IMPORTANT NOTICE ON RULES AND REGULATIONS
1.) The European Commission has formally adopted a revised harmonised list of supporting documents on 6 September 2021 which is now applicable.
2.) The BREXIT transition period has ended. As of 1 January 2021 Third-country national EEA/EU/Union family members holding a UK residence permit explicitly issued to the EEA/EU/Union family member shall obtain an entry visa before visiting Hungary. This rule only applies to those Third-country national family members, who need a visa to cross the Schengen borders.
3.) British citizens do not need a visa to visit countries in the Schengen Area short-term after Brexit. The UK has now joined a group of visa-exempt third countries which means that, although the UK is now a third-nation, its citizens are not subject to visa requirements. Whilst a visa is not needed for transit, tourism or family visit, British citizens who wish to enter for other reasons such as to work should check the visa requirements of the specific EU member state. Hungary does not require a visa from British citizens for any reason (including work) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. British citizens who wish to enter Hungary to work should check if they need a work permit (which is not a visa) with the help of their future employer. Information in Hungarian is available for employers at the National Employment Service's website. Should the intended stay, for any reason, exceed 90 days in any 180-day period, British citizens need to apply for a residence permit (see point I below).
4.) Holders of British Travel Documents blue and red cover (Convention of 28 July 1951 and Convention of 28 September 1954) do not need a visa for short stays in Hungary up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You should also check with your airline before you fly. If you are planning to enter the Schengen Area through another member state, please check with their respective authorities whether they have the same entry requirements.
5.) As of 2 February 2020 new EU rules on short-stay visas make it easier for legitimate travellers to apply for a visa to visit Europe, facilitating tourism, trade and business, while providing more resources for countering irregular migration risks and threats to internal security. For further details please visit https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_149
6.) Please note that the visa procedure concerning family members of Hungarian citizens has changed with effect from 1 January 2019. Family members of Hungarian nationals who need a visa to travel to Hungary based on the 2018/1806/EU Regulation should lodge the application in line with the general Schengen visa procedure (see below: point II. 3-7)
7.) Consulates are collecting fingerprints and digital photos from visa applicants and the applicants' data will be stored in the Visa Information System (VIS).
The data can be consulted by all visa-issuing authorities of the Schengen States, and is counter-checked by border authorities at the entry of the visa holder into the Schengen area.
For further information click here
8.) Non-EU citizen need a valid passport fulfilling the following criteria:
· its validity shall last until at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States
· it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.
9.) List of travel documents which entitle the holder to cross the external borders of the Schengen Area and which may be endorsed with a visa can be found on the following website at the (Info banner on the right, under 4 different links):
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/index_en.htm
10.) Please note that a visa is only a prerequisite for entering the country. However, entry conditions may be checked at the border and you might be refused to enter the country even if you possess a valid visa in case you fail to comply with the entry conditions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISAS AND RESIDENCE PERMITS
I. RESIDENCE PERMIT
Foreigners intending to stay more than 3 months in Hungary may apply for a residence permit at VFS Global. VFS Global is accepting walk-in appointments for residence permit applications on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1-2 pm in London, and on Wednesdays between 12-1pm in Manchester and Edinburgh. Information on residence permit procedure including the downloadable application form and the correspondent appendixes can be found on the website of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing and also on the VFS Global's website.
Bearing in mind that the 3-months validity of the D visa - in the possession of which you can enter Hungary and receive your residence permit – starts with the date of approval, we strongly recommend not to submit your residence permit application more than 2-3 months before the intended travel date.
Please note that as of 1 January 2019, third-country national family members of Hungarian citizens shall apply for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification for residence exceeding three months. For further details, please click here.
Applicants who wish to submit their application for EU Blue Card or Guest Investor Visa should contact the consular office directly at visa.lon@mfa.gov.hu.
In case of a refusal, the decision may be appealed within 8 days after the decision was delivered and the appeal is to be submitted at the Consular Office of the Hungarian Embassy. An appointment shall be booked via email at visa.lon@mfa.gov.hu. For the administrative service fee charged for an appeal please click here.The competent authority (National Directorate General for Aliens Policing) decides on the appeal within 21 days.
