The Hungarian direction is a calm alternative route into western Ukraine. Two working crossings, both take passenger cars, both offer predictable wait times. Overall the volume here is smaller than via Poland but larger than via Slovakia or Moldova. Suits travellers flying into Budapest or coming from central Europe.
Two crossings: Tysa-Záhony and Beregsurány-Luzhanka
Tysa-Záhony (Záhony on the Hungarian side) — the main passenger checkpoint. Located in Zakarpattia region, right by the Tysa river. Most of the traffic from Budapest and Debrecen passes through here. Handles cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles. Key advantage — there's a parallel rail crossing over the same Tysa, which lets you combine road and rail.
Beregsurány-Luzhanka (Beregsurány on the Hungarian side) — smaller and often faster. North of Tysa, closer to the Hungarian town of Vásárosnamény. Smaller flow because the mass-tourism infrastructure is more modest. Suits travellers coming from north-eastern Hungary or wishing to avoid the main flow at Záhony.
Smaller crossings (e.g. Dzakony-Vylok) operate with limitations and are not recommended for foreign travellers — unstable schedules, little infrastructure.
Wait times
The Hungarian crossings have moderate volumes among Ukraine's western borders. Typical figures:
- Weekday nights (22:00–05:00): 30 minutes to an hour.
- Weekday daytime: an hour to an hour and a half.
- Weekends: 1.5–2.5 hours.
- Peak (holidays, end of vacations): 3–4 hours — rarely longer.
Beregsurány is usually 30–60 minutes faster than Tysa-Záhony at peak — due to lower flow. Check actual figures on the SBGS site before leaving.
How to reach the crossings from Hungary
From Budapest. To Záhony — about 280 km on the M3, 3–3.5 hours by car. To Beregsurány — 320 km via Debrecen, 4 hours. Budapest is the main air hub for the region, and the most common starting point.
From Debrecen. To Záhony — 90 km, an hour by car. To Beregsurány — 110 km, 1.5 hours. Debrecen has Hungary's second airport with low-cost flights; rent a car on arrival.
From Nyíregyháza. To Záhony — 50 km, 40 minutes. To Beregsurány — 80 km, an hour. Nyíregyháza is a regional capital in north-eastern Hungary, convenient for an overnight stop before the crossing.
By public transport. Hungarian railways MÁV run a Budapest-Záhony train, then a transfer to bus or marshrutka to Chop (Ukraine). The direct international train Budapest-Chop-Lviv/Kyiv is the most convenient option: everything in one journey, no transport change, with border control inside the carriage. Details in our train article.
Cameras and online queues
Real-time wait at the Hungarian-Ukrainian crossings:
- Official SBGS map — dpsu.gov.ua/ua/map: interactive map with queue counter for Tysa-Záhony and Luzhanka-Beregsurány, updated every 10–15 minutes.
- Nakordoni — nakordoni.eu: peak-hours forecast by day of week. The Záhony → Chop (Tysa) and Beregsurány → Luzhanka pages show current queues and wait forecasts.
- WorldCam Záhony — worldcam.eu: public webcam from the Hungarian side at Záhony, where general flow before the check is sometimes visible.
Cameras on the Ukrainian side are not publicly broadcast under martial law. The queue counter via SBGS works steadily.
The rail bridge and Chop
At Tysa-Záhony, an international railway runs parallel to the road checkpoint. Hungarian trains reach Záhony, then transition to Ukrainian track (here the gauge changes — Ukraine uses the Russian standard 1520 mm, the EU 1435 mm; the train either switches bogies at a special technical stop, or passengers transfer to a Ukrainian carriage).
Chop is the Ukrainian border station where customs and passport control happen. From there trains fan out: to Lviv (about 4 hours), to Kyiv (12–13 hours overnight), to Mukachevo (45 minutes).
If you plan to travel by train and head straight into Zakarpattia — Chop is the most convenient entry. Buses to Mukachevo, Uzhhorod, and Berehove run frequently from there.
Crossing infrastructure
On the Hungarian side, Záhony has a small shopping centre with cafés, gas stations, an ATM. Before the entry to the checkpoint there are a few hotels and restaurants — useful for an overnight stop before an early crossing.
Beregsurány has more modest infrastructure: one gas station, one café, minimal services. Stock up on fuel and food in advance.
On the Ukrainian side of both crossings — Zakarpattia region. Near Luzhanka — a small village; Berehove is 15 km away, Mukachevo 30. Near Chop — the eponymous town with a railway station, hotels, basic infrastructure. To Uzhhorod 25 km.
Onward: into Zakarpattia
Zakarpattia is Ukraine's westernmost region, with Hungarian and Rusyn cultural heritage. Many foreign travellers entering through Hungarian crossings stay here a day or two:
Mukachevo — small town with Palanok castle (14th century), thermal springs, Hungarian cuisine. 30–45 minutes from both crossings.
Uzhhorod — regional capital, Baroque architecture, 12th-century castle. 25 km from Chop, an hour from Luzhanka.
Berehove — town with a Hungarian-speaking majority, thermal baths, winemaking. 15 km from Luzhanka.
Carpathians — Svalyava, Polyana, Drahobrat, Volovets — that's deeper into Zakarpattia. Convenient access by car or marshrutka from Mukachevo.
Comparison with Polish and Slovak crossings
| Parameter | Hungary | Poland | Slovakia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime wait, weekday | 1–1.5 h | 2–3 h | 30–60 min |
| Peak (Fri–Sun) | 2–3 h | 4–6 h | 1–1.5 h |
| Number of crossings | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Rail | Yes (Záhony-Chop) | Yes (Przemyśl) | No (only via Chop) |
| Pedestrian | Limited | Yes (Shehyni-Medyka) | No |
| Best for | Budapest, Debrecen | Kraków, Rzeszów, Warsaw | Košice |
Pre-crossing checklist
- Valid passport.
- Printed travel insurance with Ukraine coverage.
- Cash: 50 euros on the Hungarian side, 1–3 thousand hryvnias on the Ukrainian side.
- Visa or Mastercard.
- Ukrainian eSIM or starter SIM.
- Vehicle technical passport, "Green Card" with Ukraine coverage, driving licence.
- Pet documents, if applicable.
- Route on offline map (Maps.me, Google Maps offline) — mobile internet right at the border can be unreliable.