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RED TAPE AND VISAS |
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Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland and most other European
countries do not require visas for Hungary, simply receiving a stamp in
their passport at the border, which allows a stay of up to ninety days.
Citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and several other European
countries require only an identity card. Australians, New Zealanders and
other nationalities, however, must still obtain a visa, either from a
Hungarian consulate abroad, or on arrival at Budapest airport or any
road crossing along the border - although if you are arriving by land,
you are advised to get your visa in advance. Visas are not issued at
rail crossings or the passenger dock for hydrofoils from Vienna.
Assuming that you require a visa, applications can be made to any
Hungarian consulate abroad in person, or by post. Tourist visas are
valid for thirty days' stay, with the option of single, double or
multiple entries, while transit visas entitle you to 48 hours' stay.
Besides two passport photos, you will need to submit your passport and
the requisite fee (currently Ł26 for a single-entry visa obtained in
Britain; consulates in Eastern Europe require payment in US$).
Applications in person are generally processed within 24 hours, though
some consulates will issue visas the same day for a surcharge. To apply
by post, obtain an application form from the consulate, then send the
completed form and your passport by registered post, including a postal
order (in Britain) or certified cheque (in the US), plus a stamped
addressed envelope for return.
Hungarian embassies and consulates abroad
Australia Embassy: 17 Beale Crescent, Deakin, Canberra, ACT 2600 tel
02/6282 3226 or 6285 3484; Consulate: Suite 405 Edgecliffe Centre,
203-233 New South Head Rd, Edgecliffe, Sydney, NSW 2027 tel 02/9328 7859
or 9328 7860.
Britain 35b Eaton Place, London SW1X 8BY tel 020/7235 2664. Mon-Fri
9.30am-noon.
Canada Embassy: 299 Waverley St, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0V9 tel
613/230-9614; Consulates: 1200 McGill College Ave, Suite 2040, Montréal,
Québec H3B 4G7 tel 514/393-3302; 121 Bloor St, East Suite 1115, Toronto
tel 416/923-8981.
Ireland Embassy: 2 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2 tel 01/661 2902.
USA Embassy: 3910 Shoemakers St NW, Washington DC 20008 tel
202/362-6730; visa enquiries tel 202/362-6737; 223 East 52nd St, New
York, NY 10022 tel 212/752-0669; Consulate: 11766 Wilshire Blvd, Suite
410, Los Angeles, CA 90025 tel 310/473-9344.
Visa extensions and registration
Those visitors not requiring a visa can stay up to three months (those
with tourist visas one month), after which they are required to register
with the police (see below). Applications for extensions must be made 48
hours before the visa expires, and you may be asked to show evidence of
funds or proof of having exchanged money. In Budapest, go to the
district police station ( kerületi rendorség ) nearest to your place of
residence; in provincial towns, apply to police headquarters (
fokapitányság ). The process usually takes about fifteen minutes. A
simpler method of extending your stay, whether you need a visa or not,
is to leave the country, either by taking the bus to Vienna and spending
the day there, or taking the train to Komárom, walking across the bridge
to Slovakia, and then back again.
After three months' stay, all visitors are required to register their
address (and any subsequent changes of address) with the local police.
In practice, however, registration need only concern those staying in
"unofficial" accommodation (for example, with friends), since residents
in hotels, hostels, pensions, guesthouses and campsites are
automatically registered. Should you need to register, get an Alien's
Registration Form ( Lakcímbejelento lap külföldiek részére ) from any
post office and have it countersigned by your host before taking it to
the police station.
Lost passports must be reported to the local police station. You then
take the police report to your consulate, who can sort out your papers
to leave the country or issue a new passport. You may need to go back to
the police for an exit stamp in order to leave the country. Your
consulate should be notified by the police if your passport is found.
Customs
Customs formalities are normally painless, though visitors arriving from
Austria or Romania by road may get stuck in long queues at the border
crossings. Visitors over the age of 16 are allowed 250 cigarettes (or
250g of tobacco or fifty cigars), two litres of wine and one litre of
spirits as travel luggage. In addition there is a duty-free allowance of
one litre of wine, one litre of spirits, five litres of beer, 500
cigarettes (or 100 cigars or 500g tobacco), and one kilo of coffee, tea
and cocoa. Up to five kilos of food is allowed, but it may not contain
raw meat. There is no import duty on personal effects such as bicycles,
cameras, portable cassette recorders and TV sets, but items with a high
resale value (like laptop computers and video cameras) are liable to
customs duty and 25 percent VAT unless you can prove that they are for
personal use.
These customs regulations change fairly frequently, so it's worth
checking the latest rules at a Hungarian consulate or tourist office
before leaving home. You can export five kilos of foodstuffs which may
include two kilos of processed meat products (for example, salami and
canned meats). Duty-free export limits for tobacco and alcohol are the
same as the import limits.
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