Entry regulations from 1 September 2020

On 1 September 2020, a new government decree entered into force on travel restrictions during the pandemic period. Based on the new rules, Hungarian citizens arriving from abroad may get through a health inspection and in case of suspicion of contamination, the Hungarian citizen must be placed in quarantine. In case the suspicion of contamination has not been established by the health inspection, the Hungarian citizen also must be placed in official home quarantine or in quarantine determined by the pandemic authority for 14 days. In certain circumstances, the Hungarian citizen may be exempted from this quarantine obligation, if he/she arrives from the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic or the Republic of Poland.

In principle, a foreign citizen may not enter the territory of Hungary in passenger traffic. However, the government decree lists some cases when, upon request, the competent police entity may give an exemption, i.e. may permit the entry to Hungary, if the applicant verifies that the aim of the entry is for example the participation on a Hungarian judicial or authority procedure or the use healthcare services. The person received the exemption may also get through a health inspection in the course of the entry and in case of suspicion of contamination, the person may not enter Hungary. If there is no suspicion of contamination, the person must be placed in quarantine for 14 days. However, the citizen of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic or the Republic of Poland may enter Hungary, if such person has an accommodation booked in Hungary and has a negative COVID-19 PCR test completed within 5 days prior to the entry.

Upon request of the person placed in quarantine (either a Hungarian or a not Hungarian citizen), the pandemic authority may permit that he/she participates within 5 days, at least with a difference of 48 hours, twice on a COVID-19 test. In case the test shows that the coronavirus was not detectable on the date of the tests, the competent pandemic authority may decide on exemption from the order of quarantine.

There is an important exemption for business travels, i.e. in case a Hungarian citizen travels abroad for the purpose of business or economic activity, and verifies this purpose in the course of the return journey to Hungary, such person may enter Hungary without restrictions. Similarly, foreign citizens may also enter Hungary without restrictions if they prove that the aim of the entry is an activity of business or economic purpose. Furthermore, the managing director or employee of an affiliated undertaking arriving from abroad may also enter Hungary without restrictions, provided that this person supports the fact of the travel for business purpose with proper documentation. In addition, the frontier workers may enter Hungary for a maximum of 24 hours period within a distance of 30 km from the state border.