Information on traveling to Israel including business customs, travel advisory, visa requirements, currency, telecommunication, transportation and local holidays, etc.

Business Customs

Business customs are similar to those in the United States and Western Europe.  Typical Hungarian business attire is a suit. Hungarians consider a personal relationship the basis of a business connection.  Business lunches, receptions, and dinners are common.  First introductions are often more formal than among Americans.  Hungarians usually introduce themselves starting first with their family names followed by their first names.  For example: SMITH John.  Business cards follow this convention.  Hungarian business partners appreciate even small efforts in learning basic greetings in Hungarian.  Around the Christmas holidays, Hungarian business people may exchange symbolic gifts generally worth less than $10.
 

Travel Advisory

The U.S. Department of State has not issued any travel advisories for Hungary which is generally a safe country.  Nevertheless, visitors are advised to guard personal belongings.  Current information on travel and living in Hungary and descriptions of typical tourist scams including establishments to avoid can be viewed on the U.S. Embassy Budapest Consular Section – U.S. Citizen Service – webpage.
 

 Visa Requirements

U.S. citizens traveling to Hungary do not require visas.  Those intending to stay for longer than 90 days will require residency permits.  With certain exceptions, Americans must obtain both work and residence permits if they are employed in Hungary.
Any company in Hungary (even if foreign-owned) employing foreigners must apply for work permits for these employees, a process which takes 60-75 days.  The Hungarian Government makes an exception for managing directors of registered, foreign-owned companies.  After employees obtain a work permit, they must apply for a work visa in- person at a Hungarian embassy or consulate in their home country.  The Government of Hungary generally issues visas for one year. Stricter fraud-prevention measures imposed in recent years have made this process increasingly cumbersome.  Consultancy companies offer to obtain work permits and renewals for companies in Hungary.  The American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary also offers these services to its members. U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should be advised that security issues are handled via an interagency process.
Visa applicants should go to the following links:
State Department Visa Website
Consular Section, U.S. Embassy Budapest 
 

Telecommunication

Telephone services, including long-distance phone calls, are reliable in Hungary.  Budapest is served by three major cellular phone providers, T-Mobile, Telenor, and Vodafone. Hungary also has several Internet service providers including: GTS Hungary, T-Home, UPC, and Invitel.  Free hotspots or paid WiFi is available at most hotels, restaurants and even at many public places.
 

Transportation

Hungary has a well-developed transportation infrastructure which allows for speedy domestic travel.   Railway lines crisscross the country and connect most cities. The "Inter-City" line provides first class express service to bigger cities. Timetables can be checked and reservation for rail lines can be made on Elvira – MAV Start. Hydrofoil ferries passengers on the Danube from Budapest to Vienna and Bratislava.
Hungary’s highways are generally in good condition with five major express toll highways connecting Budapest with neighboring countries of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Ukraine and motorways extending to Slovakia and Romania.  The total length of highways in Hungary is more than 1,500 kilometers.
Budapest is served by an efficient public transportation system based on four subway lines supplemented by a comprehensive bus, tram, and trolley bus system. Taxis are also readily available.  It is advisable to phone for a taxi from one of Budapest’s major companies, rather than hailing one off the street, as it helps to ensure the appropriate fare.  Uber is not available in Hungary but a similar service provider exists such as Taxify.  Taxi fares increased as of July 1, 2018 and all taxis have a fixed tariff of 300 HUF/Km ($1.2/Km) in addition to the one-off basic fee of 700 HUF ($2.60) and waiting fee of 75 HUF/min ($0.3/min).  A ride from the airport to the city center should typically cost around 9,000 HUF ($37) depending on traffic conditions.  The Airport Shuttle offers reliable service and costs around $25.  Direct shuttle buses - between the hotel quarter and the airport - are also available for travelers.

Language

English is regularly used for business in Hungary, especially among multinational firms. However, Hungary’s smaller and state-owned firms may have managers who speak very little English, or none at all.  In this case, an interpreter may be used for meetings, though it is wise to discuss this in advance.  German is the second most common foreign language.

Health

Hungary enjoys good standards of health and a low frequency of diseases.  Hungarian law requires no vaccinations for Americans to travel or live there.  Due to many U.S. medical insurance policies not covering expenses incurred abroad, it is advisable to purchase overseas coverage before traveling to Hungary.  Please note that Medicare benefits are not payable for services rendered outside the United States. Hungarian doctors and hospitals generally require cash payment upon completion of services rendered.  In modern units of private hospitals bank cards are also accepted.

Local Time, Business Hours and Holidays

Local time: GMT + 01:00 or 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.  Normal business hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Businesses and government offices often close in the early afternoon on Fridays.  Some local/small retailers are closed on Sundays.
Hungary celebrates the following holidays in 2019:
New Year’s Day - January 1, 2019
Revolution Day - March 15, 2019
Easter Monday – April 22, 2019
Labor Day – May 1, 2019
Whit Monday – June 10, 2019
National Day - August 20, 2019
Republic Day - October 23, 2019
All Saints’ Day – November 1, 2019
Christmas Day - December 25, 2019
Christmas Day - December 26, 2019


Temporary Entry of Materials and Personal Belongings

Duty-free status applies to personal belongings of visitors with permanent residency outside of Hungary.  This includes what visitors carry or send into Hungary and intend to use during their stay.  It also applies to personal belongings, except consumer durables, that permanent residents of Hungary take abroad for more than 24 hours but return.  Duty-free status can only be claimed once a day. Hungarian law requires materials that temporarily enter Hungary with the intention of being returned to the United States, such as exhibition goods, to be delivered with ATA Carnet documentation and preregistered with the Hungarian Customs Authorities.  Information and contact are available at the website of the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard.

Customs Office – Customs Information
Customs Office – General Customs Information  
 

Currency

The currency of Hungary is the Forint.  At the end of July 2019, $1 converts to HUF 289.
 

Travel Related Web Resources

Department of State – International Travel
U.S. Embassy in Hungary
Hello Hungary
Visit Hungary
Budapest.com – Budapest Travel Guide

 

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