Hungary joined the Schengen Area on 19 December, 2007. From that time visas and residence permits issued by one of the Schengen Member States are valid also for Hungary, and visas/residence permits 　issued by Hungarian authorities are - as a general rule - also valid for the entire Schengen Area.

As of December 19th 2011, 26 states are part of the Schengen Area: 22 states of the 27 members of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden) as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. (For the time being 5 member states of the European Union, i.e. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom do not issue Schengen visas.)

The Schengen regulations are only applicable for a stay not exceeding 90 days. Rules for a stay longer than 90 days are laid down by the national law of the member states concerned.

For detailed information in English please visit http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu.