General information for entering Hungary

Hungary is not a member of the Schengen Area yet, therefore:

- The Hungarian visa only authorises the bearer to enter or transit through Hungary

- The Schengen visa does not authorise the bearer to enter Hungary

A visa is only a preliminary permission for entry, which does not authorise its bearer automatically to enter the country. The traveller may be requested to provide proof of the existence of the conditions of his entry and stay in Hungary and, if he is not able to fulfil this, he may be returned from the border.

Visa Exemptions

Citizens of the EU member states and of the following countries may travel to Hungary without a visa:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong (the exemption applies only to holders of a “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”), Iceland, Israel, Japan, Macao (the exemption applies only to holders of a “Regio Administrativa Especial de Macau” passport), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Visa free transit

As from the 1^st of September 2006, foreigners in possession of a valid visa or residence permit issued by one of the Schengen States as well as Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus or Poland, may transit through Hungary without having a Hungarian transit visa or airport transit visa. Same rules applies for holders of residence permits issued by Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

Holders of a visa or residence permit issued by the UK, Ireland, Romania and Bulgaria are not entitled for visa free transit.

The validity of the visa or residence permit substitutes the Hungarian transit visa shall cover the duration of the transit.

The duration of visa free transit cannot exceed 5 days.

Transit means entering from country X to Hungary and leaving Hungary to county Y (coming from Austria to Ukraine via Hungary).

The types of visa in Hungary

Airport transit visa (A): authorises the bearer to enter the international zone of the airport and to remain there until the time of the departure of the flight to the destination country.

Transit visa (B): authorises the bearer to a single, double or multiple transits, not exceeding 5 days at a time.

Short stay (or entry) visa (C): authorises the bearer to a single, double or multiple entries and, in case of an uninterrupted stay, to a stay of maximum 90 days, while in case of an interrupted stay, to a stay of altogether maximum 90 days within the 6 months counted from the date of the first entry.

Long stay visa (D): authorises the bearer to a single or multiple entries, and to a stay in Hungary exceeding 90 days, but maximum 1 year long, and with a definite purpose.

Attention!

In case you have to transfer in Ferihegy 1 Airport or your flight arrives to Ferihegy 1 and your transfer flight departs from Ferihegy 2 (and vice versa), being in possession of a transit visa is necessary.

Visa Fees

Visas issued for free of charge

- children under the age of 14 and entered into the passport of the parent: free of charge

- family members of EEA citizens: free of charge

- children under the age of 6, travelling with their own passports free of charge

- members of children’s groups consisting of more than 5 children free of charge

Further exceptions may be given on the basis of bilateral agreements, about which the competent Hungarian foreign representations may give information.

Attention!

- The visa fee shall be paid when the application is submitted.

- The consulate does not charge any further fees other than the above for issuing a visa.

- If the application for a visa is refused, the fee will not reimbursed.

- The fee shall in general be paid in EURO.

- The consulates usually accept payments in cash, but in some countries bank transfer is also possible.

The documents needed for visa applications

I. General requirements:

- Valid passport (the validity of which has to exceed that of the requested visa by at least 3 months);

- 1 passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months);

- a wholly and legibly completed, signed application form:

o the application form may be acquired free of charge at the consular departments of the foreign representations or downloaded from the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.gov.hu);

- a health insurance (if the financing of the urgent health services to be granted to the applicant are not covered by an international contract);

- a certificate certifying lawful stay, if the applicant is not a citizen of the receiving country.

To fulfil the requirements of the visa application, the applicant, besides meeting these general requirements, shall also supply a certificate of the financial coverage of his expenses, and a certificate of the purpose of the visit.

II. The financial coverage of the expenses shall be certified with one of the following documents:

- an original income certificate of the employer or

- a bank account statement on the account turnover during the last three months or

- a pension slip or

- a certificate of registration in the case of an individual entrepreneur or one-man firm or

- a valid ticket, a certificate of a reserved and prepaid journey, accommodation or

- in the case of minors, a declaration by the legal representative on the coverage of the costs and on the existence of the financial coverage or

- a letter of invitation issued and endorsed by the Office of Immigration and Nationality.

