Travel to UK from Hungary

Overview of Immigrating to the UK from Hungary

The number of Hungarians resident in the UK has risen dramatically in the past couple of decades since Hungary joined the European Union.

There are an estimated 100,000 Hungarians currently in the UK, but the actual number could be anything as twice as much as this. Whatever the number, it’s evident that the UK is an increasingly popular travel destination for many Hungarians.

If you’re a Hungarian looking to come to the UK, there are a range of visas and immigration options available to you.

Some may only allow for short-term stays, such as if you want to do certain forms of temporary work or get married in the UK, whereas others are longer-term and may allow you to apply for permanent residence (known as indefinite leave to remain).

Short-Term UK Visas for Hungarians

The UK has a range of short-term visas to allow people to come and visit the UK.

Note that if you’re planning to visit the UK from Hungary for tourism purposes, to study short-term, or to visit family or friends, you will not need to apply for a UK visa.

However, you may need to apply for a visa if you wish to do certain activities in the UK, such as paid or unpaid work, among other things. These visas include the following:

• Charity Worker visa (for temporary volunteer work in the UK)
• Marriage Visitor visa (for people who wish to get married in the UK)
• Government Authorised Exchange visa (for people who wish to undertake work experience, training, or participate in a government-authorised exchange scheme)
• Seasonal Worker visa (for people who wish to work in short-term seasonal jobs in horticulture or poultry)
• Creative Worker visa (for people who have been offered a role in the creative industries)

Many of these visas will allow you to stay in the UK for varying amounts of time. Some may be valid for only a few months, whereas some may be valid for a year or more.

However, with all of these visas, you will be expected to leave the UK and return back to Hungary after your visa expires.

Long-Term UK Visas for Hungarians

If you’re a Hungarian looking to live in the UK longer-term, there are also many visas that will allow you to do so.

Some of these are work-oriented and will rely on you having a valid job offer in the UK as a prerequisite. Meanwhile, others are based around moving to the UK on account of having partners or family members who can support your application.

Viable long-term UK visas include the following:

• Skilled Worker visa (for general long-term skilled workers in many different professions)
• Health and Care Worker visa (healthcare and care work professionals)
• Scale-up Worker visa (for people who wish to work with a rapidly growing business in the UK)
• Spouse visa (for those who wish to live in the UK with their British or Irish spouse)
• Family visa (for those who wish to live in the UK with an eligible family member)

All of these visas, and many others, will allow you to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after spending a certain amount of time in the UK.

After applying for ILR, you will be able to live and work in the UK without the need for an employer or a family member sponsoring you.

How to apply for a UK visa from Hungary?

In most cases, you will have to apply for a UK visa online from the gov.uk website before you come to the UK.

You will have to ensure that your application for a visa has been approved and that you comply with UK entry requirements before travelling.

You may also have to attend a local visa application centre (VAC) in order to give further information for your application.

There is one VAC located for Hungarians to use in Budapest.

How Can IAS Help?

The UK offers a wide variety of possible routes for Hungarians and other Europeans wishing to visit, or move to, the UK.

However, it can sometimes be difficult to know which route is best for you and best suits your circumstances.

If you’re a Hungarian looking to come to the UK, IAS can help.

We offer full and comprehensive immigration advice for Hungarians and other nationals outside of the UK looking to immigrate. Whether you just want to come to the UK to study or conduct short-term work, settle in the UK as a permanent resident or eventually apply to become a citizen, we can help.

For more information about the services we provide, and what we can do for you, reach out to one of our immigration experts today. Call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244, or contact us online.