HOW TO APPLY FOR A SHORT-TERM TOURIST or A VISIT VISA TO HUNGARY
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While Hungary is very affordable when it comes to accommodation, transportation, and food, the activities are where you’re likely to spend most of your forints. Still, there are plenty of free activities to take advantage of. It’s an excellent destination for travelers who want to explore its rich culture, history, and heritage. People like visiting Hungary to sightsee its many historic cities, including the capital city of Budapest.
If you’re wondering if Budapest is worth visiting, the answer is 100% yes.
As one of the most underrated capital cities in Europe, every corner of Budapest oozes with history, charm, and beauty. The city’s architecture is unrivaled. The museums are fascinating. Romantic architecture, picture-postcard scenery, and an abundance of thermal baths are just a few of the things that make Hungary a must-visit destination. One of the biggest reasons that travelers love Budapest is its reputation as a budget-friendly place to visit. Although it has become more expensive over the years, many visitors still find it’s still cheaper than other European capitals. Indeed, Hungary is a wonderful Schengen country and great to visit any time of the year. There are interesting cities perfect for exploring lots of tourist attractions, beautiful countryside to enjoy the views or go hiking or biking. Whatever you do there, you’ll make some fabulous memories along the way!
In this article, learn more about how to apply for a Hungary short-term visa from the Philippines, Hungary visa appointment booking, visa application process in the Philippines.
An Overview of Schengen Visa for Short-term Stay in Hungary
Hungary is a part of the Schengen area i.e. a group of countries which carry out no checks at their common borders and which have brought their efforts to fulfill the right of free movement of persons to a successful end.
More information about the Schengen area can be found here.
To enter Hungary as a Philippine passport holder (and any other countries in the Schengen zone), you must obtain a Schengen Visa first. You can get a tourist visa (if touring the country is your primary purpose) or a visit visa (if your main objective is to visit a family, friend, or significant other).
With a Schengen Visa, you may come and stay to Hungary for up to 90 days total starting from the date of entry to the date of exit. This 90-day stay may start and end anytime within the dates stipulated in the visa validity period (180 days).
Hungary Visa Conditions for Philippine Citizens
If you are a Philippine passport holder and you are planning to apply for a Hungarian Schengen visa, you must fulfill these conditions:
- Hungary is your main destination. It means that you will visit Hungary only and have no plans of visiting any other neighboring Schengen country (sa Hungary ka lang pupunta at mag-stay); or you will stay the longest in Hungary.
- You have plans of visiting other Schengen countries, but Hungary is where you will be staying the longest. (Pupunta ka pa sa ibang Schengen countries, pero sa Hungary ang pinaka-mahabang stay mo).
Example: You will stay in Hungary for 14 days to visit a family member or a relative. After that, you will go to Belgium, France, and Germany for a 2-week side trip, before returning to the Philippines.
- The main purpose of your travel is in Hungary. You have plans of visiting other Schengen countries, but the focus of your travel is in Hungary.
- Hungary is your port of entry. You have plans of visiting multiple Schengen countries for the same number of days, pero Hungary ang iyong first point of entry.
Important Documents to Prepare
All Hungary visa applications will be coursed through VFS Global Hungary Schengen Visa Application Center.
You can submit your application up to 6 months before, but no later than 15 days before your intended departure date. If you apply less than 15 days ahead, there may not be enough time for your application to be processed as this takes at least 15 days.
Now, depending on your circumstance or Visa type that you wish to apply for, below are the list of corresponding requirements for each section. Take note that the listed requirements are arranged in order — meaning, the Embassy requires you to arrange these documents in such order upon submission (so take note of the order/numbering below).
Of course, always make sure that you have authentic, original, and complete documents at all times.
Below are the list of documents that are required to be submitted when applying for a Poland Schengen Visa for the purpose of tourism or visiting family or friends in this Schengen area.
Note: Prepare two sets of each document—one original set and one photocopy.
I. INITIAL ASSESSMENT
1. Correct Checklist for the purpose of the travel
2. Hungary is the main destination
3. Have you ever applied for a Schengen visa before?
4. Have you been denied of a Schengen visa or other visa before?
II. GENERAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR SHORT-TERM VISA APPLICATION
1. A duly filled out and signed Schengen Visa Application Form. You may download the form by signing up here.
Form must be filled out on-line, printed out and signed personally by the applicant (for minors, the application shall be signed personally by at least one of the parents or a legal guardian while submitting the application). All entries should be properly filled out – no blanks.
2. A cover letter explaining in detail the main purpose of the trip. The cover letter details the purpose of your journey to Hungary plus your complete itinerary indicating all of the places you are planning to visit while you’re there. The cover letter is crucial to the success of your application; a well-thought-out and well-written cover letter gets you a higher chance of visa approval. Let us take care of your cover letter (and others such as sponsorship, invitation, and appeal), get our letter service here!
