3,500 Kuwaitis ‘travel’ through Budapest annually: Ambassador

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 28: The Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to Kuwait Dr Stefan Shusch affirmed that Schengen visa for his country is issued to Kuwaiti citizens within five days and allows them to stay for 90 days within a 180-day time frame, reports Al-Rai daily.

He disclosed that lack of internal borders among the European Union countries is responsible for lack of statistics revealing the number of Kuwaitis who visit his country annually. He added the number of travelers from Kuwait through Budapest Airport annually is about 3,500, while 17.5 million tourists visited Hungary in 2018 (equivalent of 7.5 million people, which is more than the total population of the country itself), indicating a growth of 1.7 million compared to 2017 figures.

“If you have Schengen visa, you don’t need anything other than air ticket and gigabytes of memory on your phone to take beautiful pictures. He indicated “there is a lot to offer to tourists in general and Kuwaitis in particular in Hungary, as the country is magnificent by nature with virgin forests and sanatoriums for rest and recreation, coupled with its mineral water and fresh air,” he said.

He stressed that the country has large shopping streets and malls with the most prestigious international brands, luxury hotels, fine international restaurants, parks, gardens, historical sites, museums and the oldest metro in Europe, as well as fishing areas for fishing lovers.

Regarding the amount of tobacco and cash allowed on a traveler to Hungary, Shusch said: “We follow the EU regulations, which means the allowable quantities are: 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos (a cigar weighing a maximum of 3 grams), 200 cigars, and one kilogram of tobacco. If you plan to enter or leave the EU with 10,000 euros or more in cash (or equivalent in other currencies), you should declare this to the customs authorities. “Failure to do so may result in the customs authorities confiscating your money, and you may receive a fine”. Hungarian capital, Budapest, was voted “the best European destination” this year by travelers, in a list of 15 competitors,” the Hungarian envoy revealed.