Advantages of living in Hungary
Many people like Hungary because the list of “advantages” in this country is much larger than in any other country that is part of the Schengen zone.
- Compared to other countries, life here can be called inexpensive.
- High level of security, crime is practically absent.
- Favorable climatic conditions, there are hospitals and thermal waters.
- Real estate can be called affordable.
- Secondary education is absolutely free, higher education is paid, but the diploma is recognized all over the world.
- Quality medicine.
- The ability to freely cross the borders of all Schengen countries.
- You can open a deposit in a European bank.
- The prospect of obtaining permanent residence and citizenship.
There are not many disadvantages of being in this country. The main one is the mandatory study of the Hungarian language to obtain a residence permit, because local residents practically do not know Russian or English, so being in the country may be uncomfortable.
Methods for obtaining a Hungarian residence permit
Residents of Russia have many opportunities to obtain a residence permit in Hungary, and subsequently citizenship.
What is each method?
- Future investors. They have the best chance of obtaining a residence permit in the shortest possible time, and subsequently citizenship. Since 2013, Hungary has had a state investment program, according to which a foreigner can apply for a Hungarian residence permit if he invests at least 300 thousand euros in the country’s economy for a period of at least 5 years. Investing involves buying government bonds, investing in the Hungarian economy or creating any type of investment (a fund, for example). The identity of such candidates is considered for about 20 days. Not only he, but also his family has the right to live on the territory of the country. The investor automatically becomes a resident of the EU and nothing (not even a return on investment after 5 years) can cancel this status. An investment transaction is necessarily controlled by the state, and the source of income itself must be legal, but it is not subject to inspection.
- Availability of real estate in Hungary. This method, of course, does not provide a 100% chance of obtaining a residence permit, but it significantly increases them. In addition to the application for permission, there must be an act of purchase and sale of housing, medical insurance, and evidence of financial solvency. The state does not specify a minimum amount for which the purchase must be made and does not control exactly how it will be used. Those who want to use this method for a residence permit in Hungary should take into account that they must live in the country for 6 months per year.
- Residence permit for the purpose of doing business. In this case, the applicant must become a co-founder or founder of the LLC. Such applications are considered by the department for at least 90 days. To obtain permits of this type, you must provide a certain amount of finance for living and running a business, rented or purchased housing of at least 6 square meters, and medical insurance. All registrations are carried out only through a lawyer. This method has two significant nuances: firstly, a residence permit may be denied if they consider that a visa is sufficient to run a business, and secondly, the business on the basis of which the residence permit is obtained must actually work and be profitable with all that it entails (payment of taxes, etc.). So if you are planning to open a fictitious company to obtain a residence permit, it is better to consider other methods.
- Marriage with a Hungarian citizen. When providing all the necessary documents, such applicants practically never receive refusals. The only reason for refusal may be evidence from the government of a fictitious marriage. Already 3 years after the residence permit you can obtain citizenship. To apply to the Migration Service, have your passports and marriage certificates with you. If the marriage was not recorded in Hungary, the marriage document must be translated into Hungarian with an apostille.
- During family reunification, a spouse, children, and parents can move to a legal Hungarian citizen. The latter must prove that they are under the care of the applicant and maintain a common household with him. If the outcome is positive, a residence permit is granted for three years. After this period has expired, an extension is possible.
- Residence permit for the purpose of employment. It will be issued for the period specified in the work contract. This is more like a long-term visa, since such applicants rarely have prospects for obtaining permanent residence. In this case, you need to take care of providing a certificate about what the person will live on for the first month before receiving their salary. Along with the application, a work permit and a certificate of financial availability must be submitted. The contract must be provided by the employer.
- A residence permit for students is also a popular option for obtaining a residence permit, because education here is of high quality and is valued throughout Europe. In addition, there is a job prospect. Students who have not reached 28 years of age receive permission without any problems, otherwise the procedure may be lengthy. You can obtain a residence permit by proving that the person has enrolled in state Hungarian language courses.
Pensioners who are interested in a residence permit in Hungary should know that there is no special program for this. Usually such people already have real estate here or are ready to provide a certificate of sufficient finance. When going through the standard registration procedure, take into account that the account of a person who is on a well-deserved vacation must have at least 10 thousand euros.
A residence permit in the country can also be obtained by those who are planning long-term treatment here or staying in a sanatorium.
Method 11. Hungarian residence permit granted for treatment
If you have chosen a Hungarian medical institution for treatment and plan to stay in the country for a long time to receive medical care or accompany a family member receiving treatment in Hungary (in need of care), a residence permit provided for treatment will be suitable for you.
The registration period is up to 3 months.