3. Two current biometrical passport photos
- Size 35 x 45 mm
- White background
- Not older than 6 months
- Printed on high quality paper
- Complying with ICAO guidelines (International Civil Aviation Organization)
4. Original Passport and a Photocopy of it as well as the Bio Page– must be valid at least 3 months calculating from the date of intended departure from the Schengen area.
Must contain at least two blank visa pages, excluding the endorsements pages.
Not older than 10 years (extended passports are not accepted).
5. Consent Background Verification—the applicant should provide consent to the Hungarian Embassy to do a background check. The purpose of this is to verify that the applicant is who they claim to be and provides opportunity for someone to check a person’s criminal record, education, employment history, and other activities happened in the past to confirm the applicant’s validity.
So, make sure na hindi fake ang anumang information or documents na iprovide ninyo because the Embassy have ways to find out and to verify if all information that the applicant provided.
6. Documents indicating the purpose of the journey and countries to be visited – At this part, it’s good practice to include a cover letter along with this itinerary document so that you can properly explain the purpose of your trip. We can help you plan your trip by availing our itinerary service.
7. Travel Insurance valid to all Schengen area– the coverage must be applied during the entire duration of the trip and must be valid for all Schengen countries. Coverage sum must be AT LEAST EUR 30,000 (Php 2.5 million or USD 50,000). I highly recommend Pioneer Insurance which you can avail yourself through me. Feel free to directly inquire through JASTravel on Facebook and I would be very glad to assist you.
8. A copy of your roundtrip flight reservation. Do NOT buy flight tickets before the visa is issued because the Polish Embassy will NOT take any responsibility for the costs you’ll incur if your visa gets denied. We can assist you with a dummy ticket for your flight reservation requirement; get it here!
6. A copy of your roundtrip flight reservation. Do NOT buy flight tickets before the visa is issued because the Hungarian Embassy would NOT take any responsibility for the costs you’ll incur if your visa gets denied. We can assist you with a dummy ticket for your flight reservation requirement; get it here!
9. Proof of Accomodation, copy(ies). These are confirmed hotel reservation(s) only for the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen countries containing the name and contact details of the hotel(s) as well as the reservation number.
Tip: I suggest that you reserve your hotel stays via Booking.com and/orAgoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all. So yes, you can make reservations without any payment, you can change the reservation anytime, AND you can cancel them at no cost as well if in case your HungarySchengen visa is not approved.
10. Proof of financial capacity to show that you (or your sponsor) can support your expenses for the whole duration of your travel.
• For those traveling without a sponsor: this means that you will cover all your expenses during the entire duration of your travel.
- Bank statements – must show records of the past six months. A bank statement shows your transactions in your account at a specific period. It will show debits (withdrawals, payments, taxes, service fees) and credits (deposits, interest earned.) Bank Statements can also be seen online especially if you have a registered account. There is no signature for the manager or a bank officer.
- Bank Certificate – it is a confirmation by the branch manager or a bank officer that you have an existing account in their bank. It shows the account number, the type, and other details such as the opening date of your account, your account balance as of the date of request, and your average daily balance.
- Other proof of income (supporting documents) – although it is not really required, you can submit invoices and pay slip equivalent to prove that you earn enough to support this trip financially.
If you maintain a bank account for a long time, better maintain it. Kahit na may sponsor ka, of course, plus points pa din sa visa application mo if idadagdag mo din bank statements mo, payslips from our employer, and other proof na financially capable ka din and most importantly, it proves deep rootedness as well.
Sponsorship Letter which should state the fact that he/ she is inviting you to come over, your relationship with each other, and that he/ she is willing to sponsor you during your trip. Of course, it needs to have documentary proof.
Original Affidavit of Support, legalized by the Philippine Embassy in Hungary. To know more about the process on how to accomplish an AOS, kindly contact the Honorary Consulate of the Philippines in Budapest, Hungary via E-mail: budapest.pe@dfa.gov.ph or phbuda@philembassy.hu
The sponsor’s copies of: passport including the biodata page and travel history (passport stamps) and ID Card or Resident ID card
Recent proof of income of the sponsor (3 last months’ salary slips, etc.)
Proof of relationship with the sponsor (pictures together, Birth or Marriage certificate, and screenshot of chat conversations)
To know more about additional requirements that you would need from your sponsor, check out my YouTube video below:
11. Evidence of your rootedness in the Philippines – Evidence of deep-rootedness a.k.a. strong family and social ties to your home country, is one of the most critical requirements when applying for a Schengen Visa. It is what the Consul will look for in your visa application. So how do you prove that you are firmly established in the Philippines and that you will go back to your home country? This can either be: Confirmation of employment / private business / studies / pension.
