On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Hungary LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Hungary country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Hungary COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Hungary.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Hungary is a signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Hungary is a signatory to:
- the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which provides the internationally recognised definition of a refugee and outlines the legal protection, rights, and assistance a refugee is entitled to receive.
- the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, which expanded the Convention to apply universally and protect all persons fleeing conflict and persecution.
- the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, which established a framework for the international protection of stateless persons.
- the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which set rules for the conferral and non-withdrawal of citizenship to prevent cases of statelessness from arising.
- the 1997 European Convention on Nationality, which established principles and rules on nationality.
In 1992, Hungary acceded to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
In addition to these international protection frameworks, and as part of the European Union (EU), Hungary is bound by the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) which aimed at introducing EU-wide standards for the equal treatment and protection of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers entering the EU. The system is governed by five legislative instruments and one agency:
- Asylum Procedures Directive, aiming at setting out the conditions for fair, quick and quality asylum decisions;
- Reception Conditions Directive, providing common standards for reception conditions across the EU;
- Qualification Directive, clarifying grounds for granting international protection;
- Dublin Regulation, establishing the State responsible for examining the application;
- EURODAC Directive, governing the EU database of asylum seekers fingerprints;
- European Union Agency for Asylum, providing operational and technical assistance to EU Member States in the assessment of applications for international protection.
The CEAS has been reformed by the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (the Pact), approved in 2024 and set to take effect in 2026. The Pact presents a complex package of ten legislative files intended to reform the EU’s migration and asylum system by establishing new EU-wide solutions to long-standing migration challenges.
While the Pact has been presented by EU institutions as delivering the intended results while remaining grounded in European values, human rights organisations and migration experts have long opposed and criticised its reforms. Here you can find a point-by-point analysis of the Pact by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.
In addition to its obligations under the aforementioned international instruments, Hungary is obligated to respect the international customary legal principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits any country from deporting any person to a country where they face the threat of persecution.
In December 2015, the European Commission found the Hungarian legislation to be incompatible with EU law in some instances. The European Court of Human Rights condemned Hungary in the Ilias and Ahmed v Hungary (2019) case. In May 2020, the Court of Justice (CJEU) of the European Union found that Hungary’s asylum policy violated EU law in some instances. In December 2020, the European Court of Justice found that Hungary had violated EU law in some instances. In 2021, the European Commission referred Hungary to the CJEU, requesting that the Court order the payment of financial penalties for Hungary’s failure to comply with a Court ruling in relation to EU rules on asylum and return.
In Hungary, the body responsible for the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process is the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (NDGAP), which processes asylum claims and decides on granting refugee or subsidiary protection status. While UNHCR does not directly make decisions on individual asylum cases, it works to ensure that Hungary’s RSD procedures align with international refugee law and standards, particularly the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
Hungary, a European Union (EU) member, broadly transposed the relevant EU asylum-related Directives into national legislation with the adoption in June 2007 of the Act on Asylum (Act No. LXXX of 2007). This includes the Qualification Directive (Directive 2011/95/EU), the Asylum Procedure Directive (Directive 2013/32/EU), the Reception Condition Directive (Directive 2013/33/EU), and the Dublin III Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 604/2013). However, there are a number of incompatibilities between transposition and implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in national legislation, explained in detail in this table on the Asylum Information Database.
A state of exception, titled the ‘state of crisis due to mass migration’, was introduced into Hungarian law for border counties in September 2015 (Government Decree No. 269/2015), and was later expanded nationwide in March 2016 (Government Decree No. 41/2016). This has been extended multiple times since then, most recently until 7 March 2025 (Government Decree No. 265/2024). During this state of crisis, special rules apply to third-country nationals irregularly entering and/or staying in Hungary and to those seeking asylum, and certain provisions of the Act on Asylum are suspended.
A barbed-wire fence along the Hungarian-Serbian border was completed on 15 September 2015. A similar barbed-wire fence along the Hungarian-Croatian border was completed on 16 October 2015. So-called ‘transit zones’ were established along these fences, where an accelerated asylum procedure applied. Following the judgement of Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in May 2020 (Joined Cases C-924/19 PPU and C-925/19 PPU), the Hungarian government issued a decree that replaced the transit zones procedure with a new asylum system, titled the ‘embassy procedure’ (Government Decree 233/2020). This new system was later included in the Transitional Act (Government Decree No. 292/2020) that entered into force on 18 June 2020 and will remain so until 31 December 2024.