The necessary conditions:
- you need to know exactly the name and address of the receiving healthcare organization;
- a certificate from the medical institution about the planned medical procedures, the nature and expected duration of treatment;
- documentary evidence that the applicant has sufficient funds at his disposal for living and treatment in Hungary;
- if the treatment process will not be carried out in a hospital, it is necessary to provide a document confirming the availability of residential premises for living in Hungary;
- if the treatment process is carried out in relation to a minor child or a family member in need of care, it is necessary to provide documentary evidence that the accompanying person has sufficient funds at his disposal to live in Hungary and a document confirming the relationship.
The Hungarian residence permit is valid for the entire duration of treatment, but not more than one year. Can be extended if necessary.
Important! In this case, a residence permit is not a basis for obtaining permanent residence.
Is the presence of real estate in Hungary grounds for obtaining a residence permit?
If countries such as Latvia, Greece, Spain and Portugal provide the opportunity to obtain a residence permit after purchasing real estate in their country for a certain amount, then this is not provided for in Hungarian laws.
There is no regulatory law that would indicate that owning real estate is a direct opportunity to obtain a residence permit or permanent residence in Hungary. But, despite the fact that it is impossible to legally obtain a Hungarian residence permit if you have real estate, there are still companies on the service market that offer to provide such services. Most likely, this is a cunning marketing ploy or deceptive manipulation.
But do not be upset; having personal property in Hungary will give the applicant an advantage when considering his application for a multiple visa. And with it you can get permission to stay in the country for a period of 5 years. In addition, if you have a Hungarian visa, you can visit any Schengen country without any problems.
Who can obtain permanent residence in Hungary when purchasing real estate
First of all, you need to know: only owners of residential property can apply for Hungarian residency. Purchasing commercial real estate (warehouses, offices, production areas) does not give such a right.
If you own residential real estate, you can apply for a residence permit, even if you rent it out.
Together with the owner of the property, his spouse and minor children can apply for a residence permit.
If you want to move to Hungary with your parents and adult children, it would be better to consider the option of permanent residence by investment. It may turn out to be more profitable.
Owning real estate in Hungary alone will not be enough to obtain a residence permit: you will also have to confirm that your income is high enough to live in the country. The specific amount that an applicant must have is not established by law, but it is recommended to have an amount in excess of 10,000 euros in a personal bank account.
In addition, with this strategy for obtaining a residence permit and permanent residence, it is necessary to actually reside at the specified address in Hungary for at least 183 days annually. This is strictly controlled.
Residence permit and permanent residence in Hungary when buying real estate: Your actions step by step
On the way to obtaining permanent residence in Hungary, homeowners will have to go through several stages.
List of required documents
The basic package of documents for obtaining a residence permit in Hungary will consist of:
- A submitted application, written in Hungarian or English, with mandatory justification for obtaining permission.
- Photos for documents – 4 pcs. There should be no corners, only a white background, photo dimensions – 3.5x4.5 cm.
- A rental housing agreement (for the entire required period) or documents indicating the availability of personal real estate in Hungary.
- Certificate of no criminal record.
- Certificate from the bank about cash flows over the last 90 days.
- Certificate from the employer about salary and whether it is possible to perform work remotely.
- Medical insurance.
- A copy and original of the foreign passport and all its pages.
Property owners
Visa Application:
It is recommended to fill out the application form for a Schengen visa electronically. The application form must be completely filled out in Latin letters, printed and personally signed by the person applying for the visa. For minor citizens, the application form is signed by parents or persons with parental (guardian) rights. Signatures are written in blue ink.
Travel insurance is mandatory for all Schengen countries. If you haven't purchased, please click here
International passport:
- must be signed;
- must be valid for at least 3 months after the visa expires;
- The validity period of the passport should not exceed 10 years. Renewed passports are not accepted;
- must contain at least 2 blank (blank) pages intended for affixing visas;
- accepted without covers (plastic, leather);
- copies: 1 page with information about the applicant and Schengen visas for the last 3 years.
General passport (photocopy)
It is necessary to provide a photocopy of the following pages of a civil passport: photo page, page with information about place of residence, page about marital status, page with information about previously issued passports.
Color photo 1 piece:
- size 3.5 x 4.5 cm, without oval, color, clear, clean and contrasting;
- the photograph must be printed on high quality paper on a white background;
- the photograph should be no more than 6 months old, taken from the front, so that the face occupies 70-80% of the photograph;
- If the applicant wears glasses, the photograph must also meet the following criteria:
- untinted glass,
- There should not be any glare.
the frame should not cover any part of the eye,
Health insurance policy (copy)
To obtain a Schengen visa, you need a health insurance policy valid in the Schengen countries with a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros. When applying for a multiple-entry visa, a health insurance policy can be provided for the first visit to the Schengen territory. Insurance policies issued by insurance companies of the European Agreement and the European Economic Area or Russian insurance companies are accepted (according to the basic rule, insurance must be issued at the place of permanent residence).
