Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary

The latest key information about the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary including the new curfew regulation.

1. Curfew

• Everybody is obliged to remain at their place of residence, stay or commercial accommodation from midnight to 5 a.m.

Exceptions:

• performing work,
• transferring to place of work,
• transferring from work to place of residence/stay/accommodation
• case of emergency threatening life, or threatening with harm to health or severe damages,
• protection of life

2. Music events

• Cultural events where music is performed or played as a main act and no pre-purchased seating tickets are required are banned. Presence at such events is banned.

3. Cultural events and venues, movie theatres, sporting events

Events not falling under the ban above may be held with restrictions such as:

• only every third seat may be occupied, two seats must be left empty between each person
• seats directly in front of and behind each other may not be occupied
• 5 m distance must be held between people when seated, or during intermissions, at the venue of the event in general, and at restaurants/bars at the venue
• Organizers of the event and the operators of the venues are responsible for enforcing the restrictions. They must ensure that those not complying with the restrictions are not participating in the event and leave the venue.
• Museums, libraries, archives, public cultural institutions and venues, integrated cultural institutions can be visited, but visitors must keep 1.5 m distance. Operators of such venues are liable for visitors observing the restrictions and removing persons failing to do so.
• Police monitors the application of the restrictions.
• Breaches may be sanctioned by warning, fines between HUF 100,000 and HUF 1,000,000, closing the venue for a duration between 1 day and 1 year, in case of sporting events ordering closed door events for 1-10 occasions. Sanctions may be combined and can be imposed multiple times per day.
• Police also monitors and sanctions the observance of mask mandates as per the relevant regulations.
• Sanctions may not be imposed if the operator warns the trespassing persons to observe restrictions, who then refuses to oblige or leave, and the operator immediately reports to the police.
• There is no appeal against fines imposed. Fines are to be paid within 15 days.

4. Public transport related regulations

• Public transport companies in Budapest and main cities must draft plans for increasing transport density between 7 and 9 AM and 3 and 7 PM by 5^th November 2020.
• The plans are to be approved by the Government Office and must be implemented on the day of approval. Failure to provide a plan or to implement such results in fines of HUF 1M to 5M payable by the public transport company.

5. Free parking

• No parking fees are payable for parking with vehicles in public areas or private roads open to the public.

6. Mask usage

Masks are now mandatory in pubs, bars, restaurants for both hosts and guests, with the following exceptions:

• in outlets where food and drinks are also sold as a supplementary service, the mask may be taken off for the time of consuming food purchased there.
• in cultural and sporting venues, if food and beverages are sold, then within the area designated for such sale, the mask may be taken off for the time of consuming food and beverages purchased there.
• no masks are necessary while being seated at the table of the bar/pub/restaurant
• if food and drinks are sold in a restaurant/bar/pub where these can also be consumed without being seated at a table, then the mask may be taken off for the time of consuming food purchased there, even if not seated at a table
• people not observing the mask wearing regulations must be excluded from service and made to leave the restaurant/bar/pub by the operator of the venue

This not a new regulation, but please note that masks must be worn so that they continuously cover both the nose and mouth, and they should be surgical masks, work safety masks, or textile masks. Kerchiefs, bandanas, shawls are no longer sufficient and wearing them as a mask, or wearing proper masks the wrong way, constitutes a misdemeanour.

7. Fines for misdemeanours

• Breach of the above pandemic protective restrictions shall be a misdemeanour and shall be fined with fines form HUF 5,000 up to HUF 500,000, or HUF 200,000 for on-site fines.

For further information please, contact us at the following
Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.