Croatia
Ministry: Croatia key player in building up Central Europe
Croatia is a key player when it comes to developing central Europe, Zsolt Nemeth, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said at an event marking the start of Hungary’s presidency of the Visegrád Group, at the Hungarian embassy in Zagreb on Tuesday.
Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the V4 from Poland on July 1.
“When we talk about the V4, we mean all of central Europe, and this also carries great opportunities for Croatia,” Németh said.
He said the V4 presidency was the second most important leadership role for Hungarian diplomacy after the country’s current six-month presidency of the Council of Europe.
“Central Europe is a success story and we want to make it even stronger but also expand it to all of Europe,” Németh said.
He underscored the importance of linking the countries of central Europe, noting that Hungary will extend its M6 motorway to the Croatian border, from where it will pass through Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, leading to Ploce on the Adriatic coast.
Németh said the ongoing debate on the future of the European Union was an “excellent opportunity” for Hungary to share its vision for a Europe of nations over a “federal, imperial EU”.
Gordan Grlic-Radman, Croatia’s minister for foreign and European affairs, expressed his country’s support for Hungary’s goal to overcome the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
Buffet prices at Lake Balaton to exceed the Adriatic level?!
The Adriatic or the Hungarian Sea? The decision is not easy; however, cheapness will no longer serve as a decisive factor when it comes to the question of where to spend the holidays this summer. This year, a 15-20% price increase can be observed at Lake Balaton; as a result of this, the popular Hungarian destination has reached the level of Adriatic buffet prices.
Thanks to the ease of epidemiological measures in Hungary, domestic tourism can exceed the pre-covid touristic season in 2019. However, this also results in skyrocketing prices at the most popular Hungarian destination, Lake Balaton, where product prices have been growing steadily over the last few years.
This year, the expensiveness is so significant that in some cases, the Hungarian Sea is already surpassing the prices of the popular Adriatic Croatia.
According to a recent survey, approximately every second respondent eats at a restaurant or buffet during their vacation, as well as entertainment options such as a musical dinner or a match broadcast has become more attractive for tourists this summer.
However, for this, we have to reach deep into our wallets,
since at one of the most popular Hungarian destinations, Lake Balaton, a price increase of 15-20% could be observed in the buffets compared to last year.
Accordingly, at some places, a Hungarian ‘lángos’ can cost 4 EUR (~ 1400 HUF) and a beer 3 EUR (~ 1000 HUF).
The recent survey carried out by Szállás.hu also revealed that, on a national scale, accommodation costs on average 11.5% more per person per night, while at Lake Balaton, the price increase is around 8%.
As the Hungarian news portal Turizmus reports, most travellers still prefer domestic holidays, but 18% plan vacations both in Hungary and abroad.
The most popular foreign destinations are Croatia (42%), Turkey (11.4%), Greece (11.4%) and Montenegro (5.7%).
Among those seeking the Croatian coast, Dalmatia and the Kvarner region attract the most Hungarians this year.
The Croatian discount chains like Lidl or Konzum have very similar prices as Hungary. However, as far as prices on the beach are concerned, there is a significant expensiveness with minimal differences compared to the Hungarian Sea.
The Hungarian news portal Pénzcentrum have collected some of the most popular buffet food, as well as their prices, in order to provide a guide for how much we will be spending at the waterfront this year.
- Hamburger: 5-9 EUR
- Hotdog: 3-4 EUR
- Risotto: 9-13 EUR
- Lasagne: 10 EUR
- Schnitzel with french fries: 10.5 EUR
- Beefsteak and garnish: 22 EUR
- Pizza: 5-10 EUR
- Ice cream: 1-1.5 EUR
- Cocktail: 7 EUR
- Beer: 3 EUR
- Coffee: 1.2 EUR
- Limonade: 2.3 EUR
Comparing the prices of Adria with this year’s average prices at Lake Balaton, we can find roughly the same prices at the Hungarian Sea.
Read alsoBrutal prices at the beaches of Lake Balaton
The Southern border of Hungary has collapsed
Most Eastern European guest workers go on holiday in Western Europe these days, and they would like to go home via Hungary. Most of them try this by car, and the southern border crossings of Hungary leading to Croatia, Romania, and Serbia have already collapsed, so the waiting time there increased to 2-3 hours.
According to index.hu, the administration with the Croatian authorities takes a lot of time, so that is why passengers had to wait more than three hours at the Letenye I. and Letenye II. border crossings yesterday.
