Foreign citizens barred from entering Hungary at Budapest Airport from today!

Budapest, Hungary. Budapest Airport. Photo: MTI

A government decree which entered into force on Tuesday 17 March prohibits foreign citizens from entering Hungary. From today, the travel documents of all arriving passengers are checked at Budapest Airport. Following this inspection, only Hungarian citizens are permitted to enter Hungary. Foreign citizens are turned away by the authorities, and they must wait in the designated transit area until departure.

Budapest Airport is not closing; it will continue to welcome and launch flights. However, only Hungarian citizens can enter Hungary from Tuesday. Anyone, Hungarians and foreigners alike, are free to depart from the airport in the coming days.

The Airport Police Directorate checks the travel documents of the passengers of all flights at the border crossing point. In the case of families traveling together, if at least one of the parties is a Hungarian citizen, the foreign family member (child, parent, grandparent, husband or wife) is permitted to enter Hungary.

The requirement that Hungarian citizens arriving home from South Korea, Iran, Israel, China and Italy must undergo mandatory medical screening upon entry to the country remains in force.

Foreign citizens who are not permitted to enter Hungary must wait in the designated transit area until departure. Budapest Airport provides blankets, food, mineral water and, upon request, face masks for such passengers waiting in the transit area.