For those in need of help in Hungary

On this site you can find information on available help, a list of organizations that can help, and a list of useful links.

Last updated
2022. 08. 22. 9:40
Essential information

When arriving to Budapest, people fleeing Ukraine are transported via bus from Kőbánya-Kispest railway station to the Budapest Olympic Center (BOK) Event Hall. In BOK, volunteers help refugees with food, medical assistance, baby corner, ticket purchase options and coordinating accomodation and further transport. Free transfer lines leave regularly for Nyugati and Budapest-Keleti Station and the airport.

24/7 hotline

The Hungarian government established a free 24/7 green line where anyone can receive imortant information regarding the current situation in English, Ukrainian or Hungarian.

The Prime Ministry, the Ministry of Interior and the Hungarian Baptist Aid created a document that calls attention to the dangers of sexual and work-related exploitation. Source: Ministry of Interior (3/18/2022)

Download information (Magyar) Download information (Українська)

Enrollment in kindergarten and school

Information for parents and families on enrollment in kindergarten and school for the academic year 2022/2023 Read more Source: UNHCR (3/16/2022)

Information Booth in Budapest

The Information Pont in the Nyugati ter underpass in Budapest provides immediate, detailed and timely information to the refugees.

Budapest Helps

Travelling further

Train travel within Hungary is free for those with Ukrainian passports who obtain a solidarity ticket at a ticket office. If you want to travel further from Hungary, solidatiry tickets should be bought until the stations on the Hungarian border with neighboring countries.
Ukrainian citizens travelling towards Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Belgium, and Denmark can ride for free on long-distance trains. Use the MÁV travel planner to determine the outbound station!

Time table Nyugati Railway Station Budapest-Keleti Railway Station

WizzAir offers 10,000 free seats on short-haul flights for Ukrainian refugees from Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia

Budapest Airport Debrecen Airport

Help on Facebook

Let us help on Facebook Facebook group

I need help with...

An emergency
  • General emergency (Ambulance, Police, Fire department): 112
  • 24-hour English language crime hotline: +36 1 438 8080
  • English language telephone directory service: 191
  • International operator: 199
Medical aid

Emergency? Call 112

If you have a Ukrainian passport, you are eligible for emergency and ambulance care at most hospitals and clinics. The Hungarian Health Insurance Fund will cover your costs.

Children

  • In case of emergencies, contact the Ambulance of Heim Pal's Children Hospital, they're ready to help. Google Maps
  • A free Emergency Hotline has been established to provide care for children coming from Ukraine as soon as possible. The hotline is available 24/7 and provides supoprt in all areas related to childcare (medical care, hospital admission, consulting, COVID-19, mandatory vaccinations etc.) Hotline: +36 80-200-223
  • Ukrainian-Hungarian dual citizens can contact the nearest pediatrician (gyermekorvos). Address, contact and additional information: +36 1 476 1100
  • Dedicated specialists help children cope with the stress of leaving their home, loss or grief at Heim Pál National Childcare Institute's Psychology Crisis Ambulance Children's Psychology Crisis Ambulance: +36 30 44 34 751

Adults

  • Ukrainian-Hungarian dual citizens can contact the nearest GP (háziorvos). Address, contact and additional information: +36 1 476 1100
  • Free gynecology, pregnancy check-up & internal medicine problems: Duna Medical Center
    • Hungarian or English speaking: +36 1 790 7070
    • Ukrainian speaking - українською мовою: +36 70 698 0696
    • 1095 Budapest, Lechner Ödön fasor 5.
  • Free psychology aid and consultation (available in Ukrainian, Russian and English as well): pszi.hu
  • Diabetes hotline: +36 30 311 4977

The National Organization for Autistic People is happy to help people with special needs. +36 1 354 1073

The National Federation of Organizations of People with a Physical Disability (MEOSZ) provides assistance to persons with physical disability fleeing Ukraine. Contact

