COVID-19 and expatriation in Hungary

radiumpotato wrote:

I am a third party national.

Went to this site and signed up:

[link under review]/

Despite the "instant" reply claim, it took many days to get a reply. But I did get one in less than a week. That included instructions (in Hungarian) how to set up a time to get a vaccine. I (or rather my Hungarian wife who got Pfizer and negotiated the language issue for me) selected Pfizer as my preference, and was given an appointment.

Then my wife got an SMS from her local doctor saying they had Moderna locally and if I wanted that I could get it locally. Since that was much more convenient and closer, I got my appointment changed and got my first Moderna shot today.

It really was not that difficult. Yes, it took some time and a bit of work, but it did work. Hope this helps.

Do you have a TAJ-card?

Success!

Mrs Fluffy and I were at Szent Janos Korhaz - the entrance in Budapest 1125, Kútvölgyi út (not the main entrance).   I managed to obtain the Pfizer vaccination for after about 2h. 

You cannot miss it, there's a big queue outside.  That queue is just to fill in the form, take it to a window and they register you in the computer system.  It's a clumsy system.  They could give the forms out into the queue so people would be ready.  You need a form of ID, i.e. passport and some other typical details - address/phone/mother's name/passport number etc.

You are given a certificate at the end after 20 minutes of waiting post-vaccination.  They also give you the next injection date. It looks to me like the paper certificate will be sufficient to prove in Hungary at least that one has been vaccinated.

Be aware hardly anyone speaks English to any significant level. Anyone can go but really recommended to take a Hungarian speaker.  It's very chaotic and some staff give out misinformation.  You could wait there all day if you do not have someone to help.   They are not unkind, just disjointed and uncocordinated.

I asked people how they knew and most of them said they knew through Facebook and no-one had received an e-mail.  It seems like the government web site is more or less abandoned as a solution.

What a bunch of nonsense in Hungary with all these pitty paperwork madeup problems!? I could write 100s of pages about the burocratic nightmare we are dealing with in the last 5 years.

At least you got the shot. I would think there are enough foreigners live in Budapest that they could get the system ready for them too. Getting there.

Livia Kretsch wrote:

What a bunch of nonsense in Hungary with all these pitty paperwork madeup problems!? I could write 100s of pages about the burocratic nightmare we are dealing with in the last 5 years.

https://hungarianspectrum.org/2021/05/3 … overnment/

Would be extremely interesting to read these 100 pages, I can only encourage you to do so.

Junior Street wrote:

Livia Kretsch wrote:

What a bunch of nonsense in Hungary with all these pitty paperwork madeup problems!? I could write 100s of pages about the bureaucratic nightmare we are dealing with in the last 5 years.

https://hungarianspectrum.org/2021/05/3 … overnment/

That's very interesting reading.  Not least because of some of the statistical measures. So many lessons of the past lost on O1G.  As something of a student of these things, I've read up on some of this stuff.  The past repeats itself. 

"That government is best which governs least" - Thoreau. 

Bureaucratic bloat will be relieved when a new government comes in - they will chop people simply for being wrongly aligned and political appointees. 

One thing I've been meaning to check on is the amount of debt the country is carrying.   COVID19 has cost billions.  Government must be financing by borrowing commercially, printing money or issuing bonds.   I expect it's shot up.   The chickens will be home to roost eventually.

Livia Kretsch wrote:

At least you got the shot. I would think there are enough foreigners live in Budapest that they could get the system ready for them too. Getting there.

It was very busy.   

The whole process could easily be streamlined by scanning people's passports and their address cards.  It's all paper driven as far as the vaccinations are concerned. I expect the signed paper forms will go in the bin. 

One interesting thing is they could find me in the computer because I'd been there before.  But my registration number was different to all my documentation. 

Someone had made up my hospital number - used my initials and birthday - and not used a passport number or address card number or registration card number.  There was a lot of faffing about trying to identify me. I think they could be better advised as to process.

I also think they should have some volunteer HU helpers speaking English, French and maybe Arabic.  Perhaps students from Semmelweis University medical school next door.

Admittedly I am from the Schengen area, but bureaucracy went very smooth as far as I am concerned. residency permit, tax card, exchanging of driving license, local registration and taxes, waste management, water, electricity and gas.