In the case of Röszke (Serbia), authorities modified the operation, and from 1:30 pm Saturday, only those could use it who wanted to leave Hungary. The police headquarters of Csongrád-Csanád County said that the Serbian and Hungarian authorities aim to reduce waiting time. That is why they introduced the new mechanism.
They advised all tourists and passengers to read the latest news on the Határinfó page (HERE) of the police and check the traffic situation with the help of the Rutin mobile application, the road information system of the Hungarian police.
Based on the situation Saturday evening, the waiting times were the following:
- Csanádpalota (motorway): 3 hours
- Csengersima: 1 hour
- Nagylak: 1 hour
- Röszke: 3 hours
- Letenye: less than 15 minutes
Hungary offers jabs for people from border regions
According to 24.hu, the police advise all travellers to use the less popular Hungary-Croatia border crossings or choose Slovenia instead and travel through the country to Croatia.
Hungarian tourists to flood Croatia?
The number of Hungarian tourists visiting Croatia has increased by 90 percent to 54,000 in the first six months of the year, compared with the same period in 2020, the director of the Croatian National Tourism Board Office in Hungary said on Tuesday.
The number of guest nights spent by Hungarians in the neighbouring country has gone up by 105 percent to 230,000 during the period, Ivana Herceg told a press conference.
Their most popular destinations were Rovinj, Vir, Crikvenica, Opatija and Porec, she said.
In the current season Hungarian tourists again have the option to travel to Croatia by plane with Ryanair resuming flights between Budapest and Zadar twice a week from July until October.
They can also choose to travel by train using Czech RegioJet’s Budapest-Rijeka and Budapest-Split services daily between July and August, or three times a week in September, Herceg said.
As regards regulations related to the coronavirus pandemic, Herceg noted that Hungarian citizens can travel by car or by train to Croatia without any restrictions and are not required to hold a Covid immunity certificate to return home. Hungarians travelling by plane, however, are required to either present an immunity certificate or a PCR test or self-isolate upon arrival.
According to statistics released earlier, more than 220,000 Hungarian tourists visited Croatia in 2020, 65 percent less than a record 644,000 in 2019.
Read alsoCroatia opens borders to ‘green’ EU countries including Hungary
Hungarian business news from previous week – 25th week, 2021
See below main business and financial news from the previous week:
MVM GETS INVESTMENT-GRADE RATINGS FROM S+P, FITCH
Wholly state-owned Hungarian energy company MVM was assigned investment-grade ratings by S+P Global Ratings and Fitch. MVM chairman-CEO György Kóbor said the ratings would further strengthen MVM group’s ties as a borrower and a business partner as well as clear the way for drawing resources on international markets.
Fitch said the ‘BBB’ rating reflects “MVM’s high market share and an integrated position across the various segments of the Hungarian electricity and gas markets”.
MAGYAR SUZUKI REVENUE FALLS 31 PC IN 2020
Net revenue of the local unit of Japanese car maker Suzuki fell by 31 percent to 1.656 billion forints (EUR 4.7bn) last year, Magyar Suzuki director of operations Róbert Krisztián said.
Magyar Suzuki turned out 112,475 vehicles at its plant in Esztergom, in northern Hungary) last year, and 111,044 of those cars were sold.
In 2019, around 185,000 of the cars produced at the plant were sold. Magyar Suzuki shut down production for six weeks in the spring of 2020 because of the pandemic. Krisztián said Suzuki plans to make around 143,000 vehicles in Esztergom this year.
Read alsoChefs at Lake Balaton could ask for a salary of HUF 1 million
VITESCO INVESTS HUF 36 BN IN CAPACITY EXPANSION IN HUNGARY
Plans were announced for Vitesco Technologies, a business of Germany’s Continental, to invest 36 billion forints (EUR 10.3mn) to expand capacity at its base in Debrecen, in eastern Hungary. The government is supporting the investment, which will create 450 jobs, with a 10.5 billion forint grant.
HUNGARY WEIGHS ROLE AS TRANSIT COUNTRY FOR GAS FROM KRK LNG TERMINAL
A top official of the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (MEKH) proposed the establishment of a working group to consider a closer cooperation with Croatia’s gas market at an international conference of gas industry insiders in the coastal town of Opatija.
MEKH VP for international relations Pál Ságvári said Hungary’s gas network, connected to nearly all of its neighbours, could serve as a delivery mechanism for gas from Croatia’s recently inaugurated LNG terminal off the island of Krk to countries such as Ukraine.
CORDIA INVESTS IN UK AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDER
Cordia, the residential property business of Hungarian developer Futureal, said it partnered with Matter Real Estate on an investment in Auxesia Homes, a registered provider of social housing in the UK. Auxesia Homes’ main customers are British Armed Forces, National Health Service and Emergency Service personnel.
Read alsoAnother huge development project gets under way at Budapest Airport
Survey reveals that Hungarian standard of living is at the bottom of the EU
Many experts believe it is possible to measure the standard of living of a country’s residents by looking at the level of actual individual consumption (AIC). Based on this, Hungary is at the bottom of the European Union.
There are several indicators and data on economic prosperity. The best known economic indicator is gross domestic product (GDP). Although GDP is an important measure, experts say it is not the way to show the prosperity of a country’s economy. According to the European Statistical Office, actual individual consumption (AIC) is the best measure.
This figure shows how many goods and services are actually consumed by a given household. The AIC includes consumer goods and services purchased directly by households, as well as weighted services provided by non-profit institutions and governments, such as health and education, writes penzcentrum.hu.
The AIC shows how good the quality of public services the government provides to residents is.
Eurostat has prepared its 2020 estimate for EU countries. Eurostat uses price per share (PPS) for this purpose, which is an artificially created common conversion base. This will eliminate the differences between countries’ currencies. As a result, the much-heard, higher salary and more expensive livelihoods lose their significance. In the 27 Member States of the EU, individual consumption ranges from 61 to 131 per cent in PPS. The EU average is 100 per cent.
Luxembourg reached the highest level. Here, people live 31 per cent better than the EU average. Germany and Denmark come after Luxembourg. There were a further 6 countries where AIC was above the EU average. In 13 EU Member States, individual consumption ranged from 75 to 100 per cent. Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Romania also fall into this category.
Hungary is at the bottom of welfare statistics.
Actual per capita consumption is 31 per cent lower than the EU average. Only in Croatia and Bulgaria is the welfare of households worse. The Hungarian data has improved somewhat in the last decade, but in comparison, we are still at the bottom of the EU ranking.
BREAKING! Hungary eases travel restrictions, further alleviation to be expected
From Wednesday, anyone can enter Hungary without restrictions at the land and water border crossing points of six neighbouring countries. Presumably, further easing of restrictions can be expected in Hungary when the number of vaccinated people reaches 5.5 million.
A few days ago, Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó announced at a press conference in Slovakia that Hungary would lift the guarding of border crossing points at its internal Schengen borders and open the border crossings previously closed due to the coronavirus epidemic. The plan entered into force this week, after the Hungarian government amended the regulation on travel restrictions. Accordingly,
from 23rd June, anyone can enter Hungary without restrictions at the land and water border crossing points of six neighbouring countries, including Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, except by air.
The Hungarian news portal, Turizmus.com, highlighted that the opening of the borders does not affect visits to hotels, restaurants (except terraces), spas, museums, and other attractions, as these services can still be used only by citizens of countries with which Hungary has a unilateral or bilateral agreement on the vaccination certificate.
So far, Hungary has a bilateral agreement with the following countries: Morocco, Albania, Bahrain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Northern Macedonia, Georgia, Croatia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Turkey.
In addition, the Hungarian government has signed another bilateral agreement with Kazakhstan. Accordingly, from now on, anyone can travel to Kazakhstan without restrictions if they have a Hungarian immunity certificate, and Hungary also accepts the Kazakh vaccination certificates, reported 24.hu.
However, the EU immunity certificate, which is expected to enter into force on 1st July, will only apply to vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, so those who have been vaccinated with a Russian or Chinese vaccine will need a negative Covid test to travel within the EU.
Meanwhile, Russia has also opened up to passengers with Hungarian citizenship and permanent residence if they arrive by direct flight from Hungary. According to the relevant government decree, the border crossing is open with a valid visa and a negative PCR test not older than three days.
Previously, the Russian authorities only allowed entry to passengers who arrived in the country for investment, economic, business purposes, or to visit relatives. The Russian government decree also covers citizens of Austria, Croatia, Luxembourg, Lebanon, and Mauritius, reported Index.
Presumably, further ease of restrictions can be expected in Hungary based on the announcement of Katalin Novák, Hungarian MP, according to whom
a significant portion of the current epidemiological restrictions will be lifted by the government when the number of vaccinated people reaches 5.5 million.
