Official Translations among the Polish Community in Hungary

This qualitative exploratory investigation provides a review of relevant EU and national legislation on official translations in Hungary and Poland. In relation to the legal instruments, the following research questions are raised: 1) How does different legislation on official translations affect the Polish community in Hungary? 2) How is the legislation on official translations reflected in civil registration procedures in Hungary? To operationalize the research questions, a sample source of official Polish and Hungarian websites was created. The collected legal instruments and official websites were systematized, examined, and compared using documentary research (Scott and Marshall 2005: 164) and qualitative document analysis (Bowen 2009: 32). The study concludes that Hungarian registry offices and Polish authorities mostly rely on national legislation when defining translation requirements on their websites. Furthermore, the results suggest that notable differences may exist between rules set by laws and real-life practices, which can potentially create uncertainty among persons engaged in mobility.