The only thing where I am a bit upset is that we still did not receive our green card, but for the rest it is the same or even better then in other parts of the EU.

As for bureaucracy, eg in the Netherlands things can be far worse, if a neighbour sees our cats shitting in their garden and files a report you have to deal with the police. (of course cleaning the shit of your dog is normal although I have to say that I do not think anybody in Hungary would complain (in a village if eg in a forest).
We do put the right things in the tight bins or bags, but in the Netherlands there is a special police to check if you actually do so.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Success!

Mrs Fluffy and I were at Szent Janos Korhaz - the entrance in Budapest 1125, Kútvölgyi út (not the main entrance).   I managed to obtain the Pfizer vaccination for after about 2h.

Congrats fluffy2560, thats great news! Just minutes before reading your post I heard from someone else succeeding there as well. 

I don't have someone to translate for me, so i think i will just print out a list of my info and some typical hungarian form phrases / words.

- Was there a choice of vaccine?
- Could you indicate your preference while you were queuing? [don't want to wait hours for a non-EMA approved one]

darrom wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Success!

Mrs Fluffy and I were at Szent Janos Korhaz - the entrance in Budapest 1125, Kútvölgyi út (not the main entrance).   I managed to obtain the Pfizer vaccination for after about 2h.

Congrats fluffy2560, thats great news! Just minutes before reading your post I heard from someone else succeeding there as well. 

I don't have someone to translate for me, so i think i will just print out a list of my info and some typical hungarian form phrases / words.

- Was there a choice of vaccine?
- Could you indicate your preference while you were queuing? [don't want to wait hours for a non-EMA approved one]

No, there was no choice of vaccine.

I would have preferred the AZ one because it's most universal.  But the Pfizer was offered so I took it.   I am not worried either way really.  No-one knows if booster shots will be the same or another type.  Whatever it would be, it should not be EU unapproved versions as you say.

I should say that the system is poorly organised.   It's a kind of half-baked flow control.  There are three queues - outside to the forms desk (with temperature control),  then inside to the area for form filling before getting to the actual vaccination area, then another to queue up at the vaccination room.   

The main problem in my mind is that you only get the form at the front of the queue.  If they'd walk up the queue giving out forms, then people could fill them in before being released into the further queue inside.  It's silly  as there are lots of tables and chairs where people could be filling in the forms.  Once the form is completed you get a ticket number but we were never asked about it and never used it.

I really do recommend you take someone who is literate in Hungarian.  I saw some people had English language forms.  The Hungarian forms are "technical" in that they ask if you have allergies or conditions like diabetes or are pregnant or whatever. You could just say "no" (nem) to everything if that fits.  Date and sign. Once a form is complete, it needs to be put into the computer system at one of the windows - these people speak no English at all and seem to struggle with the computer.

By the time you get to the waiting area for vaccination, it's 2h.   They do each vaccination privately. Personally I couldn't care less if they vaccinated me in front of a football stadium of fans.  I think they could do it much faster.

I'd advise to get there relatively early.   We got there at 10h and by the time we left, around 1330h the queue was not any smaller.

cdw057 wrote:

.... (of course cleaning the shit of your dog is normal although I have to say that I do not think anybody in Hungary would complain (in a village if eg in a forest).
We do put the right things in the tight bins or bags, but in the Netherlands there is a special police to check if you actually do so.

For some weird reason people do collect their dog poo in the forest and then leave the plastic bag with Rover's output in it.   Some of them throw them into the trees so they hang down. 

I just don't get it.

It would be more environmental to flick it with a stick into the actual bushes. Then at least it would rot away within a few weeks.   The plastic bag could be there for many years before it breaks down.  Why bag it and not take it?  There are waste bins at all the car parks.  Makes no sense to me.

There's some idiot around here leaves his plastic bag of dog poo on the electricity poles along with his beer cans.  I'd definitely like the cops to find him.

