Hungary visa and entry requirements

Hungary applies the EU's Schengen visa rules. Under Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, nationals of the third countries listed in Annex II are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, and nationals of those listed in Annex I must hold a visa when crossing the external borders. The EU Visa Code sets the short-stay visa fee at EUR 90. The EU says ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is currently not in operation.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 25, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

How long you can stay

90 days in any rolling 180-day period

90 days in any rolling 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen Area rather than per country. The day you arrive counts as the first day and the day you leave counts as the last. Leaving and coming back does not reset the allowance: on any given day, days already spent anywhere in the area during the preceding 180 still count against the 90.

Work out your own dates in the stay calculator · Compare every country

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (opens in a new tab) · Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Article 4(1) · archived copy Jul 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Visas & entry authorisations

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Armenia visa facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Article 6 of the EU–Armenia visa facilitation agreement sets the fee for processing visa applications at EUR 35 and waives it for listed categories, including pensioners and children under the age of 12.

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Article 6 of the EU–Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement sets the fee for processing visa applications at EUR 35 and waives it for listed categories, including pensioners and children under the age of 12.

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Belarus visa facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Article 6 of the EU–Belarus visa facilitation agreement sets the fee for processing visa applications at EUR 35, and EUR 70 where the applicant has requested a decision within two days and the consulate has accepted; it waives the fee for listed categories, including children under the age of 12. Council Decision (EU) 2021/1940 suspended provisions of the agreement as regards members of Belarusian official delegations and of Belarus's national or regional Government or Parliament, Constitutional Court or Supreme Court.

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Cabo Verde short-stay visa agreement

Fee
67.5 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

The EU–Cabo Verde visa facilitation agreement as amended in 2021 (Article 5) sets the fee at 75% of the amount charged under the applicable domestic legislation; the European Commission lists €67.50 for applicants from Cabo Verde. Children at least 12 and below 18 years old are charged 50% of that fee, and no fee is collected from children under 12, among other listed categories.

Schengen short-stay visa for citizens of the Russian Federation

Fee
90 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Standard fee under the EU Visa Code: children from six years and below 12 pay EUR 45, and the fee is waived for children under six. Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500 suspended the EU–Russia visa facilitation agreement in whole as regards citizens of the Russian Federation from 12 September 2022.

D visa to collect a residence permit

Fee
110 EUR
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Stay per entry
30 days
Entries
single

For stays over 90 days. OIF's procedure-fee list sets EUR 110 for issuing a residence permit and the visa entitling the holder to collect it; for an application filed in Hungary the residence-permit fee is 39,000 Ft in person or 26,000 Ft through Enter Hungary. OIF says the D visa to collect the residence permit allows one entry and 30 days' stay and is valid for 3 months.

Residence Permit for Studies

Fee
110 EUR
Processing
up to 60 days

For study in Hungary: OIF says the purpose of stay is proven with the educational institution's admission certificate or a document proving pupil or student status, and that the applicant must prove sufficient funds to cover subsistence, housing, travel and healthcare costs. OIF's procedure-fee list sets EUR 110 for issuing a residence permit and the visa entitling the holder to collect it.

Residence Permit for Employment

Fee
110 EUR
Processing
up to 70 days
Validity
730 days

OIF says Annex 1 of Government Decree 450/2024 lists Georgia, Armenia and the Philippines, and that citizens of these countries can be employed in Hungary with a residence permit for employment purposes; the purpose of stay is proven with a preliminary agreement on establishing employment or a document proving the employment. OIF's procedure-fee list sets EUR 110 for issuing a residence permit and the visa entitling the holder to collect it.

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The UK government says Hungary follows Schengen area rules: your passport must have a date of issue less than 10 years before the date you arrive and an expiry date at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

At least 2 blank pages required. Compare every country

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (opens in a new tab) · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(a)Compare every country: How long your passport must be valid, country by country

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Required

The EU Visa Code requires Schengen visa applicants to hold travel medical insurance valid throughout the Member States for the entire intended stay, with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000.

