Equity 13 July 2020, 8:55am

Hungary re-introduces travel restrictions

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Hungary is tightening border measures as of Tuesday as the COVID-19 pandemic is again picking up pace in neighbouring countries, Gergely Gulyás, the minister leading the Prime Minister's Office, announced on Sunday. The government has divided countries into three categories, from green (safe) through yellow (unsafe) to red (banned), with separate rules for each tier.

There are no special rules in effect for countries on the green list, which includes most EU member states: both Hungarians and citizens of these countries may enter Hungary freely.

Countries on the yellow list include the UK, Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Serbia, Russia, China, Japan and the U.S. Visitors from these countries will be tested for the virus at the border, with positive cases to be denied entry and negative ones placed in a 14-day quarantine. Hungarians arriving from these locations will have to spend 14 days in home quarantine unless they have a negative test no older than 5 days, with a negative test required for release from quarantine.

Countries on the red list include Albania, Bosnia, Belarus, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine in Europe, all Asian countries except China and Japan, all countries in Africa, all countries in North and South America except the U.S., as well as Australia and the entire Oceanic region. Visitors from these countries will be denied entry to Hungary. Hungarians arriving from these locations will be tested at the border and placed in quarantine, with two negative tests required for release.