How to apply for a Hungary Schengen visa from Ireland

Where you apply

Apply to Hungary if it is the only or main destination of your trip, counted in days or by the purpose of the visit; if there is no main destination, apply to the Schengen country whose external border you cross first.

The Embassy at 2 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, says that since November 2024 VFS Global Ireland handles all visa applications, and that you book the appointment on VFS's website. VFS has one centre for Hungary in Ireland, in Dublin, open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16:00. Each member of a family or group books their own appointment.

Family members of Hungarian citizens apply under the general Schengen procedure and pay the full visa fee; family members of other EEA nationals pay no visa fee, according to VFS.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill in the paper form

   Hungary uses a printed Schengen application form: download it from VFS's Hungary page for Ireland (Schengen visa, then Application Form), complete it in English as your passport reads, and sign it where marked.
2. 2

   Book at VFS Global

   Through VFS's booking page: create an account and choose a date. You get a confirmation email and an appointment letter.
3. 3

   Gather the documents

   Against the VFS checklist for your category. VFS says the documents must be recent, no older than one month; bring the originals, which you get back, and hand in photocopies.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Hand in the form and documents, give fingerprints, and pay the visa fee and the VFS service fee by card. If a document is missing, VFS lets you bring it within three working days.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   VFS emails you when the passport is back; collect it at the centre with the original receipt and photo ID, or pay extra to have it couriered.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• Your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a letter from your employer or proof of studies or self-employment.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the VFS checklist for Hungary in Ireland asks for:

• Your Irish Residence Permit, valid more than one month after you come back from the Schengen Area, with a copy of both sides. VFS needs to see the physical card, and an Irish C-type visitor visa is not accepted.
• Two photos, 35 × 45 mm, and copies of any Schengen visas from the last three years with their entry and exit stamps.
• Employees: a signed letter from your employer issued within 30 days of the appointment, with the company's Irish registration number, your position and salary, and payslips for the last three months.
• Self-employed: a letter from your accountant, bank or solicitor, issued within 30 days, describing the business and the salary you draw, with your Revenue self-assessment. Students: a recent letter from the school, college or university in Ireland with the course, weekly hours and attendance.
• Irish bank statements in your name for at least the last three months, with a balance dated within five days of the appointment. The balance should be at least €50 for each day of the trip.
• A return ticket to Ireland in your name as it is in the passport; for tourism, a hotel booking for the whole stay.
• Visiting family or friends: a signed, dated invitation from your host, a copy of the host's passport or residence permit and both sides of their address card, and proof of your relationship.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90 (VFS Global, November 2026)

Children aged 6 to 11

€45; under 6, free

VFS service fee

€23 per application, including VAT (VFS Global, November 2026)

Payment

By credit or debit card at the centre; American Express, cheques and bank transfers are not accepted (VFS Global fee page, November 2026)

Processing

At least 15 calendar days from when the mission receives the file, the next working day after you apply (VFS Global)

All fees are non-refundable, according to VFS. Its general how-to-apply page says the visa fee can be paid in cash, but its fee page for Hungary says card only, so bring a card. VFS also warns that around Easter, in July and August and at Christmas appointments are booked very quickly, because the mission processes a fixed number of applications a day.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Hungary in Ireland received 382 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 1.2% of all those lodged in Ireland, and the 14th most of any Schengen country. They refused 14.4% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in Ireland the rate was 3.1%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

382

Rank in Ireland

14th of 21 Schengen countries

Refused

14.4%

All Schengen countries in Ireland

3.1% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so these are residents of Ireland of many nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

Not enough applicants in Ireland have reported a Hungary visa yet to show their own figures; these are the 35 reports from every origin. The median time from appointment to passport back was 14 days.

Reports

35

Appointment to passport back (median)

14 days; typically 8–17 days

Approved

94% of 34 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

5 months

Multiple entry

64%

See every Hungary report · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

Dublin. Our monitors saw new Hungary appointments appear in Dublin 35 times in the last 90 days, on 28 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 1.5 days. The latest release we saw was on 9 November at 20:46 Irish time. Over the past year (118 releases), 46% came on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 28% between 11:00 and 14:00 Irish time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date with VFS Global: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear. In the last 90 days our monitors saw new dates appear in Dublin 35 times, typically about 1.5 days apart.

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

Each Hungary route we track has its own page, and every route is on the Ireland appointment board page. For how the booking systems work, see how to book a Schengen visa appointment in Ireland.

• Hungary visa appointment, Dublin

Questions

Can I apply for a Hungarian visa at the Embassy in Dublin?

No. The Embassy of Hungary in Dublin says that since November 2024 VFS Global Ireland handles all visa applications. You book the appointment on VFS’s website and apply at its centre in Dublin; VFS only collects the application, and the Hungarian mission decides.

How early should I apply for a Hungary visa from Ireland?

VFS asks for at least 20 working days before your travel date and says an application with too little processing time may be found inadmissible. The Embassy says at least 15 days and recommends 30. You can apply up to six months before the trip.

How long must my IRP be valid for a Hungarian visa?

More than one month after you return from the Schengen Area, according to the VFS checklist for Ireland. You must show the physical card; an Irish C-type visitor visa is not accepted.

How much money do I need in my bank account for a Hungary visa?

The VFS checklist asks for Irish bank statements covering at least the last three months, with a balance dated within five days of the appointment, and says the balance should be at least €50 for each day of the trip.

What is the refusal rate for Hungary Schengen visas in Ireland?

In 2025, the consulates of Hungary in Ireland refused 14.4% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 3.1% across all Schengen countries in Ireland, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 382 applications, the 14th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Embassy of Hungary in Dublin: consular services
• VFS Global Hungary, Ireland
• VFS Global Hungary, Ireland: Schengen visa fees, documents, processing time and form
• VFS Global Hungary, Ireland: how to apply
• VFS Global Hungary, Ireland: book an appointment
• VFS Global Hungary, Ireland: the visa application centre
• VFS Global Hungary, Ireland: submission of applications (26 March 2025)
• VFS Global: Hungary visa checklist for Ireland (PDF)
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and their visa centres and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Our coverage, prices and release statistics on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with any visa centre, embassy, consulate or government.