7 key benefits of Hungary residence

1. The right to move to Hungary and live there with a valid residence permit. The permitted period of stay depends on the permit type; thus, students become residents for the period of studying and employees — for the duration of their work contract period.

Investors get Hungary Golden Visas. One obvious Hungary Golden Visa benefit is that residency is granted for 10 years with the right of one extension for the same period.

How to get a Hungary Golden Visa

2. Visa-free access to the countries of the Schengen Area and an opportunity to stay there for 90 days within 180 days per year.

3. There is an opportunity to bring family members to Hungary: children under 18 and spouses may move to the country with the resident. Those who obtain residence permits by investment may include their parents if they depend financially on the applicant or an applicant’s spouse.

4. The right to work in Hungary without a special permit is given to foreigners who become residents by employment, family reunification, or studying. Students are allowed to have a part-time job if it doesn’t take more than 36 hours a week.

It is forbidden for financially independent people or residents who come for medical treatment in Hungary to work or have income as a self-employed person.

5. Access to European bank services. The residents of Hungary may open accounts, apply for bank cards, put unlimited amounts of money into their deposit accounts, make transfers, pay for services, and invest money. Banking services are available at Hungary’s national, European, and international banks.

6. Low cost of living compared to other European countries. A single person’s monthly costs are around €630 without rent, and a family of four spends around €2,200. These monthly living costs are 20—30% lower than in Italy, Greece or Malta but comparable to Portugal and Montenegro.

7. Obtaining permanent residency becomes available after three years of living in Hungary. Qualifying for citizenship becomes available eight more years later.

1. Free healthcare is not for everyone: children under 16, students, and employees of Hungarian companies have access to the state healthcare system. Employers transfer a part of their income to the National Health Insurance Fund, making medical services free for tax-payers.

If a residence permit doesn’t require employment, a resident doesn’t have to pay just for first aid and emergency care. To cover other expenses, the resident has to get national insurance that costs €250+ or a private insurance policy.

2. Foreigners must have a permanent address in Hungary. To meet this requirement, a resident has to rent housing for more than three months and obtain the owner’s consent for registration. Buying a property is also an option.

According to the law, foreign residents must always have a document confirming their permanent address. If a resident changes a permanent address, they must inform the Migration Service within three weeks. Apply to the Enter Hungary website to indicate a new residential address.

3. One has to live in Hungary for 183 days per year to maintain the resident status. Thus, Hungary residency suits those planning to move to the country and settle there.

4. The Hungarian language is among the most difficult to learn. It is the country’s only official language, meaning that the resident has to learn Hungarian to study at university, work or complete a traineeship in local companies.

Even if a foreigner doesn’t have to work in the country, language awareness is necessary to visit a doctor, make an order at a restaurant, and help children do their homework. Just 20% of the population in Hungary speak English.

5. Without a lawyer, a property sale transaction is impossible in Hungary. One cannot conclude a contract, obtain the government’s permission for purchase, transact money for a property item to a seller, or receive a title deed.

Immigrant Invest lawyers and real estate specialists accompany those who apply for residency by investment in Hungary.

Examples of properties in Hungary

Hungary, Budapest

from €180,000

Modern apartments (studio) with one bedroom, V district, Budapest

20 m²

1

1

Hungary, Budapest

from €223,000

Stylish apartments with one bedroom, I District, Budapest

40 m²

1

1

Hungary, Budapest

from €642,000

Classic three-bedroom apartment, Ujbuda, Budapest

150 m²

3

3

There are more than ten ways to obtain a Hungary residence permit. Usually, a residence permit is given for a special kind of activity, such as:

• employment;

• traineeship;

• studying at a university and language courses;

• job searching;

• official purposes;

• medical treatment;

• scientific activity and research;

• volunteering;

• marriage;

• family reunification.

However, foreigners may obtain a White Card for digital nomads, a residence permit for entrepreneurs, and a Golden Visa designed for investors.

The residence permit for digital nomads, or the White Card, is issued to applicants who work remotely for a foreign company outside Hungary or remotely run a business abroad. The applicant’s income must be less than €3,000 per month over the past six months.

This residence permit is given for 1 year and may be prolonged.

The residence permit to pursue gainful activity is granted to founders of companies, entrepreneurs, and self-employed people registered in Hungary.

This residence permit is given for 3 years and may be prolonged for 3 years.

The Hungary Golden Visa may be obtained by:

• purchasing real estate fund units for at least €250,000;

• buying a property at a minimum price of €500,000;

• donating to an institution of higher learning at least €1,000,000.

