What is a Schengen visa? Do I need one?

Find out here.

 

When can I apply for a Schengen visa?

You should apply at least 15 days before your intended trip, and not sooner than 9 months before your intended stay.

Please CLICK HERE to book an appointment. 

Due to high demand, we recommend booking an appointment slot as soon as possible.

 

I am visiting two or more Schengen countries. Who is responsible for my visa application?

If the visit includes more than one destination, the country whose territory constitutes the main destination of the visit in terms of the length or purpose of stay is responsible for the visa application. Examples:

  • You are sent by your company on a 4-day business meeting to Hungary. As you have already visited Hungary as a tourist earlier, you decide to take 6 days off to see Austria too. Despite that you intend to spend more time in Austria, the main purpose of your travel is doing business: Hungary is responsible. 
  • You are visiting your brother, who lives in Hungary, and your sister, who lives in the Netherlands. You plan to spend 4 days with your brother, and 6 days with your sister. The purpose of stay is the same, visiting family, but you will spend more time in the Netherlands. Netherlands is responsible.

If no main destination can be determined, the country whose external border the applicant intends to cross in order to enter the territory of the Schengen area is responsible. Example:

  • You fly in to Budapest for a Danube river cruise. You will spend 2 days is Hungary, 2 in Slovakia, 2 in Austria and 2 in Germany. Hungary is responsible as it is the country which you enter first.
  •  

Do I have to apply in person?

Yes. We will register your biometric information for the Visa Information System. If the consul deems necessary, you may have to come back again for a visa interview.

The full application process including payment takes on average 90 minutes.

 

Do I have to pay to submit a visa application?

Yes. The fee to apply for a Schengen Visa is 80 EUR (the fee will increase to 90 EUR from 11 June, 2024). You receive the exact payment instructions at the time of your appointment.

For children aged between 6 and 12, the fee is reduced to 40 EUR, while the fee for children younger than that is waived.

The visa is also free of charge for

  • family members of EU/EEA citizens either travelling together with their EU/EEA national family members or travelling in order to meet their EU/EEA national family members (except if your destination is Hungary)
  • researchers having a valid contract with a research institution in Hungary
  • pupils, students and their teachers travelling for study reasons
  • representatives of non-profit organizations under the age of 25 participating and attending seminars, conferences, sport, cultural or educational events organized and held by NGOs.

How much time does it take for the visa application to be evaluated?

We work hard to ensure that applications are evaluated in a speedy manner. For most applicants from most countries, the expected time for a decision and collecting passport is 3-4 working days. However, we caution that the deadline for evaluation is 15 calendar days, which might be extended up to 45 calendar days if necessary.

Processing time might also increase if you are a citizen of a country with the requirement of prior Member State consultation. 

 

How do I get my passport and (hopefully) visa?

We provide you an estimated time for collection at the submission of your application. You need to come back in person, or send a trusted person with the stamped payment receipt to collect.

 

What if I am a family member of an EU/EEA citizen?

The following persons qualify as family members:

  • the spouse of an EU/EEA citizen;
  • the partner with whom the EEA citizen has contracted a registered partnership, on the basis of the legislation of any EEA country, if the legislation of the host Member State treats registered partnership as equivalent to marriage;
  • the direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or are dependent as well as those of the spouse or partner as defined above; or
  • the dependent direct relatives in the ascending line and those of the spouse or partner as defined above.

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, and you are travelling together or you wish to join him or her in Europe

  • the Schengen Visa is free of charge for you (except if your destination is Hungary)
  • as supporting document, show an official certificate of the relationship and provide its copy - for spouses of Hungarian citizens, only a marriage certificate issued by Hungary is acceptable
  • if possible, please show your EU/EEA national family member's passport or ID card in original and submit the respective copies
  • you do not need a Schengen insurance, although it is still recommended to have one 

Where do I find even more information?

At the website of the Hungarian Consular Service.

