Last updated on 4 March 2021.
Starting from 1 March 2021, business travel to Hungary will be somewhat restricted based on which country you are coming from and whether you are a resident in the country of departure or in Hungary.
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.