Go, but pay attention.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Hungary
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go, but pay attention.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Price and bill cheating
Tourists are sometimes cheated on prices and bills in restaurants or shops. Always check your receipts and verify prices before finalizing transactions.
Rigged taxi fares
Taxi drivers may overcharge tourists. Confirm the fare or ensure the meter is running correctly before starting your journey.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Mandatory ID carriage
Everyone is legally required to carry their passport or ID card at all times. Failure to produce identification when requested by police leads to trouble.
Zero tolerance drink driving
Hungarian law enforces a zero tolerance policy for alcohol consumption while driving. Violators face severe fines.
Traffic and passenger safety laws
Seat belts are mandatory for all passengers. Infants require car seats, and children under 12 are prohibited from sitting in the front seat.
Right turn restrictions
Turning right on a red light is illegal. Police issue on-the-spot fines for traffic violations.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies, Tick-borne Encephalitis
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
The visa policy of the Schengen Area is a component within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the European Union. It applies to the Schengen Area and Cyprus, but not to EU member state Ireland. The visa policy allows nationals of certain countries to enter the Schengen Area via air, land or sea without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Nationals of certain other countries are required to have a visa to enter and, in some cases, transit through the Schenge
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorist attacks in Hungary cannot be ruled out.
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Hungary in general is a very safe country. However, petty crime in particular remains a concern, just like in any other country.
- •Watch your bags and pockets on public transport.
- •Generally, Hungary is rather quiet during the night compared to other European countries, and crime to tourists is limited to pickpocketing, and cheating on prices and bills and taxi fares.
- •Everyone is required to carry their passport and ID card. Not doing so lead to trouble with the police. The police generally accept a colour copy of your passport.
- •The police force is professional and well trained, but most hardly speak any English.
- •See the Budapest travel guide for more specific and valuable information about common street scams and tourist traps in Hungary.
Staying healthy
- •Food and water is generally safe, even in remote villages.
- •It is widely available and good practice to have with you a bottle during hot summer.
- •Private health care providers are high quality, but limited in scope once outside Budapest.
- •Public health care is free for qualifying (insured) people, and is of adequate quality in urban areas.
- •The country has joined the EU, so basic coverage is present for EU citizens, but check before entering the country how far are you insured and what you have to pay for.
- •The European Health Insurance Card is required from EU citizens applying for free treatment under this regulation.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
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Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 or 107 / ambulance: 112 or 104 / fire: 112 or 105
Tipping
Tips (borravaló) are given in Hungary for some services: in restaurants, in bars, to taxi drivers, to hairdressers, and often to people that fix things around the house, like plumbers and electricians.
Cash vs. Card
The Hungarian currency is the forint, denoted by the symbol "Ft" (ISO code: HUF). Notes come in denominations of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 forint; coins are available in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 two-coloured, similar to €2) and 200 (two-coloured, similar to €1) forint.
Zoom in
One Hungary city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (8 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09