Hungarian Visa for Cultural/ Sports/ Religious Event and Film Crews

The travel industry has experienced a major boom in Hungary and the country had been able to uplift its socioeconomic status through its flourishing hospitality sector. The national authorities, in order to ensure the safety of the international visitors provide better law and order enforcement and improved the complicated process of obtaining visas for British residents. We are glad to share a complete procedure on how to get a Hungarian visa in 2022.

Picture of Hungarian flag
Hungarian flag

Let’s consider this:

Introduction

1. Top questions

1.1 What is a visa & who needs to get it?

1.2 What Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews is to enter Hungary?

1.3 How long is a Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews valid for?

1.4 When should I start applying to get a Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews?

1.5 How long does it take to get a Hungarian Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews?

1.6 Where is the Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews processed? 

1.7 How much does it cost to obtain a Hungarian Visa? 

1.8 How to pay? 

2. Application process

2.1 Documents to apply for Hungarian Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews

2.2 Steps to apply for Hungarian Visa

In overall

The growth in the number of incoming tourists in Hungary has led to innumerable prospects in terms of local entrepreneurship & employment generation. This is also associated with international investments and infrastructure development. At the same time, there is concern about their impact on local inhabitants in Hungary. While questions have been raised regarding the negative impacts that accompany the growth in the Hungarian travel sector, it is worth mentioning that, by enforcing stern law and order and implementing strict legislations, governments can control most of these negative impacts of tourism in Hungary. In this context, strict visa requirements have brought enormous benefits to Hungary and especially the local population. However, we are convinced that the procedure of getting a visa to enter Hungary is a piece of cake matter. Let’s start to answer as well as reply to some questions to better understand the Hungarian visa application process.

1. Top questions

1.1 What is a visa & who needs to get it?

According to Wikipedia definition, a visa is a permit given by Hungary that allows someone to fly, stay in, or pass through the border of Hungary. This document is stamped on one’s passport by an embassy. It goes without saying, there is the type of visit and the duration of staying in the country. In rare cases, people have to be interviewed at the embassy before they obtain a visa. Henceforth, it can be confidently conveyed that some categories of citizens who reside in the UK are offered visa-free conditions to see Hungary.

British citizens are exempted from visas for short stay visits to the Schengen area (up to 90 days in any 180 days period) but will require a visa if staying more than 90 days in Hungary. On the other side, if you do not hold a UK passport meaning that you are a UK resident there is a need to get a Hungarian visa to visit Hungary.

Please, take a look at the tables to check out whether your nationality requires you to apply for a Hungarian visa or not.

 

[expand title=”The countries whose citizens are required to get a Hungarian visa in order to enter there are”]

A
AfghanistanAlgeriaAngolaArmeniaAzerbaijan
B
BahrainBangladeshBelarusBelize
BeninBhutanBoliviaBotswana
Burkina FasoBurma/MyanmarBurundi
C
CambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChad
ChinaComorosCongoCote D’ivoireCuba
D
Dem. Rep. Of CongoDjiboutiDominican Republic
E
EcuadorEgyptEquatorial GuineaEritreaEthiopia
F
Fiji
G
GabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyana
H
Haiti
I
IndiaIndonesiaIranIraq
J
JamaicaJordan
K
KazakhstanKenyaKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstan
L
LaosLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibya
M
MadagascarMalawiMaldivesMali
MauritaniaMongoliaMoroccoMozambique
N
NamibiaNepalNigerNigeriaNorthern Mariana’sNorth Korea
O
Oman
P
PakistanPapua New GuineaPalestinian AuthorityPhilippines
Q
Qatar
R
RussiaRwanda
S
Sao Tome And PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSierra Leone
SomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSri Lanka
SudanSurinameSwazilandSyria
T
TajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-Leste
TogoTongaTunisiaTurkey
Turkmenistan
U
UgandaUzbekistan
V
Vietnam
Y
Yemen
Z
ZambiaZimbabwe

[/expand]

 

With the primary condition such as a UK residence permit valid for at least another three more months beyond the date you plan to leave Hungary / the Schengen Area comes a plethora of benefits like you can live in Hungary for less than 90 days but if your idea is about staying in Hungary for more than 90 days, then there is a need to apply for a residency permit, not a Hungarian Schengen visa.