III. The purpose of the entry shall be certified with the following documents:

When applying for a transit visa:

- a valid ticket certifying the purpose of the visit; or the certification of a vehicle of transport used and appropriately insured by the foreigner,

- a visa to the destination country, if necessary.

When applying for a short stay visa:

- In case of a tourist visit: the certificate of the travel agency; or in case of an individual visit: the prepaid reservation of accommodation.

- In case of an entry with an educational or other scientific or professional training purpose: the certificate of the receiving institution, the certificate of the expected place of accommodation in Hungary

- In case of an entry for visitation: the letter of invitation issued and endorsed by the Office of Immigration and Nationality or the letter of invitation in the form of a public notarial document and a photocopy of the personal identification document/passport of the inviting party in Hungary.

- For the purpose of the cultivation of family relations: the documents related to the entry with a visiting purpose or the certificate given by the applicant on the existence of the family relations, and his declaration presenting the purpose of the entry and stay, signed in full awareness of his criminal liability. The declaration shall extend to cover the degree of the family relation, giving the name, address and phone number of the family member.

- In case of an entry for business purposes: in case of the existence of a business partner in Hungary: a letter of invitation from the business partner, the certification of the existence of commercial-business relations; or the certificate of the local chamber of commerce on the existence of business relations, and the certification of the address of the expected place of accommodation in Hungary.

- In case of an entry with the purpose of medical treatment: the certificate of the receiving health institution, including reference to the fact that the expected coverage of the medical treatment is available, and other certification of the coverage of the medical treatment, as well as the certification of the address of the expected place of accommodation in Hungary.

- In case of carriers: the certification or request of the carrier firm.

- For the purpose of visiting the grave of a deceased relative buried in the territory of the Republic of Hungary: a document certifying the existence of the grave and the degree of relationship.

- In case of other purposes of entry (regular shopping, entertainment, etc.) not listed in any of the above categories: a declaration presenting the purpose of the entry and stay, made in full awareness of the person’s criminal liability.

When applying for a long stay visa:

In case of a visa for the purpose of paid activity:

- a work permit,

- a contract of employment,

- a document certifying occupancy in Hungary, and

- a certificate on how the person will make a living until he receives his first salary (bank account statement, employer’s certificate that he will pay an advance to the person, etc.)

or,

- a certificate on the character of the gainful activity (the articles of association),

- the resolution on the court registration of the enterprise,

- a document certifying occupancy in Hungary,

- a certificate on the acquisition of the qualification necessary for filling the position,

- a declaration, certificate on the (expected) yearly income,

- a certificate of the amount of money at the person’s disposal in Hungary,

- the simplified balance sheet of the previous year (for a firm already operating),

- a certificate that the firm has no public debt (for a firm already operating),

- if the firm has Hungarian employees: their employment contracts,

- in case of a new enterprise: a brief business plan.

In case of a visa for educational purposes:

- a certificate of school attendance,

- a document certifying occupancy in Hungary (the document certifying accommodation in a student hostel or the tenancy contract with a duplicate of the title deed), and

- the documents certifying subsistence in Hungary (bank account statement; or the declaration of the parents that they assume coverage of all costs of the stay in Hungary; or the document certifying the scholarship).

- Attestation of the school that the applicant is exempt from the payment of school fees or that he/she has already paid the tuition fees.

In case of a visa for family reunification:

- a document certifying occupancy in Hungary,

- a document certifying subsistence in Hungary,

- a marriage certificate / birth certificate, and

- a copy of the passport of the Hungarian relative.

In case of a visa for visit:

- an official letter of invitation or an invitation included in a notarial document,

- a certificate of the average income of the inviting party,

- a duplicate of the title deed, and

- a copy of the passport or the personal identification document of the inviting party.

In case of a visa for medical treatment:

- the name and address of the health institution providing the treatment,

- a certificate of the character and the expected duration of the medical treatment,

- a certificate of the financial coverage for the medical treatment and the stay in Hungary,

- the certification of occupancy in Hungary provided that the applicant does not stay in the medical institution,

- in case of a minor child or a family member in need of help: the certification of the accommodation and the subsistence of the accompanying person.

