Information for Ukrainian citizens and their families fleeing Ukraine (EN)

Ukrainian citizens and their family members fleeing Ukraine are free to enter Hungary at any border crossing.

What kind of protection am I entitled to in Hungary?

The European Union has decided to provide temporary protection to those Ukrainian citizens and their families who lived in Ukraine prior to 24 February 2022 and have had to leave Ukraine because of the war. Individuals living in Ukraine prior to 24 February 2022 with officially recognised refugee status are also entitled to the same protection. This status is called temporary protection status in Hungary. You are also entitled to this status if you did not arrive in Hungary directly from Ukraine, but from another country. Family members include: married spouse, common-law partner, children under the age of 18 and relatives who were living in the same household in Ukraine. Family members are entitled to the same protection even if they are not Ukrainian citizens.

Temporary protection status is in place until 4 March 2023.

How can I request temporary protection?

Temporary protection must be requested: no one is given the status automatically. The petition must be submitted in person at any of the “collection points” near the border, 24/7. The petition may also be submitted to the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság, OIF), at any of their customer service offices, during business hours. Click here for the addresses of the OIF offices and customer service offices (oif.gov.hu). In Budapest, petitions may only be submitted at the OIF office at Harmat utca 131. (District 10), any day of the week between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The petition need not be written ahead of time: you will receive a form to fill out at the OIF office.

The authorities are required to decide in your case within 45 days. As part of the process, you must prove that you are a Ukrainian citizen or a family member of a Ukrainian citizen. This is most easily accomplished using an official document, such as your personal identification card or passport, or an official document stating that you belong to the family of a Ukrainian citizen. You are also entitled to the protection if you meet the conditions but have no official documents proving this. In these cases, the authorities will ask more detailed questions to determine where you came from.

What rights do I have if I request temporary protection?

If you request temporary protection, you have the right to assistance from the state:

• Lodging, food and healthcare: if you have no permanent lodging (where you can reside for a longer period) at the time of submitting your petition, let the authorities know when submitting your petition. You may decide to stay at a place you arrange (with family or friends), but you must inform the authorities of this. After you submit your petition, you are entitled to Hungarian medical care regardless of where you are living (in state-provided lodging or elsewhere).
• Monthly subsistence support: You have the right to receive 22,800 HUF per month in support. Children receive 13,700 HUF a month. Let the OIF know if you require this support.
• Translation of personal documents, free of charge: The OIF will pay the cost of having your personal documents translated into Hungarian, if you request it. Such documents include your birth or marriage certificate, or official documents attesting to your education or professional skills.
• Employment: in certain professions, you are eligible to work without any special permit; in other professions, you are entitled to receive a work permit with easier conditions.
• Schooling for children, preschools, day-care;
• Discounted travel tickets: Ask the OIF to issue the certificate necessary for this. You may, however, travel on Hungarian trains and Budapest public transport vehicles free of charge even without such a certificate. The only document you need is your Ukrainian passport, Ukrainian personal identification card or Ukrainian residence permit.

What rights do I have if I have received temporary protection?

Under temporary protection, you remain entitled to the following support: lodging, food, medical care, monthly subsistence support, employment, reimbursement of translation costs, school support and preschool or day-care placement, travel discounts. You also have the right to the following:

• Personal identification card.
• Free Hungarian lessons: 520 hours of Hungarian, and the opportunity to take a language examination free of charge.
• School support: One-time support if your child in enrolled in school.
• Family reunification: If one of your family members has received temporary protection in another EU member state, you have the right to reside in the same country.

You are no longer entitled to the monthly subsistence support if you take a job or receive a pension.

What obligations do I have once I have been granted temporary protection?

If you move out of your lodging, you must register your new address with the OIF. You must abide by the laws of Hungary, and you must cooperate with the OIF. Should you lose your passport or other official document, or if it is stolen, you must report the fact immediately to the OIF. You must take the immunisations mandatory in Hungary if you have not received the same vaccines earlier.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee stands by those fleeing from Ukraine. Contact us for free legal assistance.

Contact us: ukrainecrisis@helsinki.hu | facebook.com/helsinkibizottsag