Keresés: insurance

Schengen Visas

What is a Schengen visa and do I need one?

Find out here

I am visiting two or more Schengen countries. Who is responsible for my visa application?

If the visit includes more than one destination, the country whose territory constitutes the main destination of the visit in terms of the length or purpose of stay is responsible for the visa application. Examples:

• You are sent by your company on a 3-day business trip to Budapest. You decide to take 2 days off and use your weekend to see Prague. Since the main purpose of your travel is doing business, Hungary is responsible.
• You are visiting your brother, who lives in Hungary, and your sister, who lives in the Netherlands. You plan to spend 6 days with your brother, and 4 days with your sister. The purpose of stay is the same, visiting family, but you will spend more time in Hungary. Hungary is responsible.

If no main destination can be determined, the country whose external border the applicant intends to cross in order to enter the territory of the Schengen area is responsible. Example:

• You fly in to Budapest for a Danube river cruise. You will spend 2 days is Hungary, 2 in Slovakia, 2 in Austria and 2 in Germany. Hungary is responsible as the country which you will enter first.

Where can I apply for a Schengen visa in the US?

At the representation whose consular district you reside in. If you wish to schedule an appointment at our Embassy, please email us at appointment.WAS@mfa.gov.hu

When should I apply?

It is strongly recommended to apply for a visa as early as possible, but not more than 3 months before your departure time. Normal visa processing time average 10-15 days but can take up to 60 days.

Will I have to apply in person?

Yes. We will register your biometric information for the Visa Information System. If the consul deems necessary, you may have to come back again for a visa interview.

If you have previously applied for a Schengen visa at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington DC and your fingerprints were collected in the last 59 months by any Schengen country, you can request permission to lodge your visa application by mail by sending us an email to appointment.WAS@mfa.gov.hu.

How much is the visa fee?

Click HERE for the visa fees. 

A reduced fee has to be paid

• by children between the ages of 6 and 12, and
• by citizens of countries that the European Union has concluded visa facilitation agreements with.

All visa fees are payable by card only. We do not accept cash payments and cheques.

The visa is free of charge for

• children under the age of 6 traveling with their own passports,
• family members of EU/EEA citizens either traveling together with their EU/EEA national family members or traveling in order to meet their EU/EEA national family members
• researchers having a valid contract with a research institution in Hungary,
• pupils, students and their teachers traveling for study reasons,
• representatives of non-profit organizations under the age of 25 participating and attending seminars, conferences, sport, cultural or educational events organized 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 participants aged 25 years or less in seminars, conferences, sport, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.

What form do I need to fill out?

This Schengen visa application form. Make sure that it is complete and signed.

What are the requirements for my passport?

Your passport

• must have been issued within the past 10 years,
• must have 2 blank pages, and
• must be valid for at least 3 months after the end of your visit.

What are the requirements for travel medical insurance?

You must present travel medical insurance that is

• valid for the whole Schengen Area,
• has a minimum coverage of 50 thousand USD for medical and repatriation expenses.

Please present a detailed policy for verifying the above requirements. Please note that your application is inadmissible if you do not present a travel medical insurance when submitting it.

What supporting documents are required?

1. Proof of financial means (e.g. the 3 latest bank statements, proof of employment or 3 latest payslips, proof of income. If you are self-employed a business license and tax return forms),

2. Confirmed return flight ticket reservation,

3. Other supporting documents concerning the purpose of travel, for example:

• When visiting relatives or friends, please submit an official invitation letter issued by the Hungarian Office of Immigration and Asylum;
• For tourism, please submit confirmed hotel reservations, stating name, address and telephone number of the hotel, including confirmation number and/or proof of group travel participation, etc.
• If the purpose of your trip is business, please present a letter of support from the company concerned in the Schengen country where you travel to, and a letter from your employer stating your position within the company and the reason for your business travel. Either letter should clarify who is responsible for expenses and where you will be staying (such as a hotel reservation).

The specific requirements depend on the purpose of travel, the length of intended stay and the personal circumstances of the applicant. Please bear in mind that the consul may require additional documents anytime during the visa procedure and applicants may be called for a personal interview, as well.

You shall present the original of each document.

What if I am a family member of an EU/EEA citizen?

The following persons qualify as family members:

• the spouse;
• the partner with whom the EEA citizen has contracted a registered partnership, on the basis of the legislation of any EEA country, if the legislation of the host Member State treats registered partnership as equivalent to marriage;
• the direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or are dependent as well as those of the spouse or partner as defined above; or
• the dependent direct relatives in the ascending line and those of the spouse or partner as defined above.

