Hungary

VISA REGIME

For holders of diplomatic and official passports:	Visa is not required for a stay of up to 90 days within a period of six months*.
For holders of national passports and other travel documents:	Visa is not required for a stay of up to 90 days within a period of six months*.
Note:	Visas are required for holders of passports issued by the Coordination Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia. From October 13, 2024, entry into EU and Schengen countries will be visa-free for these passports. Holders of an emergency travel document in transit do not require visa.

 

ENTERING AND LEAVING THE COUNTRY
The condition for citizens of the Republic of Serbia to enter into the European Union (EU) is the possession of a travel document issued in the last ten years, which must be valid for at least three months after the planned date of leaving the territory of the EU. Passengers who do not meet these criteria will be returned from the border. Holders of biometric passports of the Republic of Serbia do not need a visa to stay in Hungary and other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within a period of maximum six months.
Border crossings between the Republic of Serbia and Hungary:
The international passenger crossings Röszke—Horgos and Tompa—Kelebija open for passenger and freight road traffic (0−24 hours),
The international border crossing Hercegszántó—Bački Breg is open only for passenger traffic (0−24 hours),
From 1 May to 1 September, border crossings Tiszasziget—Djala, Bácsalmás—Bakmok, Ásotthalom—Bački Vinogradi, and Kübekháza—Rabe, are open for passenger traffic from 7 am to 7 pm,
From 1 September to 1 May, border crossings Tiszasziget—Jala, Bácsalmás—Bajmok, Ásotthalom—Bački Vinogradi, and Kübekháza—Rabe, are open from 6 am to 6 pm.
The following border crossings are open for railway traffic: Röszke and Tompa.
During summer and winter vacations, there are frequent traffic jams on the M1, M5 and M7 motorways, as well as at the Röszke—Horgos border crossing, which is why drivers are recommended to use other border crossings. Information on the length of waiting at border crossings can be found on the website: www.police.hu.
As of January 1, 2024, the regulations related to the temporary import of sports and hunting weapons on the territory of Hungary were changed. The fee of 3,000 forints is now paid to the number of the Tax and Customs Administration. When submitting the completed form, hunters and competitors should also attach proof that they have previously paid a fee of HUF 3,000 to the following number:
Account holder: Nemzeti Ado-es Vamhivatal
SWIFT/BIC code: HUSTHUHB
IBAN: HU48 10032000 00289933-0000000
Purpose: lofegyver behozatal ig.szolg.dij
Detailed instructions can be found at the following link: https://nav.gov.hu/kiadvanyok/utastaj/idegennyelvu-utastajekoztatok

SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT
The Social Security Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and Hungary (and the corresponding administrative agreement for its implementation) are in force. The Agreement enables the provision of emergency medical care in Hungary to Serbian citizens who have health insurance in Serbia. It is desirable that citizens, when traveling to Hungary, have a certificate of the right to healthcare services during a temporary stay in Hungary (Form SRB/HUN 111). If they do not have this certificate with them in case of urgent hospitalisation, the hospital which provided the care will request a reimbursement of the costs of treatment from the National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary which, in turn, will contact the Health Insurance Fund of the Republic of Serbia for the same reason.

USEFUL INFORMATION

HEALTH SITUATION — Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, on the basis of a bilateral agreement on health insurance, have the right to medical assistance on the territory of Hungary in case of emergency interventions. In case of an urgent health problem, it is necessary to call the ambulance services on the phone number 104, and the call operator will inform the caller about the on-duty hospitals in Budapest and other cities.

Current information on the health situation in Hungary can be found on the website of the World Health Organization.

SECURITY SITUATION — Hungary is one of the safer countries. If in need of assistance while in Hungary, the following emergency and other services are available:

• Ambulance: 104,
• Police: 107,
• Fire brigade: 105,
• Help: 112, (ambulance, police, fire brigade – unified number)
• Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Budapest: 00 36 1 33 29 838, 00 36 1 32 29 838,
• Car club – roadside assistance: 188,
• Tourist police (24 hours): 00 36 1 43 88 080,
• Medical assistance, in English (Falck SOS Hungary): 00 36 1 20 00 100,
• Pharmacy in Budapest opened non-stop: Teréz krt 41, 00 36 1 31 14 439.

In Budapest, at certain locations where a large number of tourists and other visitors of the capital gather, red poles have been set up with a button which, when pressed, automatically calls the police for help.

TRANSPORT — Hungarian authorities control rigorously whether a vehicle has a vignette, which must be purchased before entering the area that is subject to toll collection. Drivers are advised to buy a vignette before entering Hungary (in Belgrade at 110A Braće Jerkovića Street, in Novi Sad at 2 Futoški put, in Subotica at Senćanski put bb, or at the petrol station on the E-75 motorway near the Horgos border crossing). If drivers could not buy a vignette or mistakenly joined a road subject to a toll, they will have a maximum of 60 minutes to buy the vignette. When buying a vignette, one should make sure to enter the correct vehicle information (vehicle registration number, country code, vehicle category and expiration date of the vignette), because the Hungarian authorities do not accept reimbursement claims. Trucks are required to stay on the exact route through Hungary as stated one the vignette.

Information on which roads are charged and which are not, as well as a map with marked roads may be found on the website: http://www.nemzetiutdij.hu/Halozat.

