V I S A  A P P L I C A T I O N S

GENERAL INFORMATION

Hungary is a schengen country, therefore, if you have a valid schengen visa, i.e. you have not surpassed its validity dates, the number of days and the number of entries allowed by it, then you can use it in order to travel to Hungary as well.

You can apply for a visa at the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary

- if you travel only to Hungary,

- if you make a round trip, thus you travel to Hungary and other schengen countries, during which you spend the most number of days in Hungary,

- if you make a round trip, during which you spend the same number of days in Hungary and other schengen countries, and it is Hungary, where you enter the schengen zone first.

1. Appointment booking system for visa applications

From 1 June 2008 on the Embassy of Hungary operates an appointment booking system.

Appointments can be made on 0207-201-3467 from Monday to Thursday between 15:00 and 16:00.

Everyone wishing to apply for a visa to visit Hungary is required to make an appointment in advance. The only exceptions are family members of EEA and Hungarian nationals, and diplomatic missions in the UK, who may submit their applications without prior appointment.

Our colleagues will not accept visa applications without you having made an appointment before.

We would strongly recommend you to apply for a visa as early as possible but not more than 3 months before your actual journey into Hungary and the Schengen area.

We do not issue visas on the day of your application and we need approximately 30 days to provide a visa for you.

Should you have further questions in connection with your visa application, call us on 0207-201-3467 or send us your questions via e-mail (visa.lon@kum.hu).

2. Application by post

You are kindly asked to submit your visa application in person as we can only accept your application sent by post if you either have a visa issued by the Embassy of Hungary within the past 12 months or live farther than 150 miles from London.

In case you send your application package by post, do not forget to include a Special Delivery envelope and the visa fee in postal orders. Postal orders can be bought at post offices. They should be payable to the Embassy of Hungary.

The Embassy of Hungary does not assume any liability for the loss of documents sent or returned by post.

Our address is:

Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, Consular Section, 35 Eaton Place, SW1X 8BY, London.

3. Visa fees

From 1 June 2009 all types of visa applications cost £52.

However, there are a number of cases in which visas are issued free of charge:

- children under the age of 14 and entered into the passport of the parent,

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

- family members of EEA citizens, who either travel together with their EEA national family members or travel in order to meet their EEA national family members (both cases should be proven by joint flight tickets or a letter from the spouse respectively),

- researchers having a valid contract with a research institution in Hungary

will be granted visas without having to pay.

Further exceptions:

Owing to visa facilitation agreements between the EU and several countries, visa applicants coming from Russia, the Ukraine, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Moldova are required to pay only £30.

Attention!

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

- The fee should be paid in cash.

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

4. Documents needed to apply for a short stay Schengen visa

4.1 When applying for a transit visa (B)

- a visa to the destination country, if necessary.

4.2. When applying for a short stay visa (C)

General requirements:

-a passport and residence permit/long term visa for the UK, both of which should be valid for at least three months longer than the expiry date of the requested visa. (e.g.: if you are to make a single entry to the Schengen Area, and are due to return to the UK on the 1st of January, your passport and residence permit have to be valid at least until the 1st of April.),

- a wholly and legibly completed and signed visa application form ,

- a passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months),

- the original and a copy of a travel health insurance covering at least £20,000 (financing urgent health services and homeward transportation due to medical reasons), which is valid for the entire period of stay and the whole territory of the Schengen area (such travel health insurances are available at all post offices),

- evidence of the purpose of the journey,

- evidence of the financial coverage of the expenses (recent bank statements, pay slips etc. - with a copy of them), and

- valid tickets (e.g. flight, bus or train tickets to all your destinations).

- Tourist visa:

· confirmed hotel booking covering the whole stay in the Schengen countries,

· evidence of occupation or student status.

- Visitors visa:

· a letter of invitation issued and endorsed by the Office of Immigration and Nationality in Hungary

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, or

· a letter of invitation signed by the inviting person and two witnesses accompanied by the photocopy of their passports and

· evidence of occupation or student status.

- Business visa:

· a formal letter from your employer declaring your employment status at the company, the kind and duration of the business trips to Hungary and the commitment of covering all the costs of your journey,

· a formal invitation written by your business partner in Hungary stating the kind and duration of the business trips and the commitment of covering all the costs of your journey,

· the name, telephone number and e-mail address of your contact person in Hungary, and

· an evidence of your accommodation in Hungary.

- Educational / scientific / professional training visa:

· the certificate of the receiving institution and

· an evidence of your accommodation in Hungary.

Note that further documents might also be required,

and holders of Schengen visa are still subject to immigration control

and are not guaranteed entry into any of the Schengen countries.

5. Documents required from family members of EEA citizens

- their own passports with their residence permits for the UK,

- their marriage certificates,

- a wholly and legibly completed and signed visa application form

and

- a passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months).

6. Documents needed to apply for a a Hungarian residence permit

If you want us to send your documents back to you by post, do not forget to take a self-addressed Special Delivery envelope with you.

8. Information on visa waiver agreements

Abbreviations:

OP.: ordinary passport
D.: diplomatic passport
S.: service passport/official passport
ID.: Identity Card

Pay attention to the fact that the list includes countries where one can travel visa-free only in possession of a diplomatic or service passport. Please inquire about seaman (service), sailor, official and special passports at the Embassy.

Nationals of the following countries (who hold the appropriate travel documents listed by each country) may enter Hungary without a visa:

7.) United Kingdom: Special rules for British citizens from January 19^th, 2007:

“British citizens” are obliged to have a visa if the following notes are included in their travel documents:

- British Overseas Territories Citizens (who do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom)

- British Overseas Citizens

- British Subjects (who do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom

- British Protected Persons

Visa-free:

- British Nationals (Overseas)

British Overseas Territories Citizens or British Subjects who own residence permit in the United Kingdom are qualified as British citizen – and as citizen of the European Union at the same time – for that reason they are exempted from visa obligation.

8.) European Community: members of the Delegation of the Committee of EC are allowed to enter to the Republic of Hungary visa-free with the mentioned travel documents, and they are allowed to stay there for the period of their service visa-free.

9.) Croatia: citizens of Croatia are allowed to enter to Hungary with ID only if the purpose of their stay is not employment or getting income.

10.) Sweden: Swedish citizens are allowed to travel to Hungary with new plastic identity card (which was issued after October 1^st, 2005 and includes data of the owner’s citizenship).