Hungary is re-closing borders for international tourism on Tuesday, due to a worsening epidemiological situation across Europe.
Starting on September 1, all tourists and foreign nationals will be banned from entering Hungary, with very few exceptions for essential travelers like diplomats or spouses of Hungarian citizens.
Update October 4:
Hungary has decided to extend the closure ban another month, until at least November 1, 2020
“As a main rule, from the beginning of September, foreign citizens may not enter the territory of Hungary, only in justified cases.”
said Prime Minister, Gergely Gulyás.
This is the second European country to re-close borders this week, after Ukraine’s similar closing announcement, barring entry for all international arrivals on August 29th.
Hungary’s situation will look very much like it did back on March 16th when the nation first decided to close its borders. The government has decided to implement almost the same restrictions they did in March, as they proved effective in flattening the nation’s curve.
While Hungary hasn’t seen a significant second-wave surge as some other EU nations, the Prime Minister wants to keep it that way by re-instating tight border controls and quarantines for nationals returning home.
“Hungarians returning from abroad must be quarantined for 14 days – or until they can present two negative tests two days apart. We can only accept results if the testing takes place under controlled laboratory conditions in Hungary”
– Gergely Gulyás.
Authorities in Hungary are not only barring incoming tourists and requiring residents returning home to quarantine, but they’re also advising all citizens to not travel outside of the country for at least the next 30 days.
Both the closure for all foreign arrivals and the recommendation for Hungarian’s to not travel outside the country is expected to last at least 30 days, at which point it will either be extended or removed.
When Hungary reopened first for tourism they devised a color-coded light system that dictated which countries could enter, and what requirements they needed to fulfill.
Most EU nations were classified as ‘green’, which gave them unrestricted access to Hungary, while higher-risk nations like the USA and Russia were given ‘yellow’ status, which still permitted entry with a 14-day quarantine.
Strangely enough, Hungary did have a ‘red’ country list that completely banned nations like Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Ukraine, and other countries that had far more favourable case numbers than the USA or Russia.
It is unclear if the same color-coded light system will come back into effect if Hungary decides to re-open their borders again in October.
What to do if you have an upcoming trip to Hungary?
Contact your airline or tour provider immediately. Although the border does not close until September 1, they may cancel trips as early as August 30th, as we saw Ukrainian border control halting entry up to 48 hours earlier than their planned closing deadline.
If your trip isn't until after October 1st, you may want to wait a little longer to see if Hungary re-opens the borders again.
Exceptions to the closure
General tourists and all non-essential foreign arrivals into Hungary will not be permitted. Here are some examples of exceptions to the entry ban:
- Hungarian citizens, residents and their spouses
- Travelers on diplomatic trips
- Military convoys
- Essential business travelers/workers
- Humanitarian corridor for essential transits through Hungary
- Foreign students with studies in Hungary
Sources: Abouthungary.hu / hirado.hu / hungarytoday.hu
Read More: See what countries have re-opened in Europe for tourism, and which countries have no restrictions or entry requirements, and list of countries now open for American tourists
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Article originally published: August 29, 2020
Bra
Monday 28th of September 2020
Please im married man with Hungary wife and I am back in 4 ,oktober what can I do
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 28th of September 2020
You will have to contact the consulate to get permission to enter
RJ2811
Monday 7th of September 2020
Hello, I'm from The Netherlands and was really hoping to visit someone before they enlist in the army on the 5th of October.
Do you think there would be any chance of Hungary reopening the borders again this month or is that just a pipe dream on my end? :) Thanks in advance.
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 7th of September 2020
We really don’t know. Honestly, Hungary closing was a huge surprise, so when they might reopen is also super unknown
Adlene
Monday 31st of August 2020
Hello i'am from Tunisia wich is green area we have international competition ( sport ) in hungary szeged in 20th september and it's officiel did we have the right to travel even with this closeur ban ?
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 31st of August 2020
I am sorry, I won't have this type of specific and detailed information for you. I think only the consulate could advise.
Ryan Haidar
Monday 31st of August 2020
Hi! I’m an American who travelled to Hungary as a tourist (on a 90 day allowance) on August 10th. Is there any information for people who are already in the country? I’m not slated to leave until October 31st, so should I just hang tight until then?
Thanks so much! Ryan
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 31st of August 2020
Hi Ryan! I haven't heard of any news about exiting Hungary. Ukraine just did the same ban as Hungary, and reports there say it did NOT affect tourists exiting the country, so I am assuming Hungary is the same. You can always contact the consulate to be sure, but I think it would be alright