Living in Hungary starts with a small test of manners: what do you call the person in front of you, and in which order? Hungarian puts the family name before the given name. So the man named Kovács János on a form is called János Kovács at the bakery. After a week you stop noticing, and after a month you start doing it with your own name.
Here is a guide to daily life, from language to shop doors.
Which language will you use when living in Hungary?
Hungarian (magyar) is unrelated to the languages of its neighbours, which is why it intimidates newcomers. Younger people often speak English; older people sometimes speak only Hungarian, German or Russian. The national tourist board advises not to rely on foreign languages everywhere and says kindness helps cross the language barrier. A few words go a long way: jó napot (good day) and köszönöm (thank you).
Hungarian has a formal and an informal "you" (magázás and tegezés). Start formal with strangers, elders and officials, and let the other person propose the informal one. The tourist board sums up the etiquette: nothing special, just stay polite and pleasant.
What are shop hours like when living in Hungary?
According to the tourist board, most shops open from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and until 13:00 or 14:00 on Saturday. Corner shops and supermarkets open earlier, from 6:00 or 7:00, and close at 18:00 or 19:00. Banks close earlier on Friday. On Sunday most shops are closed, except large shopping centres and tourist areas. Many small shops and family restaurants close for 10 to 14 days in August.
So do your shopping for Sunday before Saturday afternoon, and plan paperwork in a month other than August. For appointments with the authorities, book online at the government offices' booking site rather than queuing; the helpline 1818 answers at any time.
A move involves questions of the daily-life kind that no official page answers: which holiday closes which office, how to word a polite note to a landlord in Hungarian. Moovy can help you draft short messages in Hungarian with a translation, and plan an errand calendar around the holidays. It does not replace the local advice of neighbours.
What are the public holidays?
The Labour Code (art. 102) lists: 1 January, 15 March (national day, 1848 revolution), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday, 20 August (state foundation day, Saint Stephen), 23 October (national day, 1956 revolution), 1 November, and 25 and 26 December. In 2026: Good Friday is 3 April, Easter Monday 6 April and Whit Monday 25 May. Christmas Eve, 24 December, is not on the list.
Bridging days are set by decree each year, with a working Saturday to make up for them. In 2026, for people working Monday to Friday: Saturday 10 January is worked for Friday 2 January, Saturday 8 August for Friday 21 August, and Saturday 12 December for Thursday 24 December. Offices, banks and shops are closed on national holidays.
What are name days, tips and taxis?
- Name day (névnap). Every first name has a day in the calendar, and people often congratulate each other, at work and in the family. It is a custom, not a legal rule.
- Tipping. No text sets an amount. If a restaurant charges a service fee (felszolgálási díj, often called szervizdíj), the law requires it to be displayed with the prices on the same menu, and a restaurant with table service must display the menu outside near the entrance (decree 4/2009, arts. 4/A and 6). Read the bill: if the charge is there, it is already included.
- Taxis. The tourist board advises not hailing one on the street but booking by phone or app with a known company.
- Money. The currency is the forint. The tourist board says airport exchange desks give the least favourable rates. See bank account in Hungary.
What should you know about safety and emergencies?
Call 112, the European emergency number, which is answered 24 hours a day in Hungarian, English and German and alerts ambulance, police and fire services. A text message to 112 is possible but is charged at the normal rate. The police confirm direct numbers: 104 for ambulance, 105 for fire, 107 for police. The 112 is enough in all cases. The country is considered safe, but pickpockets target crowded places.
What do newcomers get wrong?
- Joking about "Hungary" and "hungry". The tourist board warns that many Hungarians do not find the pun clever.
- Confusing Budapest with Bucharest. Same warning.
- Planning an errand on a holiday or in August.
- Leaving belongings unattended.
How does daily life connect with the rest of your move?
Daily routines depend on where you settle; the best places to live in Hungary compares Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs and the Balaton region, and the cost of living in Hungary shows what to budget. The sequence of administrative steps is in moving to Hungary.
Customs vary by family and town, so treat all this as a starting point and watch what your neighbours do.
How do you deal with the authorities in daily life?
The administration is organised around a few counters you will use again and again. The government offices (kormányablak) handle your documents, address and social security; the tax authority handles your tax number and return; the Immigration Office handles your stay. For nearly every online service you need Ügyfélkapu+ or the DÁP app, which are the only logins accepted since 16 January 2025. Signing up for Ügyfélkapu+ takes a visit in person with your identity card or passport.
The portals are mostly in Hungarian. The OIF and the tax authority publish some factsheets in English, and a few words of the vocabulary on the form (name, address, date of birth) go a long way. If you are lost, the government helpline 1818 answers at any time. For the order of steps, see moving to Hungary.
What is the rhythm of the year?
The calendar has a few fixed points. In spring, from 15 March, the tax authority publishes your draft return, and the deadline is 20 May. Schools run from 1 September to mid-June, with breaks in autumn, winter and spring; see schools in Hungary. The two national days are 15 March and 23 October, and 20 August celebrates the foundation of the state with Saint Stephen. August is the month when small family businesses close for a week or two.
How do you settle in?
Official sources do not rank this, but learning even a few words of Hungarian is the easiest way to be welcomed. Name days give a natural opening: a colleague's névnap is a reason to say a kind word. Starting with the formal form, then letting the other person propose the informal one, shows you understand the etiquette. Be patient with the language, ask for English if you need it, and thank people in Hungarian.
If you are still choosing where to live, read the best places to live in Hungary, and for your health cover, healthcare in Hungary.