Yay Fluffy! Great news. You are a much more patient man then I am. 
I also have a bit of a good news. I have some physical ailment that needed some attention and one of the treatments required me to have the vaccination card. I told them that I really tried everything to get vaccinated here in Hungary but I failed and had to get vaccinated in Romania instead and I am not sure if I can get a Hungarian vaccination card with that. The lady that was putting together my treatment schedule said she is not sure but she took the initiative to go and check with someone else who is the authority on this. I ended up talking to her and she said that the A4 printout that I received after the my vaccination in Romania will be accepted.
Now this is a place where they have a lot of people come for treatment from nearby foreign countries and I could tell I was not the first case like this she had to deal with.
I suspect there will be other places that will have no idea what to make of my non-hungarian A4 printout.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I really do recommend you take someone who is literate in Hungarian.  I saw some people had English language forms.  The Hungarian forms are "technical" in that they ask if you have allergies or conditions like diabetes or are pregnant or whatever.

Yeah, been in that situation before haha was a nightmare. Sadly I personally don't have anyone available to translate, but my wife has a printed and filled in hungarian form for me ready to go... so I hope I can use that.

One more question; I assume you can pay by card on the spot?

darrom wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I really do recommend you take someone who is literate in Hungarian.  I saw some people had English language forms.  The Hungarian forms are "technical" in that they ask if you have allergies or conditions like diabetes or are pregnant or whatever.

Yeah, been in that situation before haha was a nightmare. Sadly I personally don't have anyone available to translate, but my wife has a printed and filled in hungarian form for me ready to go... so I hope I can use that.

One more question; I assume you can pay by card on the spot?

Do you mean for the shot?  It is free.  I was not asked to pay anything.

darrom wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I really do recommend you take someone who is literate in Hungarian.  I saw some people had English language forms.  The Hungarian forms are "technical" in that they ask if you have allergies or conditions like diabetes or are pregnant or whatever.

Yeah, been in that situation before haha was a nightmare. Sadly I personally don't have anyone available to translate, but my wife has a printed and filled in hungarian form for me ready to go... so I hope I can use that.

One more question; I assume you can pay by card on the spot?

Sorry no-one is available to help.  If you have the form filled out, just go straight to the desk.   

You might be able to get past the soldiers by waving the form.  They write your temperature at the top.  The people at the desk don't speak English but the soldiers might.  Don't believe them if they try to say it's not possible without being registered. 

Take your passport and address card and any permit you might have. Just smile and say you don't speak Hungarian.  The nurse that administered the jab to me did speak English.  So that was cool.

BTW, the even better news is that it's FREE! No money required.

Oh and if you go by car, park opposite. It's not cheap - 440 HUF per hour.  You could be there 3h. Take coins for the machine or a mobile to charge the parking to.

Please report your experiences there - could be useful for someone else to know.

notdude wrote:

Yay Fluffy! Great news. You are a much more patient man then I am. 
I also have a bit of a good news. I have some physical ailment that needed some attention and one of the treatments required me to have the vaccination card. I told them that I really tried everything to get vaccinated here in Hungary but I failed and had to get vaccinated in Romania instead and I am not sure if I can get a Hungarian vaccination card with that. The lady that was putting together my treatment schedule said she is not sure but she took the initiative to go and check with someone else who is the authority on this. I ended up talking to her and she said that the A4 printout that I received after the my vaccination in Romania will be accepted.
Now this is a place where they have a lot of people come for treatment from nearby foreign countries and I could tell I was not the first case like this she had to deal with.
I suspect there will be other places that will have no idea what to make of my non-hungarian A4 printout.

Sounds like everything worked out. 

So long as your certificate is in multiple languages, with stamps and looks EU country official, then I reckon it should just work.   

The EU COVID certificate should be coming soon. 

How non-EU can get that, no-one knows but I am sure it will replace all the national schemes or they both operate together with the national one fizzling out. 

EU says it will be free so that's nice of them.

Based on other peoples successful attempts  I've seen in the last few days, I've tried the following three hospitals this morning, but none were accepting (for non-Taj).  Might try another this afternoon.

The military and nurses / doormen were all helpful , mostly pointing me in the right direction, but eventually not having an appointment was a problem. English speaking personel was found to explain this to me.

- A Szent László  nurse told me that the appointment registration website might be working from this week or next week for non-Taj (not sure what this is based on)
- A Szent Kozma  nurse told me that they had vaccines (EMA approved) yesterday, but didn't know when the next time would be.

The hospitals i visited this morning:
Szent Kozma -  Auróra u. 22-28, 1084
Szent László Hospital - Albert Flórián út 5-7, 1097
Szent Janos / Kútvölgyi 4,1125


I'm thinking they might only be open for it on specially assigned days, or when they have leftovers etc.

darrom wrote:

Based on other peoples successful attempts  I've seen in the last few days, I've tried the following three hospitals this morning, but none were accepting (for non-Taj).  Might try another this afternoon.

