Registration of the asylum application

Author

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There is no time limit for lodging an asylum application. Until March 2020, applications could only be lodged in the transit zones (except for those lawfully staying in the territory, and UAM below 14 years old) and asylum seekers entering the transit zone were asked immediately whether they wished to apply for asylum. If they did not wish to do so, they were immediately escorted back through the gate of the transit zone.

Since 26 May 2020, only those who receive a single-entry permit after submitting a ‘statement of intent’ at the Embassy in Belgrade or Kyiv or belong to certain exceptions described in the section on the Embassy procedure are able to apply for asylum once they enter Hungary.

The application should be lodged in writing or orally and in person by the person seeking protection at the NDGAP.[1] A humanitarian residence permit is issued to a person who applies for asylum. If the person staying in Hungary seeking protection, who is allowed to apply for asylum, appears before another authority to lodge an application for asylum, that authority should inform the asylum seeker about where to turn to with their application. If the asylum claim is made in the course of forced measures, measures or punishment affecting personal liberty, the proceeding authority must record the statement and forward it to the asylum authority without delay.

Numbers of applications for international protection are presented below:

Source: Former IAO and NDGAP

According to the Section 353/A of the Criminal Code, in force as of 1 January 2023, any person who provides contribution with the aim of aiding another person in initiating an asylum procedure or any other procedure for obtaining a title of residence in Hungary by means of making a false statement or suppressing known facts is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by custodial arrest, insofar as the act did not result in a more serious criminal offense. For more information see section on Access to NGOs and UNHCR.

[1] Section 80/I(b) and 80/J(1) Asylum Act.