Hungarian Consulate Chicago – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Hungary Schengen Visa

Visitors to Hungary have lots to look forward to. The capital, Budapest, is brimming with interesting activities like the medieval castle district and a vibrant nightlife. Smaller cities, like Gyor, have just as much going on with its Baroque style architecture and plenty of cafes and restaurants to enjoy. A great way to experience the countryside in this Schengen country is to go bird watching or horseback riding. In this article learn more about how to apply for Hungary visa at the Hungarian embassy in Chicago, Illinois, Hungary visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Hungary visa application center, flight itinerary for Hungary visa, hotel bookings for Hungary visa, Schengen travel insurance for Hungary visa application, and Hungary Visa Application Process at the Chicago consulate.

Hungary Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were 263,940 Schengen visa applications received for Hungary and 14,106 (5.34%) of these were rejected. There were no details regarding how many applications were dealt with by the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago.

Applying for a Hungary Schengen Visa from the United States         

If you are planning on visiting Hungary, you may or may not need a visa. If you are a citizen from the following countries, you do NOT need to apply for a visa to be able to visit Hungary:

1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Antigua and Barbuda
4. Argentina
5. Australia
6. Bahamas
7. Barbados
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina
9. Brazil
10. British Nationals (overseas)
11. Brunei
12. Canada
13. Chile
14. Costa Rica
15. Croatia
16. Macedonia
17. Guatemala
18. Holy See
19. Honduras
20. Hong Kong
21. Israel
22. Japan
23. Macao
24. Malaysia
25. Mauritius
26. Mexico
27. Moldova
28. Monaco
29. Montenegro
30. New Zealand
31. Nicaragua
32. Panama
33. Paraguay
34. Salvador
35. San Marino
36. Serbia
37. Seychelles
38. Singapore
39. South Korea
40. Saint Kitts and Nevis
41. Taiwan
42. United States of America
43. Uruguay
44. Venezuela

If you are not from any of the above countries and you are a non-US citizen living in the United States on a permanent basis, you DO need to apply for a Hungary visa. However, in order to do this from the US, you must be able to prove your legal right to stay in the United States.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Hungarian embassy and consulate. If you live in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, or Wisconsin, you can submit your visa application to the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago

The Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago offers 2 types of visas for Hungary:

1. Short-stay Schengen visas C type – for stays of up to 90 days for the purposes of tourism, business, family reasons, study, educational, scientific or professional purpose, medical treatment, cultural activities, sports, attending a conference, or airport transit
2. Long-term visas D type – for stays over 90 days for the purposes of employment, pursuing an income generating activity, educational purposes, family reunification, research or medical reasons. The D type visa allows you to get a residence permit for the duration of your stay in Hungary. Applications for long-stay visas/residence permits are dealt with by the Office of Immigration and Asylum in Hungary. However, you may still submit your application to the consulate in Chicago

When you apply for your Hungary visa, you can choose how many times you wish to enter the country before your visa expires. For example, you can choose:

1. Single entry – you can enter once
2. Double entry – you can enter twice
3. Multiple – the number of times you enter is unlimited

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago

The Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago aims to process visa applications within 15 days, although it could take longer in some cases.

You can apply up to 90 days ahead of your intended departure date, so you should apply well in advance to make sure there is enough time for your visa application to be processed.

To help you apply for your Hungary visa, here are a few steps to follow:

Step 1: Make an appointment

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, the visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the steps below:

1. Step 1 is to make an appointment. Go to the consulate’s website and click on: “Online appointment system”
2. Next, click on the link
3. Then, you will be able to make a convenient appointment for you to submit your application to the consulate

Step 2: Complete your application form

Next, you need to complete your application form. Go to the consulate’s website again and click on: “Consular information”:

Then, click on the type of visa you are applying for:

For short-stay visas, scroll down and click on the link for the application form:

For long-stay visas, scroll down and you will see the links for the application forms specific to your purpose of stay:

You’ll then be able to download the forms to complete and sign.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

It’s advisable to take a look at the consulate’s website before you begin to get your documents ready. It’s your responsibility to provide everything that is required for your visa application.

You also need to provide photocopies as well as your original documents, so don’t forget to do this too!

