Do US passport holders need a visa for Hungary?
Covers 11 passports and 80 destinations. Rules older than 30 days are flagged for re-check.
How this tool works
We read the official notice for each pair and record the date. Nothing here is generated; a pair with no written check is not shown.
How we checkNo visa. US passport holders visit Hungary visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180.
Hungary is in the Schengen area, so the 90 days are shared with every other Schengen country. At your first crossing you register in the EES with a face scan and fingerprints instead of a passport stamp. ETIAS, an online authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet in operation. The visa exemption comes from the EU visa list (Regulation 2018/1806, Annex II) and the passport rules from the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6). The US State Department's page (Last Updated April 23, 2026) is consistent with the above. It also asks for a passport that is valid at entry.
Source: Hungarian Directorate-General for Aliens Policing. Checked Oct 4, 2026See the source
- Maximum stay
- 90 days in any 180
- Counted across the whole Schengen area.
- Passport validity
- 3 months after you leave
- Issued within the last 10 years.
- Passport at entry
- Valid at entry
- State Department: "Your passport must be valid at the time of entry."
- At the border
- EES registration
- Face scan and fingerprints at your first crossing; under 12s skip fingerprints.
- Pre-travel authorization
- None yet
- ETIAS (€20) is not in operation; the EU will announce a start date months ahead.
- Bilateral stay
- +90 days in Hungary
- After your Schengen 90 days, in Hungary only: you may not enter another Schengen country and must leave the Schengen area from Hungary.
Changes to this rule
- Apr 10, 2026EES fully operational at all Schengen external borders; passport stamps ended.