New restrictions on business travel to Hungary from March

Last updated on 9 July 2021.

Please see our article about the latest pandemic related restrictions in Hungary. Restrictions to border crossing still apply, but you can freely enter Hungary on land from neighbouring Schengen countries.

Travel restrictions related to the pandemic

Since last March, travel has been restricted to Hungary. The last big update came in September 2020, and nothing much has changed since. Hungarian citizens and residents, and their close family members can enter Hungary without any special permission, but they will be required to spend 10 days in quarantine unless they produce 2 negative PCR tests, at least one of which must be performed in Hungary. Even third country nationals are allowed to enter with a police clearance if they can justify their application.

Business travel has had a special status, since everyone (Hungarian citizens, residents, and even third-country nationals) able to verify they were entering Hungary on a business trip was allowed to do so without a police clearance and without quarantining. This special status was now restricted.

Business travel to Hungary from 1 March 2021

As of 1 March 2021, you can enter Hungary for a business purpose from certain countries (see list below) without restrictions (without a police clearance and without quarantine) if you are

• a citizen of Hungary or the country in question
• a resident of Hungary or the country in question (meaning a residency that is granted for a period longer than 90 days)

To verify the business purpose, you will need at least a company extract and a business invitation letter. If you have any further documents that may support your claim, make sure to present these too.

At the border, there may be a medical examination, and if you show any symptoms of COVID-19, you will be either turned away or ordered to quarantine for 10 days. However, if you have no symptoms, you do not need to quarantine, which means you will not need any PCR tests either.

List of countries from where you can enter for a business purpose without restrictions

Eurpean Union and affiliated countries

• EU member states
• EEA countries
• United Kingdom
• Switzerland

EU member state candidates

• Albania
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Serbia
• Turkey

Countries approved by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Bahrein
• India
• Indonesia
• Israel
• Japan
• People’s Republic of China
• Russia
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America

If you are a third-country national who is not a resident or citizen of either Hungary or one of the above listed countries (and you are not a close family member of either), you cannot enter Hungary on a business trip without restrictions.

However, you can still apply for a police clearance, and if the police gives you permission, you may enter Hungary under a 10-day quarantine obligation.

Need help? Contact us!

Should you have any questions regarding the new restrictions to business travel to Hungary or any regulations on entering Hungary, feel free to contact us through the form below and we will be happy to help you. You may also watch this space for updates or follow us on Facebook to never miss an article on the topic.