The military and nurses / doormen were all helpful , mostly pointing me in the right direction, but eventually not having an appointment was a problem. English speaking personel was found to explain this to me.

- A Szent László  nurse told me that the appointment registration website might be working from this week or next week for non-Taj (not sure what this is based on)
- A Szent Kozma  nurse told me that they had vaccines (EMA approved) yesterday, but didn't know when the next time would be.

The hospitals i visited this morning:
Szent Kozma -  Auróra u. 22-28, 1084
Szent László Hospital - Albert Flórián út 5-7, 1097
Szent Janos / Kútvölgyi 4,1125


I'm thinking they might only be open for it on specially assigned days, or when they have leftovers etc.

That's good information but sorry to see you wasted your time.   

I don't know if there are special days but there's some vague idea in my mind it might be Monday's only.  I was there on a Monday but I don't know if anyone else was there on a Monday.  Could be just coincidence people said they were there on a Monday.

I would ignore any mention of the appointment system.  It doesn't work and it won't work anytime soon.  And as far as we know, no appointment was necessary. No-one I spoke to had an appointment.  They had turned up because of postings in Facebook.

Mrs Fluffy actually wrote to them saying that it's possible to go to Szent Janos and get vaccinated without a TAJ-card or an appointment.  She didn't get a coherent reply.   She did get  more sense out of them when she managed to speak to someone on the phone.  I expect if she spoke to them in English she'd get nowhere.

One thing she did find out during her investigations is that there is still no official GP route to vaccination which would result in  a vaccination card.

BTW, while we were there, some nurse in full PPE gear came out and said they were running out of vaccination.  But I managed to get  in.  Looks like earlier there the better.

Unfortunately changes to the "green" list in the UK not happening. 

I detect (from radio callers on LBC) and those in the industry are incensed.

Covid travel rules: Portugal removed from UK's green list as seven others join red list

Could mean yet another nail in the coffin of the European travel industry.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Unfortunately changes to the "green" list in the UK not happening. 

I detect (from radio callers on LBC) and those in the industry are incensed.

Covid travel rules: Portugal removed from UK's green list as seven others join red list

Could mean yet another nail in the coffin of the European travel industry.

I would never have believed that this situation would continue through the summer, but it seems that's where we are headed.  Who can plan anything these days?

Junior Street wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Unfortunately changes to the "green" list in the UK not happening. 

I detect (from radio callers on LBC) and those in the industry are incensed.

Covid travel rules: Portugal removed from UK's green list as seven others join red list

Could mean yet another nail in the coffin of the European travel industry.

I would never have believed that this situation would continue through the summer, but it seems that's where we are headed.  Who can plan anything these days?

I agree.  It's becoming very weird.   What's stopping me is the quarantine and testing regime.  It's just too onerous, expensive and impossible to comply with.

The UK will review it in 3 weeks.   Mainly it's about the Delta (Indian) variant being on the rise and becoming the dominant variety.

People are starting to be more open about pushing back.  Obviously they are not happy with their lives being disrupted.   

We've got the new Chinese bird flu up and coming and then we'll have more flu variants.  There's a chance governments will just continue this kind of stop/start restrictions until the end of the year.

There might be a chance that inter-EU travel would be OK as the EU COVID certificate is being rolled out as of 1st June in some countries.   

There is also some possibility that Joe and Boris will agree bilaterally  at the forthcoming summit to open up travel US-UK again.  Trade (money) will win in the end.

! SUCCESS !

After another round of hospital visits last Friday, I managed to speak to someone at a doctors clinic*  (which was closed at the time) . I'd read positive results on Facebook (non TAJ, non Appointment), and this employee told me to come back today (Monday 07 June)  - that there might be Janssen / Johnson & Johnsson (next to Sinopharm) .

This morning I was first in line (arrived at 7:30, opened at 08:00) , and although there was some confusion about me not having an appointment, I referred to my meeting last week, and they understood. There was a list of appointments, and I didn't want to take someone's spot or skip the line, so if they would treat the people in line first and give me a leftover later in the day that would have been fair enough. I think it helped that I had my passport, residence card, and a filled in form ready. 

