As Hungary introduced new international travel restrictions on Wednesday, Budapest Airport has also introduced new protective measures.
While it is not mandatory to wear a face mask at Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport, it is obligatory to wear one on board flights. Signs have also been put into place to remind travelers to maintain a safe distance between one another.
It is also now possible for passengers to check in their own luggage. After scanning the flight ticket, a machine prints the baggage tag, which passengers fix to their suitcases and then place on the conveyor belt themselves. Cleaning is also undertaken throughout the airport several times a day.
In line with the government decree that has entered into force, countries are classified as “red”, “yellow” and “green”, based on the severity of the situation in each, and different restrictions apply to entrants. The government website koronavirus.gov.hu said the classification of countries was based on complex considerations and in line with the European Union’s classification system.
Separate rules have been introduced for Hungarian citizens and their family members, and non-Hungarians. Hungarians can freely enter from a country classified “green”. Entry from “yellow” or “red” countries will entail undergoing a health check at the border and 14 days in quarantine unless two consecutive negative coronavirus tests taken 48 hours apart within the previous five days can be proven.
Hungarian citizens coming from a “yellow” country depart quarantine after a single test, while those from “red” countries will need two negative tests to do so. The same rule applies to non-Hungarian citizens from “yellow” countries, but those from “red” ones will be forbidden entry altogether.