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Before coming to HungaryBEFORE COMING TO HUNGARY STUDENT VISA
Non-EEA citizens need to apply for the residence permit together with the visa application before arrival in Hungary. For further information about the relevant legislation in Hungary, you should visit the website of the Office of Immigration and Nationality at: www.bmbah.hu HEALTH CARE, INSURANCE All non-EEA students are strongly advised to insure themselves in their home country before coming to Hungary. Students from EEA member countries should check whether their home health care insurance is valid in Hungary. Health insurance policies taken out abroad cover the cost of the first, and only the first treatment in Hungary. In all other cases, the cost of medical treatment must be settled at the rate set by the medical institution. The institution determines which credit cards are accepted for this purpose. To become entitled to full medical care you need to provide the appropriate document from your home insurance company. Emergency and ambulance services are free of charge in cases requiring immediate medical attention. All other medical treatment is regulated by international treaties. HEALTH Immunisation: not a requirement for entering Hungary. Persons diagnosed with an infectious disease are not permitted to enter the country. Medication: Tourists are permitted to bring medication for personal use. Products containing narcotic substances can only enter with the special permission of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Medication prescribed abroad can be purchased in pharmacies at full market price. Only a limited selection of over-the-counter drugs are available in Hungary. Emergency and ambulance services are free of charge in cases requiring immediate medical attention. All other medical treatment is regulated by international treaties. Ambulance telephone no.: 104 Health insurance policies taken out abroad cover the cost of the first, and only the first treatment in Hungary. In all other cases, the cost of medical treatment must be settled at the rate set by the medical institution. The institution determines which credit cards are accepted for this purpose. CURRENCY, EXCHANGE, BANKS Currency: The official means of payment in Hungary is the Forint (Ft, HUF). Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 200 HUF Bank notes: 500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000 HUF Exchange: In Hungary banks, savings banks and 599 businesses involved in exchange. There is no mandatory minimum amount for currency exchange. Banks: In Hungary banks are usually open between 8.00 - 16.00 on weekdays. Some banks are open on Saturday, but all are closed on Sunday. ATM machines and currency exchange machines are available throughout the country. The credit cards used most often - AMEX, Diners Club, EnRoute, Euro/Mastercard, JCB, VISA - can be used to withdraw cash from banks and ATM machines and to pay bills in hotels, restaurants and shops. Emblems at the entrance mark the shops where credit cards are accepted. Most banks have their own automated networks. You can use your bank or credit card to get cash at post offices throughout Hungary. More than 3200 post offices nation-wide provide this service. Traveller's Cheques: Traveller's cheques can usually be purchased in major banks. ELECTRICITY Voltage in Hungary is 230 volts, and plugs are of the two-pin continental type. EMERGENCY CALLS International emergency call centre: 112 Ambulance: 104 Fire Department: 105 Police: 107 The above phone numbers can be called free of charge. WEATHER AND TEMPERATURES Budapest has a temperate continental climate. Seasons are usually well defined, with July and August the hottest months (28-30° C, 82-86° F) and December and January the coldest, when temperatures may fall to –15° C or just +5° F. Average sunshine from April to September is in excess of eight hours a day. HOLIDAYS January 1: New Year Mach 15: National holiday Religious holidays: Easter Monday, Pentecost Monday May 1: Labour Day August 20: Constitution Day, St. Stephen's day October 23: Proclamation of the Republic November 1: All saints day December 25-26: Christmas INFORMATION ON VISA AND FRONTIER CROSSING Between the EU countries, Norway and Iceland the citizens of the member states, Norway and Iceland are not required to have a passport. During their travel within the European Union they have the choice to prove their identity with ID card or passport. Hungary shall implement the common visa policy in its everyday practice. According to the European visa policy: National identity card is needed for entry into Hungary for citizens of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finnland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Passport is required for entering Hungary for citizens from Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden. Citizens of the following European countries are required to have visa to enter Hungary: