COVID-19 Measures for travel to Hungary
COVID-19 travel restrictions have been lifted in Hungary. Travelers do not need to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19, or a negative test result.
You can find the latest information on the official website of the European Union:
- Rules to enter Hungary from an EU Member State or Schengen Associated country
- Rules to enter Hungary from outside an EU Member State or Schengen Associated country
- EU Digital COVID Certificates
- You can also check the latest information on air travel regulations on the IATA website.
Visa
Hungary is part of the Schengen Area of 27 European countries. For non-Schengen EU, USA, and Canadian citizens a valid passport is sufficient to enter Hungary. Citizens of other countries should check whether a visa is needed for them when entering Hungary (for more information please visit the home page of the Hungarian Consular Service (www.konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu) On request, the Congress Secretariat will issue invitation letters for visa applications. Please apply in due time for a visa if necessary and note that visa application takes 30-60 days and the personal procedure is necessary.
DOWNLOAD VISA APPLICATION GUIDE
Time Zone
Central European Time (CET): UTC+01:00
Central European Summer Time (CEST): UTC+02:00 (observed between the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October)
Travel by Plane
Budapest has direct flight connections with every capital of Europe and other major cities and hubs in Europe and worldwide. Most major airlines are also presented in Budapest. Any point in the world can be reached to and from Budapest. Liszt Ferenc International Airport (former Ferihegy Airport) has two terminals roughly 28 kilometers from the city. Since 2004 several low-cost airlines have been running their flights between Budapest and large European cities (Ryanair, Wizzair, Germanwings, EasyJet, Air Baltic, Air Lingus, Norwegian, Air Berlin, Jet2, Transavia, TUI Fly, etc).
Official website of Liszt Ferenc International Airport: www.bud.hu
Travel by Train
Budapest is connected to the European railway system. There are direct railway links between Budapest and 13 capital cities of Europe and 47 international scheduled trains arrive daily in Budapest. Many international trains have dining and sleeping cars or couchettes. Most international express trains arrive and depart from the Eastern (Keleti) Railway Station.
Official website of MÁV Hungarian Railway Company: www.mav-start.hu
Travel by Coach
Volánbusz Rt., being a member of Eurolines, operates scheduled services to several European countries. (Official website: www.volanbusz.hu/en)
FlixBus, a unique combination of a tech startup, e-commerce platform, and sustainable transportation company allows travelers to experience the world, no matter their budget. (Official website: www.flixbus.com)
How to get to the hotels/event venue from the Airport?
To reach your accommodation or the event venue there are several means of transport. See all available options by clicking here.
Taxi
To avoid any inconvenience, please use any of the recommended taxi companies. Please note, that all licensed Budapest taxi companies have yellow cabs and have uniform fares for all companies, placed clearly visible on the screens. You should be advised that taking the offers of non-contracted taxi companies and individuals offering their services inside the airport terminal building may pose risks.
Főtaxi: +36 1 222 22 22 www.fotaxi.hu
Pre-orders by e-mail: rendel@fotaxi.hu
Pre-orders online: click here
Order at the airport: Főtaxi is the official partner of the Liszt Ferenc International Airport, with onsite dispatch booths on both terminals. Reservations can be made in person at the booths located at the exits of terminals 2A and 2B.
City Taxi: +36 1 211 11 11, www.citytaxi.hu
Pre-orders by e-mail: order@citytaxi.hu
Order at the airport: when you get your luggage, call +36 1 2 111 118 (choose button 1 if you are at terminal 2A, button 2 if you are at terminal 2B).
Fares should be around 27-35 EUR per route (airport-city center) per car. Bank card payment is available in all taxi cabs of both Főtaxi and City Taxi.
Shuttle Bus
The miniBUD service offers reasonable rates for passengers from the airport to the event venue or to inner city hotels. One-way transfer is around 20 EUR, return transfer is around 36 EUR. (Tel: +36 1 550 0000; official website & orders: www.minibud.hu)
Public Transport
Public shuttle bus number 100E to the city center (Deák Ferenc tér, with two drop-off points at Kálvin tér and at Astoria) departs every 30 minutes from the airport. Deák Ferenc tér is within 6-8 min (550 m) walking distance from the event venue. This service is available only with a special ticket (2,200 HUF). To see details, click here.
USEFUL INFORMATION FOR YOUR STAY IN BUDAPEST
Budapest Public Transportation System
Budapest’s public transportation systems are operated by the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK). The service includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, underground trains (Metro), and above-ground suburban trains (HÉV). Buses, trams, and trolleybuses run daily from 4:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.