Required Documentation and Further Useful Information about Schengen Visa Applications

I. General requirements:

  • Proof of lawful stay in Korea (ARC, etc.), shown in original and submitted in copy
  • Valid passport, issued within the last 10 years and containing at least 2 blank pages, with a validity of at least 3 months more after the planned departure from Hungary or other Schengen Area country. The passport needs to be left at the Embassy for the period of evaluation and submitted in copy
  • Fully filled and signed visa application form, including 3.5 x 4.5 cm color-photo pasted on the application form. You can download the visa application form here. If not electronically filled, please use blue ink to fill and sign
  • Personal statement providing the reason and important details of the intended stay
  • Confirmation of adequate financial resources – detailed bank statements of the last three months
  • Employment letter from employer. The employment letters must contain the name, direct phone and email contact of the person responsible for issuing the letter, as well as the period of employment, function and salary of the employee. Letters not meeting the criteria might be grounds for a rejection of the application
  • In case of other source of income, a relevant proof must be submitted
  • Roundtrip airplane ticket reservation
  • Reservation of accommodation
  • Schengen-compliant insurance: coverage for at least 30.000 EUR for any medical and repatriation expenses, for the whole period of the planned stay and for the territory of every Schengen State. 

 

II. Further useful information about the application:

  • The Schengen Zone is a single, unified area of different countries. If you enter the Schengen Zone in Hungary and then visit Austria, Czechia and Germany, then leave to Korea, you have only entered the zone once, not four times. Therefore it is sufficient for you to apply for a single-entry visa, no need to request a multiple-entry visa.
  • We only grant multiple-entry visas to applicants who have already had a positive Schengen visa history or on reasonable grounds. 
  • If the purpose of your trip is business, please present a letter of support from the company concerned in the Schengen country where you travel to, and a letter from your employer stating your position within the company and the reason for your business travel. Either letter should clarify who is responsible for expenses and where you will be staying (such as a hotel reservation).
  • A letter by an employer stating that it bears all expenses associated with the trip does not constitute in itself a confirmation of adequate financial resources.
  • Credit cards being provided as a proof of financial resources are not accepted
  •  
  • Attention!

The possession of a visa does not confer an automatic right of entry and the holders of the visas are requested to present proof that fulfil the entry conditions at the external border. Visa holders should carry with them supporting documents to demonstrate that they fulfill the conditions of entry, so that they can present them if need be during the checks at the EU border.

 

III. Other potential requirements and supporting documents:

  • Visa - if necessary - obtained for the country where applicant intends to depart from the Schengen Zone.
  • In case of an entry with an educational or other scientific or professional training purpose: the certificate or invitation letter of the receiving institution, the certificate of the envisaged place of accommodation (if provided by the institution).
  • For the purpose of attending a conference: invitation letter issued by the host organization, confirmation on participation issued by the host organization, and/or a certification issued by the delegating organization; receipt of payment of the registration fee.
  • For the purpose of the cultivation of family relations: an invitation letter or a letter signed by the applicant in full awareness of his/her criminal liability describing the degree of the family relation, giving the name, address and phone number of the family member and the purpose of the entry and stay.
  • In case of an entry with the purpose of medical treatment: the certificate of the receiving health institution, including reference to the fact that the expected coverage of the medical treatment is available, and other certification of the coverage of the medical treatment, as well as the certification of the address of the expected place of accommodation.
  • For the purpose of cultural activities: agency contract with the Schengen Zone service provider, invitation letter issued by the host organization.
  • For the purpose of sport: accreditation proving the participation in the sports event or contract with the Hungarian/Schengen Zone sport club, or the certificate issued by the delegating sport club / Olympic committee / Ministry of Sport, etc.

If you are planning to visit more Schengen States, the documents submitted must also contain information on your stay in the other Schengen States (e.g. if you plan to visit Hungary and the Czechia, you must not only hand in proof of hotel reservations in Hungary, but also in the Czechia).

The specific requirements depend on the purpose of travel, the length of intended stay and the personal circumstances of the applicant. Please bear in mind that the consul may require additional documents anytime during the visa procedure and applicants may be called for a personal interview, as well.

Documents shall be submitted in original if not otherwise stated.

We reserve the right to examine the authenticity of the communicated data and the submitted documents. The communication of false data in itself will lead to the refusal of the visa application.

We recommend to submit the visa application in due time, especially in periods preceding the summer holidays. 

 

General Data Protection and Schengen Visa Information

For further information on General Data Protection Regulation, please refer HERE.

For further information on Visa Information System (VIS), please refer HERE.

For further information on Schengen Information System (SIS II), please refer HERE.