If you have a 3 month UK visa, you can extend it for three more months to be eligible to apply for a Hungarian Schengen visa from within the UK. You must apply for an extension before your visa expires and while you’re still in the UK.

1.2 What Hungarian Visa for Cultural/ Sports/ Religious Event and Film Crews is to enter Hungary? 

This kind of visa is designated to witness any global cultural event or film festival, thus, complimenting Hungarians, which encounter and fuse with each other, for mutual development. When British residents cross borders, they carry their ideas, knowledge, and skills and let them bled with those of the Hungarians. The compound is ideally beneficial because talented British artists generally take up and sustain what is good for them. For this blending of knowledge and ideas, today’s visa requirements for visiting any sort of international event are much more convenient than they were less than 10 years ago.

1.3 How long is a Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews valid for?

The time of visa to be actual primarily depends on a visa type. Consequently, this enables us to pay attention to the duration and prepare some documents to make your trip a great pleasure.

This visa is normally issued for a maximum of 90 days per 180-day period. Remember that if the total duration of your stay exceeds 90 days, you will be issued a long-stay national visa.

1.4 When should I start applying to get a Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews?

It is highly recommended to apply for a Hungarian Visa at least 2 weeks prior to the planned trip.

1.5 How long does it take to get a Hungarian Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews?

You will be replied to by the Visa Application Center in 10 working days or less because it takes time to proceed with all the documentation and the traveler’s request.

Normally proceeding time takes up to two months if there is something unusual in a certain situation.

1.6 Where is the Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews processed? 

To start, all visas are processed in a similar way. The only difference worth mentioning is the rare cases when additional documents are needed.

IF YOU VISIT ONLY HUNGARY THEN you need to submit your application at the Hungarian Visa Center IN THE UK.

IF YOU VISIT MORE COUNTRIES THAN HUNGARY THEN you need to submit your application at the Visa Center IN THE COUNTRY:

– you will be spending more days;

– you will come in first since you plan to spend an equal amount of days in each.

Picture of VFS Center's official website page
VFS Center’s official website page

A VISA APPLICATION CENTER IN LONDON – VFS JOINT VISA APPLICATION CENTRE

Address:

66 Wilson Street

London

EC2A 2JX

Contact details:

email: info.ituk@vfshelpline.com

Helpline number: 0871 376 0023

However, to meet the skyrocketing demand for Hungarian Visas, the Hungarian Embassy outsourced its Visa Application Processing to the Hungarian Visa Centers in London. To be added, a Visa Application Centre is a special third-party service provider authorized to accept visa applications on behalf of a country. It should transmit the information on the applicant and their application to the responsible body for visa processing which is the embassy or consulate of the applicant’s destination country. Our company is ready to help you with filling and sending the necessary documents to the Visa Application Center. Thus, at present, our company corrects and sends the documents to get Hungarian Visas through VFS Visa Application Center.

1.7 How much does it cost to obtain a Hungarian Visa? 

The cost for processing a visa is totally different for some categories of UK residents:

– 73 UK pounds is the actual visa processing fee for adults;

– 36,5 UK pounds is the actual visa processing fee for the 6-12 years old kids.

There is no fee to be paid for the next categories of UK residents:

– the kids younger than 6 years of age;

– spouse of a Hungarian citizen;

– a family member of an EU/EEE national traveling along with the EU/EEE family member;

– kids below the age of 21 and financially dependent on an EU national;

– ascendants are financially dependent on an EU national;

– pupils, students, and accompanying teachers during a school trip;

– scientists (holders of a « Convention d’accueil » only for short stays);

– foreign teachers teaching Hungarian;

– scholarship holders from the Hungarian government, foreign governments, foreign foundations, or payees of EU programs (only to travel within the territory designated by the terms of the funding program).

