Information for people from Ukraine

If you are coming from Ukraine, you may be eligible to Temporary Protection. Click here for more information on Temporary Protection and how to apply. If you are under 18 years old, you can find important information here.

For information on exiting Ukraine, please click here. Please note that UNHCR Hungary is not in a position to advise on the law of Ukraine or the practice of Ukrainian authorities.

Protection for arrivals from Ukraine: if you are coming from Ukraine, members of the Charity Council, UNHCR, local and international organisations can help you. The information materials provided by the asylum authority of Hungary can be found on their official website in Hungarian, English, and Ukrainian.

🛑 If you think you or someone you know is in danger of being trafficked or taken somewhere against their will to work or other purposes, you can call the European emergency number 112. 🛑

You may wish to follow UNHCR Hungary on Telegram for useful updates. You may contact the UNHCR Refugee Helpline Toll-Free number: 0680984583 (Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm), and you can contact UNHCR in Hungary through the following email address: [email protected]. You may also contact UNHCR Hungary on Facebook.

If you are looking for information about traveling to the European Union and how you can stay in different countries, you can consult this website.

If you have questions about relocating to the United States, Canada, or another country, you should directly consult that country’s embassy websites or information sites. UNHCR does NOT conduct resettlement out of Hungary and cannot help with travel. UNHCR Hungary cannot help with relocation.

Please consult the following sites for more information:
▸ European Union (EU): in English, Ukrainian, and Russian
▸ For information from the UK: in English and Ukrainian
▸ U.S. Embassy in Hungary: in English
▸ Canadian government: in English and French
▸ Other information for travel outside of the EU in English

Information about entry from Ukraine to Hungary
The Hungarian authorities decide whether you are allowed to enter Hungary based on assessment
of your individual circumstances. It is very important that you have all the available documents
demonstrating your eligibility to enter Hungary when you request entry at the border crossing point.
Please let the authorities at the border know if you have any humanitarian needs and if you
would like to ask for protection.
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
▪ A) A Ukrainian national
▪ B) Benefitted from international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24
February 2022
▪ C) Recognized as a stateless person in Ukraine
before 24 February 2022
▪ D) You are a family member of A, B, or C (for example wife/husband/partner or son/daughter or mother/father, sibling under 18)
You are allowed to enter Hungary, unless a Schengen entry and stay ban was issued against you.
If you have a valid biometric passport, you can stay within the Schengen area for a 90-day period without a visa. During that period, you can apply for temporary protection in Hungary or travel to another Schengen Member State and apply for temporary protection there.
If you do not have a valid biometric passport, the Hungarian border police will verify your identity by checking other documentation available (for example a national passport, birth certificate, residence registration). If you are allowed to enter, you will receive a 30-day renewable temporary residence certificate. It allows you to stay legally and apply for Temporary Protection in Hungary. During the process, the police might take you to Nyírbátor, a city close to the border area, so that the asylum authority (National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing) can register you.
IF YOU ARE:
▪ E) A non-Ukrainian national fleeing Ukraine
To enter Hungary, you should fulfil the general entry conditions under the Schengen rules. This means that you have a valid travel document and a valid Schengen visa (see below), and there was no Schengen entry and stay ban issued against you.
If you have a residence permit issued by an EU Member State, you may be eligible to enter Hungary for transit purposes (to reach the territory of that Member State). Before travelling, please consult the authorities of the Member State which issued your residence permit to determine whether it can be used for the purpose of transit travel.
If you were present in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 with a valid residence permit and have not left Ukraine since then, you can be allowed entry on humanitarian grounds. You can demonstrate your presence in Ukraine with several documents, these include a valid residence permit, marriage certificate, or birth certificate. Please note this list is non-exhaustive, other documents can also be used as proof.
If you do not fall under the categories above, and you believe that your return to Ukraine or your country of origin is dangerous for you – inform the Hungarian authorities and you can ask for protection. If the authorities establish that refusing your entry is dangerous, you will be admitted to Hungary, and your case will go to the asylum authority.

Crossing the border – If you are planning to come to Hungary, you can cross through one of the following border crossing points:

• Záhony – Čop 00:00-24:00 (also by train from Čop to Záhony train stations);
• Lónya – Dzvinkove 07:00-18:00;
• Barabás – Koson’- 07:00-19:00;
• Beregsurány – Астей 00:00-24:00;
• Tiszabecs – Vilok 00:00-24:00.
• You may find information on waiting times on the website of the Hungarian Police. Please note that it only reflects waiting times for Hungarian (inbound) border control, and not Ukrainian (outbound) border control.

🚆 If you are crossing from Čop to Záhony via railway, look for UNHCR colleagues at the train station and feel free ask them for assistance! UNHCR is present every day from the morning until the evening.

Help Points – If you are arriving from Ukraine to Hungary just now, there are some organisations that may be able to help you at the border and across Hungary with legal assistance, finding transportation, accommodation, relief items, among others. Members of the Charity Council are providing support at Help Points close to border crossing points between Ukraine and Hungary. You can ask for directions to the closest Help Point when crossing the border. If you arrive on foot, you may request the authorities to be taken there by bus. You can also get in touch with the organisations directly. Please see the list of Help Points below. Transit centers and information points in Budapest are also listed below.

Temporary Protection – If you are arriving from Ukraine, you may be entitled to apply for Temporary Protection in Hungary. This is a protection status for persons fleeing Ukraine which is available in the European Union. It is different from the 30-day temporary residence certificate (“ideiglenes tartózkodásra jogosító igazolás” in Hungarian) given at the border, which only lets you stay in the territory of Hungary for 30 days, if you do not have a biometric passport. Temporary Protection grants you residency in Hungary and entitles you to services like accommodation, healthcare and education. Please see more information on this page. You may contact the UNHCR Refugee Helpline Toll-Free number: +3680984583 (Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm). You may also wish to follow UNHCR Hungary on Telegram for useful updates: https://t.me/UNHCR_Hungary.

Where to get help?

You can find the contact details of the organizations supporting people arriving from Ukraine below. When you arrive at a Help Point, you can also look at the bulletin boards for notices from other organizations present that are offering support.

Hungarian Helsinki Committee provides free legal assistance to arrivals from Ukraine. They can help you understand your legal status and what you need to do if you wish to stay in Hungary. Information in Hungarian, English, Ukrainian, and Russian is available on their website (click on the titles and the language options will appear).

Contact details

• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook / Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/helsinkibizottsag/
• Phone: +36 70 302 6219 (Russian language help available Mondays 12-16, Wednesdays 14-18, Fridays 10-14)

Menedék Association provides social counselling, social work, and support for children. You may also contact them if you need help accessing services such as healthcare and education. Information about their work and services can be found on their website in Hungarian, English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Contact details

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +36 20 450 7245

Cordelia Foundation provides free psychosocial counselling for survivors of trauma and violence. Please see their website here.

Contact details

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +36 1 349 14 50
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CordeliaFoundation/

Next step provides integration and inclusion focused services, including labor market counselling, development of job-related skills, help with Hungarian language to foreigners living in Hungary. For more information, please see their website.

Contact details

• Email: [email protected]
• Office phone: +36 70 611 9104
• Hotline: +36 70 323 7552