Information about cross border tour guiding service provision

I. Cross-border service

This general information is intended for those who:

As a national of a Member State of the European Economic Area (EEA) and as a legal person or other legal entity without legal personality established under the law of such State and having its registered office there, are entitled to provide tour operator and/or travel agency services and intend to provide services temporarily in the territory of Hungary, with a view to the Hungarian market.
As a national of a State not party to the EEA Agreement, if the service providers of that State enjoy, under an international treaty with the European Community and its Member States, the same legal status as service providers established in the Member States of the European Union as regards the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services, and established under the law of such State, as a legal person established in that Member State or as another legal entity without legal personality, are entitled to act as tour operators and/or travel agents and wish to provide services temporarily in the territory of Hungary, with a view to the Hungarian market.

The service provider is obliged to notify the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest in writing prior to the provision of the service at its premises: 1124 Budapest, Németvölgyi út 37-39, or on the website: http://www.mkeh.gov.hu/)

During the process the department analyse if the notification and the documents meets the requirement of the Law 2009. LXXVI. The department informs the provider within 8 days whether the notification is correct or not.

II. The notification

The notification includes: (The notification form can be downloaded here.)

a) the name of the service provider;
b) the address of the service provider and, in the case of an organisation, its registered office;
c) the provider's professional guarantee statement.
d) the indication of the activity to be pursued (by completing the appropriate declaration)
e) the professional title to be used for the provision of the service.

Certified translations can be made by the OFFI, the Hungarian embassy and a notary.

The following documents must be attached to the notification:

- a copy of the public document proving your nationality,
- a certified copy and a certified translation or a certified translation of a certified copy of a document proving that he is established in a Member State and that he is entitled to pursue the profession in question,
- certified true copies and certified translations or copies of certified translations of the evidence of formal qualifications as a service provider in the Member State in which he has been trained to provide services,
- in the case referred to in Article 38(2) of Act C of 2001 (No C of 2001), certified true copies and certified translations or certified true translations of the documents attesting that the service provider has pursued the profession in question in the Member State of establishment for at least one year during the ten years preceding the submission of the notification. (This is only required if the activity of tourist guide is not a regulated profession in the country where the service provider is established, i.e. no qualification is required, no licensing authority is involved and no tourist guide card is required. It follows that a service provider who has to fulfil this condition does not need to attach the two previous certificates because he does not have them.)

If the service provider would provide the service again and there has been no material change in the documents attached to the notification, the notification of the service provider must contain the information under points (a) to (d) and need not be accompanied by the documents previously attached.
The National Translation and Translation Authentication Office (OFFI) (1062 Budapest, Bajza utca 52, 1062 Budapest and its rural branches), the diplomatic missions of Hungary or an authorised Hungarian notary is authorised to provide authentic translations. Only a translation of the original certificate is acceptable!

III. The procedure

The authority will examine the notification individually. In the course of the procedure, the Authority will contact the competent authority of the EEA State where the service provider is established to verify the adequacy of the tourist guiding authorisation and whether or not the service provider concerned can be considered as a service provider with the right to provide services freely. The Government Office of the Capital City Budapest will issue a certificate of adequate notification and publish the public details of the register kept by the authority on its website.

IV. Time limit for the procedure

Within 15 days, the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest registers ex officio the service provider wishing to carry out cross-border tourist guide activities.

V. How to apply

Information leaflets and registration forms are available at the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest (1124 Budapest, Németvölgyi út 37-39.), where the registration can also be made in person or by proxy.
If sent by post, it is advisable to send the notification by registered mail to the following address of the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest (Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala, 1534 Budapest BKKP, Pf: 919/1.).