Please note that from 15 February 2010 by modification of Government Decree 328/2007 (regarding passports and other travel documents not recognized by the Republic of Hungary) the following Nigerian passports are no longer accepted for entering the territory of of Hungary:
A-series and AA series, issued after 27.07.2009 without microchip or cover.
The above documents are not accepted and therefore cannot be endorsed with a visa.
Please note that previously issued Schengen visas will not give exemption from this rule. If you are holding a passport as described above, please apply for a new passport at your nearest Nigerian High
Commission/Embassy or Consulate.
V I S A A P P L I C A T I O N S
I., GENERAL INFORMATION
Please bear in mind that there is no possibility to get any information (general or individual) concerning the ongoing resident permit or Schengen visa applications. Until the end of the visa or resident permit procedure we do not give any information.
II., RESIDENCE PERMIT
The foreigners intending to stay more than 3 months in Hungary may apply for resident permit at the
Consulate. The information on the residence permits as well as the EU Blue Card may be found on the following website: http://www.bmbah.hu/
The application forms for residence permit can be downloaded on the following links:
Application for residence permit for other purpose.pdf
Application for residence permit for official purpose.pdf
Application for residence permit for the purpose of visit.pdf
Application for residence permit for the purpose of study.pdf
Application for residence permit for the purpose of research.pdf
Application for residence permit for the purpose of treatment.pdf
Application for residence permit for the purpose of volunteering.pdf
Application for residence permit for the purpose of family reunification.pdf
Application for residence permit for employment or other gainfull activity.pdf
Appointment: Appointment maybe asked on the following e-mail address: consulate.lon@mfa.gov.hu
III., SCHENGEN VISA
1., General information
Hungary is a member of the Schengen Area, therefore, if you have a valid Schengen visa (i.e. you have not surpassed the validity date, the number of days and the number of entries permitted) then you can use it to travel to Hungary as well.
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. (To check whether you do need or need not a visa please see below.)
According to the Article 9 of the Community Code on Visas (810/2009 Regulation of the Council and the Parliament) the application should be lodged at least 15 days before the intended travel. If an applicant fails this time due to the point II.3.3.1 of the C(2010) 1620 decision of the European Committee published on 19th March 2010 this is his/her responsibility as the applicant has to apply at least 15 days before the intended stay and the applicant is responsible to calculate with the longer
visa procedure if an appointment is requested.
Please note that in certain cases the visa procedure could take up to 60 days.
2., Where to apply for a Schengen visa for Hungary
A fast track visa service is provided at the Hungary Visa Application Centre by VFS Global Services Ltd., which assists applicants with the procedure and forwards the application to the Embassy for an additional fee; or applications may be submitted directly to the Embassy.
Please note that if you are not resident in the U.K. you should normally apply at the Hungarian
Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.
If you want to visit one Schengen country, apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of that country.
If you want to visit several Schengen countries, apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the country in which you intend to stay for the longest period of time.
If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the Schengen country of your first port of entry.
Applications should be lodged at least 15 days before the intended journey. Please note that neither the Consulate nor the Visa Centre takes any responsible for applications submitted less than 15 days before this date and the Consulate reserves the right to send back such applications without making any decisions on them.
3., How to apply at the Hungary Visa Application CentreApplicants are advised to book an appointment to submit an application. Appointments can be booked online at http://hu.vfsglobal.co.uk/
The helpdesk could be called for information assistance. Phone number: 0871 376 2101 between
08.30 and 17.30 Monday to Friday
E-mail: info.huuk@vfshelpline.com
HUNGARY VISA APPLICATION CENTRE179 Harrow Road,Battleship BuildingLondon W2 6NB
This is a fast track service as the Centre’s facilities allow for high numbers of applicants and VFS offers support to applicants throughout the procedure. The fast track procedure not only avoids queuing and waiting lists but also focuses on delivering the visa within a very short time. The service incurs a non refundable fee of £24, in addition to the visa fee.
For more information, please visit the website http://hu.vfsglobal.co.uk/
4., How to apply at the Embassy
Applicants must book an appointment to submit their application. It has to be made in writing to: Embassy of Hungary, Visa Section, 35B Eaton Place, London SW1X 8BY. Please enclose a copy of your passport, your UK residence permit, intended dates of your journey, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for confirmation of your appointment.
Waiting time for an appointment at the Embassy is two weeks, as a general rule, from the date of receipt of the applicant’s letter but please note that the waiting time is longer in the most cases. decision on the visa application is taken within 15 calendar days as a general rule. In individual cases the period may be extended up to a maximum 30 calendar days, in specific cases up to 60 calendar days.
In case of an emergency, such as a relative’s death or critical illness, the Embassy can give an earlier appointment or advance the date of an appointment. In these cases a letter of support from the hospital or a funeral director is required. For emergency appointments only please contact the Embassy’s Consular Section by e-mail (consulate.lon@mfa.gov.hu), a scanned copy of the supporting letter is needed.
As the Consulate has limited capacity we do not give any urgent appointment for tourism, business, family visit or study trip. We also do not give appointment if the Visa Centre reached the daily lim it and cannot give you appointment in time. Both cases are your responsibility.
Family members of EEA and Hungarian nationals may submit their application without prior appointment on Wednesday and Friday 10:00 to 11.30 if they fulfil the requirements of the 38/2004
EC Directive on the free movement. It means the family members of EEA and Hungarian nationals may apply at the Consulate without prior appointment only in that case if they travel together with their EEA or Hungarian family member or they intend to join them. In every other case the family members of EEA or Hungarian nationals should apply at the Visa Centre or they have to ask prior appointment as written in the first paragraph of this chapter.
The holders of diplomatic passports may submit their application without prior appointment on
Wednesday and Friday 10:30 to 11.30.
5., Visa fees
From 1 March 2011 the fee of applying for a visa is £51.However, there are a number of exceptions:
Visas are issued free of charge for the following applicants:
- children under the age of 6 travelling with their own passports,
- family members of EEA citizens either travelling together with their EEA national family members or travelling in order to meet their EEA national family members (both cases have to be proven by joint flight tickets or a letter from the spouse, respectively - see below for details),
- researchers having a valid contract with a research institution in Hungary,
- pupils, students and their teachers travelling for study reasons,
- representatives of non-profit organizations under the age of 25 participating and attending seminars, conferences, sport, cultural or educational events organised and held by NGOs,
- Belarus citizens from the age of six years and below the age 12 years,
- Belarus national participants aged 25 years or less in seminars, conferences, sport, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations.
A reduced fee of £30 applies to the following applicants:
- nationals of countries having a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union: Russia, the Ukraine, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Georgia and Moldova.
- children between the age of 6 and 12.
The visa fee has to be paid when the application is submitted. The fee should be paid in cash or by debit card.
Please note that in case the application for a visa is refused, the fee will NOT be reimbursed.
6., Documents needed to apply for a short stay Schengen visa
General requirements when applying for a short stay visa (C):
- passport issued within 10 years before the submission of the visa application,
- passport has to contain at least 2 blank pages,
- the passport and the residence permit/long term visa for the UK 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 € 30,000 (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).
7., Specific requirements (photocopies are also needed):
The specific requirements depend on the main purpose of travel, the length of intended stay and the personal circumstances of the applicant. For more information please visit the website of the Visa Application Centre (http://hu.vfsglobal.co.uk/), the website of the Office of Immigration and
Nationality (http://www.bmbah.hu/) or the website of the European Commission.
Please bear in mind that the consul may ask additional documents in any time during the visa procedure as well as the applicants may be invited for personal interview to the Consulate.
The harmonised list of the supporting documents could be found on the main page.
8., Documents required from family members of EEA citizens
a), Holder of a 'Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National'
Accompanied by the EEA national or joining the EEA national who is travelling to or residing in Hungary: no visa required. Please note that the residence permit must be endorsed in a valid passport or travel document and that you may be requested by the immigration authorities to provide documentary proof of the relationship (e.g. original birth, marriage or civil partnership certificate) and of the use of the right of free movement of the EEA national (e.g. a registration certificate).
Furthermore, this only applies when travelling directly to Hungary. When travelling to Hungary through another country, please check with the appropriate Embassy.
b), Family members of EEA citizens not holding the above mentioned residence card of a family member of an EEA national, need a visa to travel to Hungary, thus they should apply for a visa. In case they are travelling together with their EEA national family member or travel in order to join the EEA national family member in Hungary they are entitled to the visa free of charge if they can prove it by presenting joint flight tickets or a letter from the EEA national family member and a single return flight ticket.
Required documents:
- the applicant’s passport and residence permit/long term visa for the UK, the latter of which
should be valid for at least three months longer than the expiry date of the visa,
- the EEA national family member's passport with their residence permit for the UK (and photocopy of these),
- their marriage certificate registered in Hungary or the EEA national’s country, and
- joint flight tickets or the EEA national’s letter + a single return flight ticket for the applicant.
In this case you may apply at the Consulate without prior appointment on Wednesday and Friday
10:00 to 11.30.
c), Family members not accompanied by the EEA national or not travelling to Hungary to join
the EEA national: visa required, regular Schengen visa procedures apply.
In this case you may apply through our visa centre or you should ask prior appointment to the
Consulate as it is written in the points 3 and 4.
9., Visa refusal
In case of refusal the applicant receives a refusal letter. The Consulate cannot give further information on the decision except written on the refusal form.
If your visa application has been refused you may appeal strictly personally at the Consulate within 8 days after you got the refusal letter. The fee of appeal is £26. Please submit also your additional supporting documents.
The decision on the appeal is taken within 15 days by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
10., Getting your passport back by post
If you would like us to send your documents back to you by post, do not forget to take a self -
addressed, stamped (£5.05) Special Delivery envelope with you.
11., Information on visa waiver agreements
Please visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/en)