Visitors from European Union countries can drive in Hungary with their domestic driving permits. Drivers from other countries have a right to drive in Hungary with International driver licenses and their original driving permits. After one year of driving in Hungary with a domestic or/and International driving permit, foreign driver will be obliged to apply for a Hungarian driving permit.

Hungarian general road traffic rules:

• Driving is on the right side of the road and overtaking only on the left side.
• The minimum age for driving in Hungary is 18.
• For driving either a rented or own car, the Third Part insurance is obligatory.
• Speed limits are depended by types of roads: in urban areas, it is 50 km/h (31 mph); for dual carriageways, it is 110 km/h (65 mph); on a motorway, it is 130 km/h (80 mph).
• Hungary has a zero tolerance policy on drink driving.
• For driving outside of urban area, dipped headlights at all times are required.
• For driving on motorways, it is necessary to obtain a special sticker (vignette) which is available from petrol stations. Following roads require presence of a vignette: Budapest – Hegyeshalom; Budapest -Gorbehaza – Nyiregyhaza; Budapest – Kiskunfelegyhaza – Szeged – Roszke; M0- Erd – Dunaujvaros; Budapest - Lake Balaton – Letenye; Emod – Miskolc; Gorbehaza-Debrecen.
• Drivers must always give way to public transports such as buses and trams.
•  It is required by law to have in a car: a first aid kit, reflective jacket, warning triangle, and spare headlamp bulbs.
• While driving, it is illegal to use cell phone; drivers may use only phones with hands- free systems.
• Seatbelts are mandatory for a driver and all passengers from front and rear seats.
• Children who are less than 150 cm tall must sit in the back seat. Children under three years of age must have an appropriate child seats.
• Drivers may only use horns in cases of extreme danger.
• Foreign drivers must have at all time while driving their original driving permits, International driver licenses, passports, car registration and insurance certificates.
• Parking is permitted on the right-hand side of two-way streets and on both sides of one-way streets. Yellow line at side of road means no stopping
• It is a rule to yield to the car coming from right.
• The police phone number is 107.

Most Hungarian road traffic signs are picture signs, not written signs.

Hungarian Road Traffic Signs

• Hungarian Driving Vocabulary

 Driving Overseas - Short Information