Who can be a witness on your Hungarian documents?

The witness confirms the signature

The role of the witness is to confirm that the signatures on a document are real and not forged. This means that the signatures were put on the document by the people indicated, or that they acknowledged the signatures as their own.

The witnesses do not have to worry about the content of the document; that is the sole responsibility of the parties signing it.

Who can be a witness?

A witness can be anyone who is fully legally competent. This usually means a person above 18 years of age who is not limited in their rights (e.g. because of a mental illness). Minors are typically not legally competent.

Formal requirements

Whenever witnessing is required, it means two witnesses. The witnesses must write their name and address in a legible manner, and put their signature next to it. If you have a Hungarian address, you should use that. (If you have a Hungarian address card, you might have a temporary as well as a permanent address; in this case, use the permanent address.)

Above the section where the witnesses should sign the document, a header should be added with the phrase “előttünk mint tanúk előtt” (meaning “in our presence as witnesses”).

Other forms of attestation in Hungary

Using two witnesses to confirm the credibility of a document is the easiest and most common form of attestation. In some cases, however, “stronger” forms of attestation are required. These include:

• Attestation by a notary or a consul
• Attestation by an attorney
• Apostille

When you set up a business or apply for residency or citizenship in Hungary, the various documents will require verification of various strength. You don’t have to worry about this, however; your account manager will always provide you with relevant information about this aspect of the process too.

About Helpers Hungary

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