VISA APPLICATION CENTRE
London
Joint Visa Application Centre
66 Wilson Street
London
EC2A 2JX
Walk-in appointments for residence permit applications on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1-2 pm.
Edinburgh
Joint Visa Application Centre
1 Reenie’s Isle
Leith
Edinburgh
EH6 6QT
Walk-in appointments for residence permit applications on Wednesdays between 12-1 pm.
Manchester
Joint Visa Application Centre
50 Devonshire Street North
Manchester
M12 6JH
Walk-in appointments for residence permit applications on Wednesdays between 12-1 pm.
E-mail: InfoUKHungary@vfsglobal.com
II. 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 6 months before the date of your actual journey.
In accordance with 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 it is his/her responsibility. Please note that in certain cases the visa procedure could take up to 45 days (in accordance with Article 23 of the Visa Code).
2. Where to apply for a Schengen visa to Hungary
Visa service is provided at the Visa Application Centre for Hungary by VFS Global Services Ltd. (please see point 3.). VFS assists applicants with the procedure and forwards the application to the Embassy for an additional fee.
Please note that if you are not resident in the UK you should normally apply for a visa at the Hungarian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.
Should you want to visit a Schengen Member State you should apply for a visa at the Consulate of that country. Should you wish to visit several Schengen Memeber States within the same trip you should apply at the Consulate of the country where you intend to stay for the longest period of time. Should you intend to visit several Schengen Memeber States but no main destination can be determined you should apply at the Consulate of the country whose external border you will cross first in order to enter the territory of the Schengen Area.
Applications should be lodged at least 15 days before the intended travel date. Please note that neither the Consulate nor the Visa Centre takes responsibility for applications submitted less than 15 days before the intended departure and the Consulate reserves the right to return such applications without making any decisions on them.
3. How to apply for a Schengen visa to Hungary?
All Schengen visa applications shall be lodged at one of the following VFS visa application centres:
London
Joint Visa Application Centre
66 Wilson Street
London
EC2A 2JX
Edinburgh
Joint Visa Application Centre
1 Reenie’s Isle
Leith
Edinburgh
EH6 6QT
Manchester
Joint Visa Application Centre
50 Devonshire Street North
Manchester
M12 6JH
VFS is accepting walk-in appointments (between 8:30am and 11am) for the following categories only:
- Family members of Hungarian Nationals visiting family/friends
All other categories need to book an appointment using VFS appointment portal.
For further information and/or clarification feel free to contact VFS' helpline at InfoUKHungary@vfsglobal.com or call 0871 376 2101 from Monday to Friday between 08.30am and 5.30pm
***
This is a fast track service as the Centre can receive a high number of applicants and VFS offers support to applicants during the procedure. The service costs £24 in addition to the visa fee.
For more information, please visit the website https://visa.vfsglobal.com/gbr/en/hun/
4. Duration of the procedure
In accordance with 810/2009/EC regulation (Visa Code) applications shall be decided on within 15 calendar days of the date when the application has been considered as admissible by the consulate. However, this period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 days in individual cases, notably when further scrutiny of the application is needed.
5. Visa fees
The European Commission has adopted the following regulation on 14 March 2024 amending the Visa Code as regards the amount of the visa fees:
- Applicants shall pay a visa fee of EUR 90.
- Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a visa fee of EUR 45.
- A visa fee of EUR 135 or EUR 180 shall apply if an implementing decision is adopted by the Council under Article 25a(5), point (b). This provision shall not apply to children below the age of 12 years.
The increased visa fees will be in effect as of 11 June.
Visa fees can be checked in GBP- here.
Visas are issued free of charge for the following applicants:
- children under the age of 6 travelling with their own passports,
- family members of EU/EEA citizens either travelling together with their EU/EEA national family members or travelling in order to meet their EU/EEA national family members (family members of Hungarian nationals do not fall under this category)
- 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 between the age of 6 and 12 years,
- Turkish citizens between the age of 6 and 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 applies to the following applicants:
- nationals of countries having a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus;
- nationals of Ukraine, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia and Moldova without biometric passports;
- children between the age of 6 and 12 years.
