How to Apply for a Hungary Schengen Visa from the UK

• A valid passport or travel document. Please make sure:
  • Your passport has been issued within the previous 10 years,
  • Your passport has 2 full blank pages, one for the visa stamp and an additional spare page,
  • Your passport will be valid for at least three (3) months after the date you exit the Schengen Area.
• A valid UK residence permit or other form of Identity Card.
  • The UK residency permit must be endorsed in the actual passport (or on a new biometric ID card)
  • The UK residence permit must be valid for at least another three more months beyond the date you plan to leave Hungary.
• One Hungary Schengen visa application form filled out completely and signed by the applicant.
• One recently taken passport format photo with a blank background and where all your facial features are clear, which must be glued to the application form. Applications with stapled photographs will be rejected.
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of the visit to Hungary
• Biometric data (Applies only if you haven’t provided biometric data within the last 59 months):
  • Fingerprints
  • A copy of the passport bio page where the photo is included.
    Note: Children under the age of 12 are exempted from providing fingerprints.
• Proof of travel arrangements:
  • Round trip flight/travel reservations or other proof of intended transport
  • Complete itinerary of your visit to Hungary (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries)
• Travel Insurance stating that you are covered in case of a medical emergency and repatriation not just in Hungary but in the whole Schengen zone (minimum coverage of € 30,000).
  • Holders of diplomatic passports and family members of EU/EEA citizens are exempted from providing proof of travel medical insurance
• Proof of accommodation in Hungary:
  • Evidence of a hotel booking or rental agreement, or
  • Invitation from your Hungary host (family member, friend) with a copy of their passport
• Proof of financial subsistence:
  • Original recent Bank Statement (covering the last 3 calendar months. The last transaction must be no more than 1 month old)
  • £60.00 per person per day if you are staying in a hotel.
  • £40.00 per person per day if you are staying in a hostel or similar.
  • £20.00 per person per day if you are staying with family or friends (even when your host has confirmed that he/she will be covering your expenses) plus funds for a return ticket to your country of residence.
  • Traveller’s Cheques
    Note: Cash is not considered proof of financial subsistence.
• Certificate of criminal record of the home country– showing that candidate has no open crime case involvement
• Proof of paid Hungary visa fee.

Since Hungary is a Schengen country, the visa fees are the same as any other Schengen visa.

The fee must be paid upon submitting the Hungary visa application. After you complete this payment, you will receive a receipt, which shows that payment has been made, which must be offered amongst other documents of the application. You will have to pay a Hungary Schengen visa fee in order for your application to be processed. Find out about the Schengen visa fee in our blog post: Schengen Visa Fees – How Much Does a Schengen Visa Cost?

• Approved – Once your visa is approved, it will be stamped in your passport. Make sure to carefully check the visa sticker to make sure everything is correct and exactly how you need it.
• Rejected – if your visa has been rejected, it would have been for a specific reason and you have the right to appeal.

• Marriage certificate missing – if you are applying for a visa for family reasons, you may have to prove family ties. This is why you must provide a marriage certificate
• You applied for the wrong visa – it is your responsibility to apply for the correct visa depending on how long you are going to Hungary for and your reason for travelling there
• It is not clear that you plan to return to the UK – it must be clear that you intend to return to the UK before the visa expires. If the visa staff have doubts about this, your visa will be rejected
• The purpose of your trip cannot be established – the reason why you are planning to go to Hungary must be made clear. You can do this by providing specific documents like a full itinerary, work contract or invitation letter, etc.

If you receive a negative answer in your Hungary Schengen visa application, this does not mean you cannot ever travel to Hungary. You have two options.

• File an appeal for Hungary Schengen visa rejection if you believe that the decision to deny you a visa is unjust. You should have a strong basis for your complaint. You can appeal this decision by writing an appeal letter for a Hungary Schengen visa rejection.
• Reapply by correcting the mistakes you did in your previous application. Or improve your situation to comply with the eligibility criteria for a Hungary Schengen Visa.

A person visiting Hungary on a Schengen visa is allowed by law to extend their visa if they have legitimate reasons. This could be either personal, professional, medical, emergency, or any other. The decisions to approve a Schengen visa extension request are handled case by case.

The duration you are allowed to stay in the country is stated in your Schengen visa sticker. It is important not to overstay during your trip to Hungary or the rest of the Schengen Zone or risk facing penalties like a fine, deportation, being banned from travelling back to the Schengen Zone, and having difficulties in your future Schengen applications.

Find out more about overstaying in the Schengen visa in our blog post.

If you wish to extend your visa and stay longer in the Schengen Zone, then you need to start getting ready for your application. The overall process of extending your HungarySchengen visa will involve:

• Determining whether you have a justified reason to request for an extension
• Submitting all the necessary documents. These include a valid passport that has the Schengen Visa used to get in the Schengen area stamped in it, one passport-sized photo, proof of financial subsistence, Schengen Visa Insurance that covers the extension duration, and all the documents that justify your reason for an extension
• Paying visa fees where applicable
• Attending a visa interview if necessary
• Waiting for the approval