Crossing into Hungary

All five Hungarian-Ukrainian border crossings (Чоп-Záhony, КосоньBarabás, Вилок-Tiszebecs, Астей - Beregsurány, Dzvinkove-Lónya) are open. Dzvinkove-Lónya is open between 7-23 hours, the other crossings are open 0-24. Passage is continuous in the Hungarian side.Source: Police (3/18/2022) Download information

The procedure of border crossing in this sheet. Source: Police (3/12/2022)

List of the competent NDGAP (National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing) = OIF (Országos Idegenrendészet Főigazgatóság) offices mentioned on the sheet before: oif.gov.hu.

Customer Service Office at 131. Harmat utca, Budapest 1108 is open for clients from Ukraine for the purpose of applying for temporary protection and issuing humanitarian residence permits or certificate of temporary residence, seven days a week (including weekends and public holidays) from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 pm. Source: oif.gov.hu (3/10/2022)

Fact sheet for entering Hungary: Read more Source: bnt attorneys in CEE (3/11/2022)

Central contact to ask for help: Until the special contact will be provided for Ukraine, the following 24/7 hotlines can be used.

Read more

Transportation

Railways: MÁV

With the free solidarity ticket, you can start your journey at any train station, change your destination at the time of ticket exchange and prove your Ukrainian citizenship with an identity card or passport. Solidarity tickets that enable free travel within Hungary can be obtained at the railway ticket offices. At Budapest-Nyugati, there is an additional ticket booth set up between platform 17 and Eiffel Square as well.

There are three railway stations in Budapest, the Nyugati Railway Station, the Budapest-Keleti Railway Station and the Deli Railway Station. You can travel to Germany and Austria from the Eastern Railway Station.

Time table Nyugati Railway Station Budapest-Keleti Railway Station

Seat reservation and tickets for international travel can be purchased online as well. No registration is required, you only need an email address and a card for payments. The ticket can be printed or shown using a smartphone. Purchase guide Source: MÁV (3/16/2022)

Budapest Public Transport

Public transport is free for those that can show proof that they're from Ukraine.

Timetable Travel planner

Taxi (Budapest)

We recommend you reserve a taxi via an app

  • Bolt
  • City Taxi Budapest
  • Főtaxi
  • 6x6 Taxi

Highways and motorways

  • You need to have an e-vignette to be eligible to use the motorways and highways in Hungary.
  • Allianz Hungary offers a discount on mandatory insurance for any Ukrainian cars entering Hungary without a valid insurance. The discounted insurance can be purchased in 4 dedicated offices. Read more

Buy e-vignette

Airport

  • WizzAir offers 10,000 free seats on short-haul flights for Ukrainian refugees from Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia Read more

Budapest Airport Debrecen Airport

When arranging your travel, keep in mind that pets are not allowed on most budget airlines (not even in storage).

Accomodation

Look at our live map of volunteers providing free housing: LIVE MAP

A place to rest during the day:
Milestone Intézet & Impact Hub Budapest
Budapest, 7.district, Wesselényi street 17.

Find shelter: https://shelterukr.com/

«Support Ukraine!» accomodations:
If you would like to go for one of the options listed below, you'll find contact details in the table below. Support Ukraine! is doing their best to keep the information up-to-date by involving the charity services as well. Current accomodations

Ingatlan.com offers a selection of long-term rentals that have been specifically offered for people who had to leave Ukraine. Listings with a monthly price of 1000 Ft are available for free, provided the tenant pay for the utilities. List of properties

Szallas.hu has created a list of accomodations from their partners who provide safe housing for the refugees. See more

Mobile apps to look for accomodation:

Children and education

The Civil Coalition for Children's Rights has created a document to help Ukrainian children and their families navigate Hungarian children-related laws and regulations. Read more Source: Civil Coalition for Children's Rights (3/16/2022)