In case of a visa for research:

- contract with an accredited research institute

In case of a visa for voluntary work:

contract with a Hungarian receiving institution, organisation (church, library, town hall, etc.)

Attention!

1. The consul may request the presentation of further documents in addition to the ones outlined above.

2. Documents shall be annexed to the applications being submitted in the original, if possible. If the client needs the original document later on, then a photocopy shall also be annexed besides presenting the original document.

3. The consulate reserves the right to examine the authenticity of the communicated data and the submitted documents. The communication of false data in itself will lead to the refusal of the visa application.

Who can submit a visa application?

The general rule is that the foreign representation has the competence to process the applications of the following persons:

- Nationals of the receiving country

- Persons staying in the receiving country legitimately and continuously

- Persons with no Hungarian foreign representation in their country.

The persons listed above can submit a visa application in the following ways:

- The client can submit personally his own or his family member’s visa application

- In case of organised tourist trips, an accredited travel agency may submit the visa application

- In case of group travel, the application may be submitted by a representative sufficiently authorised.

Attention!

- The above listed exceptions to the obligation to submit the application personally, however, does not exclude the eventuality that the consul, if he deems it necessary, may call upon the applicants to present themselves personally.

- The authorisation is only valid for submitting the application and for collecting the visa issued, however the application form has to be signed by every traveller personally.

- In countries with vast territory or where there is no Hungarian foreign representation competent to issue visas, the honorary consuls are also entitled to receive visa applications with the purpose of transferring them.

- We recommend to submit the visa application in due time, especially in periods preceding the summer holidays.

- The consulate may receive visa applications at the earliest 3 months before the beginning of the visit.

Remedies

- There is no legal remedy against the rejection of an application for an A, B or C visa, nevertheless according to paragraphs 141-143 of the Act No. XXIV of 2004, a complaint can be lodged to the head of the consular section, the head of the foreign representation or to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary.

- In case of rejection, a new application may be filed, accompanied by the repeated payment of the visa fee.

- In case of the rejection of an application for a D visa, the written resolution on the rejection will contain the necessary information on the possibilities of legal remedy.

Records of data, data protection

According to Article 95 of the Act on entry and stay of third country nationals (No. II. of 2007) the Office for Immigration and Naturalization (OIN) as well as the consulate authority shall manage the following data of foreign nationals, based on visa applications and on visas issued:

Ø natural particulars of identification;

Ø nationality (stateless status);

Ø photograph and passport data;

Ø the purpose of entry and the planned duration of stay;

Ø copies of documents verifying fulfilment of the requirements for entry and stay, or the data referring thereto;

Ø the rejection of visa and the reasons, if applicable;

Ø the number and series, and the period and territory of validity of the visa issued;

Ø the date and place of entry and exit;

Ø registered place of accommodation.

The consulate may disclose data from its register to law enforcement and criminal investigation agencies, the national security agencies and the refugee authority, to agencies specified by law or international agreement within the type of specific information defined therein, furthermore to Schengen / EU consulates in the jurisdiction.

If requested by the applicant, the OIN, and the consulate within its jurisdiction shall provide information regarding his data on record, unless the Aliens Act prohibits the disclosure of such data. If the consulate determines, whether by the initiative of the applicant or ex officio, that any particular data on record is incorrect or has changed, it takes prompt measures to have such incorrect data corrected or removed from the records, whichever is appropriate.

Photo requirements for visa applications

One photo is required. The photo must be:

- no more than six months old,

- in colour,

- sized as for licences (35-40 mm wide),

- sharp, clear and of good quality,

- full-face (showing the entire head and the top of the shoulders),

- taken in front of a light background,

- without a head-dress, except for religious reasons,

- taken directly from the front.

Glasses are permitted, provided that that the eyes remain clearly visible and there is no reflection in the lenses.

Head-dress is permitted only for religious reasons, provided that all facial details are still clearly visible and the head-dress does not cast any shadow over the face.

The photograph for visas must satisfy the requirements listed above. If those are not met, the applicant will be asked to present new photo that satisfies the requirements.