Földhivatal

Földhivatal is the land registry office in Hungary, responsible for the registration of real property rights and the maintenance of the cadastral map. Its central tasks are to ensure legal certainty in property transactions by recording ownership transfers, mortgages, easements, and other rights in rem, and to keep the official land register and cadastral records up to date.

The offices operate at local levels within the public administration, and they issue official records such as the ingatlan-nyilvántartási kivonat (land registry extract) and the térképi kivonat (map extract). They handle changes arising from notarial deeds, court judgments, and administrative decisions, and coordinate with other authorities on boundary determinations and land use planning.

Public access and digital services: Many records can be requested by individuals and legal entities. Basic information is generally accessible, while more sensitive data may require a legitimate interest or specific authorization. In recent years the Földhivatal has expanded online services, enabling online requests, document downloads, and consultation through national e-government platforms and the Ügyfélkapu system.

History and role: The institution has roots in 19th-century reforms and has evolved toward a unified nationwide registry system in the 20th century. The Földhivatal is part of Hungary’s national land administration framework and plays a central role in real estate markets, taxation, and civil litigation by providing authoritative records of property rights and the state of real property.