Short Stay Visas


What is a short stay?

A short stay is one not exceeding 90 days. If you wish to stay in Hungary for longer, you will need a residence permit.

 

What is the Schengen Area?

It is an area without internal border controls in Europe, comprised by 28 countries, including Hungary.

 

How long can I stay in the Schengen Area?

You are free to visit all these countries during your stay, which shall not exceed 90 days in any given 180-day period. If you have visited Europe recently, you can consult this calculator to see how long you can stay in the Schengen Area on your next trip.

If you are travelling with a Schengen visa, the visa will include the maximum days of stay allowed and any limitations to the countries you can visit.

 

I am a US citizen. Do I need a visa?

US citizens can enter the Schengen Area without a visa for the purpose of tourism for a period not exceeding 90 days.

Your US passport’s validity must exceed the date when you intend to leave the Schengen Area by at least three months.

 

I am a US-Hungarian dual citizen. Can I use my Hungarian passport for traveling?

Of course, as a Hungarian citizen it is your constitutional right to stay in Hungary indefinitely.

 

I am not a US citizen. Do I need a visa?

Find out here. If your country of citizenship and your passport’s type is not on the list, you will need to apply for a Schengen visa.

 

Which documents do I need to submit?

 

I. General requirements:

  • Fully completed visa application (signed by the applicant, only Hungarian and English version accepted). You can download the visa application form here.
  • Valid passport (which must be valid for at least 3 months after returning from Hungary, issued within the last 10 years and containing 2 empty pages).
  • 1 passport-size color photo (US standard size, not older than 6 months).
  • Original of valid US alien registration card (residence permit, aka: green card) or valid US resident visa (type A, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, O, R).
  • Roundtrip airplane ticket reservation.
  • Hotel reservation or official letter of invitation signed by the Hungarian Immigration and Naturalization Office.
  • Confirmation letter from your health insurance company stating that you will be covered for at least 50.000 USD for any medical and repatriation expenses, for the whole period of stay and for the territory of every Schengen State.
  • Confirmation of financial resources (the last 3 months of bank statements).

 

II. Additional requirements:

  • Visa(s) - if necessary - obtained for the country/ies where applicant intends to go after leaving Hungary.
  • In case of an entry with an educational or other scientific or professional training purpose: the certificate of the receiving institution, the certificate of the envisaged place of accommodation in Hungary.
  • In case of visiting friends, acquaintances: the letter of invitation issued and endorsed by the Office of Immigration and Nationality 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.
  • For the purpose of the cultivation of family relations: an invitation letter as described in the previous indent or a letter signed by the applicant in full awareness of his/her criminal liability describing the degree of the family relation, giving the name, address and phone number of the family member and the purpose of the entry and stay.
  • In case of an entry for business purposes: a letter of invitation from the business partner, proof of the existence of commercial business relations; or the certificate of the local chamber of commerce on the existence of business relations, and the certification of the address of the envisaged place of accommodation in Hungary.
  • In case of an entry with the purpose of medical treatment: the certificate of the receiving health institution, including reference to the fact that the expected coverage of the medical treatment is available, and other certification of the coverage of the medical treatment, as well as the certification of the address of the expected place of accommodation in Hungary.
  • In case of carriers: the certification or request of the carrier firm.
  • For the purpose of visiting the grave of a deceased relative buried in the territory of Hungary: a document certifying the existence of the grave and the degree of relationship.
  • For the purpose of cultural activities: agency contract with the Hungarian service provider, invitation letter issued by the host organization.
  • For the purpose of sport: accreditation proving the participation in the sports event or contract with the Hungarian sport club, or the certificate issued by the delegating sport club / Olympic committee / Ministry of Sport, etc.
  • For the purpose of attending a conference: invitation letter issued by the host organization, confirmation on participation issued by the host organization, and/or a certification issued by the delegating organization; receipt on payment of the registration fee.

 

If you are planning to visit more Schengen States, the documents submitted must also contain information on your stay in the other Schengen States (e.g. if you plan to visit Hungary and the Czech Republic, you must not only hand in proof of hotel reservations in Hungary, but also in the Czech Republic).

The consul may request the presentation of further documents in addition to the ones outlined above.

Documents shall be submitted in original.

We reserve the right to examine the authenticity of the communicated data and the submitted documents. The communication of false data in itself will lead to the refusal of the visa application.

We recommend to submit the visa application in due time, especially in periods preceding the summer holidays. We accept visa applications no earlier than 3 months before travel.