HungaryBusiness and self-employment

Hungary business visa (Schengen type C)

Schengen visa (type C) for business visits

In short

Meetings, negotiations and trade fairs in Hungary require a Schengen type C business visa if your nationality needs a visa, supported by a wet-stamped invitation from the Hungarian company. Hands-on work during the trip is treated differently: beyond 15 days it needs a Hungarian work permit.

checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
Validity
Single or multiple entry. Frequent travellers who used earlier visas lawfully can receive multiple-entry visas of longer validity under EU cascade rules, which depend on where you apply (for Turkish citizens applying in Türkiye: 6 months, then 1, 3 and 5 years since 15 July 2025).
Fee
€90Standard adult Schengen visa fee since 11 June 2024, paid when lodging the file; children aged 6 to under 12 pay EUR 45. An external service provider adds its own service charge. Family members of Hungarian citizens pay the normal fee.
Funds required
€40 per dayHungary’s official reference amount: EUR 40 for each day of the planned stay (Article 24 of Interior Ministry Decree 9/2024), usually shown through recent bank statements signed and stamped by the bank.
Processing time
Normally 15 calendar days; up to 45 days in individual cases where further checks or documents are needed.
Work
Business visits only. Actual work: no permit needed under 15 days; 15–30 days needs a work permit from the Government Office; 30–90 days needs a labour-demand notification and a work permit.
Where to apply
The Hungarian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or the external service provider it uses, by appointment. Interviews, if required, are held at the mission, which decides.

Business visit or work?

A business visa covers meetings, contract talks, visiting suppliers or customers and attending fairs. If you will actually carry out work in Hungary, for example installation or construction, the consulate applies extra rules based on the length of the stay.

Under 15 days no labour-demand notification or work permit is required. For 15 to 30 days a work permit from the Hungarian Government Office (Kormányhivatal) is needed. For 30 to 90 days the file must include both the certificate of the labour-demand notification (munkaerőigény bejelentés) and the work permit (munkavállalási engedély).

Business-specific documents

The Hungarian company must send an invitation on its letterhead with your details and the travel details, signed and wet-stamped (the original is required). For a fair, add the entry card or registration and an invitation stating that the fair participation was arranged in your name.

Employees bring the employer’s letter, activity certificate, three months of payslips and proof of social insurance registration; company owners add chamber registration, proof of company registration and tax payment proof.

Required documents

Identity

  • Schengen application form, completed in full (by hand in blue or black ink, or digitally) and signed in the signature box and on the last page; your own address, e-mail and mobile number. Both parents sign for applicants under 18.
  • Two biometric photos, 35 x 45 mm, white background, taken within the last 6 months.

Travel

  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 90 days after you leave the Schengen area, with two blank pages; copies of all used pages; your previous passports and copies of Schengen, UK and US visas from the last 3 years.
  • Transport reservation (plane, bus, train, ferry or car) showing the PNR or ticket number, passenger names and dates, including moves between countries.
  • Proof of accommodation (hotel booking) or of sponsorship covering accommodation.

Money

  • Original bank statement covering the last 3 months, issued no more than one week before you apply and signed and stamped by the bank; the balance must cover the trip. Credit card statements are optional extras.

Work

  • Employees: leave letter on company letterhead, signed and stamped, stating the travel dates; original payslips for 3 months; employer’s activity certificate; proof of social insurance registration and employment record.
  • Business owners: recent proof of company registration and activity, current tax certificate and proof of who may sign for the company. Students: current student certificate (a student card is not accepted). Pensioners: pension proof. Farmers: chamber of agriculture certificate.
  • Original invitation from the Hungarian company on letterhead, with the traveller’s details and trip details, signed and wet-stamped.

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states for the whole trip, minimum cover EUR 30,000 (e-signed policies accepted since 1 July 2024).

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Work

  • For trade fairs: fair entry card or registration and an invitation confirming participation in your name.
  • For actual work of 15–30 days: work permit from the Government Office; for 30–90 days: labour-demand notification certificate and work permit.

Family

  • Minors travelling alone or with one parent: notarised consent of the parent(s) who do not travel.

Where and when to apply

Apply to Hungary when it is your only destination, your main destination by length or purpose of stay, or the first Schengen state you transit. Files are lodged at the Hungarian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the external service provider it uses, usually by appointment.

You can lodge the application at the earliest 6 months before the trip. With fewer than 16 days left before departure it is normally not accepted; the consulate may make an exception only in a justified urgent case. If you live outside your country of nationality, you apply where you are legally resident.

  1. Agree the trip with your Hungarian partner and ask for a signed, wet-stamped invitation on letterhead.
  2. If you will work there for more than 15 days, have the Hungarian side obtain the work permit (and the labour-demand notification for stays over 30 days) before you apply.
  3. Book an appointment with the Hungarian mission responsible for your residence, or its service provider, and fill in the Schengen form.
  4. Prepare company documents, bank statements and insurance, then lodge the file and pay EUR 90 plus the service charge.
  5. Wait for the decision (normally 15 calendar days) and collect the passport.

Forms

Refusal and appeal

A refusal comes on the standard EU form. You may appeal within 8 calendar days of receiving it, in person and by appointment through the consular booking system, at the mission that decided. The appeal costs EUR 160, payable when you file it, and must include a statement in English or Hungarian plus any new supporting documents.

The appeal is decided within 15 calendar days, which can be extended if more documents are needed. The appeal decision can be taken to the competent Hungarian court within 3 days. Instead of appealing you may always apply again, paying the visa fee once more.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install machinery in Hungary on a business visa?

Only within the limits the consulate sets: up to 15 days without a work permit; 15–30 days with a Government Office work permit; 30–90 days with a labour-demand notification certificate and a work permit, all presented with the visa file.

Does the invitation have to be original?

Yes. The consulate asks for the original letter on company letterhead, signed and with a wet stamp.

Can I get a multiple-entry visa from Hungary?

Yes, if you qualify under the EU cascade rules that apply where you live: after lawful use of earlier visas, frequent travellers can receive multiple-entry visas of longer validity, as long as the passport is valid long enough. For Turkish citizens applying in Türkiye, the cascade adopted on 15 July 2025 runs 6 months, then 1, 3 and 5 years (truck drivers excluded).

How close to my trip can I apply?

Normally no later than 15 calendar days before departure: with fewer than 16 days left, the file is not accepted unless the consulate allows it in a justified urgent case. The earliest is 6 months before travel.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Hungary

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
  • Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
  • Transit visa Maximum stay: As long as the transit requires, within the 90/180-day limit.
  • Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Visa: 90 days in 180. Residence permit: the length of treatment, up to 2 years, renewable in steps of up to 2 years.
  • Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.

Business and self-employment

Study and training

Work

  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: Up to 9 months.
  • Work visa Maximum stay: Employment permit: up to 3 years in total from first issue.
  • Skilled worker visa Maximum stay: Renewable from inside Hungary in steps of up to 3 years.
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: Renewable in steps of up to 4 years.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Managers and specialists: 3 years in total from first issue; trainees: 1 year.
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: Up to 6 months; an extension is possible within a 12-month period for a further period of up to 6 months, as OIF states.
  • Digital nomad visa Maximum stay: Up to 2 years in total (1 year plus one 1-year extension).

Family

Residence

Protection

Hungary visa guide