There were some small language barriers with some of the personel, but I just apologized for not speaking Hungarian and everyone was helpful and friendly.

They registered my residence card, and passport number instead of a TAJ number.

I expect some issues with my immunization card at the government, because of a confusion with a 0 vs O on my passport, and the processing of handwritten papers. But this is hardly their fault.

I was out at 8:25, including a 15 minute wait for side effects. The line outside was only 10 people or so I think.

It is worth checking this location, and asking for a vaccine, or their schedule  / next date (maybe it's possible to make an appointment on the spot or via email / phone?).

*The location is:
Budapest, Fő u. 52, 1011 (District 1)
at the corner of Batthyány tér (metro)
https://goo.gl/maps/LPJGqk1apFq2S7P87

Getting the (2nd) jab is important (very much so), we both got both  not got our green card (26th April for 2nd jab). Seems to be quite disorganized or more likely rethinking current Policy. (ie getting a EU conform certificate). We went to city hall already 2 times.(Just to chase for our green card)

Having said that I am already happy to have had two jabs (feeling safe (justified or not is another matter))

darrrom wrote:

......

There were some small language barriers with some of the personel, but I just apologized for not speaking Hungarian and everyone was helpful and friendly.

They registered my residence card, and passport number instead of a TAJ number.

I expect some issues with my immunization card at the government, because of a confusion with a 0 vs O on my passport, and the processing of handwritten papers. But this is hardly their fault.

I was out at 8:25, including a 15 minute wait for side effects. The line outside was only 10 people or so I think.

It is worth checking this location, and asking for a vaccine, or their schedule  / next date (maybe it's possible to make an appointment on the spot or via email / phone?).

*The location is:
Budapest, Fő u. 52, 1011 (District 1)
at the corner of Batthyány tér (metro)

This is excellent news.  Thanks for sharing.  You were very fast in being there for only 1h.

Which one did you actually have in the end? Johnson and Johnson?  Did they give you the vaccination paper/card?

On my Pfizer one, this has the 2nd appointment date on the right hand side.   They would need to give the 2nd jab and the rubber stamp it for batch and wot not for complete validity.   I am not sure how this could be translated into the EU certificate.   This is going to be the next hurdle.

Not sure how one would get this vaccination recognised in the UK or US or elsewhere or registered in some official system there.

cdw057 wrote:

Getting the (2nd) jab is important (very much so), we both got both  not got our green card (26th April for 2nd jab). Seems to be quite disorganized or more likely rethinking current Policy. (ie getting a EU conform certificate). We went to city hall already 2 times.(Just to chase for our green card)

Having said that I am already happy to have had two jabs (feeling safe (justified or not is another matter))

I agree, 

The EU one is more likely to become universal. 

I expect the HU version to eventually fizzle out and disappear. 

Interestingly EU has said the card will be free which is nice of them.

darrom wrote:

Based on other peoples successful attempts  I've seen in the last few days, I've tried the following three hospitals this morning, but none were accepting (for non-Taj).  Might try another this afternoon.

The military and nurses / doormen were all helpful , mostly pointing me in the right direction, but eventually not having an appointment was a problem. English speaking personel was found to explain this to me.

- A Szent László  nurse told me that the appointment registration website might be working from this week or next week for non-Taj (not sure what this is based on)
- A Szent Kozma  nurse told me that they had vaccines (EMA approved) yesterday, but didn't know when the next time would be.

The hospitals i visited this morning:
Szent Kozma -  Auróra u. 22-28, 1084
Szent László Hospital - Albert Flórián út 5-7, 1097
Szent Janos / Kútvölgyi 4,1125


I'm thinking they might only be open for it on specially assigned days, or when they have leftovers etc.

I've read allot of info on FB for ex-parts in HU about when and where to go for a jab without a Taj card.
You might wish to look up that site.
I remeoved myself from there because there are many ,"immature idiots" n there but there is also some decent info to find over there as well.
Sooner of later it's going to be easier to get a vax if you want one without so much drama.
Personally we have no registered for a vax, we are seniors with Taj but not feeling it as of yet to get a jab.
I'd give you mine if I could.

darrom wrote:

! SUCCESS !

