The information that follows was provided by a consular officer at the Embassy of Hungary in Ottawa during a 25 October 2002 telephone interview.

If marriage is the reason for seeking a change of name, the person must present the marriage license to the municipal authorities of their place of residence in Hungary or to consular authorities if abroad. A form of personal identification (i.e. the national identity card) would be required also. At the offices of the Hungarian municipal government or consular authorities, the person would request that new documents be issued under the new name. When the name has been changed for reasons of marriage, the new identity card would indicate the old (maiden) name. At present, only women are allowed to change their name upon marriage, by taking their husband's family name; upcoming legislative changes are expected to allow men to change their names upon marriage and take their wife's family name.

A person who wishes to change his or her name for reasons other than marriage must submit an application to the Ministry of the Interior, with an explanation for requesting the change of name. A possible acceptable reason could be that a person's current name identifies the person with a particular ethnic or religious group, and a more "Hungarian-sounding" name is desired to avoid possible instances of discrimination or to feel more integrated. There are limitations: for example, it is not considered reasonable to assume names of famous people.

If an application is accepted, a new birth certificate has to be issued, and based on that certificate, a new identity card would be issued. From then on, all new documents would be issued under the new name, and only the new name would appear in all documents (including the birth certificate and national identity card). The previous name information is "sealed" (not readily accessible to the public); it would require a court to unseal such records. The most common situation where all this arises (change of name, sealing and unsealing of documents) is in cases of adoption.

The processing of an application to change a person's name includes a background check for possible criminal records, outstanding commitments, etc., as a change of name should not be used to hide a criminal past or avoid debts or other outstanding commitments.

All cases where a change of name is requested are evaluated on an individual basis, and requests have to be well-founded.

To change their first names, minors under the age of 18 require parental authorization; afterwards, no parental authorization is required.

Many people who do not like their original name opt to use a different first name on an everyday basis, without applying for a change of name or after having an application for a change of name rejected. In such cases, persons are advised to ensure that any official paperwork does use their original, legal name, and not an assumed one.

There is no legal requirement to advertise a person's intention to change their name. Municipal governments and the Ministry of the Interior send records to a central site, and any concerns should arise from the central background checks. In Hungary, a person can verify another person's basic information, which is considered public (name, surname, mother's maiden name, date of birth), to see if a person's identity is authentic. As explained above, past name information, once a name change has been approved, is generally considered sealed and confidential.

Please find attached a document that discusses, in the sections dealing with birth, marriage and adoption certificates, additional information that may be pertinent in some cases where a change of name may have taken place.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Hugnary. Embassy of Hungary, Ottawa. 25 October 2002. Telephone interview with consular officer.

United States of America. Department of State, Washington, DC. 2 August 2002. Foreign Affairs Manual(Appendix C: Hungary. http://www.foia.state.gov/masterdocs/09fam/09Chungary.pdf [Accessed 23 Oct. 2002]