Kindergarden

There is mandatory kindergarden in Hungary for children between 3-6, primarily in the kindergarden allocated to their permanent residence. Information about the residential kindergardens can be found at the local goverment offices. Source: AJBH (3/16/2022)

Information for parents and families on enrollment in kindergarten and school for the academic year 2022/2023 Read more Source: UNHCR (3/16/2022)

Schools and mandatory education

School is mandatory for children between 6-16, either in public schools ran by the government or other institutions. Refugees and people fleeing from Ukraine have the same rights for education as Hungarian children. For more information about schools and availability, contact the education board for the area. Read more Source: AJBH (3/16/2022)

Information for parents and families on enrollment in kindergarten and school for the academic year 2022/2023 Read more Source: UNHCR (3/16/2022)

Daycare

Suhanj! Foundation provides free daycare service for children of refugee families. They accept children with disabilities as well. Read more Source: Suhanj! Foundation (3/16/2022)

The Sugár Playhouse provides free entry to children and their parents who fled Ukraine. Read more Source: Sugár Playhouse (3/16/2022)

Higher education

Semmelweis University is ready to provide access for teachers, researchers and students of medical and health studies to continue their work in Hungarian, English or German. Email for more information Source: Semmelweis (3/16/2022)

Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design is opening their campus and dorms to refugees and provide students of art and design with scholarships, courses and grants. Read more Source: MOME Budapest (3/16/2022)

Phone, SIM, WiFi

Free wifi is available at Budapest-Keleti and Nyugati Railway Stations. Network name: MAV-Free-WiFi. Volunteers are ready to help with connecting to the network if necessary.

There are 3 cell networks in Hungary: Telekom, Telenor (Yettel) and Vodafone. You can find their shops near the stations:

  • If you are at Budapest-Keleti, the nearest shopping center is Arena Plaza, it is about 10 minutes away.
  • If you are at Nyugati, the nearest shopping center is WestEnd City Center, which is directly next to the train station.

Ukrainian refugees are eligible for a free prepaid SIM card after showing their passport in the Yettel booths of Westend, Arena Plaza and 3 near-border locations (Záhony, Tiszabecs, Lónya). The cards are active for 30 days with unlimited data on the first day and 5 GB additional data afterwards.

Food and drinks

Look for any organizations at the stations (for example the guys in green jackets at Budapest Nyugati Station). They will help you.

You can also look for donation points (green icons) and ask for help here: LIVE MAP

Mobile apps to order food

  • Wolt
  • Bolt Food
  • Food Panda
Pets and animals

Animals without official documentation can also enter Hungary. See more

Many veterenary offices help arrange vaccination and paperwork for animals joining their people from Ukraine. The mandatory rabies vaccionation and the microchip is free for people having a Ukrainian passport. Veterenary offices

Rescue of Ukranian animals Facebook group

"Vets for Ukraine" has collected import conditions per European country for pets, livestock, zoo animals and horses. Read more

Money

Important: Under the circumstances, Hungarian currency exchanges do not accept hryvnia

OTP Bank''s dedicated branches allow Ukrainian citizens to exchange hryvnia for Hungarian forints within the limit of UAH 15,000 per transaction. The converted currency can be placed on the client's account in forints, if such an account has been opened, and then converted into other foreign currencies, if the client opens an appropriate account. Read more Source: OTP (3/23/2022)

International online banking applications

Work

There are mutliple places you can find temporary work in Hungary. Many of these opportunities come with accomodation.

Find accomodation with work opportunities (Hungarian or Ukrainian): supportukraine.hu

Dedicated Facebook group

Organizations that can help you

Migration Aid

Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta

Hungarian Red Cross

Hungarian Baptist Aid

Budapest Bike Maffia

Magyar Református Szeretetszolgálat

Caritas Hungarica

Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary

HISZ: Hit Gyülekezete Szeretetszolgálata

Helsinki Bizottság

National Organization for Autistic People