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 14:00 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.

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 21 December 2007 all types of visa applications cost £47.

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),

- school pupils and students with their teachers on educational trips and

- 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 £27.

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)

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

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 EEA national family member and a single return flight ticket respectively) should have

- 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 visa,

- their EEA national family member's passport (and a photocopy of it),

- 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 long stay Hungarian visa

Regulations on a stay exceeding 90 days fall within the competence of national authorities, therefore there is no uniform routine among the Schengen member States.

Foreign nationals requesting to enter Hungary with a purpose of a long stay may submit a long stay visa application. In case of successful application, you will get a visa authorizing you to a single entry for receiving a residence permit and to stay in Hungary for 30 days at longest.

Depending on the purpose of entry, the following documents are needed for the application for residence permit:

- 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 statement, employer’s certificate that he will pay an advance to the person, etc.)

or

· a certificate of 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.

- 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 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.

- 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.

- Visa for voluntary work:

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

- 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.

- 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.

- Visa for research:

· contract with an accredited research institute

· if the researcher does not dispose of sufficient financial means, a written commitment of the research organisation to refund expenses incurred concerning the expulsion of the researcher in case of a stay exceeding the authorized period

7. Getting the passports back by post

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:

Country	Types of travel documents ensuring visa-free travel	Length of visa-free stay	Note
Albania	D, S	90 days
Algeria	D	1 month
Andorra	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Argentina	OP, D, S	3 months
Armenia	D, S	30 days
Australia	OP, D, S	3 months
Austria	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Azerbaijan	D, S	90 days
Belarus	D, S	90 days
Belgium	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Bulgaria	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina	D, S	90 days
Brazil	OP, D, S	90 days
Brunei	OP, D, S	6 months
Cambodia	D, S	90 days
Canada	OP, D, S	3 months
Chile	OP, D, S	90 days (OP) 3 months (D, S)
China	D, S	30 days
Colombia	D, S	3 months
Costa Rica	OP, D, S	90 days
Croatia	OP, D, S, ID	90 days	9.)
Cuba	D, S	90 days
Cyprus	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Czech Republic	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Denmark	OP, D, S	90 days
Ecuador	D, S	90 days
Estonia	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Travel documents issued by the EC	Laissez-passer travel documents	90 days	8.)
Finland	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
France	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Georgia	D, S	30 days
Germany	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Greece	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Guatemala	OP, D, S	3 months
Holy See	OP, D, S	90 days
Honduras	OP, D, S	3 months
Hong Kong	The passport of the special administrative territory of Hong Kong	90 days
India	D, S	90 days
Iran	D	1 month
Iceland	OP, D, S	3 months
Ireland	OP, D, S	90 days
Israel	OP, D, S	90 days
Italy	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Japan	OP, D, S	90 days
Kazakhstan	D, S	30 days
Kyrgyzstan	D, S	30 days
Korea (Republic)	OP, D, S	90 days
Laos	D, S	90 days
Latvia	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Liechtenstein	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Lithuania	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Luxembourg	OP, D, S, ID	3 months
Macedonia	D, S	90 days
Macao	The passport of the special administrative territory of Macao	90 days
Malaysia	OP, D, S	90 days
Malta	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
Maltese	D	90 days
Mexico	OP, D, S	90 days
Moldova	D, S	90 days
Monaco	OP, D, S	90 days
Mongolia	D, S	30 days
Montenegro	D, S	90 days
Morocco	D, S	90 days
Netherlands	OP, D, S, ID	90 days
New Zealand	OP, D, S	90 days
Nicaragua	OP, D, S	90 days
Norway	OP, D, S	90 days
Panama	OP, D, S	90 days
Paraguay	OP, D, S	90 days
Peru	D, S