Requirements for a health insurance policy valid in the Schengen countries:
- the insurance policy must be valid throughout the Schengen area;
- The insurance policy must guarantee at least those services related to healthcare and include the following items:
- emergency medical care;
- transportation to the nearest medical facility that provides emergency medical care, as well as treatment in hospitals;
- medical or posthumous repatriation to the country of permanent residence in the event of a serious illness or in the event of the death of the insured.
- when applying for a Schengen visa, the minimum limit of liability of the insurer during the insurance period specified in the policy must be at least 30,000 EUR. Insurance policies issued by insurance companies of the European Agreement and the European Economic Area or Russian insurance companies, filled out exclusively in typewritten form, are accepted;
- When applying for a single-entry Schengen visa, the health insurance policy must fully cover the travel dates. For example, if a visa is requested for 10 days from June 1 to June 10, a health insurance policy must be presented from June 1 to June 10 with a policy period of 10 days.
treatment in cases of a critical situation for life and health in hospitals;
Transport documents:
- Round-trip tickets (current reservation or purchased),
If traveling by car:
- copies of the vehicle registration certificate,
- a valid visa of the owner of the vehicle or a notarized power of attorney for the right to drive a vehicle abroad + a copy of 1 page of the owner’s Russian passport,
- copies of driver's license,
- a valid visa for the driver if a visa request is not submitted for him
- route sheet
In case of traveling by tourist bus (when submitting documents from an accredited travel agency, it is enough to attach a cover letter):
- Tour purchase agreement
- Agreement between the travel agency and the bus (register drivers for this trip)
- Documents for the bus (sts)
- License
- Driver's passport and visa
- Route sheet
Documents confirming the availability of financial resources for the period of stay in Hungary (originals only):
- For employed citizens, it is necessary to provide an original document confirming the presence of regular income in the form of a certificate from the place of work (not older than 1 month) on wages indicating the position, average monthly income (the certificate must contain the seal and signature of the manager, as well as all details and organization telephone number).
- For individual entrepreneurs, it is necessary to provide documents on registration of individual entrepreneurs, a bank account statement on cash flows for the last 3 months (the statement must contain the stamp and signature of the employee).
- For non-workers, a bank account statement for 3 months (not older than 1 month) is provided with a sufficient balance for the trip (the statement must bear the stamp and signature of a bank employee).
- For students, it is necessary to provide a certificate from an educational institution (not older than 1 month).
- If your stay in Hungary is paid for by a third party , then the specified documents must be submitted in his name. In this case, if the third party is a close relative, then it is necessary to provide a letter of guarantee in any form and documents confirming the relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate) + a copy of 1 page of the sponsor's Russian passport . For others, a notarized letter of guarantee. The sponsorship letter must contain the following information: the territory of stay and the validity of the visa (Schengen countries, including Hungary), the validity period of the sponsorship letter (when requesting a single-entry visa - the duration of the trip; when requesting a multiple-entry visa - the duration of the requested visa).
- If you have a pension certificate, you must provide the original and a copy.
Documents confirming the purpose of the trip:
For the owner:
- An electronic extract received through a lawyer (e-hiteles tulajdoni lap) or an original extract from the land register for real estate (tulajdoni lap) not older than 3 months ( hereinafter: extract from the land register for real estate ).
For the guest:
- minor children: confirmation of relationship with the owner; extract from the land register for real estate
- close relatives: consent to residence in free form from one of the owners who is a close relative; confirmation of relationship; extract from the land register for real estate
- others: notarized consent from all home owners, extract from the land register for real estate
If several people own housing, an invitation or permission from each owner is required.
If you are a third country national, please see the list of additional requirements. If you are accompanied by a child, please read the set of required documents. A completed consent to the processing of personal data, signed by the applicant personally, must be attached to each set of documents.
Cost and processing time
Consideration of documents for issuing a permit will vary depending on the method of registration. The maximum period is 3 months. Those who have housing in the country or are ready to invest receive a residence permit much faster.
The procedure for obtaining a Hungarian residence permit is accompanied by payment of a state fee, the amount of which is 18 thousand forints or 60 euros. An exception is a residence permit based on investment. In addition to the investment of 300 thousand euros, the candidate must also pay a one-time administrative fee of 60 thousand euros.
As for the long-term Hungarian visa on which you entered the country, you can extend it both in Russia and while in Hungary. The latter is issued for 12 months and costs 60 euros.
The first approved residence permit is issued for 12 months, the second – for 24 months.
Refusal to issue a residence permit
There may be several reasons for refusal. Among them the most common:
- Lack of documents, their incorrect or careless execution.
- The financial viability of the person has not been proven.
- Previously, laws were repeatedly violated (violations in both Russia and Hungary are taken into account).
Access to the country can be permanently blocked by having a criminal record or concealing it.
If the applicant is refused a residence permit, he cannot sue or appeal the decision. Has the right, after correcting errors (if they lend themselves to this), to resubmit documents.