Acknowledgment of Paternity


When is an acknowledgment of paternity necessary?

If the parents of a child were not married during the pregnancy, only the man who acknowledges his paternity may be entered as the father to the child's Hungarian birth certificate, regardless of the contents of the US one. The acknowledgment may be signed before the birth.

 

When is the acknowledgment of paternity not possible?

A man cannot acknowledge his paternity if

  • the mother was married during her pregnancy,
  • or she divorced, and less than 300 days passed between the day of birth and the day on which the divorce took effect.

In the above cases, the legal presumption is that the husband or the ex-husband is the father. This presumption can only be contested at the court. There are some special rules for children born via an in vitro procedure. For clarifications, please send us an email at appointment.was@mfa.gov.hu.

It is also impossible to acknowledge the paternity if a court has already passed judgment on paternity.

 

Who must give consent to the acknowledgment?

The consent of the

  • mother
  • the legal guardian of a minor, and
  • child if he or she is at least 14 years of age

are necessary for the full effect of the acknowledgment.

If the mother or the child is deceased or is permanently hindered, consent may be given by the Hungarian guardianship office. A statement on the family name of the child is part of the acknowledgment and consent.

 

What special rules apply to parents under 18?

If the parents of the child are under 18, their legal representatives should appear in person as well. For the validity of the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, the father should be at least 16 years older than his child.

 

How can paternity be acknowledged in the US?

The father can only acknowledge his paternity in person, at one of our representations, or during extramural consular days. Both parents have to be present.

 

How much is the fee?

You find information on the fee for the acknowledgment and any applicable fees (service fee for applications submitted during extramural consular days; also, consular assistance fee is applicable in certain cases) HERE. All fees are payable only by debit or credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, Discover). We don't accept cash or check payments.

 

Which form do I need to fill out?

Please fill out this form if the child has already been born, and this one if the child is yet to be born. The form is to be completed in four (4) copies.

Pay attention to statements on the form that needs to be underlined.

Do not sign the forms, only in the presence of the consul!

 

What other documents are necessary?

  • An original birth certificate. We only accept a full birth certificate, showing data for parents as well! (If you do not have an extra copy, you may request one here.)

Upon request, we will send your original certificate back when the registration is complete, but not before that.

  • The parents must present their identity documents, and in case of a non-Hungarian citizen, a passport or citizenship certificate, which proves his or her citizenship. The Hungarian parent shall present proof of Hungarian citizenship.
  • if the marital status of the mother is divorced or widow, proof of that (marriage certificate, court decree on divorce with a Hungarian translation, death certificate)
  • if the child is yet to be born, certification from the obstetrician/gynecologist on the expected date of giving birth.

 

How can I schedule an appointment?

To book an appointment, please contact us at the following email address with your request and a short explanation of your case: appointment.was@mfa.gov.hu

Please note that you should reserve one slot per application submitted.

 

 

Forms