Travellers' Tips for Brits

VISAS. British nationals DO NOT require visas for Hungary. You may stay in Hungary as a visitor for up to six months. If you intend to stay longer than thirty days you must register with the local police. Each time a foreigner leaves the country and re-enters, the period of their residence is considered to have begun again.

MOST VISITS TO HUNGARY ARE CRIME FREE. But visitors should take sensible precautions against the sort of risks (such as petty crime) common in Western Europe. Bag snatching and pickpocketing are common in Budapest in particular. DO be particularly careful on busy public transport and at markets and other places frequented by tourists.

DO KEEP YOUR PASSPORT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. You must be able to show some form of identity if requested, e.g. by the police. A photocopy is not acceptable.

DO NOT CARRY LARGE AMOUNTS OF CASH. Leave valuables in a hotel safe. DO NOT use street moneychangers. Criminals sometimes pose as police officers: always ask for credentials and/or insist on going to the police station.

DO ALWAYS CHECK A PRICE IS DISPLAYED. There are still occasional incidents of tourists being charged exorbitant prices, sometimes accompanied by threats of violence, in certain bars and restaurants in Budapest. Visitors should be wary of strangers inviting them to unfamiliar establishments, and of menus which do not properly display prices.

THEFT OF, AND FROM, VEHICLES IS COMMON. DO be wary of contrived incidents, particularly on the Vienna-Budapest motorway, designed to stop motorists and expose them to robbery.

DO MAKE SURE YOUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT TICKET IS VALID. There are frequent checks for a valid ticket on public transport and being caught without one will result in a fine.

DON'T GET INVOLVED WITH DRUGS. Detention can be for up to 18 months awaiting trial. The penalties for smuggling, possession and use are severe.

SO ARE DRINK-DRIVING LAWS. It is illegal to drive having consumed any alcohol at all. The use of headlights is compulsory on roads outside towns even in daytime. Motorists give pedestrians priority pedestrian crossings. Vehicles using the Hungarian motorways M1 and M3 need to be in possession of a motorway vignette, obtainable from the Hungarian Auto Klub and at petrol stations and post offices. Being caught without a valid vignette will result in a fine.

DRIVERS OF LARGE HAULAGE VEHICLES transiting Hungary should ensure they have full vehicle documentation. International loads must be supported by a TIR carnet giving a full inventory of the goods carried. Vehicles transiting Hungary with consignments of humanitarian aid as relief following a disaster or medical aid should contact the Hungarian Embassy in London to obtain documentation waiving the requirement to leave a financial bond with the Hungarian Customs.

HM CONSUL: Mr Bernard Halliwell MBE
VICE-CONSUL: Mr Brian Simpson

Enquiries:
Tel: +36 (1) 266-2888
Fax: +36 (1) 429-6360
e-mail: Visa.Budapest@fco.gov.uk

We are open to the public Monday-Friday, holidays excepted:
09.30-12.00 for visa applications
09.30-12.00 and 14.30-16.00 for Consular/Passport matters.

THIS IS JUST A SELECTION OF THE TIPS AVAILABLE AT The British Embassy's Homepage