The resident permit under Hungary Golden Visa Program is granted for 10 years.

Application process. It is possible to apply for residence permits only while in Hungary. To enter the country, an applicant must first apply for a National or Schengen visa in case an applicant’s country doesn’t have a visa facilitation agreement with Hungary.

Online application is possible through the Enter Hungary website. The applicant must also visit the office in person to submit fingerprints, have a photo taken for a residence permit card, and pay fees.

The fee is €64—110, depending on the applicant’s citizenship.

The application is being considered within 21 days. Then, the residence permit card is sent to the applicant’s residential address.

The Migration Service may refuse the application for a residence permit, decline to extend residency or revoke it if the applicant:

• has misinformed the service while applying for a residence permit;

• has a disease that puts the wellness of the Hungarian nation under threat. However, the list of such illnesses is not specified by law;

• doesn’t meet the requirements for maintaining the resident status; for example, spends less than 183 days a year in the country;

• doesn’t have a permanent residential address or hasn’t informed the Migration Service that they have moved;

• is engaged in activity not intended by the type of obtained residence permit;

• has a residence permit from a company created to simplify third-country nationals' entry to Hungary.

The students who work more than 36 hours a week, fail their exams or haven’t defended a diploma thesis may also lose their residence permit.

The renewal application is submitted online on the Enter Hungary website. The possibility of extension, the list of documents, and fees depend on the residence permit type.

The Migration Service checks all the documents to ensure that the foreigner is still eligible for a residence permit, e.g., if they still fulfil the investment requirements to study or run a business.

Applicants submit biometrics in person by visiting a Migration Service office.

Apply for renewal at least 30 days before the permit expires. Should the applicant submit the documents belatedly, the authorities will regard the application as a new submission rather than a renewal.

Immigrant Invest lawyers recommend collecting documents 60 days before the permit expiration.

The basic list of the documents, regardless of the permit type, is the following:

• a foreign passport;

• a completed application;

• 2 photos;

• health insurance: a universal one or with coverage of €30,000+;

• application that a foreigner is ready to leave the country within 30 days if the residence permit is not renewed;

• confirmation of having a permanent address in Hungary;

• the document proving an income or savings.

The list of additional documents depends on the residence permit type. It may include an employment agreement with a Hungarian company, a contract with an educational institution, a clinic or hospital confirmation, a marriage certificate, and children’s birth certificates.

A resident's ID card contains a biometric photo and the scans of the fingerprints of its owner, and a few holograms protect the data. Source: consilium.europa.eu

Living in Hungary for 3 years with a residence permit qualifies a foreigner for permanent residency. The applicant confirms a permanent address, income or savings for self-support, and health insurance.

The application for permanent residency is also submitted online, but a foreigner has to visit the Migration Service office in person to submit biometrics.

Permanent residency is granted for life. However, it may be revoked if the permanent resident has spent more than six months in a row outside Hungary. To prevent revocation, the resident must submit an application describing the reasons and the dates of the trip to the Migration Service.

Hungary citizenship is obtained by naturalisation, which takes 8 years of living in Hungary with permanent residency.

Applicants eligible for Hungary citizenship are those who have:

• a clear criminal record;

• no serious diseases;

• a stable income;

• a confirmed permanent address in the country;

• a document proving the period of living in Hungary for at least 8 years.

Hungarians-to-be take a language proficiency test and an exam proving their knowledge of Hungarian culture and history. Hungarian university alumni and people over 65 don’t have to take these tests.

The citizenship applicant submits the documents and a completed application in person to the Ministry of the Interior of Hungary or the one-stop customer service in Budapest. When the application is approved, a new citizen takes an Oath of Allegiance.

1. The Hungarian residence permit lets its owner move to the country of the European Union, travel visa-free within the Schengen Area, and apply for permanent residency in 3 years.

2. Foreigners must prove living in the country to obtain residency by providing a rental agreement or a title deed. Also, they must have a document confirming their permanent address in Hungary.

3. Investors can get a residence permit in Hungary. To obtain one, they fulfil the investment requirements that start at €250,000. The resident permit is granted for 10 years with the possibility of one extension for the same period.

4. Maintaining residency usually requires spending at least 183 days a year in Hungary. Thus, a residence permit would suit foreigners who want to move to Hungary and settle there.

5. The Hungarian language is one of the most difficult languages to learn. However, a resident has to have at least a basic command of it. Just 20% of the Hungarian population speaks English.