As Pénzcentrum reports, further details will be revealed on Thursday’s Government Info. So far, 5 million 432 thousand people in Hungary received their first vaccination, so Hungary might achieve the goal of 5.5 million vaccinated people in a week.
Regarding the possibility of easing the epidemiological restrictions in Hungary, experts highlighted that the need for mask use is still reasonable until 80% inoculation is achieved in Hungary. According to 24.hu, even though wearing a mask is uncomfortable and suffocating, it has an incredibly good barrier function, just like keeping social distance and washing hands frequently.
Thanks to all these, the spread of the new delta variant can be impeded more efficiently. As 24.hu reports, compared to other countries in the world, the presence of the delta variant is currently very low in Hungary. Numerically, only 5 cases of the mutant from India have been detected so far.
Read alsoHungary in the safest green zone – where can we travel from now on?
Breaking – Hungary offers to vaccinate frontier commuters
Hungary will offer to inoculate foreign nationals living in border regions against the coronavirus from July, the government said on its website late on Tuesday.
Foreign nationals living in areas along the borders Hungary shares with Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia will be able to get a Covid jab at designated inoculation sites in Hungary.
Registration will take place on site. People will not be permitted to select the vaccine administered but will get the Covid jab that is available.
Offering the vaccine to foreign nationals aged 18 and older will contribute to the pandemic defence of Hungarian nationals and Hungarians living in border regions outside of the country, the government said. Details of the measure will be published in a decree on Monday. Hungary has inoculated more than half of its population against the coronavirus.
Eight patients died over the past 24 hours, while 91 new infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday.
So far 5,431,713 people have received a first jab, while 4,619,877 have been fully vaccinated.
The number of active infections has declined to 41,417, while hospitals are treating 241 Covid patients, 32 of whom need respiratory assistance. There are 3,322 people in official quarantine, while 6,073,516 tests have been officially carried out.
Since the first outbreak, 807,775 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 29,971. Fully 736,387 people have made a recovery. So far, most infections have been registered in Budapest and Pest County, followed by the counties of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Győr-Moson-Sopron and Hajdú-Bihar.
Since the first outbreak, 807,775 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 29,971. Fully 736,387 people have made a recovery. So far, most infections have been registered in Budapest and Pest County, followed by the counties of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Győr-Moson-Sopron and Hajdú-Bihar.
Hungary in the safest green zone – where can we travel from now on?
According to the freshly published epidemiological map of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Hungary is in the safest green zone. As a result, Hungarians can visit two more popular foreign destinations without any test or certificate.
In the last three months, the epidemiological data of Hungary has significantly improved. The low number of fatalities and new infections is probably due to the effective vaccination program of the country; as a result of which, Hungary has a 6-8-week advantage in vaccinations in the EU.
Thanks to the favourable epidemiological situation,
Hungary has entered the green zone on the epidemiological map of the ECDC.
As the Hungarian news portal Forbes reports, until last week, the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous two weeks had to be below 25 for a country to get into the green zone with a positive test rate of better than 4%. Since then, a modification has been made in the classification of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control; as a result of which, it is enough to go below 50 for the best classification (green zone). Accordingly, not only Hungary but several other European countries have become green.
Consequently, two popular summer destination countries have opened up to European visitors – including Hungarians – coming from green countries without any test or immunity certificate.
One of them is Croatia, whose regulations say that tourists coming from the green zone are free to enter. No certificate is required. In addition, Spain also considers the list of countries at risk based on the ECDC map. Thus, tourists arriving from any EU country listed in the green zone no longer need a certificate of recovery or vaccination, nor the presentation of PCR or antigen test results, in order to enter Spain. All they need to do is request a QR code using the health declaration completed on the Spain Travel Health website 48 hours before the flight. The list is reviewed weekly by the Spanish authorities; the current classification is valid until 27th June.
As the Hungarian news portal Magyar Nemzet reports, the practice of accommodation may differ from the entry rules (especially in the Canary Islands) regardless of the ease of restrictions. Therefore, it is highly recommended to contact the accommodation for further details and get informed about the expectations as hosts still have the right to ask for certificates or negative test results when handing over the keys.