Albania, Belorussia, Macedonia, Moldavia, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Ukraine. Border crossing control within the EU remains as it was before (Schengen rules) in case of Sweden and the new EU member states (Hungary and Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia) until they become members of Schengen area. For the travel of children they need either their own passport or their own ID card or in the lack of them they need to be registered in one of their parents' passport. Foreigners who wish to visit Hungary for more than 90 days and who intend to work or engage in other income-producing activity need to apply for a visa. A visa can be purchased at a Hungarian consulate or foreign representation in the country of residence. If there is no such mission there, foreigners can turn to any other Hungarian diplomatic mission or consular post. The Hungarian honorary consular offices are not entitled to issue visas, however they have all the necessary forms, and may also accept visa applications that they forward to the nearest diplomatic mission or consular post. TIME ZONE Budapest is in the Central European Time Zone. In the winter months this means clocks are set at GMT + 1 hour, and in the summer (March to the end of October) GMT + 2 hours. TOURIST CARDS Hungarian Tourism Card: Transferable and valid for 13 months, offering discounts:
The card entitles its holder to discounts when used together with a voucher booklet. Along with the card, you will receive an information brochure listing businesses and venues honouring the card. The entire package (card + information brochure) costs HUF 5,520. It can be obtained at all TOURINFORM offices, petrol stations with convenience stores and at larger railway stations. Hungary Card - more information >>> Budapest card: The card, issued by the Budapest Tourist Office and valid for a period of 48 or 72 hours, provides its holder the following benefits:
The card comes with a 100-page brochure, listing available services. The Budapest Card costs HUF 5,200 for two days and HUF 6,500 for three days. The card can be used by one adult and a child under the age of 14. It is available at all TOURINFORM offices, and a number of travel agencies, hotels, at the airport and larger BKV ticket offices. Budapest Card - more information >>> TELEPHONE The international code for Hungary is 36, the area code for Budapest is 1. To call a number within Hungary, first dial 06. Budapest telephone numbers comprise seven digits, all other areas’ have six digits (excluding the area code in both cases). To make an international call from Hungary, first dial 00, then the country code followed by the area code and the subscriber’s telephone number. Public telephones accept either coins (20, 50, and 100 forints) or telephone cards (available from tobacconists, newsagents, post offices, and petrol stations). Cheap rate runs at night and on public holidays. To call a (Hungarian) mobile telephone, first dial 06, followed by the subscriber’s seven-digit number starting with either 20-, 30- or 70-. The public phones work with 10, 20, 50 and 100 HUF coins or with phone-cards available at hotels, post offices, petrol stations, newsagents, kiosks and street vendors. The minimum charge for a call is 20 HUF. PUBLIC SAFETY Just as anywhere around the world, tourists travelling in Hungary should follow certain basic rules: carry travel documents and valuables in a secure bag around your neck or belt pouch worn under your clothing and never leave any valuables in a parked car. Do not wear expensive jewellery in public and avoid the poorly lit, deserted parts of the city! Carry only the minimum necessary amount of today most commercial units accept credit cards. When short of cash, use card operated ATM machines. (If you lose your credit card, immediately notify the issuing bank!). Exchange your currency only at official exchange bureaus, travel agencies, official exchange offices or ATM machines - never change with street hawkers! When travelling in a taxi, use officially registered taxi companies and, before starting out, make sure that the taxi is equipped with the driver's photo ID, and that the rate chart is displayed and the meter is on. At the end of the trip you must receive a receipt; if the driver fails to provide it, always ask for one! Only uniformed police and immigration officers with proper identification are entitled to check your identity or to ask for your ID. In places of entertainment always ask for a menu with a price list before making an order! In Hungary, a service charge is not customarily part of the bill. It can only be added to the bill if it is explicitly stated on the menu. The business is required to issue a receipt for all costs and services printed by a cash register; the waiter's hand-written bill is not accepted as proof of purchase. Especially male visitors should beware of women with often excellent language skills, who have themselves invited to entertainment spots and run up bills at visitor's expense. |