In 2018, Hungary passed legislation criminalising activities aimed at assisting refugees, the so-called ‘Stop Soros’ law, which is summarised here by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC). On 16 November 2021, the CJEU ruled that Hungary had violated EU law by restricting access to asylum and criminalising assistance to refugees (C-821/19). On 7 December 2022, the Hungarian Parliament amended the Stop Soros law and the changes entered into force on 1 January 2023. However, in the HHC’s view, the amendments fail to implement the CJEU’s judgement.
For more information regarding the national legal framework in Turkey, please consult the AIDA Country Report on Hungary.
According to the new Transitional Act system, those wishing to seek asylum in Hungary must go through the following steps prior to being able to register their asylum application:
- A foreigner must personally submit a ‘statement of intent for the purpose of lodging an asylum application’ at the Embassy of Hungary in Belgrade or in Kyiv.
- The Embassy must then forward the ‘statement of intent’ to the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (NDGAP) in Budapest, which shall examine it within 60 days. During this period the NDGAP might remotely interview the foreigner.
- The NDGAP should make a proposal to the Embassy whether to issue the ‘would-be’ asylum seeker a special, single-entry permit to enter Hungary for the purpose of lodging an asylum application.
- In case the permit is issued, the ‘would-be’ asylum-seeker must travel on their own to Hungary within 30 days and, upon arrival, immediately avail themselves to the border guards.
- The border guards must then present the ‘would-be’ asylum-seeker to the asylum authority within 24 hours.
- The ‘would-be’ asylum-seeker can then formally register their asylum application with the NDGAP.
Only people belonging to the following categories are not required to go through the process described above:
- Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection who are staying in Hungary.
- Family members of refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection who are staying in Hungary.
- Those subject to forced measures, measures or punishment affecting personal liberty, except if they have crossed Hungary in an ‘illegal’ manner.
For a visual representation of the Hungarian asylum procedure, the Asylum Information Database has compiled a flowchart outlining the process.
Legal aid organisations
Address: Budapest, 1052, Bárczy István utca 1 -3
Tel: +36 30 073 26 34
Budapest Helps! Information and Community Center is a safe place where people can meet to receive important information from qualified counsellors, participate in programs and courses, relax, and communicate. At the centre, people can access information and participate in cultural and educational programs that help with adapting to living in a new country. The qualified attorneys of OPL gunnercooke law firm provide free legal assistance in centre every two weeks on everyday legal matters, such as immigration.
Address: 1133 Budapest, Kárpát str. 1/b., Hungary
Tel: +36 1 349 1450
Email: cordelia@cordelia.hu
The Cordelia Foundation assists torture survivors and traumatised refugees and their family members arriving in Hungary through psychiatric, psychotherapeutic, psychological treatment, and psycho-social counselling. The professional staff usually treat refugee clients at the Hungarian reception centres. Specific services include social assistance, assisting torture survivor clients in the legal process with medical reports documenting the evidence of torture, offering training and supervision for professionals working with refugees, and psychiatric, psychological, and non-verbal therapies.
Address: H-1136 Budapest, Balzac u. 8-10., Hungary
Tel: +36 1 329 2670 (general); visit this page for other services
Email: hatter@hatter.hu (general); visit this page for other services
Háttér Society is one of the largest and most active LGBTQI+ organisations in Hungary. Its aims are to protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ people and to promote their wellbeing. They have multiple hotlines, including a legal aid hotline, to provide support for the LGBTQI+ community, including migrant and refugee members of the community.