If a vehicle does not have a valid vignette during a control, the owner or user of the vehicle will have to pay a fine corresponding to the vehicle category. The deadline for paying a fine is 60 days. If a fine is not paid within the prescribed period, its amount will be increased drastically (fourfold). It is recommended that the confirmation of the purchased vignette be kept for two years after its expiration.

According to the applicable laws, a driver's licence issued by foreign authorities may be used on the territory of Hungary if the licence contains the following: licence holder information and photograph, date of licence issuance, number and validity (of certain licence categories), inscription permis de conduire, name and a sign of the country in which the licence was issued. Hungary recognises Serbian driver's licences, but not the private test drivers license of the Republic of Serbia. Only driver's licences written in Latin script are accepted. If a person stays in Hungary for more than six months, it is necessary to exchange the Serbian driver's licence for a Hungarian one. An international driving permit is not required.

More information on motorways in Hungary, including information on regulations, service centres, vignettes, etc., can be found at: www.autopalya.hu.

Since 2018, Hungary has been using a unique system of control of excess weight (overload) of vehicles. In case of weight violation, the violators are identified, the fine is set, and the nearest police station is notified within a few minutes, whose patrol will then stop the vehicle and serve the decision on the fine. In case the police patrol does not do this for some reason, the fine will be delivered to the address of the vehicle owner.

Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport is one of the largest in Central Europe. It is possible to park at the airport for 5 minutes for free. The airport website is: www.bud.hu.

The highest standards of travel within Hungary are offered by the so-called intercity lines which operate between larger cities. There are several railway stations in Budapest. Trains in the direction of the Republic of Serbia depart from the Keleti railway station. For more information, call 00 361 37 19 449, or go to: www.elvira.hu.

The city traffic networks in Budapest and other large cities in Hungary are very well-organised. The so-called Budapest Card grants visitors unlimited use of the public transport in Budapest, as well as other benefits, for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, 96 hours, or 120 hours ― depending on the card type they buy.

Ticket controls in the public transportation are very frequent, especially in the metro, and penalties for not having a ticket are very strict.

When it comes to paying for parking, each neighbourhood has a designated telephone number to which an SMS with the vehicle licence plates number needs to be sent. The cost of parking corresponds to the length of time the vehicle will be parked in the specified neighbourhood. It is also possible to buy a parking ticket at the designated parking machines. There are very strict controls and rigorous penalties for unpaid parking both in Budapest and other Hungarian cities. If a vehicle is to be parked for 30 minutes, the first 5 minutes of parking will be tolerated, and if it is to be parked for 60 minutes, the first 15 minutes will be tolerated (which is the time a person may spend looking for the parking payment machine).

Information about the location of towed vehicles can be obtained by calling 00 36 1 30 17 500. In Hungary, it is common practice to put a clamp on an illegally parked vehicle. In that case, a note will be left on the vehicle windscreen with the telephone number to contact.

Parking in Budapest on the weekends is free, except on a working Saturday (in lieu of a national holiday).

OTHER INFORMATION — The national currency in Hungary is the forint (HUF). To check the current exchange rate of foreign currencies against the forint, go to the National Bank of Hungary website: http://www.mnb.hu.

Payment cards issued by Serbian banks can be used in Hungary.

Persons over the age of 17 may bring the following excise goods duty-free into the territory of Hungary:

Alcoholic beverages ― only with an excise stamp (it is not allowed to bring home-made drinks) in the following quantities: with over 22% of alcohol ― 1 litre, various drinks and liqueurs below 22% of alcohol ― 2 litres, wine ― 4 litres, beer ― 16 litres per person.

Cigarettes ― if the border is crossed by land, rail or waterway, 40 cigarettes per person (2 boxes) or 20 cigarillos or 10 cigars or 50 g of tobacco; if the border is crossed at the airport, 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco.

As for other imported goods, customs duties are not payable if their value does not exceed 300 euros, or 430 euros if arriving by airplane. Persons under the age of 15 are exempt from customs duties if the value of the imported goods does not exceed 150 euros.

To bring hunting weapons into the country, it is necessary to show a hunting permit and an invitation from a hunting association from Hungary or abroad. A stamp worth 3,000 forints will need to be bought at the border crossing. The permit is issued by a customs officer at the border crossing.

More information can be found on the website of the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary: www.nam.gov.hu.

Proof of vaccination is required for the intake of pets.

It is obligatory to declare an amount of cash money over 10,000 euros. This rule also applies to securities.

If during border control, passengers are found not to be in possession of the necessary documents to enter Hungary (passport, visa), the transportation carrier will be obliged to return those passengers from where they came. If the carrier is unable to return the passengers immediately, the costs of their temporary accommodation shall be borne by the carrier. At each entry to or exit from the territory of Hungary, the Hungarian border authorities regularly check the validity of a vehicle's traffic and registration papers and whether an EU-alert has been placed on the vehicle by running a search in the Schengen Information System (SIS). A SIS search will show if a vehicle has been stolen or if it was used in the course of a traffic violation or a criminal offence.

Contact information
During your stay in Hungary, for consular assistance and protection, you may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Budapest (address: Dózsa György ut 92/b, 1068 Budapest), at the following number: 00 361 32 29 838, the Consular department: 00 361 32 21 439, and e-mail address: budapest@serbiaemb.t-online.hu, Consular department: budapest-consulat@serbiaemb.t-online.hu.