The council of the local government competent for the place of death – within twenty-one days of learning of the death – arranges for the burial of the deceased at public expense if
a) there is no person obliged to arrange the burial, or they cannot be found, or
b) the person obliged to arrange the burial does not do so.
The local government of the deceased’s last place of residence
a) registers the costs as a charge on the estate with the competent notary public, or
b) obliges the person responsible for the burial to reimburse the costs of the public funeral.
As costs of a public funeral, the local government only recognizes the funeral service costs on the invoice issued by the funeral company providing the service that are justified in compliance with the rules of reverence, and the costs prescribed in the government decree on the detailed rules for requesting, granting and paying cash and in-kind social benefits.
A person who undertook the funeral by contract cannot be exempted from reimbursing the costs of a burial at public expense.
As regulated in its decree, the local government may partly or fully exempt the person obliged to arrange the burial from the reimbursement obligation in circumstances deserving special consideration.
If the person obliged to reimburse the costs of the public funeral appeals, the Council may, in its discretion, exempt them from paying the costs in circumstances deserving special consideration.
In the case of a public funeral, circumstances deserving special consideration apply if the obligated person has no assets and
a) the per capita income in their household is below HUF 65 550,
b) the income of an obligated person living alone is below HUF 82,650,
c) they are over 80
d) they have a severe disability.
If the person obliged to reimburse the costs of the public funeral appeals, the Council may allow payment in installments if the per capita income in the obligated person’s household does not exceed HUF 163,875.
The application form only needs to be filled in if the public funeral is requested by a private individual.
A request for exemption from reimbursing the costs can be submitted as an appeal against the decision obliging payment of the funeral costs.
Further information on the eligibility conditions for the support and the documents to be attached is available in the information section at the end of the application form.
Legal background: Act III of 1993, Section 48; Local Government Decree 6/2016 (II.18.), Sections 21 and 46
Related forms
Application for a public funeral
Social and Health Department
Address: 1076 Budapest, Garay utca 5
Head of Department: Szegény Ákos
Email: human@erzsebetvaros.hu