After two years of operation, Hungary’s so-called “Client Gateway” (Ügyfélkapu) portal has become an increasingly convenient and familiar way for individuals to interact with the Hungarian state online, despite what some users say are serious shortcomings.
According to a recent report on napi.hu about the service, the number of registered users is currently 570,000. Over 1 million transactions with the state tax office (APEH) are performed each month, with a similar number related to health care, pension and customs.
The site, which can be found here, allows residents of Hungary to initiate certain administrative procedures. Though open to foreign residents, some services are available only in Hungarian.
Unfortunately, before using the service most individuals must first go through a registration process that involves interacting with Hungary’s “non-virtual” public administration, as physical proof of a user’s identification is required. So unless an individual already has a valid “electronic signature” on file with the state, they must first visit an official document office (okmányiroda) to complete their registration.
While an appointment to register as a user can be arranged online, users have reported major problems in actually getting such an appointment. Meanwhile, even some of those running the program concede that reservations only work at those government offices which take Clientgate – or appointments in general – seriously. As a result, some users have complained that procedures take longer using Clientgate than if they just went into a local government office and made their request in person.
Despite these problems, the journalists from napi.hu who tested the service reported mostly positive experiences, especially when it came to issues related to car ownership. Arranging an appointment for extending a driver’s license, for example, saved them a long wait.
The service also provides handy reminders regarding documents in need of renewal, automatically sending users an E-mail before their ID card, passport and other documents expire.
While usage numbers for the service remain below what some experts say should be expected given Hungary’s general level of technological development, the portal is expected to get a big boost from the planned introduction of secure financial transactions by early next year, allowing users to settle certain taxes and fees with bank or credit cards.