The visa fee can be paid by cash, debit/credit card or Postal Order, when the application is submitted at VFS Visa Center.
Please note that in case of refusal the fee will NOT be reimbursed.
6. Supporting documents to be presented by visa applicants
The European Commission has formally adopted a revised harmonised list of supporting documents on 6 September 2021 which is now applicable.
General requirements when applying for a short stay visa (C):
- passport containing at least two blank pages, issued within 10 years before the submission of the visa application and its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen area,
- a United Kingdom residence permit valid for at least one months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen area,
- a wholly and legibly completed and signed visa application form,
- a passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months),
- travel medical insurance valid throughout the territory of the Schengen area and covering the entire period of the applicant’s intended stay or transit. The minimum coverage shall be €30,000 (such travel medical insurances are available at all post offices),
- documents indicating the purpose of the journey,
- documents in relation to accommodation or proof of sufficient means to cover the costs of accommodation,
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence (eg. recent bank account statements, payslips etc),
- confirmed outward and onward flight/ferry, etc. reservation.
The applicant shall present the original, as well as the copy of the documents when submitting the application!
7. Specific requirements
Specific requirements depend on the main purpose of travel, the length of the intended stay and the personal circumstances of the applicant. For more information please visit the following websites.
List of supporting documents can be found as checklist on VFS' website: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/gbr/en/hun/
Please bear in mind that the consul may ask for additional documents anytime during the visa procedure and applicants may be called for a personal interview, as well.
8. Documents required from family members of EU/EEA citizens
Third country national family members of EU/EEA nationals accompanied by the EU/EEA national or joining the EU/EEA national are waived from visa obligation only if they possess a ‘residence card of a family member of an EU/EEA national’ issued by an EU/EEA Member State (the UK is no longer an EU Member State). Please note that you may be requested by the immigration authorities to provide documentary proof of family relationship (e.g. original certificate of birth, marriage or civil partnership).
Third-country national EEA/EU family members holding a UK residence permit explicitly issued to the EEA/EU/Union family member shall obtain an entry visa before visiting Hungary. This rule only applies to those third-country national family members, who need a visa to cross the Schengen borders.
Family members applying for a visa are requested to provide proof of their EUSS status (pre-settled or settled), proof of the family relationship (e.g. marriage certificate) and proof that they are travelling together with their EEAU/EU family member (e.g. flight ticket) or joining them (e.g. invitation letter).
IMPORTANT NOTE! Family members of Hungarian nationals who need a visa to travel to Hungary based on the 2018/1806/EU Regulation should lodge the application in line with the general Schengen visa procedure (see points II.3-7. above).
9. Visa refusal
If the visa is refused, annulled or revoked, applicants have the right to appeal. Appeals can be submitted in person either by the applicant or by the person who has a power of attorney from the applicant at the competent Hungarian Consulate (that refused the visa application) 8 days within the date of receiving the decision on refusal and 3 days within the date of receiving the decision on the annulment or revocation of a visa. An appointment shall be booked via email at visa.lon@mfa.gov.hu.
The Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade decides on the appeals within 15 days (in case of annulment or revocation of a visa within 5 days). The appeal should be lodged in writing and it should be signed by the applicant. The appeal must be submitted in Hungarian or in any other official languages of the European Union. If the applicant lodges the appeal in another language he/she must submit an official translation thereof.
The fee of the appeal procedure should be paid when submitting the appeal by debit card or Postal Order made out to the Embassy of Hungary. The fee for the appeal procedure cannot be reimbursed, not even in case of a positive decision. Reduction of the fee is not possible and must be paid by all applicants (even if the visa procedure was free of charge).
Further supporting documents may be submitted during the appeal procedure and the applicant might be called to the consulate for a personal interview.
The decision on the appeal may be subject to judicial review.
In case of refusal a new application may be submitted at any time and the visa fee has to be paid again. For further details about the appeal procedure please check the information on the refusal form.
10. Getting your passport back
Upon collection of the passport, applicants are advised to check the entries of the visa sticker, and notify the Consulate in case of any discrepancy.
11. Information on visa waiver agreements
Please visit the website of the Hungarian Consular Service:
https://konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu/en/visa-free-travel-hungary
