Author
The duration of validity of travel documents issued to beneficiaries of international protection is of one year, both for persons with refugee status and subsidiary protection. Refugees receive a ‘refugee passport’, a bilingual travel document specified in the 1951 Refugee Convention, while holders of subsidiary protection receive a special travel document, not a refugee passport.[1]
A refugee is entitled to a bilingual travel document under the Refugee Convention, unless compelling reasons of national security or public order otherwise require.[2] There are no geographical limitations, except for travelling to the country of origin.
The NDGAP can deny the issuance of a travel document for beneficiaries of international protection in case the national security agencies, the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary or the Police provide information to the NDGAP according to which the person should not get a travel document for reasons of national security and public order.[3] The resolution rejecting the issuance of a bilingual travel document to the refugee may be subject to judicial review.[4] As it is fixed in the Asylum Act, the petition for judicial review shall be submitted to the asylum authority within 3 days following the date of delivery of the decision.[5] The NDGAP shall, without delay, forward the petition for judicial review to the competent court together with the documents of the case and any counterclaim attached.[6] The petition for judicial review shall be adjudged by the court within 8 days in non-contentious proceedings, relying on the available documents.[7] The court may overturn the decision of the refugee authority. The same rules are applied to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.
In practice, in order to receive the travel document, beneficiaries of international protection have to apply for it in a separate form at the competent office of NDGAP. The fee of the procedure is around € 20 and the applicant must have already obtained their ID card and the address card. Obtaining the latter could be problematic because of the difficulties beneficiaries face concerning housing (see section on Housing). The authority issues the travel document within 22 working days.[8]
According to the statistics of NDGAP there were 927 travel documents issued for beneficiaries of international protection in 2023.[9]
[1] Section11/A Decree 101/1998. (V. 22.) on the execution of Act XII of 1998 on travelling abroad.
[2] Section 10(3) (a) Asylum Act.
[3] Section 4/A Asylum Decree.
[4] Sections 10(5) and 17(2a) Asylum Act.
[5] Section 10(5) Asylum Act.
[6] Section 10(5) Asylum Act.
[7] Section 10(6) Asylum Act.
[8] NDGAP, Kétnyelvü úti okmányok kiállítása, available at: http://bit.ly/2jrKbou.
[9] Information provided by NDGAP on 19 February 2024.