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1. EU programmes

2. Other Programmes

3. Legal framework applying to foreign volunteers

EU programmes​

Hungary participates in the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps programme (ESC). These programmes provide the primary legal and financial structure for 18–30-year-old young people (up to 35 for humanitarian aid) to participate in cross-border solidarity activities. The Tempus Public Foundation serves as the National Agency for organising, funding, and monitoring these EU programmes at the national level.

The specific objective of the ESC programme is to enhance active citizenship and validating competencies through solidarity projects. Since 2022, a major pillar is the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, which allows 18–35-year-old volunteers to join host organisations in third countries for 2–12 months (individual) or 2–8 weeks (group volunteering).

For the current seven-year budgetary cycle (2021-2027), the European Commission has allocated a total budget of over EUR 1 billion for the ESC program EU-wide, aiming to involve approximately 270 000 young people. Hungary manages its national budget according to annual work plans, with a continuous increase in the number of supported projects through 2026.

It is important to highlight that although youth and volunteer exchange programmes (ESC, youth exchanges) are continuously available, under the European Council’s December 2022 decision, Hungarian universities that have been placed under public trust management are currently not eligible for new funding from the Erasmus+ higher education framework. However, this restriction does not affect solidarity projects coordinated by civil society organisations or individual volunteering.

Monitoring and Trends

The Tempus Public Foundation conducts systematic monitoring of youth participation through the EU-managed Beneficiary Module and national databases. According to the results, Hungary is traditionally a strong 'sending' country, with major destinations including Germany, Spain, and Italy. In recent years (2023–2025), there has been a notable increase in 'incoming' volunteers from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries, reflecting Hungary's strategic geographic role in youth work. In alignment with the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy of the programmes, monitoring specifically tracks the participation of young people with fewer opportunities (such as young people with social, economic, or geographical disadvantages). This reflects the national goal of making formal volunteering more accessible to disadvantaged groups.

Research and Evidence-based Policy (RAY Network)

Hungary participates in the RAY Network (Research-based analysis of European youth programmes) through the Tempus Public Foundation. This network provides the evidence-based backbone for monitoring the impact of Erasmus+ and ESC programmes. It contributes to the quality assurance and development of the implementation of European youth programmes through monitoring the learning outcomes of participants with regular surveys and the organisational development of host entities. The network also promotes the use of Youthpass, the European tool for identifying and documenting skills acquired during voluntary service. The Ministry of Culture and Innovation and the Prime Minister's Office integrate the research results of the RAY network into national policy discussions, ensuring that cross-border experience affect domestic volunteering reforms.

Other Programmes​

In addition to EU-funded mobility, Hungary operates large-scale state-funded initiatives for cross-border volunteering, primarily focusing on humanitarian aid and the support of Hungarian communities in neighbouring countries.

Hungary Helps Volunteer Programme

The most significant state-run cross-border initiative is the Hungary Helps Volunteer Programme, coordinated by the Hungary Helps Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Külgazdasági és Külügyminisztérium). The program operates globally in over 60 countries, with a strategic focus on crisis zones in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Balkans. A dedicated branch, the Hungarian Voluntary League Association, specifically targets Hungarian youth in neighbouring countries (Romania/Transylvania, Serbia/Vojvodina, and Slovakia) to implement local community projects. 

The programme is almost 100% state-funded. The Hungarian Government supports the Hungary Helps Volunteer Programme with an average annual budget of HUF 3 billion (about EUR 7.7 million), which covers both the humanitarian projects and the operational costs of volunteering. A specific pillar of the programme involves volunteers assisting foreign students studying in Hungary under the Scholarship Programme for Christian Youth. In the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years, volunteers (primarily from the neighbouring countries and crisis regions) provided administrative and community-building support to over 200 scholarship students.

The Hungary Helps Agency regularly monitors its cross-border activities. The Agency tracks the number of participants, their countries of origin, and the professional impact of their missions through mandatory professional and financial reports. Since 2024, there has been an increasing emphasis on 'intercontinental youth work', where Hungarian volunteers participate in development cooperation projects in Africa and the Middle East, focusing on education and healthcare. 

The program operates under a high-level quality assurance framework. In 2023, the European Commission awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Humanitarian Volunteering to the Hungary Helps Agency. This certification ensures that the Agency's volunteer management, safety protocols, and selection processes meet the highest international standards. The Act LXXXIX of 2023 on the Hungary Helps Program (2023. évi LXXXIX. törvény a Hungary Helps Programról) regulates the activities of the programme.

Other bilateral initiatives

Besides Hungary Helps Volunteer Programme, the Wacław Felczak Foundation manages bilateral youth exchange and volunteering programmes specifically between Hungary and Poland. In 2024 and 2025, the Foundation launched multiple calls to support 16–35-year-old young people in implementing joint cultural and social projects, funded by the Hungarian state with over HUF 100 million (about EUR 250 000) annually.

The total funding for the current application cycles of the foundation regularly exceeds HUF 100-160 million (about EUR 250 000–425 000). The operation of the foundation is regulated by the Act CLXVI of 2017 (2017. évi CLXVI. törvény a Wacław Felczak Alapítványról), and the actual annual budget law ensures that the government will provide the necessary resources for the foundation. (For more information on the foundation, see 9.6.)

Legal framework applying to foreign volunteers

The Act LXXXVIII of 2005 on Public Interest Volunteer Activities and the Act XC of 2023 on the Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals (2023. évi XC. törvény a harmadik országbeli állampolgárok beutazására és tartózkodására vonatkozó általános szabályokról) defines the legal framework for foreign volunteers in Hungary. The latter came into effect in 2024.

The requirements for entering Hungary depend on the citizenship of the volunteer. Citizens from the European Union and from the European Economic Area (EEA) do not require a visa to enter Hungary. They may stay and volunteer for up to 90 days without any specific permit. For stays exceeding 90 days, they must apply for a Registration Certificate (Regisztrációs igazolás) at the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing. 

Third-country national volunteers from outside the EEA generally require a visa to enter. If the volunteering period is less than 90 days, a Schengen Visa may be sufficient (depending on visa exemption agreements). For long-term volunteering (over 90 days), a Residence Permit for the Purpose of Volunteering is required. The Residence Permit for the Purpose of Volunteering can be granted to a third-country national who has a valid agreement with a host organisation recognised under the Act LXXXVIII of 2005 on Public Interest Volunteer Activities. The applicant must prove that the host organisation covers all financial costs, including living expenses, accommodation, and healthcare. The permit is usually granted for the duration of the voluntary service, but for a maximum of one year, and it cannot be extended for purposes other than volunteering.

Specific legal protections apply to third-country nationals to prevent exploitation and ensure their well-being. According to Article 5 of Act LXXXVIII of 2005 on Public Interest Volunteer Activities, a non-EEA citizen may only carry out public interest volunteer activity if the host organisation ensures liability insurance covering any potential damages caused by the volunteer and provides meals, accommodation, and return transportation for the volunteers. The volunteer must either be eligible for state healthcare services or have comprehensive private health insurance covering all medical costs during their stay.

The standards defined in the EU Regulation on establishing the ESC are applied to cross-border, international voluntary activities and to the conditions necessary for these activities.