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read makes a return or onward ticket a condition of entry in itself. Under the Schengen Borders Code (Annex I), the supporting documents for journeys for tourism or private reasons include, as regards return, a return or round-trip ticket, and as regards lodging, a document indicating the accommodation envisaged. The UK government tells British travellers they may need to show a return or onward ticket at Hungarian border control.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (opens in a new tab) · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(c)

Proof of funds

Required

The European Commission’s table of reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities, lists EUR 40 per day and per person for Hungary.

Arrival cards & declarations

Required
  • EES — Entry/Exit System (biometric registration) — The UK government says that when you travel into the Schengen area for short stays you may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo, and that there is no cost for EES registration. The EU's EES site says passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. (at the border on first entry) travel-europe.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)
  • ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System — The EU says ETIAS is the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries, that it is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point, and that it will announce the start date several months before launch. (before travel, once etias starts) travel-europe.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)

Staying past your permitted stay

Immigration expulsion may be ordered against a third-country national who does not meet the conditions of stay laid down in the Act, or whose stay in Hungary no longer has a legal basis. An entry and residence ban is set in years and for at most five years.

Registering your presence after arrival

Required

Done by the accommodation or the traveller.

A third-country national must report their accommodation in Hungary to the immigration authority (identity, travel document, address, dates, visa or permit number). In commercial accommodation or accommodation run by a legal person, the host records the guest's data at check-in on the government-designated storage, from which the immigration authority takes it over. The third-country national reports the accommodation or changes electronically on the immigration e-filing interface after registering.

Other compulsory government charges

  • Tourist tax (idegenforgalmi adó), municipal — Set by the municipality within upper limits: 300 Ft per person per guest night (increased in line with consumer-price changes, as the Act provides), or 4% of the tax base. Paid at the accommodation.

    A private individual who is not a permanent resident and spends at least one guest night in a municipality's area is liable to the tourist tax. The municipality sets the rate within the upper limits: 300 Ft per person per guest night, increased in line with consumer-price changes, or 4% of the tax base. Persons under 18 are exempt. Where accommodation is provided for payment, the host pays the tax together with the accommodation fee.

    Exemptions: Persons under 18.

Customs & currency

Your Europe (EU) says that if you plan to enter or leave the EU with €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies), you must declare it to the customs authorities in the EU country you are entering or leaving.

  • Your Europe (EU) says that when you enter the EU from a non-EU country you can bring, free of VAT and excise duties, 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, plus 1 litre of spirits over 22% vol. (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine), and other goods up to a value of €300 per traveller or €430 for travellers by air and sea. It lists Hungary among the countries that may apply the lower tobacco limit (40 cigarettes instead of 200) to land and sea travellers, and says travellers under 17 are not entitled to a duty-free allowance for tobacco or alcohol.
  • Your Europe (EU) says that when travelling between EU countries, alcohol and tobacco bought for your own use and not for resale owe no further payments in any other EU country, as taxes are included in the price where you bought them.

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Hungarian forint (HUF, Ft)
Safety — Generally safe
The Government of Canada says petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, occurs and thieves target tourists. It says some scams involve surcharges on final bills for drinks or meals, that taxi drivers are sometimes accomplices in these scams, and that incidents of overcharging by taxi drivers have occurred.Verified Oct 6, 2026 · Source: travel.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
C, F · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 112
Languages
Hungarian
Time zone
UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)
Driving side
right
International Driving Permit

Hungary is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). Hungary's Government Decree 326/2011 (§17) says that, unless an international treaty provides otherwise, a foreign driving licence issued in a country that has joined the 1968 Vienna or the 1949 Geneva Convention, or one with a certified Hungarian translation attached, entitles its holder to drive for one year from the start of the stay in Hungary, after which it must be exchanged for a Hungarian licence. The licence's fields and entries must be in Latin letters or repeated in that form. A licence that matches neither the convention model nor its categories entitles its holder to drive if they also hold the international driving permit under that convention. The obligation to exchange does not extend to a licence issued in another EEA state, which entitles its holder to drive within its period of validity.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Compare every country
Motorway vignette — electronic, tied to the number plate

Mandatory · motorways and expressways. Category D1 — cars with up to seven seats and their trailers; motorbikes (D1M) pay less, larger vehicles (D2) more.

  • 1-dayHUF 5,550
  • 10-dayHUF 6,900
  • MonthlyHUF 11,170
  • Annual, nationalHUF 61,760

Hungary's toll operator says toll sections may only be used with a valid road use authorisation, so you need to buy the e-vignette before you enter the toll section, and that when buying you should always check the registration number, the country code, the vehicle category and the validity period. Besides national e-vignettes there are regional ones, valid for the toll expressways of a specific county with annual validity.

Buy on the official site (opens in a new tab)

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: nemzetiutdij.hu (opens in a new tab) Compare every country

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives a best time to visit Hungary.

Tips & warnings

The UK government tells British travellers that if they are travelling to other Schengen countries as well, their whole visit must be within the 90-day visa-free limit, and that visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before they travel count towards their 90 days.

Canada's travel advice says the currency in Hungary is the forint (HUF), that euros are accepted in Budapest and some other major cities where a sign is posted but rates may not be very competitive, and not to use unofficial moneychangers.

Canada's travel advice says to use only officially marked taxis in Hungary, to call a taxi through a dispatcher rather than hailing one on the street, and to ensure the meter is on and charges the appropriate rate. It says incidents of overcharging by taxi drivers have occurred, that taxi drivers are sometimes accomplices in bill scams, and not to ask taxi drivers to recommend bars or clubs.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanEmbassy visa—
AlbaniaVisa-free90 days
AlgeriaEmbassy visa—
AndorraVisa-free90 days
AngolaEmbassy visa—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free90 days
ArgentinaVisa-free90 days
ArmeniaEmbassy visa—
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
AustriaFree movement—
AzerbaijanEmbassy visa—
BahamasVisa-free90 days
BahrainEmbassy visa—
BangladeshEmbassy visa—
BarbadosVisa-free90 days
BelarusEmbassy visa—
BelgiumFree movement—
BelizeEmbassy visa—
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutanEmbassy visa—
BoliviaEmbassy visa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa-free90 days
BotswanaEmbassy visa—
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa-free90 days
BulgariaFree movement—
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeEmbassy visa—
CambodiaEmbassy visa—
CameroonEmbassy visa—
CanadaVisa-free90 days
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileVisa-free90 days
ChinaEmbassy visa—
ColombiaVisa-free90 days
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaVisa-free90 days
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaFree movement—
CubaEmbassy visa—
CyprusFree movement—
CzechiaFree movement—
Democratic Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
DenmarkFree movement—
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaVisa-free90 days
Dominican RepublicEmbassy visa—
EcuadorEmbassy visa—
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorVisa-free90 days
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaEmbassy visa—
EstoniaFree movement—
EswatiniEmbassy visa—
EthiopiaEmbassy visa—
FijiEmbassy visa—
FinlandFree movement—
FranceFree movement—
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaVisa-free90 days
GermanyFree movement—
GhanaEmbassy visa—
GreeceFree movement—
GrenadaVisa-free90 days
GuatemalaVisa-free90 days
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaEmbassy visa—
HaitiEmbassy visa—
HondurasVisa-free90 days
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
HungaryFree movement—
IcelandFree movement—
IndiaEmbassy visa—
IndonesiaEmbassy visa—
IranEmbassy visa—
IraqEmbassy visa—
IrelandFree movement—
IsraelVisa-free90 days
ItalyFree movement—
JamaicaEmbassy visa—
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordanEmbassy visa—
KazakhstanEmbassy visa—
KenyaEmbassy visa—
KiribatiVisa-free90 days
KosovoVisa-free90 days
KuwaitEmbassy visa—
KyrgyzstanEmbassy visa—
LaosEmbassy visa—
LatviaFree movement—
LebanonEmbassy visa—
LesothoEmbassy visa—
LiberiaEmbassy visa—
LibyaEmbassy visa—
LiechtensteinFree movement—
LithuaniaFree movement—
LuxembourgFree movement—
MacauVisa-free90 days
MadagascarEmbassy visa—
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaVisa-free90 days
MaldivesEmbassy visa—
MaliEmbassy visa—
MaltaFree movement—
Marshall IslandsVisa-free90 days
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusVisa-free90 days
MexicoVisa-free90 days
MicronesiaVisa-free90 days
MoldovaVisa-free90 days
MonacoVisa-free90 days
MongoliaEmbassy visa—
MontenegroVisa-free90 days
MoroccoEmbassy visa—
MozambiqueEmbassy visa—
MyanmarEmbassy visa—
NamibiaEmbassy visa—
NauruEmbassy visa—
NepalEmbassy visa—
NetherlandsFree movement—
New ZealandVisa-free90 days
NicaraguaVisa-free90 days
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaEmbassy visa—
North KoreaEmbassy visa—
North MacedoniaVisa-free90 days
NorwayFree movement—
OmanEmbassy visa—
PakistanEmbassy visa—
PalauVisa-free90 days
PalestineEmbassy visa—
PanamaVisa-free90 days
Papua New GuineaEmbassy visa—
ParaguayVisa-free90 days
PeruVisa-free90 days
PhilippinesEmbassy visa—
PolandFree movement—
PortugalFree movement—
QatarEmbassy visa—
Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
RomaniaFree movement—
RussiaEmbassy visa—
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa-free90 days
Saint LuciaVisa-free90 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free90 days
SamoaVisa-free90 days
San MarinoVisa-free90 days
São Tomé and PríncipeEmbassy visa—
Saudi ArabiaEmbassy visa—
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaVisa-free90 days
SeychellesVisa-free90 days
Sierra LeoneEmbassy visa—
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaFree movement—
SloveniaFree movement—
Solomon IslandsVisa-free90 days
SomaliaEmbassy visa—
South AfricaEmbassy visa—
South KoreaVisa-free90 days
South SudanEmbassy visa—
SpainFree movement—
Sri LankaEmbassy visa—
SudanEmbassy visa—
SurinameEmbassy visa—
SwedenFree movement—
SwitzerlandFree movement—
SyriaEmbassy visa—
TaiwanVisa-free90 days
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandEmbassy visa—
Timor-LesteVisa-free90 days
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaVisa-free90 days
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free90 days
TunisiaEmbassy visa—
TurkeyEmbassy visa—
TurkmenistanEmbassy visa—
TuvaluVisa-free90 days
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United StatesVisa-free90 days
UruguayVisa-free90 days
UzbekistanEmbassy visa—
VanuatuEmbassy visa—
Vatican CityVisa-free90 days
VenezuelaVisa-free90 days
VietnamEmbassy visa—
YemenEmbassy visa—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

Austria94 of 199 passports visa-freeSlovakia94 of 199 passports visa-freeUkraine83 of 199 passports visa-free · 42 eVisa/ETARomania94 of 199 passports visa-freeSerbia90 of 199 passports visa-freeCroatia94 of 199 passports visa-freeSlovenia94 of 199 passports visa-freeCzechia94 of 199 passports visa-freePoland94 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need a visa for Hungary?

No visa is needed for short stays: the United States is listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The EU says ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is currently not in operation; applying directly through its official website will cost EUR 20.

How much does a Hungary Schengen visa cost?

The EU Visa Code sets the short-stay visa fee at EUR 90, and EUR 45 for children from six years and below 12; children under six are exempt. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 counts short stays as no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The Visa Code says applications are decided within 15 calendar days, a period that may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases.

Does Hungary use the euro?

Canada's travel advice says the currency in Hungary is the forint (HUF), and that euros are accepted in Budapest and some other major cities where a sign is posted, though rates may not be very competitive.

Is ETIAS required to enter Hungary?

The EU says ETIAS, the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point, and that it will announce the start date several months before launch. Applying directly through the official ETIAS website will cost EUR 20.

How long can I stay in Hungary without a visa?

Under Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, nationals of the third countries listed in Annex II are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The UK government tells British travellers that visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before they travel count towards their 90 days.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source