Move to Hungary · Documents

All Documents Checklist

Everything needed for the EK residence card and Hungarian citizenship application. Ordered by lead time — start from the top.
EK residence card (family reunification)
Hungarian citizenship (simplified naturalization)
⏱️ Estimated Timeline

Starting April 15, 2026. All apostille processes are independent — start them simultaneously. Ordered by estimated completion date.

DocumentTimelineDone by
Andrea's Birth Certificate (HK)
5–7 weeks International mail + 2 weeks HK processing Late May–early Jun
Nathan's Birth Certificate (BC)
3–5 weeks Same pipeline as marriage cert; can ship together Mid–late May
All apostilled documents also need Hungarian translation. OFFI in Hungary takes a few days per document. A sworn translator in Canada takes 1–2 weeks. Translation happens after apostille, not before.
RCMP CRC not needed upfront. Research confirmed that neither the OIF family reunification factsheet nor any official embassy page lists it as a mandatory document for the initial applications. It IS needed for the national residence card (permanent settlement) and the authority may request it during citizenship processing. The CRC guide is kept for when it's needed later.
📄 Documents Requiring Apostille

These take weeks to process. Each has a detailed step-by-step guide.

* RCMP Criminal Record Check
Not required upfront for initial applications. Needed later for national residence card (permanent settlement) and may be requested during citizenship processing. Guide kept for reference.
Cost: ~$75–100 Apostille: GAC Ottawa free 90-day expiry
2 Andrea's Birth Certificate (HK)
Original HK birth certificate apostilled by Hong Kong High Court. Must go through HK — Canada can't apostille foreign documents.
Cost: ~HK$140 + courier Apostille: HK High Court Processing: ~2 weeks (overseas)
3 BC Marriage Certificate
Original BC Vital Statistics certificate apostilled by BC Authentication in Victoria. No notarization needed — just send the original with $20.
Cost: $20 + courier Apostille: BC Authentication Processing: 2–4 weeks
4 Nathan's Birth Certificate (BC)
BC Vital Statistics document — same process as the marriage certificate. Can be sent in the same package (separate $20 fee per document). Proves the child condition for the 5-year marriage threshold.
Cost: $20 + courier Apostille: BC Authentication Processing: 2–4 weeks
📋 Other Documents (No Apostille Needed)

These don't require weeks of processing but still need to be gathered or prepared before filing.

Canadian passport
Original + 2 photocopies. Must be valid 3+ months beyond intended stay. Bring HK passport too if still valid.
Adam's HU ID + address card
Személyi igazolvány + lakcímkártya. Confirm these are current and not expired before departure.
Passport photos
4x minimum (2 per application). 35×45 mm, light background. Get these taken in Canada before leaving.
Canadian citizenship proof
Canadian citizenship certificate or passport. Establishes current nationality. Passport doubles for this — no extra doc needed if you have it.
Handwritten CV (önéletrajz)
Written by hand, in Hungarian, ~1 page. Covers personal background, connection to Hungary, why you want citizenship. Also serves as the writing assessment. Practice multiple drafts before the appointment.
Proof of accommodation
Befogadó nyilatkozat (host declaration) from Adam's parents + tulajdoni lap (property deed extract) from land registry. Can be prepared after arrival in Hungary.
Health insurance
Private travel/health insurance with Hungarian coverage, or proof of coverage through Adam. Arrange before departure.
Financial means
Recent bank statements (3 months). No fixed threshold for EU family members. Print or download before leaving Canada.
EK application form
Download from oif.gov.hu closer to the trip date.
Naturalization application form
Download from konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu. Fill out beforehand, sign only at the appointment.
✅ What to Do This Week (April 15–18)

All four apostille processes are independent. Start them all now:

  1. Criminal record check: Book a fingerprinting appointment ASAP at one of the accredited companies in Vancouver/Burnaby. Use digital fingerprinting (not ink). This is the critical path.
  2. HK birth certificate: Get the original from your parents. Get an HK dollar bank draft from your bank (HK$140.50 for registered return).
  3. Marriage certificate + Nathan's birth certificate: Fill out the BC online request form. You can submit both in the same package — $20 each ($40 total). Courier to Victoria.
Nathan's birth cert can share the package with the marriage cert. Same form, same address, just list both documents and pay $40 instead of $20. They'll each get their own apostille.
📊 Order of Operations (Apostille Documents)

The same pattern applies to all four:

  1. Get the original document (or in the CRC case, get it issued)
  2. Apostille it (each goes to a different authority)
  3. Translate into Hungarian (after apostille, not before)
No notarization needed for the marriage certificate, birth certificates, or the CRC (federal route). None of these need a notary step before the apostille.
No embassy legalization needed. Hungary is an Apostille Convention member. The apostille alone is sufficient — no consular legalization step.
⚠️ Questions to Confirm with Hungarian Authorities
  • If the authority requests an RCMP criminal record check during citizenship processing, do they accept the federal GAC apostille, or want something else?
  • Do they require the HK birth certificate specifically, or would an alternative proof of birth work?
  • Do they require OFFI translations specifically, or will any sworn Hungarian translator's work be accepted?
  • Confirm the CRC validity window is 90 days (the prereqs page says 90 days; some sources say up to 6 months). This affects timing of the fingerprinting step.
  • Does Nathan's birth certificate need to be registered in the Hungarian civil registry (anyakönyv), or is the apostilled + translated original sufficient?
  • Does the marriage need to be registered in the Hungarian civil registry before filing, or can it be done as part of the process?
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