The Spanish government is also preparing for further ease of restrictions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that thanks to advances in the vaccination protocol, mandatory outdoor masking is expected to end by 26th June. The final decision will be made on Thursday at the interregional meeting. If the majority votes yes, then the masks will only have to be put on indoors in Spain.
Just like in Hungary, where mandatory mask-wearing was abolished at the end of May. Still, Hungarian virologists draw attention to the importance of vaccination and precaution. According to the Hungarian news portal ATV, foreign examples show that the Indian mutant spreads faster and is much more dangerous to children than the previous variants. The loss of smell and taste is not a typical symptom as before. The currently spreading variant begins with cold flu-like symptoms.
Read alsoWant to travel abroad from Hungary? – Here is everything you need to know
Croatia opens borders to ‘green’ EU countries including Hungary
Croatia from Thursday is allowing the unimpeded entry of citizens of European Union countries with low coronavirus incidence rates according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the official koronavirus.hr website has said.
Travellers from Hungary and other “green” EU countries, with a positivity rate under 4 percent and with slow incidence growth, will not have to show immunity certificates or negative tests to enter the country, the website said.
The Hungarian consulate said, however, that Hungarian immunity certificates will be required for those wishing to return to Hungary from Croatia.
As we reported before, Hungary is to reopen all border crossings with Serbia from next Wednesday. István Pásztor, one of the leaders of the Hungarians living in Serbia (Vajdaság), announced the decision on social media. According to borsonline.hu, the reopened border crossings will operate as they did before the outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic from June 23.
István Pásztor added that the new decision concerns the Horgos-Röszke (public crossing), the Rábé-Kübekháza, and the Haraszti-Bácsszentgyörgy border crossings. Horgos-Röszke (railway) and Kelebia-Tompa were open even during the pandemic, while Bajmok-Bácsalmás, Királyhalom-Ásotthalom, and Gyála-Tiszasziget opened on June 15.
That is because the third wave of the epidemic is declining both in Hungary and in Serbia.
The total number of people who got the infection by this Friday in Serbia increased by 135 and stands at 715,442. Over the past 24 hours, five people died because of the coronavirus.
Want to travel abroad from Hungary? – Here is everything you need to know
The coronavirus pandemic has made international travel almost impossible last year, and since then, nothing has really returned to normal. It is hard to navigate through all the information out there, so we try to keep you updated with as much information as we can.
If you would like to travel from Hungary abroad, you can easily do so to 16 other countries with which Hungary has a bilateral agreement, that is, if you have a Hungarian immunity certificate.
You can learn more about the Hungarian immunity certificate HERE. You can check out all the countries that recognise the Hungarian immunity certificate – at the time of writing this article – and it makes you exempt from most if not all travel restrictions in THIS article.
Also, the testing phase of the coronavirus passport accepted by all European Union countries has started in Hungary. The unified passport will allow for the free movement of European citizens once again and will launch by July 1st. Although keep in mind that it only works if you were inoculated with vaccines that the European Medicines Agency accepts, which are currently the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines)
But if you would like to travel somewhere before that or have been inoculated with a different vaccine, luckily for you, Forbes.hu have created a detailed list of restrictions in place for the most popular destinations from Hungary.
Everything you need to know about the EU Covid certificate!
Breaking – Important change to come to the Hungarian immunity certificate
Almost all other countries must have some kind of additional restriction in place. It is best that you also contact either your embassy in the country you would like to travel to or any relevant authorities of the target country.
Austria
If you would like to go to Austria, you should either have:
- An antigen test no older than 24 hours
- A PCR test no older than 72 hours
- An antibody test no older than 3 months
- A certificate from a doctor if you recovered from the coronavirus within the last 6 months
- If you were vaccinated with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna or Sinopharm (22 days after the first jab – for 3 months; or 9 months after the second jab or the first in case of a one-dose vaccine)
Do I need to register beforehand?
If you have one of the above, you do not need to register since June 10.
Do I need to wear a mask?
You must wear an FFP2 or better mask in stores and on public transportation.
Greece
If you would like to go to Greece, you should either have:
- A PCR test no older than 72 hours
- 14 days after the final vaccination of these vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Sinovac, Sputnik V, Sinopharm
- If you have recovered from the coronavirus, with a PCR or rapid antigen test that is more than two months but no more than 9 months old
Do I need to register beforehand?
If you are entering Greece, you need to register at least 24 hours before you do so. There is an English Passenger Locator Form which you need to fill out. If you do so, you will get a QR-code that is scanned at the border.
