Hungary

Temporary visits to Ukraine do not result in the withdrawal of your temporary protection status in Hungary.    

If you have doubts about the validity of your temporary protection status in Hungary, the client service of the asylum authority (the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing) can provide you with information about it. If your status is no longer valid, you can re-apply for temporary protection.  

If you are a Ukrainian national and you decide to travel back to Ukraine, you can do so. However, if you have tolerated status (befogadott) in Hungary, please note that your status might be withdrawn. As a Ukrainian national, you can travel back directly from Ukraine to Hungary unless you have an entry and stay ban.   

 If you are not a Ukrainian national, it is advisable to check the visa conditions to enter Ukraine before traveling there. Your request to return to Hungary will be examined by the authorities at the border based on your documents (including your travel document, visa, and residence permit).  Please consult the Ukrainian embassy for visa questions.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary:  

Hungary, 1125, Budapest, Istenhegyi ut. 84/B 

hungary.mfa.gov.ua 

Ukrainian citizens can enter Ukraine with one of the following documents:

1. Passport of a citizen of Ukraine for travel abroad (International passport)
2. Diplomatic passport of Ukraine
3. Service passport of Ukraine
4. Seaman’s identity card
5. Crew member’s certificate

The internal passport (ID card) is not included in this list. Therefore, it cannot be used to return to Ukraine. Instead, it is necessary to issue either an international passport or a certificate for returning to Ukraine. The conditions and deadlines for the production of these documents vary.

A certificate for returning to Ukraine grants the right to enter Ukraine. This document is issued by diplomatic missions or consular institutions of Ukraine abroad.

A certificate for returning to Ukraine is issued by a foreign diplomatic institution (embassy/consulate of Ukraine abroad) on the day of application. The production of this document is usually a paid service.

An international passport can currently be issued at the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary. However, when ordering this service, it should be noted that the process of producing and issuing an international passport lasts from 3 to 6 months. The production of this document is a paid service.

In case you want to transit through Hungary to travel back to Ukraine, you are required to have a valid passport and visa as a general rule. This applies whether you are Ukrainian or a national of a third country. However, depending on your documentation, there may be cases where you can be exempted from fulfilling this requirement. For this reason, before traveling, we recommend consulting the authorities of the country that issued your documents to determine whether they can be used for the purpose of transit travel.  

If you have received documents certifying your disability in Hungary, you will have to go through the process of confirming your disability in Ukraine to have them recognized in Ukraine. For more information you can click here.

If you decide to return to Ukraine, you can cancel the enrollment in Hungary. Please inform the school of your departure date and request confirmation of your child’s school attendance. It is critical that parents keep records of the previous learning of their children in Ukraine and in Hungary (i.e. report cards, evaluations, grades, diplomas, certificates). These will be taken into account when a child is assessed and placed in school in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science has issued methodological guidance for educational authorities, explaining how children returning from abroad can validate their educational history in secondary schools abroad within Ukrainian schools. For detailed information please check the webpage of the Ministry of Education and Science page. 

If your child was attending school in Hungary, it is recommended to ask the school for an official document acknowledging your child’s studies and educational achievements, which will facilitate the recognition of your child’s education back in Ukraine. More information on what information the document should include can be found on the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s webpage.

Citizens of Ukraine cannot be denied entry to Ukraine under no circumstances. Children are subject to the same entry and exit control as adults. Please refer to State Border Guard Service of Ukraine for detailed information (under section “Виїзд дітей”). Those crossing the border should have a passport or other document confirming their identity or at least a birth certificate. Children can cross the border with a birth certificate issued abroad.

In case there are no documents, in all countries apart from those where consular relations are ceased (i.e. Russian Federation), children would need to be assisted in obtaining a return certificate based on any documents that can confirm connection to Ukraine (and possessing its citizenship). Consulates may issue a return certificate based on copies of documents.

If a child is entering alone or with a non-parent adult, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine shall contact local child protection services, unless they have information about parents awaiting the child. It is advised to inform the Border Guard post that the parent is expecting the child on the Ukrainian side of the border in advance.

Please note that a child should also meet the exit requirements of the host country – please contact your local Ukrainian consulate to ask for information and get the required documents for return. In some cases, a birth certificate cannot be used as a travel document.