New quarantine rules, published on 27 October 2020, reduce administration and regulate quarantine violation more strictly
Under the previous regulation, mandatory official home quarantine for people entering Hungary was to be decided by the administrative authority. However, the frequency of such cases led to an extremely high administrative burden. In order to ease the situation and to provide faster information to those concerned, from 28 October 2020 an official decision on the imposition of quarantine is no longer required, but instead it is necessary to comply with the following rules after a medical examination:
a) the police instruct a person in quarantine to observe a 10-day home quarantine if the preliminary medical examination has not detected any suspicion of infection,
b) a person in quarantine must inform the police – even electronically ‒ 24 hours before the medical examination of the exact location of the quarantine flat to which he will go immediately after the examination,
c) it is also necessary to install so-called “quarantine software” on a suitable device for controlling the quarantine or failing that to allow on-the-spot inspection during quarantine.
According to the previous regulation, home quarantine can be replaced by 2 negative SARS-Cov-2 PCR tests with at least a 48-hour difference in between is required. For the examination, a person in quarantine may leave the quarantine flat if they notify the police of the place and time at least 24 hours before the examination,
and will receive electronic confirmation. The person concerned may be released from quarantine if he sends the results of the tests, i.e. the two negative tests, electronically to the police and receives an acknowledgment of receipt.
Quarantine violators should expect high fines from 12 November 2020. Besides leaving the quarantine flat, quarantine rules can also be violated by someone, who
a) unreasonably interrupts their journey to the quarantine flat,
b) deletes the quarantine software before the end of the quarantine, or
c) hinders an on-the-spot check.
Violation of the rule attracts a fine between 5 000-150 000 HUF (approximately 14-400 EUR), and in the case of a repeat violation on the same day, a maximum fine of 600 000 HUF (approximately 1 700 EUR) can be imposed, against which no appeal is possible.
In the case of returning home or entry from abroad, it is worthwhile informing yourself about the above changes in advance.
Source: Act CIV of 2020 laying down certain rules relating to epidemiological measures and amending certain Acts relating to epidemiological measures
Government Decree 408/2020 (VIII.30.) on travel restrictions during the period of a state of epidemiological preparedness