You need to convince them that you will return to the Philippines. Insufficient evidence of deep-rootedness to your home country is also one of the chief reasons for visa denial.
For company employees – original letter from employer confirming the position in the company, date of employment, salary for the last 6 months and period of holidays granted (certificate of leave of absence). The letter must include the name and position of the person who signed the certificate, registration and contact details of the company.
For private business – confirmation of business registration, license, income tax return, business financial statement;
For students – proof of enrolment, certificate from the school with confirmation of leave of absence and the valid student’s ID card. You may be also requested to submit a student’s record-book;
> Recent certificate of enrollment from the school
> Letter authorizing the student’s absence from schoolFor pensioners – pension certificate indicating the amount of pension;
For unemployed – a written and signed explanation on the applicant’s labour situation;
For Solo parents:
› A copy of your birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› A copy of your child/children’s birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› Solo parent ID
› Barangay Certification as Solo parent
› Notarized Affidavit of Solo Parent with Undertaking
› Money remittances to support your dependents- For those who are supporting or watching over the health/well-being of the family:
› A copy of my parent’s birth certificates- PSA Authenticated
› If parents are already Senior Citizens: a copy of their Senior Citizen ID and Barangay Certification as Senior Citizens
› If parents have sickness/ illness: Medical history of parents (diabetes, hypertension, etc.)- Documents confirming ownership of real estate property in the Philippines (if applicable)
> Land titles
> Car registration certificates
> Deeds of Sale
- For Minors
> Joint affidavit of both parents or legal guardians granting consent
> Photocopies of the passports of both parents or legal guardians
> Birth certificate of the minor. Must be recent, original, and issued by PSA.
> DSWD Clearance, if the minor is not traveling with either parent or legal guardian
12. For Non-Filipino applicants
- A copy of Alien Certificate Registration (ACR)
- A copy of Valid Alien Registration card
III. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS PER VISA CATEGORY
Aside from the general required documents, below are some additional documents that you need to add or to prepare depending on the visa category that you will apply for:
- Invitation Letter– Original official invitation letter from the sponsor or the official MEGHÍVÓLEVÉL form.
- Proof of Relationship:
Proof of relationship to the invitee or sponsor—this can be photos together, correspondence/communication in the form of E-mail, chat, phone call history conversations
> Proof that you and your Friend/Boyfriend have already met (stamps from he/she’s in passport) Copy
- Affidavit of Support from the Sponsor— Original Affidavit of Support, legalized by the Philippine Embassy in Finland. To know more about the process on how to accomplish an AOS, kindly contact the Honorary Consulate of the Philippines in Budapest, Hungary via E-mail: pe@dfa.gov.ph or phbuda@philembassy.hu
- Guarantee Letter from the company or organization
- Proof of who will sponsor the travel
- Invitation Letter:
Original invitation letter from the inviting organization. It should also include the contact person’s email address and phone number.
> Letter on who will covered the cost
> Is this for sports event or training?
- If under scholarship program:
Approval Letter, amount of funds covered by the scholarship and contact person email and number
> Letter including the start date of the study or program
- Guarantee Letter:
Guarantee letter from the company
> Proof of who will sponsor the study or program
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply for a Schengen Visa to Hungary
Before you apply, go to VFS Global’s website and find out about Schengen visas. The one you will need to apply for will depend on why you are going to Finland. You must know which visa type you need before you submit your application, otherwise, it could be rejected.
Step 1: Determine the type of Hungarian Schengen visa you need to apply for.
There are various types of Hungarian Schengen visas out there that you can apply for: a visa for residence, a visa for family visits, a visa for studying, a visa for work, a visa for transit, a visa for being a spouse, etc.
Each application must comply with the guidelines applicable to your visa or residence permit category.
If your documents are not in English, you may need to get notarized translations prepared before applying.
Step 2: Get started with your visa application.
Once you are ready to apply, you can download the visa application form, complete it, print the complete form and bring it with you to the Visa Application Centre (together with the documents required for the Visa category chosen) for submission.
Step 3: Schedule your appointment online with VFS Global.
When it comes to the Hungarian Embassy, they do visa applications via their external service provider, VFS Global. You can choose a Visa Application Centre and make an appointment.
VFS Visa Application Center – Manila
Ground Flr., Ecoplaza Building
2305 Don Chino Roces Ave, Extension,
Makati, Metro Manila
VFS Visa Application Center – Cebu
Unit 503, 5th Floor, Keppel Center
Samar Loop cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue
Cebu Business Park, Cebu City
Once you have filled your visa form, you need to book an appointment to have your fingerprints and photo taken at a Visa Application Centre. This is known as ‘biometric information’.