Do I need to wear a mask?
Yes. Both indoors and outdoors. If there are any passengers in a car other than the driver, you also need to wear a mask.
Croatia
If you would like to go to Croatia, you should either have:
- A PCR test no older than 72 hours
- A negative antigen test no older than 48 hours
- If you have recovered from the virus, a certificate from a doctor or a positive PCR or antigen test no older than 180 days, but issued at least 11 days or more before travelling ( in this case, positive antibody results and the Hungarian certificate if you have recovered from the virus is not accepted)
- A Hungarian immunity certificate and after you received both doses of the vaccine or 14 days after the one-dose Janssen vaccine
- If someone has recovered from the virus and have received the first dose of a vaccine within the last six months, you can travel without any tests for 6 months after the first dose
- If 22 days have passed since you received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna or Sputnik V, but no more than 42 days pass, or in the case of AstraZeneca, 22 days after the first dose but no more than 84 days. ( In the case of Sinopharm, you can only travel if you have received both jabs)
Do I need to register beforehand?
At the border, you have to declare how long do you plan to stay in the country, what places you will visit and the actual address of your accommodation. There is also a form that you can fill out beforehand.
Do I need to wear a mask?
It is mandatory to wear a mask on public transportation, in administrative offices, in shops, banks, post offices, health care facilities, buildings of educational institutions and buildings of companies providing services.
Orbán’s secret plan against the virus
Covid-19 status in Hungary – is it over?
Germany
You can currently travel to Germany from Hungary without any restriction; however, if you are travelling by plane, you need either of the following:
- An antigen test no older than 48 hours
- A test based on nucleic acid detection that is no older than 72 hours (PCR, LAMP, TMA)
- At least 14 days have passed after the second dose of any vaccine accepted by the German PEI Institute (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen)
- If you have recovered from the coronavirus, you need a positive PCR test older than 28 days but no older than 6 months
Do I need to register beforehand?
There is no need for registration.
Do I need to wear a mask?
In administrative offices, in stores and on public transportation, it is mandatory to wear a mask.
Italy
If you would like to go to Italy before the 31st of July:
- You need a PCR test conducted within 48 hours, regardless of any circumstances ( you will need to be quarantined for 10 days if you have no test results)
Do I need to register beforehand?
Similar to Greece, you need to register online at the Passenger Locator Form.
Do I need to wear a mask?
Mask wearing is mandatory both indoors and outdoors.
Slovenia
If you would like to go to Slovenia, you should either have:
- A negative PCR or antigen test no older than 48 hours
- A Hungarian immunity certificate
If you do not have a Hungarian immunity certificate, but you can prove either of the following:
- You received the second dose of Pfizer at least 7 days prior
- You received the Janssen vaccine or the second dose of Moderna, Sputnik V, Coronavac or Sinopharm vaccines at least 14 days prior
- You received the first dose of AstraZeneca or Covishield at least 21 days prior
Do I need to register beforehand?
If you are staying for more than 3 days, then yes, but some accommodations will arrange that for you.
Do I need to wear a mask?
It is mandatory to wear one indoors.
Read alsoAll the beaches in Hungary you can enjoy without an immunity certificate
Hungary sends police officers to the Croatian seashore
The officers will fulfil their duties in Zadar and Pula, two Croatian seaside tourist paradises, and will be available 24/7 during the summer.
According to police.hu, the selected officers took part in a training on June 10 in the headquarters of the Hungarian police. Based on the plans, they will start their service on July 1 and will remain in Croatia until August 31 to help their Croatian colleagues, police.hu reported.
They will be in Zadar and Pula and their neighbourhood, mostly on the beaches and places tourists like to visit. Their task will include informing tourists and instructing them if it is necessary. Speaking foreign languages was crucial in the selection phase. Thus,
five of the officers going to Croatia speak English while one of them speaks Croatian.
All foreign citizens have to sign a declaration before entering Croatia to speed up the border control process.
Currently, you can enter Croatia in five cases:
- Negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test which is not older than 72 hours (HERE you can find the tests local authorities accept).
- You cross the border to be tested in Croatia, but you have to stay in home quarantine (which can be a hotel, too) until the results arrive.
- You got the infection at least six months before.
- You got all the needed vaccine jabs, but you must receive the last one at least 14 days before crossing the border. You got the first Pfizer/Moderna/Sputnik jab at least 22 days before you cross the border.