Congratulations.  I have yet to queue up at a kormányablak to start the green card process, and based on what I am hearing, that whole process has fallen apart anyway.  I hope I am eligible for the EU card though I am not an EU citizen.  Did they give you your proof of vaccination in English?

fluffy2560 wrote:

Which one did you actually have in the end? Johnson and Johnson?  Did they give you the vaccination paper/card?

I got the Janssen / Johnson & Johnson, so it is just a single shot.

Junior Street wrote:

I have yet to queue up at a kormányablak to start the green card process, ...  Did they give you your proof of vaccination in English?

The piece of paper that I received with my vaccination info (the stamp etc), has both Hungarian and English descriptions. As I understand it I now need to go to a kormányablak to try to get a plastic immunization card or something. People sometimes need to go back to the doctors office to fix some faults in the registration, before they can find it at the kormányablak.  And some kormányablak are better at handling non-TAJ registrations than others. .

darrom wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Which one did you actually have in the end? Johnson and Johnson?  Did they give you the vaccination paper/card?

I got the Janssen / Johnson & Johnson, so it is just a single shot.

Junior Street wrote:

I have yet to queue up at a kormányablak to start the green card process, ...  Did they give you your proof of vaccination in English?

The piece of paper that I received with my vaccination info (the stamp etc), has both Hungarian and English descriptions. As I understand it I now need to go to a kormányablak to try to get a plastic immunization card or something. People sometimes need to go back to the doctors office to fix some faults in the registration, before they can find it at the kormányablak.  And some kormányablak are better at handling non-TAJ registrations than others. .

Wow, J&J is top shelf posh.  I didn't realise that was being dished up.  At least no further queueing.

Maybe you will be able to get the free EU card.  No-one knows just now.

The green one might become irrelevant  if that's the EU one usurps it for inter-EU/world travel.

As for the Vaccine Passport.

Before I start, please refrain from comments that I do have a TAJ card, yes it does give certain privileges but also a lot of headaches and patience.

We got our second jab 26 April (first 5th April), unfortunately Sputnik I have to say (could create some other challenges), nevertheless we had our two and today we actually received our green card (second or third version I do not know but with passport number and QCR code).
Within Hungary I think it entitles us to quite some things.

We stood in line at the City hall for two times and aggregated I would say 3 hours plus (personally I feel that without we would also have received the card). People were very helpful I have to say and also understanding. Did it help ?

In any case the bloody card allows my wife to go swimming again in Heviz Lake (we had more than enough proof that we had the vaccine, but only the card is sufficient).

What I have to say in the favour of Heviz (my wife had an annual entrance) card is that they said the annual permit it is valid for another 3 months after May (first day green cards were accepted) as the lake was closed since last October.

Financially not too big of a difference, but those who got their green card (too) early could benefit much longer.

Bottom line, we are allowed to dine inside (not too important in summer), go to concerts (could be interesting), but also go to lake Heviz for example. I suppose there are many other advantages. (eg less bureaucracy with doctors and dentists (neither or which I would like to visit in the near future))

cdw057 wrote:

As for the Vaccine Passport.

......

We got our second jab 26 April (first 5th April), unfortunately Sputnik I have to say (could create some other challenges), nevertheless we had our two and today we actually received our green card (second or third version I do not know but with passport number and QCR code).
Within Hungary I think it entitles us to quite some things.

We stood in line at the City hall for two times and aggregated I would say 3 hours plus (personally I feel that without we would also have received the card). People were very helpful I have to say and also understanding. Did it help ?

In any case the bloody card allows my wife to go swimming again in Heviz Lake (we had more than enough proof that we had the vaccine, but only the card is sufficient).

......

Bottom line, we are allowed to dine inside (not too important in summer), go to concerts (could be interesting), but also go to lake Heviz for example. I suppose there are many other advantages. (eg less bureaucracy with doctors and dentists (neither or which I would like to visit in the near future))

So would the summary be is that it's not really doing anything for day-to-day living?

BTW, in my survey of one,  Mrs Fluffy says no-one has ever asked to see it and no-one has ever scanned it. I suspect the kids might get scanned when their time comes to get the vaccination.

Some good news.......

The Austrian authorities have announced that travellers from tens of countries with a low COVID-19 infection rate will now be able to enter the country for tourism purposes without being subject to quarantine requirements.