Address: Dohány utca 20. II/9., Budapest, Hungary
Tel: +36 1 321 4323; +36 1 321 4327; +36 1 321 4141
Email: helsinki@helsinki.hu
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) ensures access to effective, free-of-charge legal counselling and representation at all places (reception centres, community shelters, alien policing jails) where persons in need of international protection are accommodated or detained in Hungary. The organisation regularly comments on draft legislation in the field of asylum and immigration as well as analyses legal practices. To assist with casework, the HHC provides legal advice and country information to its network of lawyers. They also organise training on domestic, European, and international refugee law and immigration law, as well as practice for their own staff and other asylum professionals working in government agencies and courts. They curate a comprehensive Refugee and migrant rights page. Call first for an appointment.
Address: Ráday utca 9 1092 Budapest, Hungary
Tel: Office: +36 70 325 5205; Hotline: +36 70 323 7552
Email: info@nextstepeu.org
Next Step Hungary Association (formerly MigHelp) supports and empowers vulnerable people through job market skills, community building, and social inclusion. They regularly offer workshops on topics that help make daily life more stable, secure, and comfortable, covering topics such as legal information.
Email: infocenter.segitsegnyujtas@gmail.com
The Refugee Help Digital Network connects refugees with resources and local communities to address their various needs. They work as a bridge between individuals, civil and professional organisations, and institutions, and refugees coming from Ukraine. They gather and publish comprehensive, up-to-date, and reliable information about travel, border crossing, application for aid, refugee status, health care, education, events, location of charity points, meal distribution, and other topics useful for refugees. With the assistance of experts, they offer help in specific areas such as psychological help, legal assistance, translation, information about rights for services, etc.
Address: Bem rakpart 50. Tetőtér 1. 1027
Tel: +36 1 266 5922
Email: hun.office@tdh.ch
Terre des hommes Hungary improves access to quality services for children who come into contact with the justice system and fights against the exclusion of Roma and other vulnerable communities. Since April 2022, they have been providing support to refugees from Ukraine, creating child-friendly spaces, and helping families meet their daily needs.
Email: contact@w2eu.info
Welcome to Europe is an independent source of information for refugees coming to Europe. They have a Hungary country page which gives information on the asylum application process and provides useful legal contacts.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Caritas Hungarica (Katolikus Karitász)
Address: H-1111 Budapest, Bartók Béla út 104
Tel: +36 1 372 0910
Email: office@caritas.org.hu
Caritas Hungary is the official aid organisation of the Hungarian Catholic Church. It helps people in need by maintaining social and healthcare facilities and by providing various help programmes. At the international level, Caritas Hungary provides help for persecuted Christians and refugees.
Address: Dévai utca 11., Budapest, Hungary
Tel: +36 20 387 7940
Email: info@devaifogado.hu
The Deva Inn helps the social integration of war refugees with complex services including individual and community social work, education, information, interpretation, childcare, financial, and material support for basic needs.
Address: 1072 Budapest Akácfa utca 45. 4 floors/2 doors
Tel: +36 80 414 565
Email: info@emmaegyesulet.hu
EMMA Association is a national women’s organisation that fights for the fundamental rights and societal equality of women, with a special focus on vulnerable groups of women such as Ukrainian refugees.
Email: menekult@utcarollakasba.hu
From Streets to Homes Association helps rough sleepers move into affordable rental housing and provides the support they need to maintain it in the long run. They provide support to people affected by other forms of housing poverty and exclusion.
Address: Arany János utca 31., 1051 Budapest V
Tel: +36 1 374 1338
Email: intdept@redcross.hu
The Hungarian Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the world’s largest humanitarian network. The Movement is bound by seven fundamental principles, including humanity, impartiality, and neutrality, so they help people according to need and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender, or disability. Their activities in the field of refugee assistance include needs assessments in reception centres, donation distribution, psychosocial assistance, first aid, and occasionally integration and language teaching. In addition, they have a family tracing service that helps reunite family members who have been separated due to war events, armed conflicts, political persecution, or natural disasters.
Address: Hungária krt. 200., Budapest
Tel: +36 1 273 0449
Email: mrsz@jobbadni.hu
Hungarian Reformed Church Aid provides essential support to people in need, including food, hygiene kits, and temporary shelter. They run integration programmes to help refugees find housing, jobs, and schooling, while also providing Hungarian language lessons and organising community activities for refugee families. They also provide spiritual and emotional support, offering resources like Ukrainian-language Bibles and children’s activity books to refugees.
