Moving to Hungary
3 routes for people from the US, Canada and the UK, each checked against official sources. Find the one that fits, then check it with the source before you apply.
Keep your job, work remotely
Hungary digital nomad visa
White Card (residence permit for digital nomads)
Remote employees of a non-Hungarian employer, or owners of a profitable foreign company, earning at least EUR 3,000 net a month who want one to two years in Hungary.
- What you need
- Monthly legal net income of at least EUR 3,000 for the 6 months before entry, kept throughout the stay. Proof: 6 months of bank statements plus an employer or tax authority income certificate. (EUR 3,000 a month)
- Verified employment outside Hungary performed remotely with advanced digital technology, or ownership of a foreign company with verified profits; certified employer statement and proof the employer actually operates.
- Proof of accommodation in Hungary (lease, free accommodation document, ownership, or paid booking).
- Health insurance valid in Hungary (secondary sources).
- Not for
- Anyone who will work for Hungarian employers or own shares in a Hungarian company (permit withdrawn)
- People planning to stay long-term: no other residence permit can be applied for during or after the White Card
- Families: spouse and children are not eligible for family reunification (except a child born in Hungary)
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. From abroad, generally at a Hungarian embassy or consulate; approval leads to a type D visa to enter and collect the card. Holders must take up residence within 3 months (secondary).
- How long it takes
- Not officially stated in the factsheet.
- First permit
- Up to 1 year.
- Renewal
- Can be extended once for another year; requires at least 90 days' residence in Hungary in the previous 180 days.
- Family
- No family reunification except for a child born in Hungary to a holder.
Family roots
Hungarian simplified naturalization
Egyszerűsített honosítás (Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian Citizenship, s.4(3))
Descendants of anyone who was a Hungarian citizen (including Kingdom of Hungary emigrants from areas now in Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, etc.) who can hold a conversation in Hungarian.
- What you need
- An ancestor who was a Hungarian citizen, or probable origin from Hungary. No generation limit. No residence in Hungary required. Clean criminal record and no threat to public or national security.
- Hungarian language knowledge, checked by the authority during the procedure (in practice an interview in Hungarian when filing); embassies describe it as at least an intermediate, conversational level. No formal certificate required.
- Application form in Hungarian with a short CV in Hungarian; applicant's birth and marriage certificates; ancestor's Hungarian birth, marriage or citizenship records linking each generation. Forum reports say simplified naturalization files are exempt from apostille; not confirmed officially.
- Not for
- People who cannot speak Hungarian at a conversational level
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. Hungarian consulates abroad (US: Embassy in Washington, consulates general in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago) or government offices in Hungary. The citizenship oath is taken at the consulate or in Hungary.
- How long it takes
- Embassy pages: usually 3 months, extendable by 60 days; consulate (Istanbul) states at least 6-7 months including oath scheduling.
- First permit
- Not a permit: naturalization confers citizenship after the oath.
- Renewal
- Not applicable.
0 - Family
- Each adult applies separately; minors can be included through a parent.
Invest Rules need confirming
Hungary golden visa
Guest Investor Visa and Guest Investor Residence Permit (vendégbefektetői tartózkodási engedély)
Wealthy investors who can buy EUR 250,000 of units in an approved Hungarian real estate fund and hold them for 5 years, and want a 10-year EU residence permit with no minimum stay.
- What you need
- Units of at least EUR 250,000 in a real estate investment fund registered with the National Bank of Hungary (at least 40% of the fund in Hungarian residential property), held for at least 5 years. (EUR 250,000 a lump_sum)
- Alternative: donation of at least EUR 1,000,000 to a higher-education institution run by a public-trust foundation. (EUR 1,000,000 a lump_sum)
- Housing in Hungary; implementing rules on guest investors' housing were amended by a government decree in force 1 Aug 2025 (details not verified).
- Not for
- Direct property buyers (EUR 500,000 direct real estate option removed, effective start of 2025)
- Investors needing a quick, well-tested process (very few fund options; low uptake)
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. Apply for the guest investor visa (via a Hungarian consulate or the Enter Hungary system), enter Hungary, complete the investment within about 3 months, then apply for the residence permit.
- How long it takes
- Not officially stated; one secondary source estimates about 21 working days.
- First permit
- Guest investor visa up to 6 months; residence permit 10 years.
- Renewal
- Renewable for a further 10 years if the investment is maintained (secondary).
- Family
- Spouse and children under 18 can be included (secondary).
No official OIF factsheet on the guest investor permit was read. Thresholds are consistent across secondary sources, but whether the programme is practically open after the April 2026 election, which funds qualify, fees and the housing rule are unverified.