same model, contain the same information in exactly the same format. Class B in say, Netherlands, is the same as Class B in Hungary or Germany or wherever.

However, there are very minor inconsistencies locally. The driving age in the UK is (or was) 17 whereas in most places, it's 18. So a fully licensed driver in the UK was not able to drive in most EU countries. But none of these minor variations are shown in the license.

It's the same with EU passports. They are all the same basic design (e.g. red cover) although the order of pages and the style of photos may differ they are basically exactly the same. The main information categories are described in multiple (EU) languages in the inside.

As I understand it the EU is mandating consistent driver's license rules between all member countries which also includes standardized reciprocity for certain foreign countries. The last I heard it was supposed to be in place by Jan 2014 but as always we will see if and when it happens. Like you say it is more or less the same throughout the EU so this will not have a huge impact.  But in the case of the US anyone licensed to drive in one state may drive in another. It is the insurance requirements that causes problems between states. There is currently no Federal driver's license or even any way to cross identify between states.  I had at one time 6 different state's drivers licenses in the US as I was in the military and moving around a lot, owned homes in all 6 states so had licenses for each. In fact most Europeans are unaware that it is not a requirement in the US to have any identity documentation whatsoever.  Only around 20% of US citizens even have passports and many do not have a driver's license at all, particularly in large cities.  Other than a driver's license there is no accepted standardized identification for individuals. In fact when arrested you do not have any requirement to speak to the police ever which includes identification information. That comes under the "right to remain silent" which is part of the Miranda Act. But, I am certain this is not true in the EU. Anyway, I am hoping that Hungary at least adopts the standardized reciprocity so I can finally get a driver's license. As a side note Pilot's licenses (I am a licensed pilot) are not managed by the state but are in fact Federal so one wonder's why the Federal government hasn't done that for driver's licenses as well. I won't even start on the problems of getting a US pilot's license cross certified here in Hungary. They are only beginning to get that sorted out.

I was not sure if the groups were identical in UK and Hungary so I just did a bit of checking and they do seem to be. When I took my car test back in 1982, that allowed you to drive lorries up to 7.5 tonnes and minibuses up to 16 seats. They have restricted this in more recent years but it looks like my new Hungarian licence covers me for the same vehicles. I don't know what someone who passes a car test in Hungary is allowed to drive. When I applied for my Hungarian licence they asked me what was the biggest vehicle I used. I told them it was my 3.5 tonne van but it looks like I can still drive a 7.5 tonne lorry with a trailer.

borschelrh wrote:

As I understand it the EU is mandating consistent driver's license rules between all member countries which also includes standardized reciprocity for certain foreign countries.

That's possible but I think the main thrust (in recent years) has been organising/limiting the options for newly qualified drivers, e.g. carrying of passengers, weight limits, speeds, use on major highways etc. It's called "Graduated Licensing".

borschelrh wrote:

But in the case of the US anyone licensed to drive in one state may drive in another. It is the insurance requirements that causes problems between states.

It's the same in the EU. Any EU driver can drive elsewhere in the EU. There's a minimum level of insurance between all EU member states and some others (e.g. Croatia, Switzerland, Norway). So if you drive a Dutch car in Germany, you are insured, but only to the amount required to cover the German insurance laws. Minimum liability.

borschelrh wrote:

In fact most Europeans are unaware that it is not a requirement in the US to have any identity documentation whatsoever.  Only around 20% of US citizens even have passports and many do not have a driver's license at all, particularly in large cities.  Other than a driver's license there is no accepted standardized identification for individuals.

The rules vary by country. There are no mandatory requirements to carry identification at all in the UK and Ireland. Officials demanding ID are often unexpected by British and Irish people when they are abroard. Some countries demand it (e.g. Hungary), but that's their internal policies. There also no ID cards in The Netherlands. While you may see ID cards in Hungary, that is not the same in all EU countries. In fact, the UK revoked its ID scheme a couple of years ago due to public pressure over imposition of a police state. ID requirements a matter for the member states.

borschelrh wrote:

In fact when arrested you do not have any requirement to speak to the police ever which includes identification information. That comes under the "right to remain silent" which is part of the Miranda Act. But, I am certain this is not true in the EU.

Yes, it is same everywhere. However in the UK, the right to remain silent can, in exceptional circumstances, e.g. terrorism, be waived, although it's hard to see what could be done when faced by a silent suspect.

borschelrh wrote:

Anyway, I am hoping that Hungary at least adopts the standardized reciprocity so I can finally get a driver's license.

It is standardised, just not with the USA. Mutual recognition depends on bilateral or UN treaties and the EU would only do this as a bloc, not per country.

borschelrh wrote:

As a side note Pilot's licenses (I am a licensed pilot) are not managed by the state but are in fact Federal so one wonder's why the Federal government hasn't done that for driver's licenses as well. I won't even start on the problems of getting a US pilot's license cross certified here in Hungary. They are only beginning to get that sorted out.

Remember the EU is not a federal state. It's (supposedly) a trade pact. Aviation is a competence of the local country authorities.

You should be able to just hire a plane on your US license in the same way that you can rent a car  in the EU on your US license. Quite a lot of pilots get their licenses outside of the EU (as it's so much cheaper to get licensed outside of the EU), then convert to locally issued licenses eventually.