Once you’ve booked your appointment, you’ll receive an appointment confirmation email along with the letter of appointment.
If you are part of a family or group, you’ll have to book individual appointments for each member of the family or group.
Step 4: Pay your fees.
Find out the amount you need to pay.
When you register your application, you will need to pay your application fee as part of this process.
For additional information in Service fee and Courier fee, please click here.
Certain additional services offered by VFS Global are not included in the service fee. Please note that these services are optional.
Step 5: Visit the Application Center on the day of your scheduled appointment.
You’ll have to submit your complete visa application form at the Visa Application Centre in person.
Find out how the process goes at the Visa Application Centre.
Step 6: Track your application.
Stay informed about the progress of your application.
You will receive an email update when your decision has been returned to the Visa Application Centre. If you can’t access email easily, or would like more detailed tracking information, you may also be able to get updates by SMS sent directly to your phone. Check whether this service is available at the Visa Application Centre you are visiting.
You can also track your visa application status online. Use the Reference Number present on the invoice/receipt issued by the Visa Application Centre along with your last name to access this service.
Some other things to remember:
After a visa application decision has been made, you can pick up your documents from the Visa Application Centre or have your documents returned to you by courier for an additional fee.
Collecting your documents in person: bring the receipt issued by the Visa Application Centre and a form of Government identification. If permitted you may be able to send a representative to collect your documents; they will need to present a Applicant’s authorization in writing (with full name, signature, passport number, place and date), valid identification issued by the government in original and copy for both, the authorized representative and the applicant (one copy of each to be kept at VAC).
Please check with the Visa Application Centre at time of your appointment for the options available to collect your documents.
When collecting your decision, please make sure to check that your envelope contains your documents, including originals. If you have been granted a visa, it will be affixed to your passport.
Quick Facts
- Validity of Visa : Short-stay Schengen visas allow people to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days every six-month period
- Processing time:Applications shall be decided on within 5 to 10 working days after the date of lodging.
- Where to lodge your application:
VFS Visa Application Centre
30th Floor The World Center, Sen Gil J Puyat Ave Makati City 1231, Philippines
-
- VFS Cebu
Unit 503, 5th Floor, Keppel Center, Samar Loop cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City 6000
- VFS Cebu
- Embassy’s Information:
- Norwegian Embassy in Manila (in-charged of handling Iceland Schengen Visa applications in the Philippines)
- Address: 8th/F Del Rosario Law Centre, 21st Drive corner 20th Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila 1630
- Telephone Number: +63 (0) 2 810 9186
- E-mail address: consulate.mnl@mfa.gov.hu
- Norwegian Embassy in Manila (in-charged of handling Iceland Schengen Visa applications in the Philippines)
- Hungarian Consulates in the Philippines:
- Honorary Consulate- General
- Address: 760 2nd Street, Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines
- Telephone Number: 8811 55 19, 8811 55 21 trunk 303
- Honorary Consulate- General
- Honorary Consulate Cebu
- Address: Doña Emilia Benedicto Building, 7 E. Benedicto Street, 6000 Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
- Telephone Number: 255-3200
- Honorary Consulate Cebu
- Honorary Consulate Davao
- Address: 0101 Corner Davao-Basilian Streets, Insular Village Phase 2, Lanang, Davao City 8000, Philippines
- Telephone Number: 327-1564
- Honorary Consulate Davao
Common Reasons for Schengen Visa Rejection
Here are the common reasons a Schengen Visa application gets denied:
- No clear travel purpose—a detailed cover letter is a must!
- Lack of strong ties—reevaluate your application and prove why you must return to your home country!
- Insufficient travel insurance coverage—make sure you get the right policy!
- No proof of financial means—convince them that you can afford your trip! Provide bank or credit card statements, VUL, investment portfolio, etc.
- Passport does not have 2 free pages—where will they attach the visa if your passport pages are already full? You should get a new passport before applying for a visa if there are no more available pages on your old one!
- No proof of accommodation—you need to prove them that you have a place to stay in the Schengen Area.
Recap and Tips
So, just a recap and a reminder, please don’t forget these TIPS:
If you ever need help, you can avail my visa application bundle, and I will be glad to help you through the process!
Let Us Be Your Partner in Your Schengen Visa Journey
Applying for a Schengen Visa can be overwhelming, with all the paperwork involved and confusing information from different sources. We understand that—we’ve been there and have done that!
But through the years, we gained experience and knowledge on the ins and outs of the Schengen Visa application. We’ve helped countless satisfied clients; we would like to invite you to be one of them!
With our Schengen Visa services personalized to your unique needs and circumstances, we will make your visa application less stressful and laborious and more promising. Contact us to schedule a consultation or for other inquiries.
