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

Hungary offers its visitors a wonderful choice of things to do and see. There’s Budapest – said to be the most beautiful city in the world – for exploring. It’s a joy just to meander through the streets taking in the stunning architecture. Hungary is also home to Lake Balaton – the largest lake in Central Europe where you can enjoy the stunning vistas laid out before you. That’s not all, with Baroque castles, cave baths, and historic regions, you’ll have a wonderful stay in this gorgeous Schengen country. In this article learn more about how to apply for Hungary visa at the Hungarian consulate in Los Angeles, California, 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 Los Angeles consulate.

Hungary Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were 263,940 Schengen visa applications for Hungary. 5.34% of these were rejected. The Consulate General of Hungary in Los Angeles dealt with 285 applications and issued 282 (1.1%).

Applying for Hungary Schengen Visa from the United States         

If you are from any of the following countries, you do NOT need a visa to go to Hungary, as long as the duration does not exceed 90 days:

1. Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Macedonia, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong (holders of a “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” passports only), Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Macao (“Macao Special Administrative Region” passports only), Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Seychelles, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela

If you are not from any of the above countries and you are a non-US citizen who lives permanently in the US, you DO need a visa for Hungary.

You can easily apply from the United States by submitting your application through one of the Hungarian visa authorities located across the US.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Hungarian embassy and consulate. If you live in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Hawaii, Idaho, California, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming, you can apply through the Consulate General of Hungary in Los Angeles.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Hungarian Consulate General in Los Angeles

The consulate in Los Angeles offers 2 types of visas for Hungary:

Visas for stays up to 90 days are called Schengen visas and there are 2 that you may apply for:

1. Airport Transit visa (A) – you can enter the international zone of the airport while you wait for your connecting flight to your destination. You are not permitted to leave this zone. Only nationals of the following states are obliged to apply for an airport transit visa when transiting Hungary: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka
2. Short-stay visa (C) – you can visit Hungary for a maximum of 90 days within a 6 month period. These type of visas are issued as single, double, or multiple entry for tourism, business, and visiting family or friends etc.

Visas for stays over 90 days are called National visas. If you are planning on working, studying, or living in Hungary for a period exceeding 90 days, you need to apply for this type of visa. If you apply for this visa, you will receive a single entry visa for up to 30 days and you will apply for a residence permit in Hungary.

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Hungarian Consulate General in Los Angeles

The consulate of Hungary in Los Angeles processes short-stay visa applications between 10 and 15 days. However, this period could be longer depending on the type of visa you are applying for and where you come from. National visa applications take around 30 days to be processed.

You must submit your application at least 2 weeks before you plan to travel. You can apply up to 3 months before your intended departure date, so don’t leave it too late.

Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Hungary visa:

Step 1: Make an appointment

The consulate in Los Angeles does not allow you to just walk into their office to submit your file, you have to make an appointment. To do this, all you need to do is contact them by phone. Their contact number is: 310- 473 – 9344

Step 2: Complete your application form

Step 2 is to complete your application form and you can find this on the consulate’s website. Click on: “Visa for stays up to 90 days”:

Then, for the short-stay visa application form, scroll down the page to “Visa requirements” and you’ll find the link for the application form:

You can download it from there.

For long-stay application forms, click on “Entry for long stays (exceeding 90 days)” and scroll down to: “Additional requirements“:

There are separate application forms for different purposes, so make sure you download and complete the correct one:

1. Employment
2. Medical Treatment
3. Seasonal workers
4. Other Purposes
5. Income generating activity
6. Study
7. Purpose of visit
8. Scientific research

Step 3: Prepare your documents

You need to submit the correct documents with your visa application. Each type of visa has different requirements, so you should familiarize yourself with what they are before you begin. If you leave anything out, the consulate will not accept your application, so check their website before you start.

Documents include:

1. Fully completed visa application – don’t forget to sign it
2. Valid passport  – must have at least 3 months remaining after returning from Hungary, issued within the last 10 years and containing 2 empty pages
3. 1 passport-size color photo – not older than 6 months
4. Valid US alien registration card/permit or valid US resident visa (type A, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, O, R)
5. Round-trip flight ticket reservation
6. Hotel reservation or official letter of invitation signed by the Hungarian Immigration and Naturalization Office or proof of group travel
7. Confirmation letter from your health insurance company stating that you will be covered for at least $50.000 for any medical and repatriation expenses, for the whole period of stay and for the territory of every Schengen State
8. Confirmation of financial resources such as the last 3 months bank statements
9. Visas for any countries you plan to go after leaving Hungary (if applicable)
10. Certificate of the receiving educational institution and accommodation in Hungary
11. Letter of invitation issued and endorsed by the relevant authority with personal identification document/passport of the inviting party in Hungary
12. Proof of family relations with the name, address and phone number of the family member and the purpose of your trip
13. Proof of commercial business relations
14. Certificate of the receiving health institution with proof of medical expenses covered or paid in full
15. Proof of participation in any kind of event
16. Work permit/contract
17. Marriage/birth certificate
18. Pre-paid and self-addressed USPS label

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

Check the consulate’s website for the full list of required documents:

1. Short-stay visa requirements
2. Long-stay visa requirements

Step 4: Attend your appointment

When the day of your appointment arrives, don’t be late otherwise you may have to make a new appointment. Remember to take everything with you because the consulate cannot make a decision if there is anything missing. Also, don’t turn up dressed too casually – no shorts and t-shirts!

The consulate will begin to examine your application and they may question your further if they need any more information from you. If this happens, simply answer the questions truthfully.

Typical questions include:

1. Are you meeting anyone else in Hungary or the European Union?
2. How are you going to pay for this trip?
3. Why do you want to go to Hungary?
4. What is your job in the US?

You will also pay the relevant fee for your visa. You can pay by cash, cashier’s check or money order payable to the “Consulate General of Hungary in Los Angeles”. The fee will be paid in US dollars. This fee is non-refundable even if your visa application gets 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!

Hungary Schengen Visa Fee

If this is your first time applying for a Hungary visa, you will also provide biometric data which is stored on the Visa Information System (VIS). If you have previously provided this information, your data can be reused as long as it is within 5 years.

Step 5: Receive your visa

When your visa application has been processed, your passport will be returned to you by mail.

If your visa has been approved, you will find it attached to one of the pages inside your passport. If it has been rejected, the consulate may have had doubts regarding your application. You can find out why it was rejected by going to the consulate in person. You have the right to appeal within 5 days of being notified.

Typical rejection reasons include:

1. The consulate could not establish your reason for wishing to go to Hungary
2. A hotel booking was not provided
3. The travel insurance did not cover the required amount
4. Your passport did not have 2 blank pages
5. There was no invitation letter from the company in Hungary

If your passport does not have 2 blank pages, you need to obtain a new one before applying for your visa. The travel insurance should cover at least $50,000. You must include all the relevant documents for your type of visa, including hotel bookings and invitation letters. You must be able to prove the reason you are traveling to Hungary in the first place and documents, such as a full itinerary, will be sufficient evidence.

Contact details for the Consulate General of Hungary in Los Angeles

Address: 11766 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 410, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Tel: (310) 473-9344

Fax: (310) 479-6443

Email: mission.los@mfa.gov.hu

Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.00 am – 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm

Conclusion

There are just 5 steps to follow to apply for your Hungary visa:

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

Once you’ve done that, you can start to prepare for your exciting Hungarian 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 Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements