Immigration update: Hungary | Latest regulations on Covid-19

Latest regulations on Covid-19

The government of Hungary has announced some new pandemic-related restrictions from the date of 11 November 2020 till 11 December 2020, after this 30-day term the Government has a right to decide about the prolongation.

Travel restrictions didn’t change since the beginning of September. Tourism is not allowed, residents of Hungary can enter freely, business travel is permitted, third country nationals can enter to Hungary with special reasons and equity request issued by the Hungarian Police.

1. Curfew

Mandatory for everybody to remain at their homes, places of residence / commercial accommodation from 8 pm to 5 am.

Exceptions:
+ Work related cases: performing work, transferring between home and workplace – mandatory to certify this with a document by your employer
+ Emergency situations: health problems, family issues, life protection
+ Professional sports activities, practices, competitions: travelling there and returning home – mandatory to certify this with a document
+ Dog walking: within 500 meters of homes

2. Masks wearing and Testing

+ Wearing a mask is obligatory in all public spaces of towns with more than 10.000 inhabitants; Budapest in the 13th, 11th, 21st, 18th, 19th district, please check all the district’s website for more information.
+ In public transport
+ In customer offices / areas: post offices, government offices, authorities
+ In shopping malls, shops, restaurants
+Those ones who are working in hospitals, schools, kindergartens, nursery schools and social institutions the testing will be done weekly

3. Education

+ All the education institutions for children under the age of 14 remain open.
+ High schools: operates online; dormitories are open depend on the decision of the directors
+ Higher education: operates online; dormitories will be closed –the head of a university/college has a right to allow students to stay (foreign students)

4. Social distancing

+ All kinds of public gatherings are forbidden (cultural events, sporting events, music related events, and Christmas markets)
+ Maximum 10 people may attend family gatherings and other private gatherings
+ Weddings are allowed – just the ceremony, and only the couple and closest family members may attend – parents, grandparents, brothers/sisters, witnesses and children if they have
+ Funerals are allowed, but with maximum 50 people
+ Masses are allowed – based on the decision of the Churches
+ Professional sporting events may be held without spectators
+ Doing individual sport activities is allowed in open air
+ Hotels are not operating, can accept only people on business trips, not tourists)

5. Other restrictions & rules

+ Restaurants: must to be closed; home delivery or takeaway is allowed. Buffets, restaurants, cafeterias at workplaces, schools, hotels, hospitals will be open
+ Stores and shops must close at 7 pm. Exceptions: gas stations and pharmacies
+ Free-time facilities are closed: museums, libraries, zoos, cinemas, theatres, spas, gyms, swimming pools, ice-skating rinks (if not professional practices or competitions) etc.
+ Hotels may accept only people on business trips, economic or education related purposes, but tourist are not allowed.
+ Healthcare workers and students who participate in disease control can use local and inter-municipal public transportation free of charge. For this, necessary to have: Hungarian ID document, official document from the healthcare institution.

Penalties

If someone breaks the curfew, public gatherings, sport activities regulations or does not wear a mask, they can get a fine of 5.000 to 500.000 forints.

Please take into consideration that the above information is in accordance with current legislation, but Santa Fe can investigate all the different cases and can offer the best and compliant advice not just in the travel related questions but in the immigration related requests as well.

Should you have any questions, please contact us:

Henrietta Kígyósi
Hungary Head of Immigration
Santa Fe Relocation
Tel.: +36 70 332 36 06
Email: henrietta.kigyosi@santaferelo.com