Budapest Required Information

The official currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF) in Hungary. However you can pay with Euros at several places.The Hungarian banks offer better exchange rates than the foreign ones, so it’s better to exchange money in Budapest than getting Hungarian Forints abroad.

Electricity in Budapest is the European standard… 220 Volt with the two round prongs and generally recessed sockets. … Many small electronic gadgets work with anything from 110 to 240 volts. Those are very flexible doodads, and many laptop power supplies and many cell phone power adapters fall into that category.

CHECKLIST FOR TAKING MEDICINES WITH YOU WHEN TRAVELLING

1. FIND OUT WHETHER YOUR MEDICINE FALLS UNDER THE OPIUM ACT 

Ask your pharmacist or doctor whether your medicine falls under the Opium Act. You can also look this up yourself. If your medicines (or ingredients in them) do not fall under the Opium Act,  you can take them with you. Make sure you carry them in the original packaging. This will make it clear that they are medicines and not illicit drugs.

2. SCHENGEN CERTIFICATE OR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE? 

If your medicine (or your child’s medicine) falls under the Opium Act, you will need a certificate. There are two kinds of certificate :

  • Schengen certificate: for travel within the Schengen area
  • Medical certificate: for all other countries.

3. APPLYING FOR A CERTIFICATE 

Make sure you submit your application in good time. Visit the website of the Central Administrative Office (CAK) to see which certificate is required by the country you want to travel to. The site is in Dutch. You can also download the certificate from the site so your doctor can fill it in and sign it. Send the signed certificate to the CAK. The CAK will need 4 weeks to process your certificate.

Budapest’s main airport is Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, and your flight will arrive here. Major U.S. carriers that offer flights to Budapest include Delta, United, and American Airlines. Other airlines with flights to Budapest include British Airways, Swiss Airlines, Air France, Norwegian, and KLM.

The main international and regional railway station in Budapest is the Budapest-Keleti pályaudvar (Budapest-Eastern Railway Terminal). It is located on the Rákóczi Avenue. The railway station, built in 1884, is named after the eastern (keleti) direction with Romania and the Balkans.

Budapest-Keleti pályaudvar railway station is also a station of the M2 (East-West) line of the Budapest Metro. Future projects include a connection with the Line 4 of the Budapest Metro. A majority of Intercity trains arrives at the Budapest-Eastern Railway Terminal and most international trains also serves the railway station.

From Budapest-Keleti pályaudvar railway station, the following international destinations can be reached by train: Graz, Vienna (Austria), Sofia, Varna (Bulgaria), Split, Zagreb (Croatia), Prague (Czech Republic), Berlin, Hamburg, München (Germany), Venice (Italy), Warsaw (Poland), Bratislava (Slovakia), Ljubliana (Slovenia), Zürich (Switzerland) and Istanbul (Turkey)

The Budapest-Keleti pályaudvar railway station is connected with the Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport thanks to a fast train service.

Budapest has an efficient, diverse and low-cost network of public transport, including bus, metro, trolley bus, tram, suburban railway lines (called HÉV lines), and boat services. By using any kinds of transportation, you can reach your destination fast and convenient in the city.

Visa-free entry

• Certain categories of passport-holders can travel to Hungary without having to obtain an
entry visa beforehand. The full list of national travel documents enabling a visa-free
entry is available at the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at:
http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/visa-waiver-agreements.
• Foreigners in possession of a valid Schengen visa may enter Hungary without prior
administrative procedures, if the Schengen visa entitles the holder to 90 days of stay and
multiple entries in any 180-day period, and if there are still days available within the 90
day quota.
• Holders of a Residence Permit issued by one of the Schengen Member States, and in
possession of a valid travel document, can also visit Hungary without a visa.
The consular website of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides further
relevant details. See sections on How to apply for a visa and Visa application forms at:
http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/en.

Obtaining a visa
In other cases, travelers must apply for a visa at the Hungarian Embassy or Consulate
General in the country of their nationality or legal residence. In countries where Hungary does
not maintain an Embassy or Consulate-General, applications can be submitted to another
Schengen Member State’s mission acting on behalf of Hungary. Contact information for our
partner states’ missions in these countries can be found in the section Visa issuance on
behalf of Hungary at:
http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/visa-issuance-on-behalf-of-hungary.
In the case that Hungary does not have an Embassy or Consulate-General in a country or
territory and is also not represented by another Schengen Member State there, applicants can
turn to any of the Hungarian Embassies or Consulates located outside the Schengen area.
Applications should be lodged personally at the competent consular office or Visa
Application Centre. Biometric data in the form of photos and fingerprints is collected as
part of the visa procedure. To avoid a long waiting time, applicants are advised to contact
the consular office in advance to make an appointment to submit their application.
Please note that the procedure may take up to 15 calendar days, according to Regulation
No. 810/2009/EC. The consular office or visa application center may answer specific visa related questions. Please check the visa information web page of the relevant mission.
Passports should not be older than 10 years, should contain at least two blank pages and
should be valid for at least three months after the intended departure from Hungary (or other
Schengen Member State, in case of further travels).