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Social Security Administration in Hungary

When do you need a TAJ number?

You need a Hungarian TAJ number (social security number) if you are insured in Hungary – in practice, if you:

  • work for a Hungarian employer – including as the managing director of your own Hungarian company,
  • are self-employed in Hungary,
  • are an owner who personally works in your Hungarian company,
  • live in Hungary and want to use the public health care system without being employed – in this case you pay the health service contribution yourself (see below).

Without a valid TAJ number, a visit to a doctor or a hospital treatment has to be paid in full.

How to apply for a TAJ number

Today a TAJ number is requested online, through the Hungarian e-government gateway (Client Gate / Ügyfélkapu+) – the paper application by post is no longer used. The application can also be submitted by the employer, or in person at a government office (kormányablak).

The main conditions:

  • you have to live in Hungary habitually (with a registered Hungarian address),
  • it has to be known who will employ you – the TAJ number becomes valid once the employer reports your insurance relationship to the authorities,
  • for foreign citizens: a valid residence permit (EU/EEA citizens: a registration certificate) and your address card.

The decision is usually made within about a week. After that, you receive your TAJ card with the number on it. We prepare and submit the application for you, and coordinate it with your employer or your own company.

Health service contribution if you are not insured

Employees, self-employed people and working company owners are insured through the contributions paid on their income – they do not pay anything extra for their TAJ number.

If you live in Hungary but are not insured on any other basis (for example you have no employment in Hungary), you have to pay a monthly health service contribution (egészségügyi szolgáltatási járulék) to use the public health care system:

  • HUF 12,300 per month in 2026 (HUF 410 per day),
  • HUF 12,400 per month from 1 January 2027.

Students and pensioners, among others, are insured by the state and do not have to pay it.

What is a social security number?

The social security number, or as it is called in Hungary, the TAJ (Társadalombiztosítási Azonosító Jel) is the verification code for the healthcare, social, social security and other private pension system.

As your TAJ can identify you, it is count as a personal data. It is also a special data because the social security number on it is connected to personal healthcare information. Due to the previously mentioned, it is also part of the national data asset.

Parts of the social security card

In Hungary, people get a social security card with their social security number. The number on the social security card consists of 9 digits and it contains the following information:

  • Name
  • The name which you were given when you were born
  • Birth date and location
  • Name of your mother
  • TAJ number
  • The date of the issuance of the certificate

Benefits of the social security system

The social security benefits have to be required. The organization who is in charge of social security related tasks is obliged to inform the insured persons who turn to her about their rights and obligations and to help them enforce their claims.

As part of the social security system, the following services can be required:

  • Sickness and financial aid
  • Family allowance
  • Retirement pension
  • Accident care

For the social security benefits, not only the insured are eligible, but also some of their relatives, for instance: children.

EU citizens: the European Health Insurance Card

For citizens of the European Union staying in Hungary only temporarily, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued in their home country may be enough. It only covers health care, however – it does not give access to a pension or family allowance. If you live or work in Hungary, you need a Hungarian TAJ number.

FAQ for Social Security Administration in Hungary

A TAJ number is requested online through the Hungarian e-government gateway (Client Gate / Ügyfélkapu+); the employer can also submit it, or you can apply in person at a government office (kormányablak). You need to live in Hungary habitually, it has to be known who will employ you, and foreign citizens need a valid residence permit (EU/EEA citizens: a registration certificate) and an address card. The decision usually takes about a week.

Employees of Hungarian employers (including managing directors), self-employed people and owners who personally work in their Hungarian company are insured and need a TAJ number. People who live in Hungary without being insured on another basis can register by paying the monthly health service contribution.

The social security number (TAJ in Hungarian) is a code that helps with your verification for the Hungarian healthcare, social security, and private pension system. Due to the fact that your social security number can identify you, it is a type of personal data. As it is special data too, it is part of the national data asset.

The social security card in Hungary contains the social security number which is built up from 9 digits. Besides that, the following data can be found on a social security card: current name, birth name, birth location, and date, mother's name, and the date when the card was issued.

In Hungary, the state manages the social security system. Employees, self-employed people and working company owners are insured through the contributions paid on their income, and can use public health care without further fees. People who live in Hungary but are not insured on any other basis pay a monthly health service contribution: HUF 12,300 in 2026 and HUF 12,400 from 1 January 2027.

Those who benefit from the social security system are eligible for sickness and financial aid, family allowance, retirement pension, and other additional care. In the case of some of the benefits, some relatives, for example: children are also eligible for it.

Without a valid TAJ number, health care and the other social security services cannot be used free of charge – a doctor visit or a hospital treatment has to be paid in full, which can cost far more than the monthly contributions.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is a health insurance card issued by the EU that can be acquired by citizens of the European Union. This covers health issues when an EU citizen is in another EU country. However, it does not cover other social security services, such as family allowance. It is recommended for travelers, not for present/future residents.