Hungary travel guide for Britons

The decision for a UK passport holder on a short tourist trip is: check first, then book. This draft does not state the visa rule, the permitted stay or the ETIAS position as certain. Confirm each one on the UK government's Hungary travel advice and on the Hungarian immigration authority's site before you pay for flights.

Do not rely on a blog, an airline summary or this page for the rule itself. The official EU ETIAS site and gov.uk carry the current start date, fee and validity for visa-exempt visitors to the EU. Whether ETIAS applies to your travel date depends on those pages, not on this draft.

If you plan to work, study, stay longer than the visa-free allowance or reside, a Hungarian visa or permit may be needed before travel. Apply through the Hungarian consulate or immigration service, not on arrival.

The UK's diplomatic mission in Hungary is listed by the UK government as the British Embassy Budapest — confirm the current location, phone number and opening hours on the official gov.uk page before you travel, and save them offline. The embassy handles lost or stolen passports, arrests, serious illness or death, and other consular cases; it does not issue visas for Hungary.

For non-urgent questions, the FCDO's online consular service is the first stop.

If you are robbed or lose your passport, report it to the Hungarian police first, then contact the embassy for an emergency travel document.

Hungary uses the forint (HUF, Ft), not the euro. The parent country facts give about 390–400 HUF to the euro in 2026 — check the rate before you budget, and convert to pounds at the current cross-rate rather than trusting a fixed figure here.

Prices for flights, hotels, meals and transport vary by season and city, and this draft has no sourced figures for them. Use the Hungary travel costs page for the site's daily budget structure, then check live prices for your dates. Budapest in spring and autumn is cheaper than the summer and New Year peaks.

Which UK airports serve Hungary, and how often, is not sourced for this draft — check schedules and direct-route availability for your dates before booking.

Flight times and the time difference are not sourced for this draft. Hungary is on CET (UTC+1) and CEST (UTC+2) from late March to late October, one hour ahead of the UK, so jet lag is not a factor. Use the flight-time planner to compare routes from your home city.

Airport transfers, fares and timetables are not sourced here — check them before you land.

Hungary uses type C and F plugs at 230 V, 50 Hz — check before travel. UK three-pin plugs do not fit, so bring a UK-to-EU adapter; dual-voltage chargers and laptops need only the adapter, not a converter.

Type F sockets take the round two-pin plug with side earth clips; a standard European adapter covers both C and F.

Tip 10–15% in restaurants unless a service charge (szervízdíj) already appears on the bill; in that case, nothing extra is expected — check. Round up for taxis and leave small change for café staff.

Check the bill before adding a tip, since some Budapest restaurants include the service charge and some do not.

Dial 112 for any emergency; it connects to police, ambulance or fire. The direct numbers are 104 for ambulance, 107 for police and 105 for fire — check.

Save 112 in your phone before you travel. For non-emergency police matters, ask your accommodation to help with the local station.