Address registration: the form your landlord must sign
As an international student you have to report where you live, and for that the owner of the flat has to sign a form. It is the most common point where a rental falls through, so settle it before you sign.
- What it costs
- Outside the EU: no fee is listed for reporting your accommodation. EU citizens: 1,000 HUF for the registration certificate and 5,700 HUF for the address card.
- How long it takes
- Outside the EU: within 3 days of arriving and of every move, online only. EU citizens: by the 93rd day after arriving.
Why you need it
A student from outside the European Union proves accommodation for the residence permit (a lease, a dormitory certificate or a paid booking), and once in Hungary has to report it within 3 days. Instead of an address card you then get an accommodation certificate with a QR code: that is your proof of address, so keep it. EU citizens staying longer than three months register with the immigration authority and get an address card ("lakcímkártya") by post.
Who signs
The accommodation notification form ("szálláshely-bejelentő lap") is signed by the accommodation provider, the owner of the flat or someone they authorise, because they are declaring that you live there; an EU citizen attaches the owner's written consent to the registration instead. So ask the landlord before the contract: "Will you sign the accommodation form?" If not, that flat is not for you, however nice.
Many landlords hesitate because they believe it makes them liable for tax, or that they will not be able to remove you. Neither is true: a registered address gives no ownership rights and does not extend the lease; tax on rental income applies whether or not you are registered. When you move out, you report your new accommodation, and the landlord can ask for the old address to be cancelled.
Where to file it
From outside the EU you report your accommodation to the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) online only, on the Enter Hungary portal, within 3 days of arriving and of every move: the signed form and the lease (or a title deed, or a paid booking). There is no office visit. As an EU citizen you apply for the registration certificate at OIF's regional office for your address, or on Enter Hungary, by the 93rd day after arriving; the address card is ordered in the same procedure (5,700 HUF, paid by transfer) and comes by post. Your university's international office knows the current exact procedure; ask them.
Step by step
- Before the contract: "Will you sign the accommodation form?" If not, move on.
- Fill in the form, the landlord signs it, attach the lease.
- Outside the EU: upload it on Enter Hungary within 3 days of moving in. EU citizens: register with OIF by the 93rd day.
- Keep the confirmation: outside the EU, the accommodation certificate with the QR code is your proof of address.
Traps
- The landlord will sign "later", and then never. Put it in the contract.
- The 3 days after arriving or moving go fast: have the signed form before you move in.
- A tenant subletting you a room: they cannot sign, only the owner or their representative can.
Common questions
What do I tell a landlord who is afraid of registering me?
That registration gives no ownership rights, does not extend the lease, and does not change their tax position; after you move out they can ask for the address to be cancelled. On the board, listings show who is willing.
Do I need it in a dormitory?
There the dormitory issues the accommodation declaration; ask the dormitory office.
What if I move?
New address, new notification, signed by the new landlord, within 3 days (outside the EU, online on Enter Hungary).
Last checked: 2026. 11. 03. Prices and official rules change; always check the official sites before you act.
The board lists private landlords and students looking for flatmates, with no agency and no fee.
Browse the listings