In the first two weeks of the war alone, Hungary accepted 225,050 Ukrainian refugees. Of course, this figure is much higher now. For everyone who finds themselves in this country in such sad circumstances, the immediate need is to make a living and to live with their family: to find a home, a job, a livelihood. Such temporary assimilation is impossible without close contact with Hungarian financial institutions, so one of the first issues that arises is to open a bank account.

Further about what Hungarian banks can offer to our fellow citizens.

Special offers from Hungarian banks

Given that future clients of Hungarian banks of Ukrainian origin often lack documents, they have neither the strength nor the time for bureaucratic obstacles, some of these institutions decided that emergencies need emergency solutions and greatly simplified the system of opening bank accounts for citizens of Ukraine.

OTP Bank

Documents. Passport or Hungarian identity card. You must provide your telephone number, address in Hungary and e-mail.

Account opening procedure. In the department. For a debit card in forints (given unconditionally) you can come to the bank or receive it by mail.

Terms. It is free to open an account, regardless of whether it is in forints or in addition, in foreign currency (EUR, USD, CHF, CAD, GBP, SEK, BGN, JPY, CZK, NOK, PLN, TRY). If you have opened several accounts, only one service fee will be charged. All existing commissions on foreign currency accounts. Purchases / withdrawals of cash in Hungary and abroad are without commission. There is mobile banking and OTPdirekt internet banking. Here are special explanations in Ukrainian, what various offers of service packages (accounts) provide for. So far, the only bank in Hungary that exchanges cash hryvnia for forints is OTP Bank - in branches, within UAH 15,000. for one operation. Where to do it:

Budapest, Deák Ferenc utca 7-9.

Budapest, Futó u. 37-45.

Budapest, Nyugati tér 9.

Budapest, Váci út 1-3. (WestEnd)

Kecskemét, Szabadság tér 5.

Békéscsaba, Szent István tér 3.

Szolnok, Szapáry u. 31.

Jászberény, Lehel vezér tér 28.

Pécs, Rákóczi u. 44.

Pécs, Rákóczi u 1.

Kaposvár, Széchenyi tér 2.

Siófok, Fő tér 10/a.

Szekszárd, Szent István tér 5-7.

Paks, Dózsa György út 33.

Zalaegerszeg, Kisfaludy u. 15-17.

Nagykanizsa, Deák tér 15.

Keszthely, Kossuth u. 38.

Hévíz, Erzsébet királyné u.11.

Székesfehérvár, Ősz utca 13.

Győr, Teleki L. u. 51.

Mosonmagyaróvár, Fő u. 24.

Sopron, Várkerület 96/A.

Tatabánya, Fő tér 32.

Szombathely, Fő tér 3-5.

Sárvár, Batthyány u. 2.

Veszprém, Brusznyai Árpád u. 1.

Pápa, Fő tér 22.

Tiszaújváros, Szent István u. 30.

Debrecen, Hatvan u. 2-4.

Hajdúszoboszló, Szilfákalja u. 6-8.

Biharkeresztes, Kossuth Lajos u. 4.

Gyöngyös, Fő tér 1.

Nyíregyháza, Rákóczi u. 1.

Fehérgyarmat, Móricz Zsigmond u. 4.

Kisvárda, Szent László u. 30.

Vásárosnamény, Szabadság tér 33.

Erste Bank Hungary

Documents. Passport or Hungarian ID card. Each application is considered separately, you may additionally request registration at the address and documents confirming your right to reside in Hungary (temporary protection permit).

Account opening procedure. Search for the nearest branch or ATM. Also, if you chose George Online Bank, everything can be done remotely.

Terms. The account will be opened in forints / euros / dollars, you can have several more currencies (Swiss, British, Canadian). There is no commission for cash withdrawals at ATMs of the network from Ukrainian cards. More about different service packages, tariffs. For George, the service is free, as you send less than 400,000 forints within a month. So far, there are problems with translation in the bank's institutions, but it's good if you know English or visit a branch with a personal translator. Contacts: https://www.erstebank.hu/hu/elerhetosegek. 

By the way, if you want to transfer money from your hryvnia accounts to an Erste account, unfortunately, you will have to be disappointed: the only option is to pay by card and online until the funds run out, or withdraw forints at an ATM and put them in an account in bank cash register or terminal.

Other influential and popular banks in Hungary include K&H Bank, MKB Bank, CIB Bank and KDB Bank Europe Ltd. They have not announced any special conditions for Ukrainian refugees, but are handy and stable ones, so  follow the links and compare the conditions to choose the best one.