How can I escape the quarantine?
Last updated on 18 December 2020
Please click here for an updated process. The article below is now outdated.
To escape the quarantine, you will need two molecular biological tests, meaning two PCR tests for nasal and oropharyngeal swabs (samples taken from your nose and throat). The tests will show that at the time of taking the swab samples the coronavirus was not detectable in your body.
Find a place to get tested
[CHANGE: Until August 1, you were supposed to call your GP from home, and they would order the tests for you from the emergency services. This is not an option anymore.]
You can get tested privately, for a fee, at a medical center of your own choice. You can find a list of available testing sites at the page of the National Public Health Center. Use the map to find the testing site closest to you, or browse the table below. You will need column 2 with the location of taking a sample (“a mintavétel pontos helyszíne”). The price of getting tested varies (it will be around HUF 30,000 per test), so ask the medical center you want to visit before getting an appointment.
If your regular clinic is not on the list, you might still be able to get tested by them. Contact them to see if their lab is listed under a different name, in which case they will still be able to provide you with a compliant test certificate.
However, since you are in quarantine, you are not allowed to leave your home, not even to get tested. So what to do?
Contact your local Public Health Department
Contact your local Public Health Department (“Népegészségügyi Osztály”) of the local government office (“a kerületi vagy járási kormányhivatal”) and start the procedure for cancelling your quarantine. It has a processing fee of HUF 3,000. You can do that in a simple email, there is no official form to fill in. When you apply, you get a permit that will let you leave your home for the purpose of getting tested.
You can find the contact data for your local Public Health Department in the information letter with your quarantine order. The name of your contact person, their phone number, and their email address is listed on top of the letter.
You can also find the government office relevant for you in the government office search at https://jarasinfo.gov.hu/. In desktop view, you can simply find your local government office on a map. In both the desktop and the mobile versions, you can start typing the name of your city, and choose your office from the dropdown. If you live in Budapest, you will have to select the district as well as the city. Once you find your local government office, its main departments will be listed – just choose “Népegészségügyi Osztály” and its contact data will be displayed, including its email address.
What to include in the application
When you are writing your email with the application, make sure to include the following details.
- Write your name and the district where you are quarantined in the subject line
- Simply state your name, address, the country you entered from, and the start and end date of your quarantine; then ask for the quarantine to be canceled based on your test result(s)
- Attach a verification that you have paid HUF 3,000 application fee to the bank account of the Hungarian State Treasury (“Magyar Államkincstár”): 10032000-01012107.
Go and get tested
Once you have the permission from the local Public Health Department, you can call the medical center you want to get tested at and make an appointment. One test will cost HUF 19,500.
When you have your appointment, you should notify your local Police Station that you will leave quarantine at least 24 hours in advance. You can do that through the electronic administration portal (“Ügyfélkapu” or the “Client Gate”), or through a webform on the website of your local Police Station. (In force as of 28 October.)
Going to the testing center, you are not allowed to take public transport allowed to take public transport (as of 28 October), but it might be better to walk or take a car, even a taxi, to avoid contact with other people. You must wear a face mask all the time.
The two tests should be performed within 5 days, at least 48 hours apart.
Your test results will be sent to you in email, or if you have a registration at the national electronic administration portal, through that. You will have to forward both your test results to your local Public Health Department. As of 28 October: Once you have clearance from the local Public Health Department, you should notify your local Police Station through the electronic administration portal, or through a webform on the website of your local Police Station.
FAQ
Are you a Hungarian resident coming from a yellow country?
If you are a Hungarian resident or citizen coming from a yellow country, your quarantine order may be withdrawn after the first negative result already, so you can already forward that to the Public Health Department. However, you will still have to do the second test and forward that too. If the second result is positive, you will be sent back to quarantine. If it is negative, the quarantine remains canceled.
Do you already have a negative test when entering Hungary?
Starting from 5 September 2020, if you already have one negative test result in English or Hungarian prepared in a Schengen country, in the USA, or in Canada, when entering Hungary, you will need only one more test get done in Hungary. The second test must be prepared in Hungary.
Is testing available upon entry to Hungary?
According to the regulations, there is an option for testing centers to let you indicate your expected time of arrival to the International Airport in Budapest, and they can meet you at the airport to perform a test on you already there. This may shorten the time you must spend in quarantine whether this is the first or the second compulsory PCR test for you.
However, currently we do not know of any medical centers that actually offer this service.
What is a quarantine order?
Upon entry to Hungary, if you are due to be quarantined based on current regulations, you will receive a quarantine order from the Hungarian Police. This is a temporary order, with instructions for not leaving quarantine, not even for testing. You will automatically get a “final” quarantine order from your local Public Health Department in a few days, which will already contain a permission for leaving quarantine to be tested.
Upon entry to Hungary, make sure you provide your email address to the Police so they can give it to the Public Health Department, and they can send you the final quarantine order in an email.
What is a quarantine software?
If you have a smartphone, you might be asked to install the official quarantine software on it that helps the Police check if you are complying with your quarantine without actually visiting you. The software will send you queries to confirm that you are at the required location by taking a selfie and enabling access to your location data. You can download the app here.
What if I was sent to quarantine as a result of contact tracing?
Starting from 21 September, if you were sent to quarantine as a result of contact tracing, you will not be allowed to get tested and escape quarantine with your negative results. However, the time of quarantine is only 10 days (not 14, as before 21 September).
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