1.8 How to pay? 

You have the option of paying the visa fees by cash or Credit/ Debit card when applying at the Visa Application Centre. Checks are not accepted.

2. Application process

2.1 Documents to apply for Hungarian Visa for Cultural/Sports/Religious Event and Film Crews

When applying for a Hungarian Visa, you must provide the next documents:

FIRST DOCUMENT – VISA APPLICATION FORM  

You need to fill in your Short-stay Visa Application Form legibly, and correctly, sign it, and be aware that addresses in Hungary must specify the number, street name, city, and postal code.

Please make use of the following table to fill in the form correctly:

The appropriate Form SectionOur explanation of each Form Section
SurnameFill in your name like it is on your passport (do not write “married name” and your husband name)
Surname at birthWrite the name you had at your birth if different than your current surname
First Name (s)Write your first name like it is on your passport
Date of birthFill in your date of birth like this: day/month/year
Place of birthFill in your place of birth like it is on your passport
Country of birthFill in your country of birth even there is no it on your passport
Current NationalityFill in your nationality like it is on your passport
Nationality at birth, if differentFill in your nationality at birth if it is different from the nationality on your passport
Other nationalities
SexFill in your male or female gender
Marital StatusFor a common-law marriage, indicate “common-law marriage” in the section “Other”. For a PACS (French civil union contract) with an French citizen, indicate “PACS” in the section “Other“
Parental AuthorityFill in the full name, address, telephone number, email address, and nationality of the person who keeps parental authority or legal guardianship
National Identity NumberFill in your national identity number if you have this one
Type of travel documentWrite the appropriate kind of your travel document
Number of travel documentWrite the appropriate numbers of your travel document
Date of issueWrite the date your passport was issued (not the extension date)
Valid untilWrite your passport expiration date taking into account the extensions
Issued byWrite the country of issuing your passport and the authority that issued the passport
Personal data of the family member who is a European Union, EEA or Swiss Confederation citizen or is a UnitedFill in the full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and relationship only if you are the dependent spouse, child, father, or mother of a person who is a citizen of another State of the European Union.
Kingdom citizen beneficiary of the withdrawal agreement, if applicable
Family relationship with an European Union, EEA or Swiss Confederation citizen, or with United Kingdom citizen beneficiary of the withdrawal agreement, if applicableFill in the corresponding status
Applicant's home address and e-mail addressWrite the e-mail address: 1) your own one, either 2) another person one, or 3) company (accordingly, write the name of the mailbox owner).
Telephone numberWrite your cellular number in your residence country and, where appropriate, in the country where you are submitting your visa application
Residence in a country other than the country of current nationalityIf you are living in other country you need to write the number of your residence permit and its expiration date
Current occupationFill in the current occupation like it is on the passport, for example: “professor” or “retired (former designer)”. If you have no occupation, write “no occupation”
Employer and employer's address and telephone numberFill in the name of the organization (firm, public service, educational institution) where you work or study and its name, address, and telephone number
For students, name and address of educational establishment
Purpose(s) of the journeyWrite the appropriate goal of your travel
Member State of main destination (and other Member States of destination, if applicableWrite France as your primary destination. If it is a French overseas department or territory, write “France” and the name of the department or territory
Member State of first entryFill in “France”
Number of entries requestedWrite your desired number of entries with the dates of arrival and departure
Fingerprints collected previously for the purpose of applying for a Schengen visaIf your fingerprints have already been taken for a visa application, write the date
Entry permit for the final country of destination, where applicableWrite the number and validity dates for your visa at your final destination, if this country is outside the Schengen area
Surname and first name of the inviting person(s) in the Member State(s). Address and e-mail address of inviting person(s). Telephone numberWrite the name of the person who invited you, address, e-mail and a phone number
Name and address of inviting company / organization, phone number and e-mail numberWrite the contact info of the organization that invited you and the contact info for your contact person in the organization
Cost of travelling and living during the applicant's stay is coveredIndicate the necessary boxes
Place and dateWrite the place and date where you are filling in the form, even if this date is different than the day you are going to the visa service
SignatureThe visa applicant must sign and not another person. If the visa applicant is a minor (under 18), the application must be signed by a person having parental authority and their relationship should be included in parentheses (father, mother, guardian). If the visa applicant cannot sign, a cross may be used

