Can You Use Euros in Hungary? Currency Guide for Travelers

Short answer: No. Hungary is an EU member but not in the Eurozone. The official currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF). Euros are not legal tender.

Where Euros *Might* Be Accepted

• Some tourist-area hotels, large restaurants, and shops in Budapest — but at terrible rates (often 10–20% worse than market)
• Austrian-border areas (Sopron) — more accustomed to euro cash
• Online bookings for Hungarian services priced in EUR

Don't rely on it. Always carry forints.

Getting Forints

Best rates: ATMs (use bank-affiliated: OTP, K&H, Erste, Raiffeisen, CIB). Decline DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) — choose "charge in HUF."
Good rates: Currency exchange offices in city centers (avoid airports/train stations). Compare posted rates.
Worst rates: Airport kiosks, hotel front desks, street changers.

Card Usage

Contactless cards widely accepted (Visa, Mastercard, Amex less so). Apple/Google Pay common. Minimum spend sometimes 1,000–2,000 HUF (~$3–5). Notify bank of travel.

Forint Basics

Notes: 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 HUF. Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 HUF. ~370 HUF = 1 USD (2024). No subunit in daily use (fillér obsolete).

Euro Adoption?

Hungary committed to eventual euro adoption (EU treaty) but no target date. Requires meeting convergence criteria (inflation, deficit, debt, exchange rate stability). Public opinion skeptical. Forint stays — for now.

Bring a no-foreign-transaction-fee card, hit an ATM on arrival, pay in forints. Simple.