English speaking doctor in Budapest

FridaH Active member

37POSTS

14 years ago

Hello!

I have an apartment in district 8 and does anyone know a english speaking doctor in the surrounding area?

I know about the ones you google but they are quite expensive.

/Frida

The Budapest expat guide

Updated in 2026, comprehensive and free

Read it now

anyhow Member

16POSTS

14 years ago

Hej Frida,

I don't know however you are registered in Hungary or not but if so why not go to a doctor here in Budapest where it is free? Actually, when I come to think about it, since you're a EU citizen it doesn't matter if you're registered here or not as long as you have all required documents with you (pass + kortet man kan få från försäkringskassan om att man tillhör försäkringskassan i ett EU land). I can recommend my GP, he is in the 9th district and speaks perfect English (he also speaks German, plus his daughter works as a doctor in Sweden so he is pretty familiar with the Swedish health care system).

Seems just like a lot of hassle and waste of money to travel abroad to visit the doctor when there are good ones for free here. If you still prefer to go to a private one there are tons of English speaking ones, there are clinics only targeting expats. Just send a message if you need any info (sadly to say, I have visited quite a lot of them

)

contactpaulthomas Member

1POSTS

10 years ago

Hey, a bit a long shot but hopefully you'll read this.

Your GP, are they still available? If so do you have a contact number?

Thanks!!

anyhow Member

16POSTS

10 years ago

PM sent.

adicomanean New member

4POSTS

10 years ago

Hello, can somebody recommend me a good English speaking general practitioner close to district 9? Thanks in advance!

anyhow Member

16POSTS

10 years ago

I can recommend Dr Kotányi Péter at Drégely utcai háziorvosi rendelő near Mester utca (google it for address and phone number), he speaks very good English.

1 member reacted to this post

zakaria130794 Member

1POSTS

4 years ago

Hi Frida,
Could you please share with me the contact of the GP doctor 9th District
Thank you

atomheart Serial expat

614POSTS

4 years ago

zakaria130794 wrote:
Hi Frida,
Could you please share with me the contact of the GP doctor 9th District
Thank you

That was 10 years ago.

Edit: [link under review]

Marilyn Tassy ViP

7140POSTS

4 years ago

#10

Most all of the younger and middle aged doctors speak some level of understandable English.
I know you must present your address card when using a TAJ card and they will only excpet patients who live in the district where the GP's office is located.
If you need to see a specialist they will refer you to them no matter what district the office is located in.
Everything starts with seeing a GP in your own district.
This is the way the sytem is run here.
The don't want people from different lower income districts filling up the waiting rooms in the Buda hills unless they have a referal to be there.
Over the years I've had several different surgeries and have been sent all over the city and even to Budaors .
I've been very surprized to find some doctors speak better English then most naitve born speakers do.
Perhaps if you work in Hungary then medical care is free but we pay out of pocket for our coverage at a low rate, guess about $60. per month for 2 people.
Used to tip for every visit and every surgery but as of last Jan. it is now illegal to except or to offer tips.
You can give a gift basket with up to a $30. or $40. value but not more then that.
I know some doctors will stay take a tip but most won't chance it now.
I offered my doctor some cash for doing eye surgery on me and she looked shocked and asked me to put it away and not discuss it again.
I offered to actaully find out if the no tipping was for real of not. I figured she would either take it or just let it slide as something a crazy American didn't know about.
She was honest but not everyone is.
It can get interesting to know if the quality of care goes down because of the no tipping law?
I recently had to see a professor doctor at a specialized clinic. He spoke perfect English with little accent.
Smart man.
He did come straight out and ask if I was a Hungarian citizen or not.
My HU husband told him no and the professor said, "that's too bad" . I wonder if with the no tipping law weither it going to come down to who is who and not who needs what?
I've been back to this clinic and last time I saw a lower level doctor? It was just a check -up but I will be interested to know if the professor has washed his hands of a none citizen.

SimCityAT Expert

13807POSTS

4 years ago

#11

I have seen a few doctors and nurses for my trapped nerve and slipped disc in the last couple of months. Even the paramedics have all spoken English. 2 Hungarian waitresses so not highly educated like a doctor speak English.

I think you will find it now that most people will speak some level of English. Even everyone at my pharmacist speaks English. My misses speaks better English than I do.

1 member reacted to this post

atomheart Serial expat

614POSTS

4 years ago

#12

SimCityAT wrote:
My misses speaks better English than I do.

All of them?

SimCityAT Expert

13807POSTS

4 years ago

#13

atomheart wrote:
SimCityAT wrote:
My misses speaks better English than I do.

All of them?

I only have 1

Marilyn Tassy ViP

7140POSTS

4 years ago

#14

SimCityAT wrote:
I have seen a few doctors and nurses for my trapped nerve and slipped disc in the last couple of months. Even the paramedics have all spoken English. 2 Hungarian waitresses so not highly educated like a doctor speak English.

I think you will find it now that most people will speak some level of English. Even everyone at my pharmacist speaks English. My misses speaks better English than I do.

It is surprizing how many people can speak English in Hungary but sometimes I'm suprised that they don't.
Went to a surgeon in the 7th district who was perhaps in his 70's. He barely spoke English while othertimes someone random on the street speaks perfect English.
I used to work in Las Vegas as a games dealer. Was always surprised how well eduacted most of my co-workers were.
Some had been doctors in China, or vets or even chemical engineers and mechanical engineers.
Their papers or education wasn't enough to pass the exams for a license in the US plus dealing cards was sort of low stress and decent paying
I have a distant cousin who was born in Hungary and she and her HU husband are both doctors in the UK, living in Kent.
Her mother is in her mid 80's and still lives in Hungary. She was an English teacher way back during commie days in Hungary.
It's amazing who does and who doesn't speak English.
Sometimes, perhaps because I'm sort of in my own world these days, I find I can't come up with a word in English, my only language.That's scary.
My husband admires people who can switch from Hungarian to English in a flash.
He needs a few moments to mentally change over before responding.
He even sometimes forgets Hungarian words because he hardly had use of them for over 45 years.
He was also self taught with his English for the most part.
I think people learn faster when they are forced to do so to survive.
My HU FIL learned perfect Russian in 5 years. He was a POW held in Russia for 5 years.

SimCityAT Expert

13807POSTS

4 years ago

#15

The younger they are there is more of a chance they will speak English

1 member reacted to this post

cdw057 ViP

2048POSTS

4 years ago

#16

I think I mentioned before, but healthcare in Hungary is not too bad at all. Here i got my cataract reperatiion and also a serious blood test (which was skyrocketing with cholesterol )
Speaking English is not too important (German and Russian will help)

Main message healthcare is fine just speak English/German/Russian (or Dutch(not too useful though) is very fine.
I lived in Hungary for 7+ years and healthcare is more then fine (i am a bit disapppointed with the consistent negative comments)

For other reasons ....there is a need to go (which we did)