Consequently, travellers from the following European Union and European Economic Area countries will be allowed to enter Austria without having to stay self-isolated:

Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

SimCityAT wrote:

Some good news.......

The Austrian authorities have announced that travellers from tens of countries with a low COVID-19 infection rate will now be able to enter the country for tourism purposes without being subject to quarantine requirements.

Consequently, travellers from the following European Union and European Economic Area countries will be allowed to enter Austria without having to stay self-isolated:

Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

This is great news and it had to come.    When does it come into force?  I want to go to Ikea in Vienna.

The only thing is Monday now to know if we're going to see the UK effectively on that list from 21st June. I cannot see Boris being able to justify maintaining the travel restriction.

One thing I never quite know (now) is if British people (or other non-EU) resident in EU countries are included in these lists.   I suppose one would be quizzed at the border as to residence and where you were previously.   If travelling by car, they'll just look at the number plate and wave people through.

fluffy2560 wrote:

This is great news and it had to come.   

The only thing is Monday now to know if we're going to see the UK on that list from 21st June.

One thing I never quite know (now) is if British people (or other non-EU) resident in EU countries are included in these lists. 

I suppose one would be quizzed at the border as to residence and where you were previously.   

I cannot see Boris being able to justify maintaining the travel restriction.

As things are with the UK, I can not see the UK being added to a green list anytime soon. Although the number of deaths is low. The cases are rising daily (7000+)

SimCityAT wrote:

Some good news.......

The Austrian authorities have announced that travellers from tens of countries with a low COVID-19 infection rate will now be able to enter the country for tourism purposes without being subject to quarantine requirements.

Consequently, travellers from the following European Union and European Economic Area countries will be allowed to enter Austria without having to stay self-isolated:

Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

Oh dear, stuffed again...vaccine certificates on paper in Hungary are only in Hungarian.  Austrians require them in German or English.

Austria Entry Regulations


"Proof of negative test, vaccination, or past infection can be a doctor's certificate, an official test result, a vaccination certificate/vaccination card/vaccine passport (including a pdf from an electronic vaccine passport, either on your phone or as a hard copy), or an official/medical certificate proving a past infection, either in German or English. If your original certificate is not in English or German, please use this official health certificate in German or Englishas proof.

If you are unable to show any of these documents, you are required to take a PCR or antigen test within 24 hours of arriving in Austria. However, in this case, you will need to register digitally before travelling to obtain pre-travel clearance, and are required to show proof of it at the border (either digitally or as a hard copy). Find more information on the pre-travel clearance here and find the form you need to fill in before travelling here."

Looks like we won't be going.  There's no way we're going to faff about going to find someone to fill in that form for each of us and we won't be paying for tests.  Wasted opportunity.

They are now changing the words on our tests. FFS

The Covid tests will now say "nicht nachgewiesen" (not proven) instead of "negativ".

SimCityAT wrote:

...
As things are with the UK, I can not see the UK being added to a green list anytime soon. Although the number of deaths is low. The cases are rising daily (7000+)

Yes, I saw that, I was just hoping.  They are dropping hints on about 4 weeks more pain.  It's awful. 

I don't mind isolating incoming to HU as it's just me sitting in my house but the PCR and quarantine restriction inbound to the UK is just too onerous.   

I expect Boris to focus on the USA-UK travel corridor and ignore Europe, despite there being millions of us this side of the channel. 

I don't think relations are very good with the EU at the moment mainly over the ongoing Northern Ireland Sausage debacle.

SimCityAT wrote:

[img align=C]https://scontent.fvie2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/199132272_10165156582240253_7758840198028584500_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=Cfc-fkkNxlwAX-UvLxS&_nc_ht=scontent.fvie2-1.fna&oh=78203b8dad91738fe7f746476fc3d7c2&oe=60C89336[/url]

They are now changing the words on our tests. FFS

The Covid tests will now say "nicht nachgewiesen" (not proven) instead of "negativ".

FFS might be the saying of COVID times.   Title of a book:  FFS - History of COVID19.

"not proven" reminds me of Scottish legal verdicts.

Only a short step to nicht gultig (not guilty).

12 EU countries are now ⚡ connected to the EU gateway and issuing the EU Digital COVID Certificate! This system allows your certificate to be verified across the EU, in a secure and privacy-friendly way.