Questions and answers for people fleeing to Hungary from Ukraine

Please note that information reflected on UNICEF National Committee HelpApp is in line with content available on Hungary – Blue Dot Hub page.

Where to apply for temporary protection:

To speed up the process, you may consider uploading your data  in advance to the “Menedekes” app or via the Enter Hungary interface

Information for Russian citizens

Those who are granted temporary protection and are over the age of 16 can work without a work permit. Applicants for temporary protection who are permanent residents of Ukraine and who arrived from Ukraine on or after 24 February 2022 and have Hungarian citizenship can also be public employees above the age of 16.

Job information & support to employability

Financial assistance for Temporary Protection holders:

  • You may submit an application to the labour authority within the government office where you live. Map of District Offices is available here.
  • The amount of the allowance is HUF 22,800 per person per month for adults and HUF 13,700 per person per month for children.
  • An adult beneficiary of temporary protection who is able to work and a child beneficiary of temporary protection over 16 years of age (if they are not attending full-time education) must first register for employment with the labour authority in the place of residence.

Applicants for and beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are entitled to free accommodation and meals at the reception center for the entire duration of temporary protection. Meals are part of the accommodation. A food service is provided at all reception centers. Meals will be provided at the reception center 3 times a day, or five times a day in the case of minors, pregnant women or nursing mothers, or an equivalent contribution to meals.

Where to find support for accommodation

  • Education is compulsory between the age of 3 and 16 in Hungary. Refugees, asylum seekers and children in subsidiary protection status, as well as temporary protection status holders, have the right to go to nursery care, kindergarten (from the age of 3) and to school, like all Hungarian children. Kindergartens, primary and secondary education is free of charge in Hungary in public institutions.
  • Nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools are obliged to offer access to their institutions for all children within their educational districts, unless they do not have the capacity to do so. In these cases, the child should have access to a neighboring school. Children over the age of 3 years are obliged to attend kindergarten, primarily in the kindergarten nearest to where you live. Information on how to fulfil the obligation to attend kindergarten is provided by the local authority.
  • Pre-school children and all students under the age of 14 with a valid Hungarian student card are entitled to free travel on Budapest’s Budapest Public Transport (BKK) lines and on the Budapest section of the surrounding buses and HÉV lines.
  • Click here to find the closest KG/school
  • Click here for an informative video on how to find the closest KG/school.
  • Information on Childcare
    PILnet
  • Information on Education
    PILnet

Education resources

Community support :

Large church/charitable aid organizations providing humanitarian assistance (e.g., accommodation, food):

Protection for children and adolescents:

You are considered an unaccompanied child if you are under 18 years of age and have arrived in Hungary from Ukraine alone (i.e., you do not have an adult relative with you, such as a parent or guardian) or are currently alone in the country.

If you are over 14 but under 18, you can submit the application for Temporary Protection yourself. According to the law, you are entitled to a legal guardian and the authorities may appoint a legal guardian for you, after assessing your situation.. If you are younger than 14, you will need the consent and help of a legal guardian to manage your application for temporary protection, so the first and most important step is to have a legal guardian. If you do not have a legal guardian with you, you can contact the asylum authority, the police or the local guardianship office and they will help you with the appointment of a legal guardian.

You can apply for temporary protection:

To speed up the process, you may consider uploading your data  in advance to the “Menedekes” app or via the Enter Hungary interface

  • Transportation from/to help points and transit hubs
    UNHCR
  • Information on travel and health measures in the EU and Schengen associated countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
    ReOpenEU
  • Transportation allowance: 
    • The allowance covers 100% of the fare price.
    • It can be claimed available for interurban transport (e.g., train, HÉV, regional train and bus services)
    • It can be requested if you have a certificate from the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing for a specific purpose, e.g., when you are dealing with an official matter, when you are receiving the health care you are entitled to, when you are participating in a program to help you integrate or you are being helped by a non-governmental organization and you are travelling there, to settle your accommodation, or to look for a job or to work. ,
    • You must submit your application to the OIF (in person at the regional directorate responsible for accommodation) together with the documents proving that you wish to travel for the above purposes

The content of this page has been developed with support from PILnet, the Magyar Suzuki Corporation and Baker McKenzie’s Budapest and Kyiv offices.