How to apply for a Hungary Schengen visa from the UAE

Where you apply

Apply to Hungary if it is your main destination: the embassy's own example is that five days in Hungary, four in Austria and three in the Czech Republic means applying to Hungary. You can apply in the UAE only as a citizen or resident.

VFS Global takes the applications at World Trade Center Mall (level B2) in Abu Dhabi and Wafi Mall (first floor) in Dubai, and passes them to the embassy the next working day. Family members of EEA citizens, other than of Hungarian citizens, may apply at the embassy directly; VFS says to email the embassy to ask for an appointment.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill in the form

   Hungary's short-stay form is a free download from Konzinfo, the Hungarian consular service, and from VFS. Complete, print and sign it; for a child under 18 both parents sign, and a child entered in a parent's passport needs a separate form.
2. 2

   Book at VFS Global

   In Abu Dhabi or Dubai, for a date no earlier than six months and no later than 15 days before you leave. Each family member needs their own appointment, and you can reschedule once, up to two days before the date.
3. 3

   Gather the documents

   Originals, in English or Hungarian; VFS says supporting documents must be no older than one month.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Apply in person: hand in the form and documents, give fingerprints, and pay the fees at the centre.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   Fifteen days as a rule, according to the embassy. Its page still gives the older limits of 30 and 60 days for longer cases; under the EU Visa Code as it now stands, the period can be extended to at most 45 days in individual cases.

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.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, 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 salary certificate or employer letter if you are employed.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the VFS Global tourism checklist for Hungary asks UAE residents for:

• A passport and UAE residence permit both valid at least three months beyond your return from Hungary; the passport must be signed and have two facing blank pages.
• A letter from your UAE sponsor giving your designation, salary and employment start date, or a legally translated trade licence if you are self-sponsored.
• A leave certificate (NOC with the leave dates) from your employer.
• Personal bank statements for the last six months, original and stamped by the bank; dependants can submit their sponsor's documents.
• A hotel booking, with the full address of the hotel or host written in the form.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90, charged as AED 382 at the centre

Children aged 6 to 11

€45 (AED 191)

VFS service fee

AED 115.66 (VFS Global, November 2026)

Processing

15 days as a rule, according to the embassy; up to 45 in individual cases under the Visa Code

VFS Global sets the dirham amounts at the current exchange rate, so they can change without notice; its step-by-step page says the visa fee can be paid in cash at the centre.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Hungary in the UAE received 10,424 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 3.5% of all those lodged in the UAE, and the 10th most of any Schengen country. They refused 35.2% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UAE the rate was 24.2%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

10,424

Rank in the UAE

10th of 27 Schengen countries

Refused

35.2%

All Schengen countries in the UAE

24.2% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so in the UAE they come mostly from residents of other 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 the UAE 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

Dubai. Our monitors saw new Hungary appointments appear in Dubai 100 times in the last 90 days, on 47 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 6 hours. The latest release we saw was on 9 November at 18:01 UAE time. Over the past year (499 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Abu Dhabi. Our monitors saw new Hungary appointments appear in Abu Dhabi 60 times in the last 90 days, on 35 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 15 hours. The latest release we saw was on 7 November at 07:04 UAE time. Over the past year (393 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date at the Hungary visa application centre: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear. Right now our board shows no dates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Hungary (last check 1m ago).

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

The live status of each Hungary route is on its own page, and every UAE route is on the UAE appointment board. For how the booking portal itself works, see how to book a VFS Global appointment in the UAE.

• Hungary visa appointment, Dubai
• Hungary visa appointment, Abu Dhabi

Questions

Who decides Hungary visa applications from the UAE?

The Embassy of Hungary in Abu Dhabi. VFS Global takes the applications at its centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and passes them to the embassy the next working day.

How many months of bank statements do I need for a Hungary visa from the UAE?

Six. The VFS Global tourism checklist asks for personal bank statements for the last six months, original and stamped by the bank.

How long does a Hungary visa take from the UAE?

Fifteen days as a rule, according to the embassy in Abu Dhabi. Under the EU Visa Code the period can be extended to at most 45 days in individual cases, for example when more documents are needed.

How do I appeal a Hungary visa refusal in the UAE?

In person at the embassy in Abu Dhabi, within 8 calendar days of receiving the refusal; no appointment is needed. Bring the refusal note, an appeal letter, any new documents, and a debit card for the non-refundable fee. The embassy says an appeal takes 15 days, which can be extended once by 21.

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

In 2025, the consulates of Hungary in the UAE refused 35.2% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 24.2% across all Schengen countries in the UAE, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 10,424 applications, the 10th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Embassy of Hungary in Abu Dhabi: visa information
• Konzinfo (Hungarian consular service): visa application forms
• VFS Global Hungary, UAE: tourism visa checklist (PDF)
• VFS Global Hungary, UAE: tourism visa, fees and processing time
• VFS Global Hungary, UAE: how to apply
• VFS Global Hungary, UAE: notice for EU spouse visa applicants
• 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 VFS Global and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Route status and our prices on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with VFS Global or any embassy, consulate or government.