Address: 1137 Budapest, Radnóti Miklós u. 2
Tel: General: +36 1 472 2500; Hotline: +36 80 984 544
Email: iombudapest@iom.int
The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) office in Hungary continues to be actively involved in building the Government of Hungary’s capacity to manage migration issues through training and organising regional and international exchange programmes, conferences, and research projects. IOM Budapest has also established partnerships with a number of relevant NGOs that assist migrants and victims of trafficking in Hungary.
Address: Horánszky utca 20., Budapest, Hungary
Tel: +36 30 364 7501
Email: info@jmsz.hu
The Hungarian office of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) teaches Hungarian as a foreign language, provides support to overcome everyday obstacles such as housing challenges, and involves communities and volunteers.
Address: Ilosvai Selymes utca 81., Budapest, Hungary
Tel: +36 20 613 5646
Email: orvosisegitseg@medspot.hu
MedSpot’s provides discounted, or in justified cases, free medical care and assistance to people who need a specific medical and mental health approach, or who have been excluded from the community care system for some reason, or could only have access to its services with great difficulty. They provide health and mental health care for Ukrainian internally displaced persons and those in Budapest.
Address: 1066 Budapest, Ó utca 39. Floor 1.
Tel: +36 20 450 7245
Email: menedek@menedek.hu
Menedék provides individual, group, and community social services for the refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and third-country nationals in order to contribute to their successful social inclusion. Its staff provides: guidance on health, social, employment, educational, and housing subsidies and benefits; help to active job-seekers to write their CVs and simulate job interview situations; Hungarian language lessons, school mentorship, and preparatory sessions for the citizenship exam; psychological counselling; and community programmes on everyday life in Hungary. In addition to the central office in Budapest, Menedék is present at the Vámosszabadi reception centre, at the Fót children’s home, and at shelters in Nyírbátor, Győr, Kiskunhalas and Liszt Ferenc Airport.
Address: 1095 Budapest, Soroksári út 33 (office location, no assistance on site)
Tel: +36 30 592 8066
Email:office@migaid.org
Migration Aid operates Hungary’s largest transit refugee hostel on Madridi Street in Budapest. As long-term accommodation, they also have refugee accommodation in Győr that can accommodate 70 people. In cooperation with other organisations, they provide mental health care in their refugee accommodation. Their initiative ‘Learning Without Borders’ educates children with the help of Ukrainian refugee teachers. Their project ‘SOS Ukraine’ aims to systematise and keep up-to-date information relevant and important for Ukrainian refugees in Hungary covering all areas of life.
Address: Hollán Ernő utca 16. 1136 Budapest
Tel: +36 30 435 43 47
Email: info@nestingplay.com
NestingPlay provides playful development sessions for children in several refugee camps. They organise activities, such as after-school sessions, pre-school, and summer camps, with the aim of decreasing the impact of the horrors of war and displacement on refugee children.
Address: H-1086 Budapest, Dankó utca 9
Tel: +36 1 314 0668; visit this page for other services
Email: oltalom@oltalom.hu
The Oltalom Charity Society is a 25-person capacity hostel that provides shelter for refugees. Currently, the hostel has two rooms with three beds and three rooms with six beds. They provide food, hygiene items, washing facilities, clothing, healthcare, and social support. Their aim is to help all refugees in Hungary find new lives and make new homes. They also provide assistance to people whose asylum applications have been rejected and to those with temporary residency permits who cannot leave the country.
Tel: +36 30 859 37 72
Email: furedieva@pszi.hu
Pszi Point Foundation provides psychological support programs for Ukrainian refugees and for Hungarians in war zones or fleeing war. They have a database of useful contacts for support.
Address: 1133 Budapest, Váci út 80-84. Promenade Gardens
Tel: +36 1 627 7731
Email: info@unitedway.hu
United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of people in Hungary. They help children and youth to succeed in realising their dreams by improving their reading, comprehension, and financial literacy skills, and by expanding their knowledge of entrepreneurship.
Hungary LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Hungary.
Hungary COI
Find Hungary country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
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Last updated March 2025