SECOND DOCUMENT – TWO RECENT PHOTOS

It is recommended to follow all the following Hungarian Visa Photo Requirements:

– Two identical photos. Not older than six months;

– Photo size: 35x45mm (width*height);

– In color. No black and white;

– Head should take 70-80% of the photo;

– Brightly colored background. Light grey is suggested;

– The applicant should be looking straight at the camera;

– Neutral face expression. No smile and mouth closed;

– Avoid uniforms or colors matching the background.

THIRD DOCUMENT – VALID PASSPORT

Your passport’s maximum validity period: 10 years.

Your passport minimum validity period: 3 months after your trip to Hungary. Your passport should have at least two blank pages in order to be able to affix the visa sticker.

FOURTH DOCUMENT – A FLIGHT ITINERARY (RESERVATION) OR DOCUMENTS OF TRAVELLING BY CAR OR BUS/TRAIN TICKET

Sometimes you can hear other names of this document like Booked Flight Itinerary, Flight Itinerary for Visa Application, Flight Reservation, Air Ticket Booking, Dummy Air Ticket for Visa, Dummy Ticket, Flight Confirmation, and Return Ticket.

A Flight Itinerary for Visa Application is not an actual air ticket that you spend money for without ensuring that your Hungarian Visa will not be declined. Flight reservation means a document of a detailed plan of your flight or travel journey to Hungary. So, it is only a flight timetable on the chosen flight airline including a flight name, your name, a valid flight reservation number or booking ID, arrival and departure date and airport IATA codes, and the price of a real Flight Ticket.

Getting a Flight Reservation for your visa application is not a price-free matter. It is real to get charged with a small amount of money to be confirmed about your flight. There are not so many air companies to do this for free by not charging you anything until you buy the actual Flight Ticket. But, in the long run, you can try to find some air companies that offer a charge-free Flight Reservation.

Please if you choose to travel by car do not forget to take the documents:

– car registration;

– car insurance;

– return travel tickets (ferry or Eurotunnel) mentioning the car’s registration number;

– driver’s driving license.

FIFTH DOCUMENT – TRAVEL HEALTH INSURANCE

You need to be aware of some travel insurance requirements, such as the following:

– A minimum coverage of at least 30,000 EUR;

– It should cover all member states of the Schengen Area;

– Cover any expenses on repatriation for medical reasons, urgent health attention, and/or emergency hospital treatment or death.

Regarding this, it is highly recommended to contact one of the companies like AXA or Europ Assistance.

Picture of AXA insurance company page
AXA insurance company page

SIXTH DOCUMENT – COPIES OF YOUR PREVIOUS VISAS (IF NEEDED)

SEVENTH DOCUMENT – PROOF OF ACCOMMODATION IN HUNGARY

You need to prepare the next recognized doc to provide the Hungarian Embassy or Consulate with it:

– Hotel Booking or Reservation;

Picture of hotel in Hungary
A hotel in Hungary

It may be solely chosen like Hotel Booking Plan as Proof of Accommodation because you should not pay for the complete hotel stay before getting a Hungarian Visa. Actually, you could lose your money to pay the hotel fee if your visa is denied.

VisaReservation is a good company that may provide you with a Proof of Accommodation Letter for Visa application with paying a small fee to reserve a room in a hotel. Follow the website VisaReservation, choose the Hotel Booking Plan Only, write the necessary information about you and your residing time in a hotel, pay online, get the confirmation of your payment and the e-mail with info of your hotel reservation in your inbox, print the email details and provide it to the consulate or embassy.

EIGHTH DOCUMENT – PROOF OF SUBSISTENT FINANCIAL MEANS

This is a supporting document that demonstrates you have enough money to support yourself when your stay in Hungary. Proof of subsistent financial means maybe one of these docs:

– bank account statement;

Picture of bank account statement
Bank account statement

– sponsorship letter from another person who can financially support your trip to Hungary.

