How to apply for a Hungary Schengen Visa

A Schengen visa is a temporary stay visa that allows non-European nationals to travel to any member state of the Schengen Area. It is a group of 27 European countries with no border controls.

How to get a Hungary residence permit

Hungary is one of the Schengen states, so a valid Schengen visa allows you to enter it freely and travel to other member states. A Hungary residence permit gives an opportunity to stay in Schengen countries for 90 days in 180 without a visa.

The Schengen Agreement includes most European Union (EU) countries except Ireland and Cyprus. Although Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway are not in the EU, they are part of the Schengen Area. Great Britain is not a member of the Schengen Area or the EU.

Depending on its type, a Schengen visa can be valid for up to 5 years.

Type A or Airport Transit visa allows travelling through Hungary to a non-Schengen country. Its holder can stop and wait in the international transit area of a Schengen airport for their flight to the destination. A transit visa is valid for 24 hours and allows single entry.

Type B or Transit visa used to be the visa that allowed its holder to travel through more than one Schengen country on their way to the destination outside the Schengen Area. Type B visa has been abolished and replaced by type C visa with the "transit" condition.

Type C or short-term visa allows foreigners to reside in Hungary for up to 90 days over a 6-month period. This applies if you travel:

• as a tourist;

• to visit family or friends who are residents of Hungary;

• to attend business meetings and cultural, religious, or sports events;

• for medical treatment;

• for short-term studies or training.

Depending on the visiting reasons, the short-term visa can allow entering Hungary once, twice, or multiple times within the given period.

Single-entry visas are typically issued only for the days of the trip. Multiple-entry visas can be valid for up to 5 years. However, even with a 5-year type C visa, its holder cannot spend in Hungary or other Schengen states more than 90 days within half a year.

Type D or long-term visa is required if you stay in Hungary for more than 90 days to work, study, or for business travel within a year. Foreigners who reside in Hungary for a sole purpose can be granted a single entry national visa. After fulfilling the purpose, they must leave the country.

A multi-entry national visa allows its holder to travel in and out of Hungary and throughout the whole Schengen Area without additional visa requirements. A multi-entry national visa can be granted for:

• international students;

• teachers at a higher institution or research centre;

• professionals travelling to their expertise;

• people in emergencies who cannot leave the Schengen Area at the designated time frame because of a medical condition.

A visa is required for non-European nationals from countries that are not part of the Schengen Area. Travellers from certain countries outside the EU and EEA need to apply for an Airport Transit Schengen visa.

Citizens of countries with a visa-liberalisation agreement with the Schengen member states do not need a visa to enter Hungary and can stay up to 90 days. The United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Japan are among such countries.

Other Schengen country’s nationals can enter Hungary freely if their visit is at most 90 days within six months.

Visa applications must be submitted at the representation of the country which is your main visit destination. It is defined by the purpose of entry or the length of stay if you plan to visit more Schengen countries with the same purpose.

If Hungary is your main travel destination, you need to submit the documents to one of its representative bodies in your residing country:

• the embassy of Hungary;

• a Hungarian consulate;

• a visa application centre that Hungary has outsourced visa submission to.

You should file your application for a Schengen visa not earlier than 6 months and not later than 15 calendar days before your planned trip to Hungary. Applying at least 2 months before the departure is recommended so that you have enough time if the consulate needs more time to process your application.

Note that you can apply for a short-stay visa to Hungary only from a country you are a citizen of or where you have a residence permit. You cannot apply from a country where you are on a visa.

The visa fee is non-refundable and is mainly determined by the applicant’s age. Some applicants can pay the reduced fee depending on their nationality and entry purpose.

Hungary Schengen visa fees depend on the applicant’s age and nationality:

• €80 — for adults;

• €40 — for children aged 6—12;

• €0 — for children under 6;

• €35 — for nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kosovo;

• €120 — for citizens of Gambia.

Certain categories of applicants may be exempt from paying the visa fees. For example, researchers, students and accompanying teachers on a school trip, seminars, conferences, cultural, educational, or sports events participants, and family members of an EU or EEA national.

Additional expenses may include €6—18 for Schengen visa photos and €22 per week of your trip for medical insurance.

You can appeal if your Schengen visa has been refused, annulled, or revoked. The fee for the appeal procedure is €160.

