Having a Baby in Hungary

Giving birth in Hungary will depend on the availability of insurance and the type of health facility chosen. If the woman has public health insurance, she can deliver her baby without spending anything out-of-the-pocket. Hungary has a national health system which covers maternity in full. For services considered outside what is considered basic, the woman will have to pay extra. If the woman is an EU national, presenting her EU health card will be enough to qualify her for the same maternity benefits as any Hungarian citizen or resident. 

If a woman has a private health insurance in Hungary, she will have a generally more comfortable experience in a hospital and a doctor of her choosing. It is, however, important to make sure that both the hospital and the doctor honor the woman's insurer. Otherwise, everything will have to be paid out-of-the-pocket.

It used to be that women in Hungary had to travel to other countries to find a good hospital or maternity clinic. Today, they can get high quality maternity services through well-trained doctors and modern equipment in most hospitals and clinics across the country, especially in the capital city, Budapest. Birth in Hungary will not automatically make a child its citizen.  

In this country, it is possible to give birth without spending out-of-the-pocket. But because private hospitals and clinics offer more personalized service, most expats also choose to take out international health insurance in Hungary on top of their national insurance.