Immigration to Hungary » European Union Citizenship with Legal Guarantee

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.

PROGRAMS AND STAGES OF OBTAINING HUNGARIAN CITIZENSHIP

Obtaining Hungarian citizenship is based on the right of birth, in other words, children of Hungarians obtain it automatically, but children of foreigners who live in the country do not. Foreign citizens who are deprived of privileges based on blood ties are left with several options to obtain citizenship of this state.

Obtain Hungarian citizenship by naturalization

As a standard, in order to obtain Hungarian citizenship, a resident of another state, without blood relationship with Hungarians, must legally reside continuously in the country for at least 8 years. At the same time, a number of situations can reduce the waiting period.

Obtain Hungarian citizenship through marriage

Legalized marital relations with a Hungarian citizen that last over 3 years allow a foreigner to apply for Hungarian citizenship.

Obtain Hungarian citizenship through repatriation

Hungarian legislation provides a separate article that allows Hungarian citizenship to be granted to blood relatives of persons born or living before 1920 or 1938-1945 in the territories of Vojvodina, Transylvania, Southern Slovakia or the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine.

Obtain Hungarian citizenship through a declaration

The right to obtain Hungarian citizenship on preferential terms is provided for those who lost citizenship by emigrating from the country between September 15, 1947 and May 2, 1990.

Obtain Hungarian citizenship through investment

The law, adopted on October 27, 2012 and came into force in the second quarter of 2013, gives foreigners the opportunity to obtain Hungarian citizenship by investment through permanent residence.
According to the terms of the Hungarian state investment program, an investor who has invested 300,000 euros in government bonds for a period of 5 years can obtain a permanent residence permit in the country. This amount is not the only contribution - participation in the program requires a corresponding payment of 60,000 euros. 6 months after receiving it, the foreign investor is given the opportunity to obtain Hungarian citizenship. According to the law, not only the investor, but also his spouse, as well as children under the age of majority, will be able to obtain permanent residence. The State Investment Immigration Program stipulates special conditions for obtaining a permanent residence permit and Hungarian citizenship. But for candidates who intend to receive this status on a general basis, the following conditions apply:

No criminal record
Sufficient financial security
Knowledge of the basics of the Hungarian constitution

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.

Basic package of documents

To obtain a residence permit, the law obliges citizens to provide a set package of documents.

The application for a residence permit is written in Hungarian or English. The application should indicate the grounds that allow the foreigner to obtain a residence permit.
International passport for each family member.
Photos 3*4.
Confirmation that there is where to live on the territory, this can be either documents about the purchase of housing or a lease agreement.
A document confirming the absence of a criminal record.
Insurance policy.
Bank statements about the availability of funds.

Documents must be both originals and certified copies. In addition, translation of documents may be required.

Is the presence of real estate in Hungary grounds for obtaining a residence permit?

For investment

The conditions for obtaining a residence permit in Hungary stipulate that a foreign citizen can take part in the State Investment Program.

Choosing this option for obtaining a residence permit is considered the simplest and most accessible (if there are sufficient financial resources) solution, which allows you to acquire status quickly and with the least formalities.

A residence permit for investment is granted to foreigners who have invested in the purchase of government bonds. The investment amount is 300 thousand euros.

Investments are repayable: after 5 years, the money (excluding expenses for going through the registration process) will be returned to the investor (bonds do not generate income).

The advantage of this option is also the provision of the card to the investor’s family members. The opportunity for investors to obtain permanent residence becomes available after several months of residence in the country.

For financially independent persons

Providing permanent residence rights for financially independent individuals is considered a popular way to move to Europe.

This category of applicants includes foreigners who have sufficient funds to live in the country (which allow them not to work or engage in other income-generating activities).

In this case, Hungary issues a residence permit subject to depositing 10 thousand euros into a bank account and if there is a place to live in the country (rent or own property).

Doing Business

The country has created favorable conditions for doing business, but the procedure for opening a company and the tax system are characterized by bureaucracy. To obtain a card, a foreigner can register a company or buy an existing business.

A popular option is to obtain status through opening a representative office of the company.

Marriage

Foreigners who have registered a marriage with a Hungarian citizen or with a person who has permanent residence can apply for a card on this basis. To provide permission, you will need to collect the necessary documentation and attach a marriage registration certificate.

The authorities ensure that the marriage is not fictitious: if the fictitious nature of the union is revealed, permission is refused.

Family reunification

Persons who are planning to move to reunite with their family are entitled to obtain a residence permit in Hungary. Holders of citizen, refugee status and foreigners with permanent residence can act as hosts.

Spouses, parents and children who have not reached the age of majority have the right to apply for a card. Minor children can count on an expedited procedure.

To register, you need to prepare documents that confirm the existence of family ties. Conditions for issuing a card also include the availability of housing and sufficient financial resources.

Getting an education

The grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Hungary allow foreign citizens who move to undergo training to obtain a card.

A positive decision is made if the applicant is able to provide a certificate confirming enrollment in a Hungarian educational institution, information about the provision of housing and the availability of means of living in the country for the period of study.

The procedure is difficult for people over 28 years of age. A student residence permit is issued for higher education and studying Hungarian language courses.

For pensioners

The procedure for obtaining status for persons of retirement age is identical to issuing a card to financially independent persons.

A foreign pensioner must document the presence of funds in his account in the amount of at least 10 thousand euros and provide information about the availability of housing in the state (housing can be rented).

Job

Finding employment in Hungarian companies is considered a difficult task for people from non-EU countries (you can get a job if you know the Hungarian language and if there are no applicants from the European Union).

If a foreign citizen manages to find a suitable vacancy, he will need to apply for a work visa and then apply for a residence permit (an employment contract is attached to the application). After the card is issued, a working foreigner can count on moving his family.

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.

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.

Residence permit and permanent residence for pensioners through the purchase of housing

A relatively simple and affordable method is to buy a home in Hungary. You have every right to choose the city in which you want to live, and then purchase an apartment or house with land. The only restriction for foreigners is the inability to buy agricultural land with an area of more than 0.6 hectares.

After choosing, you should make an advance payment of 10% of the cost of the object and apply with documents certifying the transaction and identity to the mayor's office of the selected city. After this, the Land Committee will prohibit the owner from conducting other transactions with the property in order to protect your interests.

After confirmation from the mayor's office, you pay the remaining 90%, receive a passport of the owner of the property and apply for a one-time visa type D. Having entered the country with it, you immediately apply for a residence permit and receive it for a year. After a year and having saved the property, you extend it for another 2 years.

After this, you get the right to demand permanent residence for a period of 8 years. However, after 5 years, you have the right to apply for Hungarian citizenship.

Of course, the total price of such a scheme varies and largely depends on the value of the property, since intermediaries and the obligatory Hungarian lawyer charge a percentage of the value of the property for their services. For example, lawyers charge about 2%.

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.