When applying for a Schengen visa to Hungary, you must submit certain documents. The list below is a general guideline that does not consider individual circumstances. The Hungarian embassy may require additional documents.

Standard documents. Applicants generally need to provide:

• a Hungary visa application form, duly completed and signed;

• one passport-size photo not older than 6 months;

• a passport, valid for at least 3 months after the visa expiry date;

• proof of sufficient funds to cover the stay, like a bank statement from the last 6 months or a sponsorship letter;

• proof of visa fee payment;

• a travel itinerary, including round-trip flight ticket reservations;

• a travel insurance policy with a minimum coverage of €30,000;

• hotel booking or other proof of accommodation;

• a cover letter;

• copies of your previous Schengen visas or any other visas, if applicable.

Documents for minors. If you travel with children under 18, you must also obtain a Schengen visa for them. As a parent or a legal guardian, be ready to accompany your under-age children to the consulate and collect extra documents:

• a birth certificate;

• passport copies of both parents;

• a visa application form signed by both parents;

• a court order if only one parent has full custody of the child;

• both parents' notarized consent for the child’s departure if they travel alone or with another accompanying person;

• an original and a copy of the said person’s passport.

Note that minor children must be accompanied by parents or guardians while applying at the Hungarian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.

Documents for spouses of Hungarian citizens. In this case, the following supporting documents are required to come to Hungary for a short-term visit:

• your spouse’s passport or ID;

• a marriage certificate;

• a Hungarian family record book.

Additional documents. Depending on your employment status, you may also need to provide the documents from the table below.

All documents must be submitted in original, preferably in English. Translated documents need to be legalised or certified with an apostille stamp.

Depending on the purpose of your visit to Hungary, you may need to submit the supporting documents from the list below:

1. Tourist visit — the travel agency certificate or the prepaid reservation of accommodation.

2. Business — an invitation letter from a Hungarian company and proof of business relations.

3. Study — the certificate of the receiving institution and proof of accommodation in Hungary.

4. Visiting friends or family — an invitation letter and your host’s passport copy.

5. Medical treatment — the certificate of the receiving health institution and the expected place of accommodation in Hungary.

6. Cultural or religious activities — agency contract with the Hungarian service provider and an invitation letter from the host organisation.

7. Sport — proof of participation in a sports event or contract with a Hungarian sports club.

8. Conference — invitation letter issued by the host organisation, confirmation of participation, receipt of the paid registration fee.

If your visa is about to expire, you need to leave Hungary and the Schengen Area. Overstaying your visa, even for a day, may result in penalties such as fines, deportation, or a restriction on visiting the Schengen Area in the future.

Foreigners can only extend a short-term Schengen visa in Hungary with exceptional circumstances. Acceptable reasons to extend a short-stay visa can be the following:

• late entry, only in case you have a single-entry short-stay visa;

• humanitarian reasons, such as receiving medical help, attending a funeral after the sudden death of a family member, or supporting a close person going through a hardship;

• force majeure, such as a conflict or war, violent protests, extreme weather, or no flight connections;

• important personal reasons, for example, some unfinished business.

A long-term Schengen visa can be extended. To do so, you should contact the Hungarian Immigration Office. The local authorities will clarify whether you can extend your visa and can provide you with the process details and requirements.

To stay in Hungary without time limits, foreigners can get a residence permit in the country. Hungarian residents are eligible for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area. They can also live, work, and study in Europe without additional permits.

Hungary will relaunch the Golden Visa program in 2024. It allows non-EU and non-EEA nationals to obtain a Hungary residence permit by investing in the country’s economy. Investors can move to Hungary with their spouses and children.

The Hungary Golden Visa Program offers three investment options to choose from:

1. Invest from €250,000 in a property fund that is registered with the Hungarian National Bank.

2. Purchase residential real estate for €500,000 or more.

3. Donate at least €1,000,000 to a public trust foundation that supports the educational, scientific, or creative activities of a higher learning institution.

To complete the investment, applicants first obtain a Guest Investor Visa for 2 years. It allows them to enter Hungary multiple times for up to 90 days within a 6-month period. The investment requirement must be fulfilled within 93 calendar days from the date of the first entry.

The Hungary residence permit by investment is valid for 10 years. The status can be extended once for the same period.