How can I vote in the elections if I do not live in Hungary?

Next general elections:
April 12, 2026, Sunday,
6 a.m. through 7 p.m. CEST

Can you vote in the general elections?

If you are a citizen of Hungary, you have a right to vote in the general elections. This is not an obligation: if you don’t vote, you do not have to worry about any kind of penalty.

Voter registration is automatic in Hungary. As a citizen, you are supposed to be registered for voting automatically, and you should have received a notification of the upcoming elections to your permanent address or your Ügyfélkapu inbox between February 4 and 19. The notification will contain your personal data and information on how and when you can vote.

If you haven’t received a notification, you have still time to register! It is easiest to take care of this online: you can learn more about checking your registration here or getting registered here (in Hungarian).

If you are not sure how to proceed, contact the consulate closest to you in the country where you live, and ask for instructions.

How to vote?

How you can vote as someone who is not currently living in Hungary depends on whether you have an address in Hungary. An address can be either a permanent address (“állandó lakcím”) or a temporary address (“tartózkodási hely”).

1. No address in Hungary

Register for mail-in voting by March 18, 4 p.m. CET.

• You will receive a package for mail-in voting at your permanent address by April 5. If you do not receive a package by then, you should visit the consulate closest to you and ask for the package in person.
• You can go to the consulate closest to you and ask for the package in person.

The package will include the following:

• A description of how to vote
• A ballot in which you can mark your choice from the list of available parties
• A small envelope in which you can put your ballot
• A big reply envelope addressed to the Election Office in Hungary (postage prepaid)
• An identification form where you should list your personal data (to be put in the reply envelope, next to the closed small envelope)

Mail in your ballot – make sure it arrives before April 12, 7 p.m. CET. Consider whether it makes more sense to send the ballot to Hungary or to the consulate closest to you in the country where you live.

• Post the big reply envelope to Hungary. The address is already on the envelope, and postage is prepaid, so you can post it to Hungary at no extra cost to you. Consider how the Post works where you live, and leave enough time for the letter to arrive in Hungary.
  OR
• Send your vote to the Election Office at the consulate closest to you in the country where you live. Put the big reply envelope in another envelope, and put the address on the envelope. You will have to pay for postage yourself.

2. With address in Hungary

You can vote at a consulate in person. Register for voting by April 2, 4 p.m. CEST.

Visit the consulate of your choice on election day.

• The notification of voter registration includes information on where and when you can vote.
• Make sure to take your Hungarian photo ID with you (ID card, driver’s license, or passport).
• IMPORTANT: if you live on the American continent, you will be able to cast your vote on April 11 instead of 12.

Helpers at your service

If you live outside of Hungary, you can vote in the elections either in person at a consulate or in mail, depending on whether you have a Hungarian permanent address. If you want to learn more about the election process, read our detailed article on the topic.

Helpers Hungary provides business and immigration assistance to international clients since 2005. We are here to help you navigate Hungarian bureaucracy whether you want to set up a business or obtain Hungarian residency or citizenship. Let us take care of administrative tasks for you, so you can focus on achieving your goals.

And don’t forget to vote!