Visa Requirements & Exemptions
Check whether you need a visa to enter Hungary based on your nationality. Hungary is part of the Schengen Area, so the same visa rules apply across all 29 member countries.
How visa requirements work
Hungary is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. This means visa policy is set at the EU level, not by Hungary alone. Your visa requirements depend on your nationality and fall into one of three categories:
Three categories at a glance
Guides by nationality
Do I need a visa to visit Budapest?
Budapest is the capital of Hungary, which is part of the Schengen Area, so the visa rules for visiting Budapest are exactly the same as for Hungary as a whole. There is no separate Budapest visa. What you need depends on your nationality:
- EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens: no visa and no time limit.
- Visa-exempt nationalities (US, UK, Canada, Australia, and 60+ others): no visa for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
- Visa-required nationalities: apply for a Schengen (Type C) visa at a Hungarian embassy or consulate before you travel.
If you plan to live, work, or study in Budapest for longer than 90 days, you will need a residence permit rather than a short-stay visa.
EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens
If you hold a passport from any of these countries, you have full freedom of movement in Hungary. No visa, no registration for short stays, and no time restrictions. You can also live and work in Hungary without a residence permit.
EU member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
EEA and Swiss: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.
Visa-free countries (90 days in 180 days)
Citizens of these countries can enter the Schengen Area (including Hungary) without a visa for stays of up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period. This covers tourism, business meetings, and short visits, but it does not allow you to work or reside long-term.
View all 62 visa-free countries
| Country | Maximum stay |
|---|---|
| Albania | 90 days |
| Andorra | 90 days |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 90 days |
| Argentina | 90 days |
| Australia | 90 days |
| Bahamas | 90 days |
| Barbados | 90 days |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 90 days |
| Brazil | 90 days |
| Brunei | 90 days |
| Canada | 90 days |
| Chile | 90 days |
| Colombia | 90 days |
| Costa Rica | 90 days |
| Dominica | 90 days |
| El Salvador | 90 days |
| Georgia | 90 days |
| Grenada | 90 days |
| Guatemala | 90 days |
| Honduras | 90 days |
| Hong Kong SAR | 90 days |
| Israel | 90 days |
| Japan | 90 days |
| Kiribati | 90 days |
| Kosovo | 90 days |
| Macao SAR | 90 days |
| Malaysia | 90 days |
| Marshall Islands | 90 days |
| Mauritius | 90 days |
| Mexico | 90 days |
| Micronesia | 90 days |
| Moldova | 90 days |
| Monaco | 90 days |
| Montenegro | 90 days |
| New Zealand | 90 days |
| Nicaragua | 90 days |
| North Macedonia | 90 days |
| Palau | 90 days |
| Panama | 90 days |
| Paraguay | 90 days |
| Peru | 90 days |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 90 days |
| Saint Lucia | 90 days |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 90 days |
| Samoa | 90 days |
| San Marino | 90 days |
| Serbia | 90 days |
| Seychelles | 90 days |
| Singapore | 90 days |
| Solomon Islands | 90 days |
| South Korea | 90 days |
| Taiwan | 90 days |
| Timor-Leste | 90 days |
| Tonga | 90 days |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 90 days |
| Tuvalu | 90 days |
| Ukraine | 90 days |
| United Arab Emirates | 90 days |
| United Kingdom | 90 days |
| United States | 90 days |
| Uruguay | 90 days |
| Venezuela | 90 days |
Countries that require a Schengen visa
If your country is listed below, you need to apply for a Schengen visa (Type C) at a Hungarian embassy or consulate before travelling. There is no visa on arrival and no exceptions for short trips.