Documents include:

1. Completed visa application form
2. Valid passport valid for at least 3 months after returning from Hungary, issued within the last 10 years and containing 2 empty pages
3. 1 or 2 passport sized photos
4. Copy of USA visa or I-55
5. Valid flight reservations
6. Proof of booked accommodation (for all countries visited – if applicable)
7. Schengen Travel insurance to cover at least €30,000 for repatriation, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death
8. Proof of employment status (employed, self-employed, retired, student)
9. Most recent bank statements (cannot be older than 1 month) or income certificate etc
10. Copies of previous visas and visas for onward travel to other countries (if applicable)
11. Confirmation of financial resources – the last 3 months of bank statements and/or employer’s certificate including details of the amount of money available in Hungary
12. Proof of attendance at educational, scientific or training institution plus accommodation details in Hungary
13. A letter of invitation from friends/family or business partner or other host organization
14. Proof of business relations
15. Evidence of medical treatment at a health institution including proof of fees paid
16. Proof of participation in any type of event issued by the relevant authority
    
17. Accommodation details in Hungary
18. A work permit and/or a contract of employment
    
19. Proof of gainful activity (the articles of association), business registration and declaration stating expected yearly income
    
20. Certificate of qualifications
21. The simplified balance sheet of the previous year and a certificate that there is no business debt (for a business already in operation)
22. If the business has Hungarian employees you must provide their employment contracts
23. School or university attendance record
    
24. Marriage certificate/birth certificate
25. Copy of any relative’s passport/ID
    

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

When the day of your appointment arrives, here are a few tips for you:

1. Arrive early – the last thing you want is for your appointment to be cancelled, so don’t be late
2. Remember to take all your documents – if you present an application with missing documents, your appointment may have to be rescheduled which could delay your travel plans
3. Don’t dress too casually – this is not the time or place to wear shorts. Your aim should be to make a good impression and dressing smartly will help

When your appointment begins, the visa officer will look over your application and if they need any further information, they may question you about it. If they do, don’t panic, simply answer the questions politely, calmly and honestly.

Typical questions include:

1. Which Schengen country are you planning to visit and why?
2. What do you know about Hungary?
3. What is the purpose of your visit?
4. When will you travel to the EU?
5. What will you do if your visa is rejected?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the relevant fee for your visa. You can pay by cash or money order payable to the Consulate General of Hungary Chicago. This fee is non-refundable even if your visa application gets rejected.

If this is your first time applying for a Hungary visa, you will also provide biometric data which is a scan of your fingerprints and a photograph.  If you have previously applied for a Schengen visa and your fingerprints were collected in the last 5 years, your data can be reused.

Step 5: Receive your visa

When your visa application has been processed, you can collect your passport from the consulate during their business hours.

Visa application decisions:

1. Approved – you will find your visa attached to one of the pages inside your passport
2. Rejected – the consulate has rejected your application for a reason. You can appeal this decision within 8 days of being notified for a fee of $30

Typical rejection reasons include:

1. There was no proof of your purpose of stay – you must provide evidence of why you wish to go to Hungary. This could be documents such as travel itineraries, enrolment into a school or a work contract etc
2. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide, such as bank statements or payslips etc., should prove this
3. You have exceeded the maximum amount of days allowed in the Schengen area – if you have previously been to a Schengen country and you are applying for a new visa, you are only permitted to stay for a maximum of 90 days within a 180 day period
4. Travel insurance is not adequate – your travel insurance should be for at least €30,000 to cover the necessary risks (see above). It should also be valid for the entire Schengen area, not just for the country you are visiting

Contact details for the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago

Address: 303 East Wacker Drive, Unit 2050, Chicago 60601

Tel: +1 312 344 1290

Telephone hours: Monday to Friday, 10.00 am – 12.00 pm

Email: consulate.chi@mfa.gov.hu

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10.00 am – 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm

Conclusion

So, 5 very easy steps to follow:

1. Make an appointment
2. Complete your application form
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

Then, with your Hungarian visa in your hand, you can start the countdown to your exciting trip!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Hungary Schengen Visa at Hungarian Embassy in Washington, DC

How To Apply for Hungary Schengen Visa at Hungarian Consulate in Los Angeles, California

How To Apply for Hungary Schengen Visa at Hungarian Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements