COVID-19 rules
Countries may restrict travel or bring in rules at short notice. Check with your travel provider.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative. You may also need to get treatment there.
You should also read TravelHealthPro’s general COVID-19 advice for travellers.
Passport validity requirements
To travel to Hungary, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
To enter Hungary (and all Schengen countries) your passport must:
- have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive. Passports issued after 1 October 2018 are now valid for only 10 years, but for passports issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added if you renewed a passport early
- have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave
Contact the Hungarian Embassy in the UK if your passport does not meet both these requirements.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document, or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Checks at border control
Make sure you get your passport stamped
If you’re a visitor, your passport must be stamped when you enter or leave the Schengen area (which includes Hungary). Border guards will use passport stamps to check you have not overstayed the 90-day visa-free limit for stays in the Schengen area. If your passport was not stamped, border guards will presume you have overstayed the visa-free limit.
If your passport was not stamped, show evidence of when and where you entered or left the Schengen area (for example, boarding passes or tickets) and ask the border guards to add the date and location in your passport.
If you live in Hungary, read our Living in Hungary guide for passport stamping information.
At Hungarian border control, you may also need to:
- show a return or onward ticket
- show you have enough money for your stay
- show proof of accommodation, for example, a hotel booking
Visa requirements
You can travel without a visa to the Schengen area (including Hungary) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies if you travel:
- as a tourist
- to visit family or friends
- to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
- for short-term studies or training
If you’re travelling to Hungary and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
To stay longer (to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons), you must meet the Hungarian government’s entry requirements. Check which type of visa or work permit you need with the Hungarian Embassy in the UK.
If you stay in Hungary with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.
Extending your visa
To extend your visa, see guidance from the Hungarian government National Directorate General for Aliens Policing.
Unpaid fines
If you have an unpaid fine in Hungary, you may be denied entry. Contact the Hungarian Embassy in the UK for guidance on paying any outstanding fines.
Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need in TravelHealthPro’s Hungary guide.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of Hungary, including pets, hunting weapons, alcohol and tobacco products and medicines containing drugs. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. More information is available from the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary.
Taking food and drink into the EU
You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food required for medical reasons. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.
Taking money into Hungary
There are restrictions on the amount of cash you can bring into or take out of all EU countries, including Hungary. You must declare any amount over 10,000 euros (or equivalent). This includes cheques, travellers’ cheques, money orders, etc. This does not apply if you are travelling through the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU. It also does not apply if you are travelling within the EU.