Decided to spend a vacation in Hungary? Do you want to treat yourself to real Tokai wine and famous Hungarian cuisine? Or maybe they decided to soak up the beaches of the largest Lake Balaton in Europe? Visit the “pearl of the Danube" - Budapest - with its diverse architecture, numerous exhibitions and museums? Or maybe you are pursuing some other, personal or official goals? In any case, you are going on a standard tour or moving on some non-traditional route, in order to enter the country, you will need a visa to Hungary.
Visa regime
Not so long ago, or rather, until 2001, entry into Hungary was free for citizens of the Russian Federation. In June 2001, Hungary joined the European Union, uniting many countries of Europe, in connection with which, like other countries, it joined the Schengen agreements, which means that in order to enter the country, you need a visa to Hungary. If you have already been to other European countries and you have a Schengen visa issued for multiple visits to the countries of the Schengen Union, then you do not need to draw up a new entry document. An article for those who need a Schengen visa.
Visa application
As mentioned above, a visa to Hungary is a Schengen visa, suitable for entry not only into this country, but also into other countries that have joined the Schengen agreement. Most often, the design of this document is trusted to travel agencies or other intermediaries who charge considerable amounts of money for the service. And what to do? When making a tour, booking a hotel or a ticket at an agency, we are simply confronted with the fact: "I need a visa!" Having decided that a visa to Hungary is self-issued it is very difficult, we often put out the required money, thinking: "Well, do it!" And no! Visa processing is not a complicated procedure at all. No more difficult than getting some other document. After all, getting a passport or certificate from the Housing Office usually does not force us to contact any agency and pay money for it ?! So why not save this time? Moreover, even without this, considerable expenses are ahead.
Where?
To begin with, determine the address of the embassy or consulate where you will be issued a visa to Hungary. In Moscow at ul. Mosfilmovskaya, 62, is the Embassy of Hungary. In addition, you can submit documents to the consulates in St. Petersburg (15 Marat St.) and Yekaterinburg (15 Gogol St.). There are no representative offices in other cities of the Russian Federation. All other organizations offering visa services are intermediaries.
When?
Visa to Hungary is best to start in advance. It usually takes 10 business days to review the application. They accept documents already three months before the planned date of entry into the country. For those who, for any reason, delayed filing, there is the possibility of urgent consideration of documents, the period of which is 2-3 days.
It is worth considering that the holidays at the Hungarian Embassy are not Russian, but those that are celebrated in the destination country. For example, there are, of course, no holidays like February 23, March 8, May 1, May 9 and June 12 in Hungary. But there is January 1, March 15, Mondays after Easter and after the Trinity, July 1, August 20, October 23, October 1, and Christmas holidays from December 24 to 26. Do not plan to visit the embassy these days and keep in mind that a visa may be delayed if it expires during the holidays.
Check out the appointment schedule on the consulate’s website or during a preliminary visit.Weekends are Saturday and Sunday. On weekdays, some days are reserved for receiving documents, and some for issuing ready-made passports. Working hours are also different for different days. For the Hungarian Embassy, located in Moscow, it is possible to make an appointment in advance through online registration on the site. In other cities - a lively queue.
How much is it?
We will discuss right away what money you need to have with you in order for you to have a visa to Hungary. As you know, even if you make it yourself, you will have to make some payments. More precisely, we are talking about one payment - a visa fee, which is paid when applying for a visa. Please note that even if the response to your application is a refusal, then this fee is not refundable. Its amount depends on the desired speed of visa processing. If you are not in a hurry, then the fee will be 35 euros. For those wishing to obtain a visa after 2-3 days, its cost will be 70 euros. Children under 6 years old are exempted from the fee. Also, you will not have to pay it to people with disabilities and their accompanying persons, close relatives of Hungarians, students and schoolchildren, accompanied by teachers who are going on an internship or training, and some other persons.
Who is applying?
You can apply for a visa both personally and through the mediation of a family member. A visa to Hungary in Russia can be issued by citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as by persons who have temporary registration in the territory of our country. For this, among other documents, they must provide confirmation that they have the right to reside in Russia for more than 90 days. If there is no registration, the application is filed at the place of registration.
List of documents. Destination Country - Hungary
A Schengen visa is issued in a similar way, regardless of the country in which you would like to enter. But you should not rely on generalizing information. List of documents and requirements may vary. The following is a list of what needs to be presented when applying to the Hungarian embassy.
- Profile. The form can be obtained at the embassy or downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary. It is worth noting that it is the same for all Schengen states. The fields of the questionnaire are quite simple to fill out. Here you will find complete information about you and your future stay in the country (country, date, purpose, etc.). For children, the parents fill out the form.
- Color photo, like a passport (3.3 cm x 4 cm), in the application form and the same for a visa.
- A passport complying with the following conditions: its validity must expire later than three months after leaving Hungary; it must have at least two blank pages for marks.
- Health insurance that will be valid during your stay in Hungary.
- In addition to the basic documents, you must provide something that confirms the purpose of your trip. This may be a private invitation, documents proving the booked (paid) stay in the country.
- Documents confirming material security, that is, the availability of funds for living in Hungary. This is usually 50 euros per day. Such documents include: a certificate of employment indicating salaries or a bank statement; for pensioners - a certificate of the amount of the pension; documents confirming payment of a voucher or hotel reservation.
Attention!
- All listed documents must be presented in the original. In addition, it is better to make photocopies of a Russian passport, passport, documents confirming the purpose of the trip, medical insurance in advance. Of course, there is a copier in the embassy. But you will have to pay for its use.
- It is better to print out the application form and fill it out by hand, taking the pen with which you made notes with you for an interview. This will allow you to add or correct erroneous or incomplete entries.
- Documents confirming the purpose of the trip and financial security, it is better not to limit the list. The more pieces of paper, the more likely that they will not find fault with anything. In references and other documents, if possible, indicate as many details and other information as possible. Do not leave questions to the consulate staff.
Who can be denied?
A visa to Hungary is needed to visit the country. But what if you are ready for the trip, but your request will be denied? Do not worry! Refusal of a visa is a rare occurrence. It should be feared only by persons who, for whatever reason, are prohibited from entering the country, as well as those who submitted fake documents or false information. If you do not belong to these categories, then you can only be afraid of refusal due to an incorrectly completed application or the provision of an incomplete package of necessary documents. If, despite your efforts, they still refuse you, you will have a new opportunity to submit documents for consideration. True, for this you will need to pay the visa fee again.
