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Hungary: why confirm a former employee's job?

Every Hungarian employer already states the job title and the start and end of the employment in the employment certificate it issues when the employment ends (Flt. § 36/A). Confirming the same facts takes a minute and helps the person into their next job. certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit consent.

Law as of 26 October 2026 · Munka törvénykönyve (Act I of 2012) and Act IV of 1991 on employment (Flt.), consolidated texts in the Nemzeti Jogszabálytár, state of 1 October 2026

In short

  • The facts are already on paper. When an employment ends, the employer issues an employment certificate (foglalkoztatási igazolás) stating the job title and the start and end of the employment (Flt. § 36/A(2)), and hands it over with the other certificates the law prescribes (Mt. § 80(2)). Those are the facts we ask about.
  • It helps the person who worked for you. A record confirmed by a former employer is what the next employer trusts. Answering takes about a minute and needs no account.
  • certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit consent. The GDPR lets an employer disclose personal data with the consent of the person it concerns (Art. 6(1)(a)). The person started this check themselves, for these facts and no others.
  • You do not have to answer. No Hungarian law obliges an employer to answer certo. Declining is fine.

The Labour Code and the employment certificate

Munka törvénykönyve (Mt.), Act I of 2012, and Act IV of 1991 on the promotion of employment (Flt.). Quoted from the consolidated texts in the Nemzeti Jogszabálytár.

Mt. § 80(2): the certificates are handed over when the employment ends

… valamint ki kell adni a munkaviszonyra vonatkozó szabályban és egyéb jogszabályokban előírt igazolásokat.

In English: when the employment ends, the employee must also be given the certificates that employment rules and other legislation prescribe.

Flt. § 36/A: what the employment certificate states

A munkaadó – az egyszerűsített foglalkoztatásnak minősülő munkaviszony és a nevelőszülői foglalkoztatási jogviszony esetét kivéve – a munkaviszony megszüntetésekor vagy megszűnésekor foglalkoztatási igazolást állít ki.

A foglalkoztatási igazolás tartalmazza … 4. a munkavállaló munkakörének megnevezését, 5. a munkaviszony kezdetét és végét, a munkaadónál munkaviszonyban töltött időtartamot, …

In English: when an employment ends, the employer issues an employment certificate (except for simplified employment and foster-parent employment). It states, among other things, the employee's job title and the start and end of the employment and its length. These are the facts we ask about, so your records already hold them.

Mt. § 10(1): what an employer may ask an employee for

A munkáltató a munkavállalótól olyan nyilatkozat megtételét vagy személyes adat közlését követelheti, amely a munkaviszony létesítése, teljesítése, megszűnése (megszüntetése) vagy e törvényből származó igény érvényesítése szempontjából lényeges.

In English: an employer may require a statement or personal data from an employee only where it matters for establishing, performing or ending the employment, or for a claim under the Labour Code. certo asks nothing outside the employment itself: no opinion, pay, reason for leaving, health, family, beliefs or criminal record. The written evaluation an employer gives on request (Mt. § 81) is never asked for.

What the Labour Code does not regulate

We found no provision of the current Labour Code that governs what an employer may tell a third party about a former employee. The consent rule that § 10 once held was replaced in 2019 (Act XXXIV of 2019); the question is now answered by the GDPR, below.

Personal data

The GDPR applies directly in Hungary; Act CXII of 2011 on informational self-determination and freedom of information (Infotv.) supplements it.

  • Art. 6(1)(a), consent. The legal basis for your answer.
  • Art. 7(1), proof of consent. certo records which account asked, when, and for which facts. Write to support@certo.bio and we send you the record for your request.
  • Art. 5(1)(c), data minimisation. You confirm or leave unticked only the facts listed. Add nothing else: anything beyond them is not covered by the person's consent.

What this means for your answer

  • Tick only what your HR, payroll or personnel records show.
  • Not sure it is the same person? Press "We can't find a matching record". Never confirm a record you are not sure is theirs.
  • Your policy is not to answer? Press "We do not answer these requests". The record shows your organisation declined, and nobody else there is asked.

Sources

This page is not legal advice. It reflects the law as it stood on 26 October 2026.