HungaryVisits and short stays

Hungary tourist visa (Schengen type C)

Schengen visa (type C) for tourism

In short

If your nationality needs a visa, you visit Hungary as a tourist on a Schengen type C visa. You apply at the Hungarian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or its external service provider; the fee is EUR 90 and Hungary expects you to show EUR 40 for each day of the trip. A decision normally takes 15 calendar days.

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
No. Paid work needs a work permit; see the business visa page for short assignments.
Family
Each family member applies separately with their own form and fee; relatives travelling together add copies of each other’s passports and visas.
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.

Who needs this visa

Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a visa for any Schengen stay, including a holiday in Budapest or a round trip through Central Europe that starts in Hungary. The tourist category covers sightseeing, holidays and other unpaid leisure trips; it does not allow paid work or study beyond 90 days.

What the Hungarian consulate checks for tourists

On top of the general documents, tourists must present a complete travel plan without gaps: hotel bookings with confirmation numbers and the names of all travellers, covering every night and every city or country on the route. Bookings without a name or reference number are not accepted.

If a family member pays for the trip, add a sponsorship letter and proof of the relationship; if your spouse pays, add the marriage certificate.

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.
  • Hotel bookings with confirmation numbers and the names of all travellers, covering every night of the trip in every city and country.

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.

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)

Travel

  • Copies of the passports and visas of the people you travel with.

Money

  • Sponsorship letter and proof of relationship if a family member pays (marriage certificate if it is your spouse).

Family

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

How much money you need

Hungary sets its reference amount at EUR 40 per day of stay, so a 10-day trip implies about EUR 400 available for daily costs, in addition to accommodation and transport already booked. The consulates assess this from your own bank statement for the last three months; company owners may use the company account.

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. Check that Hungary is your main destination or your first Schengen entry point.
  2. Book an appointment with the Hungarian mission responsible for your place of residence, or its external service provider.
  3. Fill in and sign the Schengen application form and collect the documents on the mission’s tourism checklist.
  4. Get a bank statement no older than one week and book hotels for every night of the trip.
  5. Attend the appointment, pay the EUR 90 visa fee and the service charge, and give your fingerprints.
  6. Attend an interview at the embassy or consulate only if you are invited.
  7. Collect your passport and check the visa dates, number of entries and permitted days before you travel.

Forms

At the border and during the stay

A visa does not guarantee entry: border guards may check your purpose, funds and return plans again. If you stay more than 30 days, Hungarian rules require you to register your accommodation with the immigration authority through Enter Hungary.

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

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.

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).

Is there an express or VIP service?

Some external service providers sell optional VIP services, but the 15-day decision period of the Visa Code applies to such files as well.

Are online bank statements accepted?

Only if the bank signs and stamps them; an internet-banking printout alone is not enough.

What if I am refused?

You can appeal within 8 calendar days at the mission that decided, by appointment, paying EUR 160, or simply apply again with a new fee.

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

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