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, and you are traveling together or you wish to join him or her in Europe

• the Schengen Visa is free of charge for you,
• you do not need a travel medical insurance, although it is still recommended to have one,
• supporting documents are your EU/EEA national family member's passport or ID card, an official certificate of the relationship (for spouses of Hungarian citizens, only a marriage certificate issued by Hungary is acceptable), and a flight ticket is you are traveling together, or an invitation letter from the family member, if not.

Where do I find more information?

General information can be found on the website of the Hungarian Consular Service.
Information on the Schengen Information System can be found here.
Information on the Visa Information System can be found here.
GDPR regarding personal data provided upon visa application can be found here.

How do I get my visa?

You can collect your passport at the Embassy during regular business hours without a prior appointment. 

If you are not able to collect your passport in person, please provide a prepaid, trackable self-addressed envelope.

Forms

• Schengen visa application form (English)

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. 

Residence Permits

Who needs a residence permit?

All non-Hungarian citizens with the exception of EU/EEA citizens have to have a residence permit if they wish to stay in Hungary for more than 90 days.

Where can I apply for a residence permit?

At the representation in whose consular district you reside. You must appear in person, as your biometrics (photo and fingerprints) will be taken on site.

If you are a US or the citizen of another visa-exempt country, you can apply in Hungary directly at the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing upon your arrival. We do not recommend doing this, unless your port of entry to the Schengen area is Budapest (e.g. if you are flying directly to Budapest or have a layover in London or Istanbul).   

How much is the fee of the residence permit application?

Click HERE for the application fee for a resident permit. All fees are payable by card only when the application is submitted. We do not accept cash payments and checks. In case of a refusal of the visa, the visa processing fee cannot be refunded.

How do I get my residence permit?

If your application is approved, you will have to collect the residence permit itself in Budapest. We will affix a "type D" visa in your passport which you can use to enter Hungary (the Schengen area). If you are not able to collect your passport at the Embassy, please provide a prepaid, trackable self-addressed envelope.

Which documents do I need to submit?

I. General requirements:

• Fully completed residence permit application form (signed by the applicant, only Hungarian and English version accepted).
• 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).
• 2 passport-size color photos (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).
• Airplane ticket reservation.
• Supporting documents of health insurance (coverage of 50.000 USD for any medical and repatriation expenses, valid for the territory of Hungary/Schengen States, covering the whole period of stay).
• Supporting documents for accommodation.
• Confirmation of financial resources (the last 3 months of bank statements).

Please note that the consul may request the presentation of further documents.

All documents to be presented in connection with the visa application shall be original.

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

II. Additional requirements:

1) In the case of a residence permit for the purpose of employment, the following documents are needed:

• A work permit, that can be obtained in Hungary from the Labor Authority of the county (or Budapest) where the future employment will take place. The application shall be filed by the future Hungarian employer. Once issued, the work permit shall be sent to the foreigner to submit it with the visa application.
• A contract of employment.
• A document certifying occupancy in Hungary.
• A certificate on how the person will make a living until he receives his first salary (bank account statement, employer’s certificate that he will pay an advance to the person, etc.).
• Residence permit application form for the purpose of employment is available here.

2) In the case of residence permit for the pursuit of gainful activity you can find more information HERE.

3) In case of a residence permit for the purpose of study, the following documents are needed:

• A certificate of school attendance.
• A document certifying occupancy in Hungary (the document certifying accommodation in a student hostel or the tenancy contract with a duplicate of the title deed).
• The documents certifying subsistence in Hungary (bank account statement; or the declaration of the parents that they assume coverage of all costs of the stay in Hungary; or the document certifying the scholarship).
• Attestation of the school that the applicant is exempt from the payment of school fees or that he/she has already paid the tuition fees.
• Residence permit application form for the purpose of studies is available here.

4) In case of a residence permit for family reunification you can find more information HERE.

• A document certifying occupancy in Hungary.
• A document certifying subsistence in Hungary.
• Marriage certificate/birth certificate.
• Copy of the passport of the Hungarian relative.
• Residence permit application form for the purpose of visiting is available here.
• Residence permit application form for the purpose of family reunification is available here.

5) Other purposes:

• Residence permit application form for the purpose of medical treatment is available here.
• Residence permit application form for official purposes is available here.
• Residence permit application form for seasonal workers is available here.
• Residence permit application form for other purposes is available here.

How much time does it take to get my visa?

As a general rule, the regional directorate processes the application within 30 days.

If the purpose of entry is study or research the directorates shall make a decision within 15 days.

In case of refusal, the applicant may lodge an appeal within 5 days from the notification. The appeal shall be submitted directly to that regional directorate of the Office of Immigration and Asylum that processed the application.