How long do I have to re-register a car in Hungary?
You have 15 days — and the rule binds both sides: the seller reports, the buyer re-registers. After a sale, the ownership change must be settled within 15 days: the buyer takes the two-witness (full probative) sale contract to the government window and re-registers the vehicle — new registration papers, title, transfer duty (per the age/power table) — while the seller reports the sale (nowadays online, minutes via the client gate). The seller's report isn't courtesy but self-defence: without it you remain the registered keeper, and the buyer's speeding fines, parking surcharges and insurance demands all drip onto you. Buyer delay is an offence: the document office alerts the police, a fine can follow, and an unregistered car guarantees chaos around mandatory insurance. The kit: contract, registration papers, title, insurance taken out (by the buyer, from the purchase day), valid MOT.
📋 The key rules
- 15 days: buyer re-registers, seller reports — both are duties
- Buyer: government window + transfer duty (age/kW table) + new documents
- Seller: online report via the client gate — immediately, in your own defence
- Mandatory insurance: the buyer needs it from the purchase day
- A two-witness (full probative) sale contract is the foundation
🔓 Exceptions
- Inheritance and gifts: also re-registration-bound — with duty discounts among relatives
- Dealer stock purchases: dealers report under separate rules
- Expired MOT: re-registration stalls — the car must be inspected first, because new registration papers need a valid MOT
⚠️ Penalties
Missing the deadline doesn't go unnoticed: the document office alerts the police ex officio, and a misdemeanour fine (up to 30,000 HUF) awaits the late buyer. The bigger risk belongs to the seller: without the report you stay the registered keeper, so the buyer's speeding fines, parking surcharges and insurance demands all arrive at your address — and proving later that the car was long gone is hard. Backdating the contract is no fix but a document-forgery risk. And with no MTPL taken out from the purchase day, the gap sticks to the keeper on record.
📎 Official sources
- Biztoshely · Selling a car: process and reporting 2026/27 (HU) →
- Auto-Műszakivizsga · Document-office administration (HU) →
- Insura · Sales and re-registration FAQs (HU) →
❓ Frequently asked questions
As the seller, what should I do right after the sale?
Report the ownership change via the client gate — a few minutes online. With the report, the registry immediately stops treating you as keeper, so the buyer's fines and surcharges no longer reach you.
What does re-registration cost the buyer?
The transfer duty comes off the table based on the vehicle's age and engine power, and document fees are added. You settle it on the spot at the government window; the new papers and title are issued afterwards.
What if the buyer never re-registers?
If you reported the sale, you are shielded: the registry burdens the buyer. Without the report, the fines, surcharges and insurance demands find you — and proving the sale after the fact is difficult.
Is an MOT needed for re-registration?
A valid MOT is required for the new registration papers, so with an expired one the transfer stalls. The car must be inspected first — and moving an expired-MOT car on public roads is irregular in itself.
Is a handwritten sale contract enough?
The foundation is a full-probative sale contract signed by two witnesses: it is needed for the buyer's re-registration and the seller's report alike. Without it you cannot prove the ownership change at the window.
🔎 What people actually search
Real search phrases for this topic.
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