- You got your first jab only and got the infection at least 180 days before entering Croatia.
As we reported before, Hungary and Croatia signed an agreement on May 5 in which they stated that they mutually recognise immunity certificates, allowing unrestricted travel between the two countries for those who have them. Under an agreement reached earlier that day, “Hungarian nationals who have been vaccinated can travel to Croatia with no obligation to isolate or get tested,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.
RegioJet to relaunch its rail routes in Central Europe
Central Europe’s leading private railway company is relaunching its trains to several destinations this June.
Summer is around the corner; more and more countries are deciding to reopen and sign bilateral agreements with each other in order to facilitate the free movement of mostly tourists. It seems that the end of this madness that has been going on for more than a year now will come to an end soon. RegioJet, for instance, definitely thinks so, as the company based in Brno will relaunch several of its railway lines leaving from Hungary.
International train services to resume in June
Starting from the 13th of June, Prague will be easily reachable from Budapest through Győr and Vienna.
The most budget-friendly prices will start at 9 euros.
The new-old routes of RegioJet will connect Budapest with Vienna and with Prague twice a day, according to vilaggazdasag.hu.
Radim Jancura, the owner of RegioJet, says that
Budapest will play an important part in his plan to expand the company.
It will be the location for their next base in order to provide clients with the best quality for the best price. During this summer, travelling to Vienna, Brno or Prague will be easier than before thanks to the frequent trains that will leave from Budapest not only on a daily basis but, depending on the destination, even twice or three times a day. Moreover, apart from these international connections, those trains travelling to Vienna and Prague will be available for internal usage, meaning that on the territory of Hungary, passengers will be able to enjoy the services provided by RegioJet on the route of Budapest-Győr-Mosonmagyaróvár.
Tickets can be booked already on their website.
Here are the ticket prices of the itinerary between Budapest and Prague. (Budapest – Vienna- Brno – Prague)
- Low-cost class: from 16 euros
- Standard class: from 20 euros
- Relax class: from 25 euros
- Business-class: from 35 euros
All of these mentioned prices include the possibility to book a seat, Wifi connection and a variety of daily newspapers and magazines.
The Standard class wagons allow you to watch a movie, listen to music or reach other contents making your travel more enjoyable, thanks to the screens inserted in the back of every seat. Moreover, in every class, except for the low-cost class, all passengers receive freshly prepared coffee and still mineral water.
Naturally, those travelling in business class are entitled to further benefits and treats. They are served champagne, orange juice and sweet pastry. Moreover, during their travel, they can buy foods or drinks for an excellent price. For instance, a can of beer or a bottle of water costs less than 1 euro, while a complete meal of sushi or Caesar’s salad can be ordered for around 3 euros.
Next, here are the ticket prices between Budapest and Vienna.
- Low-cost class: from 9 euros
- Standard class: from 11 euros
- Relax class: from 15 euros
- Business-class: from 25 euros
All these prices above include a cup of coffee and further services on board.
Finally, one of the most important news:
on May 29, RegioJet already launched their most awaited routes, connecting Budapest to Croatian cities located right at sea.
Split and Fiume are both possible destinations from Győr, travelling through Budapest and Zagreb. Already almost 5000 passengers have booked and bought their tickets for the overnight ride leaving from Hungary.
In June, these trains will leave from Győr 3 times a week, while in July and August, even more frequently, every single day.
Read alsoWould you travel abroad from Hungary? Important information!
Breaking – international train services to resume in June
Hungarian railways MAV said on Thursday that significant improvement in the epidemic situation will allow several of its international services to resume from June 1.
Hourly services between Budapest and Vienna will resume through Hegyeshalom, the company said in a statement. A direct railjet express service and night train to Switzerland will also restart and trains will leave for Munich every two hours during the day, in addition to a night service.
Services between Romania and Hungary
will be gradually restarted and a Wroclaw-Berlin service will again operate from May 24, in addition to trains to Krakow and Warsaw from May 26. Metropolitan EuroCity trains to Slovakia and the Czech Republic will again run from June 1, with full services resuming after June 13.
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One daily service will be again available between Budapest and Zagreb from June 25.
NATO attempts to appease Serbian concerns over Croatian troops in Kosovo
NATO sought on Monday to assuage Serbian concerns over the deployment of Croatian troops to Kosovo, stressing they were bound by exactly the same rules as all other troops of the alliance’s KFOR peacekeeping force in the Balkan country.