View all 97 visa-required countries
| Country | Visa requirement |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Visa required |
| Algeria | Visa required |
| Angola | Visa required |
| Armenia | Visa required |
| Azerbaijan | Visa required |
| Bahrain | Visa required |
| Bangladesh | Visa required |
| Belarus | Visa required |
| Belize | Visa required |
| Benin | Visa required |
| Bhutan | Visa required |
| Bolivia | Visa required |
| Botswana | Visa required |
| Burkina Faso | Visa required |
| Burundi | Visa required |
| Cambodia | Visa required |
| Cameroon | Visa required |
| Cape Verde | Visa required |
| Central African Republic | Visa required |
| Chad | Visa required |
| China | Visa required |
| Comoros | Visa required |
| Congo | Visa required |
| Cuba | Visa required |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Visa required |
| Djibouti | Visa required |
| Dominican Republic | Visa required |
| Ecuador | Visa required |
| Egypt | Visa required |
| Equatorial Guinea | Visa required |
| Eritrea | Visa required |
| Eswatini | Visa required |
| Ethiopia | Visa required |
| Fiji | Visa required |
| Gabon | Visa required |
| Ghana | Visa required |
| Guinea | Visa required |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa required |
| Guyana | Visa required |
| Haiti | Visa required |
| India | Visa required |
| Indonesia | Visa required |
| Iran | Visa required |
| Iraq | Visa required |
| Jamaica | Visa required |
| Jordan | Visa required |
| Kazakhstan | Visa required |
| Kenya | Visa required |
| Kuwait | Visa required |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa required |
| Laos | Visa required |
| Lebanon | Visa required |
| Lesotho | Visa required |
| Liberia | Visa required |
| Libya | Visa required |
| Madagascar | Visa required |
| Malawi | Visa required |
| Maldives | Visa required |
| Mali | Visa required |
| Mauritania | Visa required |
| Mongolia | Visa required |
| Morocco | Visa required |
| Mozambique | Visa required |
| Myanmar | Visa required |
| Namibia | Visa required |
| Nauru | Visa required |
| Nepal | Visa required |
| Niger | Visa required |
| Nigeria | Visa required |
| North Korea | Visa required |
| Oman | Visa required |
| Pakistan | Visa required |
| Papua New Guinea | Visa required |
| Philippines | Visa required |
| Qatar | Visa required |
| Russia | Visa required |
| Rwanda | Visa required |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Visa required |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required |
| Senegal | Visa required |
| Sierra Leone | Visa required |
| Somalia | Visa required |
| South Africa | Visa required |
| South Sudan | Visa required |
| Sri Lanka | Visa required |
| Sudan | Visa required |
| Suriname | Visa required |
| Syria | Visa required |
| Tajikistan | Visa required |
| Tanzania | Visa required |
| Thailand | Visa required |
| The Gambia | Visa required |
| Togo | Visa required |
| Tunisia | Visa required |
| Turkey | Visa required |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required |
| Uganda | Visa required |
| Uzbekistan | Visa required |
| Vanuatu | Visa required |
| Vietnam | Visa required |
| Yemen | Visa required |
| Zambia | Visa required |
| Zimbabwe | Visa required |
If your country is not listed above, check the official EU visa policy page or contact your nearest Hungarian embassy.
Understanding the 90/180-day rule
If you are from a visa-free country, you can stay in the entire Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period. This is not 90 days per country. Time spent in any Schengen country counts toward the same 90-day limit.
The 180-day window is calculated backwards from each day you are present. So if you spent 90 days in the Schengen Area and left, you would need to wait another 90 days before returning.
Overstaying this limit can result in fines, deportation, and entry bans that affect all 29 Schengen countries.
ETIAS: a new requirement from late 2026
ETIAS is expected to launch in late 2026, in the final quarter of the year. Once it is in force, citizens of visa-free countries will need an ETIAS travel authorisation before entering the Schengen Area, and it is set to become mandatory for travellers during 2027 after a short transitional period. ETIAS is not a visa. It is an online pre-screening system similar to the US ESTA or Canadian eTA.
The application is completed online, costs a small fee, and is valid for three years. It will be required for all visa-exempt nationals, including Americans, Brits, Canadians, and Australians.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Hungary?
It depends on your nationality. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens need no visa and have no time limit. Citizens of visa-exempt countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and over 60 others, can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Everyone else must apply for a Schengen (Type C) visa at a Hungarian embassy before travelling.
Do I need a visa to visit Budapest?
Budapest follows the same rules as the rest of Hungary, because Hungary is part of the Schengen Area. There is no separate Budapest visa. Whether you need one depends on your nationality, exactly as it does for Hungary as a whole.
How long can I stay in Hungary without a visa?
Visa-exempt travellers can stay for up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens can stay with no time limit. To stay longer than 90 days you need a residence permit.
Do US citizens need a visa for Hungary?
No. US citizens can enter Hungary visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period for tourism or business. For stays longer than 90 days, or to work or study, you need a Hungarian residence permit.
Do UK nationals need a visa for Hungary?
No. Since Brexit, UK nationals are treated as third-country nationals but remain visa-exempt for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer stays require a residence permit.
What is the 90/180-day rule?
It means visa-exempt visitors can spend a maximum of 90 days inside the Schengen Area within any rolling 180-day window. The 180 days are counted backwards from each day of your stay, so you must track your total days across all Schengen countries, not just Hungary.
Planning to stay longer than 90 days?
The 90-day visa-free limit (or Schengen visa) only covers short visits. If you want to live, work, study, or run a business in Hungary, you need a Hungarian residence permit.
Hungary offers several permit types depending on your situation:
- White Card for remote workers and digital nomads
- Guest Self-Employment Permit for entrepreneurs and business owners
- Employment Permit for workers with a Hungarian employer
- Study Permit for international students
- Family Reunification for joining family members in Hungary
Not sure which permit fits your situation? Use our free tool to find the right one in under 60 seconds.
This page is based on EU Regulation 2018/1806 and subsequent amendments. Visa policies can change. Always verify requirements with your nearest Hungarian embassy before travelling.