Evergreen Health at Zala Springs
Sound Bowls, Lake Views, and a Very Good Massage Early March in Western Hungary always feels like a quiet turning point. Just a few days earlier, Andrew and I had reopened our countryside house near Sümeg after the winter. The garden still looked half asleep, yet the...
UK Residence Card Renewal Hungary 2026 Guide
Andrew’s five-year Withdrawal Agreement residence card expires this summer. His right to live in Hungary does not. The plastic does. And because thousands of UK citizens received those first post-Brexit cards in 2021, 2026 has become the year of renewal. Andrew is...
How to Get an Address Card in Hungary (2026)
The storks are back in Hungary. The hills still look muted, yet the grass is pushing through. Next week, Andrew and I will reopen our wine house for the season. It feels like stepping into a second life. But that house on the wine hill is not where we legally exist....
Is Hungarian Impossible? What Happened at KLUSTER
Last Wednesday evening at KLUSTER, every chair was taken. By 17:30 the room was full. Coats piled on chairs. Latecomers hovering near the back wall. That particular February light outside that makes Budapest feel grey and theatrical at the same time. The event was...
Tax ID Hungary 2026: A Guide to the ‘T34 Form
Chasing Winter and Tax Cards I can’t quite believe I’m typing this, but this is my 98th post on the HOW TO HUNGARY INSIDER blog. Writing about the inner workings of Budapest for nearly a hundred articles has taught me one thing: for every beautiful sunset over the...
Farsang in Hungary 2026: Dates & Traditions
Masks, Doughnuts, and Making Noise Farsang is one of those seasons Andrew and I have slipped into over time rather than consciously adopted. Over the years, we’ve attended everything from elaborate masked balls to much simpler gatherings where the only real rule was...
Winter’s Noisy Farewell
As I write this, Hungary is wrapped in fog. Thick, lingering fog that refuses to lift. It has been an unusually heavy winter here. The kind that makes you understand why some cultures don’t simply wait for spring to arrive. At the same time, the eastern seaboard of...
Feeling Safer on Budapest Transport
Budapest is in a proper deep freeze right now. The kind where the temperature doesn’t flirt with zero all week and everyone looks slightly annoyed before they even get on the tram. It’s giving me very Canadian vibes, and not in a charming, snow-globe way. I have a...
Hungary’s 2026 Election Has a Date.
Yesterday, Hungary officially confirmed the date of Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections 2026. While most of us are still slipping on icy pavements and wondering why winter feels personal this year, April has suddenly become very real. And, almost on cue, the questions...
The Problem with Facebook Immigration Advice
It’s Thursday, 8 January, and Hungary has disappeared under the heaviest snowfall most of us can remember in well over a decade. Roads are treacherous. Pavements are polished ice. Even routine errands suddenly require planning, patience, and a healthy respect for...
Hungary Bottle Deposit Return System: Charity Donations
Snow’s begun falling in the far southwest, blanketing fields in a way that reminds me of crisp Canadian winters - quite different from our usual damp Budapest January. With cold weather settling in, it’s the perfect time to tackle those holiday empties through...
New Year’s Eve in Hungary: Szilveszter in 2025
New Year’s Eve in Hungary always sounds simpler than it is. But after eight of them here, Andrew and I have learned that Szilveszter rarely follows a script. We’ve done it all. Properly dressed-up nights out. Quiet evenings at home. Loud Karaoke nights. Plans changed...
I’m Anikó Woods, a Canadian-Hungarian who’s been knee-deep in life here since 2017 - bureaucracy, culture, and everything in between.
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