No visa needed

Do citizens of Hungary need a visa for South Africa?

Citizens of Hungary don’t need a visa for South Africa and can stay up to 30 days. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Hungary: the passport opens 119 countries visa-free; Budapest — Pretoria: ≈ 8,200 km, about 11 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 30 days

Can I travel to South Africa without a visa on a Hungary passport?

Yes, citizens of Hungary don’t need a visa for South Africa for up to 30 days. A valid passport is enough.

South Africa visa rules at a glance

With a Hungary passport you can visit 119 countries visa-free, 29 with a visa on arrival and 36 with an e-visa; 14 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Hungary passport ranks 21st of 199.
Hungary passport: visa-free access to 119 countries; South Africa passport: 60.
Citizens of Hungary and South Africa can travel together visa-free to 48 countries, for example: Tunisia, Georgia, Palestine, Gambia, Angola, Seychelles, Zambia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Botswana, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, and Eswatini.
South Africa has an embassy in your country of citizenship, so you can apply without travelling abroad.
Citizens of South Africa, in turn, need an embassy visa to travel to Hungary. Hungary visa for citizens of South Africa

Travelling to South Africa: good to know

Budapest — Pretoria: about 8,200 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 11 hours.
No time difference with your country’s capital.
Local currency: South African Rand.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, South Ndebele, and Northern Sotho.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ ZAR 16.
South Africa is the 140th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Hungary.
Hungary has an embassy in South Africa — contact it if you lose your passport or need consular help during the trip.