– a combination of both.

In other words, there are some recognized docs to use as proof of subsistent financial means:

– a personal bank statement with your financial affairs for at least 3 last months;

– credit card;

– cash;

– cheques;

– payslips;

– proof of employment;

– document from your sponsor during your stay;

– proof of prepaid accommodation;

– a document about your private accommodation;

– proof of prepaid transport;

– other docs.

According to the rules, to reside in Hungarian territory a foreigner should provide 1000 HUF or 3.19€ upon each entry.

NINTH DOCUMENT – EVIDENCE OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS

In case of your employment:

– employment contract;

– leave permission from the employer;

– income tax return.

 

In case of your self-employment:

– a copy of your business license;

– company’s bank statement of the latest 6 months;

– your Income Tax Return.

 

In case of your studies:

– proof of enrollment;

– No Objection Letter from University.

 

In case of your retirement:

– pension statements of the latest 6 months.

TENTH DOCUMENT – VISA APPLICATION COVER LETTER

  • the purpose of your travel to the Schengen member state or states;
  • proof of how you will fund your trip (own funds or sponsor);
  • if you have a sponsor – explain your personal relationship with your sponsor and the reason why they will be sponsoring your trip;
  • an overview of your itinerary, which also explains why you chose to apply at the specific Embassy;
  • if you cannot submit any of the required documents, write about the reasons why you cannot submit and explain alternative documents that you may have submitted;
  • your intent to return to your home country – you can also write a separate letter of intent to explain your rootedness in your home country.

It is important to write a cover letter as a way of communication with the embassy officer that will/is going to process your visa application.

DOCS TO GET A HUNGARIAN VISA FOR ATTENDING CULTURAL/ SPORTS/ RELIGIOUS EVENTS:

– event information like invitation letters, entry tickets, enrollment conditions, detailed program, and other documents about the event;

Picture of invitation letter for an event template
Invitation letter for an event template
Picture of event tickets
Event tickets

– evidence of participation in previous festivals and ceremonies (cultural, religious), sports competitions, winners certificates, proof of world/international ranking (sports).

Picture of winner certificate template
Winner certificate template

DOCS TO GET HUNGARIAN VISA FOR FILM CREW:

Picture of film making process
Film making process

– letter of the film company with the name and synopsis of the film and the shooting locations;

– list of crewmembers with names of traveling crewmembers and their functions;

– letter from the filmmaking agency/producer in Hungary including details on the arrangements for film permits;

– candidate’s certificate of registration as a filmmaker staff. The Certificate should be issued by the competent homeland authority to authorize/register local filmmaking staff to pursue their profession.

2.2 Steps to apply for Hungarian Visa

Irrespective of your visa type, your movements after collecting all the corresponding docs to getting a Hungarian visa are the same:

FIRST STEP – find out the nearest place to submit your docs to the Visa Application Center (contact us to help you).

Picture of your choice of applying
Your choice of applying

SECOND STEP – figure out the appropriate time to go in person to apply for the Hungarian Visa.

Picture of your choice of time to come to us
Your choice of time to come to us

THIRD STEP – make an appointment at the Hungarian Visa Application Center

There are two options to make an appointment:

– online;

– in person.

Picture of an appointment at the Hungarian Visa Application Center
Make an appointment at the Hungarian Visa Application Center

FOURTH STEP – attend the interview with the collected documents.

Picture of your interview
Your interview

FIFTH STEP – pay the visa fee.

Picture of paying money for your visa
Paying money for your visa

SIXTH STEP – wait for a reply from the application center on your visa application.

Picture of a reply from the VFS application center
A reply from the VFS application center

Take note that the visa application form must clearly contain the dates of your visit and which cities you will be staying in. For this reason, it is better to collect your documents and fill in your visa application form once you have all of the information you need for the visa application.

In overall,

We do really hope this article has helped you apply for a Hungarian visa from the United Kingdom.

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