Residence permit / Immigration

In this section we provide information regarding Immigration and residence permits in Hungary. Our team at Studentguide.hu can provide you with personalized information, legal advice from our experienced immigration lawyer, and guidance through the whole procedure until you are comfortably settled  in Hungary.

With Hungary joining the joining the EU in 2004, citizens of EU and EEA member states are allowed to enter the country with their passport or identity card. These countries are listed below:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Hungary is a part of the Schengen agreement, this means that a holder of a Hungarian visa is allowed to travel within the whole Schengen area.

Whether or not you need a visa to Hungary depends on a variety of factors: your nationality, the purpose and the expected duration of your stay, as well as other things like family relations and your employment status.

The citizens of the following nations do not need a visa to enter Hungary unless:

• Their stay does exceed 90 days, or if
• the purpose of their visit is employment or business activity:

  Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Costa Rica, USA, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Croatia, Israel, Japan, Korean Republic, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, El Salvador, San Marino, Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela.

Non-EU citizens

Citizens of nations not mentioned above are obliged to apply for a visa to enter Hungary or other Schengen countries. Depending on the purpose of the travel, different types of visas may be required. The application process for visas is between 15-60 days, depending on whether the applicant applies for short-term, or long-term visas. For long-term types of visas proof of means of accommodation, financial cover, and insurance are the most common requirements. More detailed information is available on the website of the Hungarian consulate in your current country.

Residence permit

The residence permit is a card given by the Hungarian immigration office, and it is required for those who plan to study and/or work and/or live with a family member in Hungary. It is necessary to apply for a residence permit before the visa expires. When applying for a residence permit from abroad, a short-term visa ( 30 days ) will be given to the applicant with which the applicant may travel to Hungary to receive the residence permit card. The residence permit card given to a first-time applicant is usually valid for 1 year, and the process of renewal must start 1 month before its expiration.

Immigration Card

The requirements to obtain an immigration card are to be a continuous resident of Hungary for 3 years, and not to be absent for more than 90 days per year during that period.  Being related to a Hungarian citizen, being married to a Hungarian, or a foreigner who has a Hungarian immigration card will improve the chances of receiving the Hungarian Immigration card after only 1 year.

For the official link of the Immigration and asylum office of Hungary, Click here