“All troops provided by NATO allies and partner countries to our operation in Kosovo operate under … a well established framework, which is set out by the UN resolution 1244,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels.
Vucic has been dismayed over an announcement by Croatia to deploy more troops to Kosovo as part of KFOR, according to media reports. Serbia and Croatia were wartime foes during the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
Albanian dominated Kosovo declared independence in 2008, almost a decade after NATO air strikes wrestled control of the territory away from Belgrade to end a counter-insurgency campaign by Serbian security forces.
Vucic called the meeting with Stoltenberg at NATO’s Brussels headquarters reassuring.
“Everything that has been done so far under the mandate of the United Nations and done by NATO forces was pretty much supported by all sides, and hopefully that will remain so,” he said.
Stoltenberg stressed that there were no changes planned to the KFOR mission, which numbers some 3,500 troops and was established in 1999.
“NATO allies are firmly committed to KFOR and to its important mission,” Stoltenberg said, adding NATO troops were in Kosovo to protect all communities and ensure the freedom of movement.
Read alsoSpecial manoeuvres as part of Black Swan military exercise – PHOTOS
Special manoeuvres as part of Black Swan military exercise – PHOTOS
Special manoeuvres were presented to experts and journalists as part of the Black Swan 2021 international military exercise at a Hungarian army base near Szolnok, in central Hungary, on Wednesday.
The exercise involved
Hungarian, Austrian, Croatian, Slovak and Slovenian soldiers and was assisted by US trainers and troops as well as trainers from Germany,
Ferenc Köröm, the Hungarian army chief, told reporters after the event.
Black Swan aimed at launching the regional special operations command in Szolnok which will have to be fully operational by 2024, he said, adding that the Wednesday event was a first test for that.
Black Swan is taking place on Hungarian, Croatian, and Slovak territory, with the Hungarian command coordinating the operations.
It is being organised in connection with the US Trojan Footprint-South 2021 and Blue Sky exercises, and is part of the Defender Europe 2021 series of exercises, Korom said.
Breaking – six countries recognise Hungarian immunity certificate
Six countries – Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and Bahrein – have agreed to recognise Hungary’s vaccination certificate, a foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.
Tamás Menczer, the state secretary for communications and international relations, said in a video posted on Facebook that the Croatian authorities require Hungarians to present the slip of paper containing the dates of the two jabs they received as well as the plastic vaccination card, and will
allow entry from the 14th day after the second shot.
As regards Turkey, the country has agreed to allow non-immunised minors accompanied by parents carrying an immunity card entry, Menczer noted, adding the ministry is negotiating to reach similar agreements on minors with the other countries as well.
“We can talk about travel abroad because our country is far ahead of other European countries in terms of its vaccination drive,”
said Menczer.
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said in reaction that the card alone does not serve as a free pass for entering Croatia.
Judit Földi Rácz, DK’s board member, told a press conference that the government had “yet again misinformed Hungarians” on an important Covid-related question, noting the foreign minister’s last week’s announcement on Hungary and Croatia mutually allowing free entry of immunity certificate holders.
Croatia to issue international arrest warrant for former Dinamo coach
Croatia is set to issue an international arrest warrant for former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic who failed to report this week to serve his jail sentence for fraud, the Zagreb county court said on Tuesday.
Zoran Mamic’s four years and eight months prison sentence was confirmed in March. He was due to turn up for serving the sentence by midnight on Monday. He is believed to be in Bosnia as he is also a Bosnian citizen.
“The Bosnian authorities must act on the arrest warrant and decide whether there are legal conditions met for Mamic to be handed over to Croatia,” state news agency Hina quoted the court’s spokesman Kresimir Devcic as saying.
“If Bosnia refuses to hand him over, he will remain at large in Bosnia until his possible arrest in some other way,” he said.
Mamic requested to serve the sentence in Bosnia, but Croatia refused it.
He was sentenced to jail together with his brother Zdravko Mamic, former Dinamo executive president.
They had been charged together with another former Dinamo official and one tax expert for tax evasion worth 12.2 million kuna ($1.97 million) and for embezzlement of 116 million kuna from transfers of players from Dinamo.
The Mamic brothers denied any wrongdoing. Zdravko Mamic, also with a dual citizenship, now lives in Bosnia.
Zoran Mamic resigned in March as Dinamo coach, ahead of the Europa League return clash against English side Tottenham Hotspur in Zagreb.