Three of the four recent metro lines interconnect at the Deák tér station, two interconnects at the Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway) station. Service frequencies range from 15 minutes late in the evening to every two minutes at peak times. Tickets or passes must be bought before boarding. They are available at BKK Customer Service Points, ticket offices at metro stations, and from the driver on board, but the best option is to use vending machines throughout the city.
Please note that the front-door-boarding-only policy is in place on some of the bus lines (including 100E from the airport to the city). Additionally, you can try the MOL Bubi public bike-sharing scheme as a new mode of public transport in Budapest, which consists of 76 docking stations and 1,100 bicycles.
Budapest’s excellent night bus system has just been upgraded to 40 lines.
Please note that to make sure that everyone has a ticket, the transport company has hired uniformed ticket inspectors who check for tickets on board.
For detailed information on public transportation fares and timetables please visit www.bkk.hu.
For smartphones, the official, free BUDAPEST GO app is available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
For YOUR PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BUDAPEST TRANSPORT please click here
Budapest Card
Get the most out of your stay with the official city pass: unlimited travel, free entrances, sightseeing tours, thermal bath entry, and much more. See details: www.budapestinfo.hu/budapest-card
Climate
The weather in Budapest is temperate and you can expect sun or rain at any time during the year. Average temperatures are as follows:
Jan: -3-1°C (27-34°F)
Feb: -2-4°C (28-39°F)
Mar: 2-10°C (36-50°F)
Apr: 6-15°C (43-59°F)
May: 11-21°C (52-70°F)
Jun: 14-24°C (57-75°F)
Jul: 16-26°C (61-79°F)
Aug: 15-26°C (59-79°F)
Sep: 12-22°C (54-72°F)
Oct: 7-16°C (41-65°F)
Nov: 2-7°C (36-45°F)
Dec: -1-3°C (30-37°F)
Check the weather forecast for Budapest at weather.yahoo.com, or at weather.com. For other regions of Hungary check weatherinhungary.com.
Insurance
The registration fees do not include provisions for the insurance of participants against personal accidents, illness, cancellation, theft, property loss, or damage. Participants are advised to take adequate personal travel insurance.
Currency
The Hungarian currency is the forint (Ft or HUF). If you want to exchange your currency for forint, always do so at an official exchange office. Never exchange money in the streets with random strangers, since this is prohibited by law, and also represents a huge risk anyway. The exchange rates applied in Budapest banks, official exchange offices, and hotels may vary. Average exchange rate: 1 Euro = 377 HUF in April 2023. Money withdrawal from ATMs is mostly in forint, but in the city center, there are multiple non-bank ATMs, where euro withdrawal is available, too.
Cash payments that do not end in 5 or 0 will be rounded to the closest 5 or 0, e.g. for HUF 152 you pay HUF 150, and for HUF 158 you pay HUF 160. All prices in shops are gross prices including VAT.
Credit Cards
In general, VISA, EC/MC, and American Express credit cards are accepted in most restaurants, cafes, shops, and petrol stations, please check the emblem at the entrance.
Stores and Shopping
The opening hours of Budapest stores are generally 10:00-18:00 on weekdays and 10:00-13:00 on Saturdays. The big shopping centers are open from 10:00-20:00 from Monday to Saturday and from 10.00-18.00 on Sunday.
Pharmacies
Budapest’s pharmacies (“gyógyszertár” in Hungarian) are well stocked and can provide medicaments for most common ailments. Each of the 23 districts has an all-night pharmacy open every day, a sign on the door of any pharmacy will help you locate the closest one.
Electricity
The voltage in Hungary is AC 230 V / 50 Hz. Electrical plugs are „Type F” (for European standard 2-pin sockets).
Parking
If you drive a personal or rented car, always try to park at a guarded parking lot and do not leave any valuables in the car. Please note that Budapest is divided into paying parking areas, with one parking meter in each street. The maximum parking time duration and tariffs may vary between different parking zones. For detailed information on parking, please click here.
ICE (In Case of Emergency)
Emergency hotline: 112
Once you have dialed the number, the dispatcher connects you to the corresponding service (ambulance, police, fire dept.).
Only emergency first-aid assistance is free – foreign tourists must pay for all other types of medical care and medicines. Costs will vary greatly among doctors working at publicly run clinics and those working privately.
