The visa · Hungary
Hungary
Hungary runs one of the EU's few purpose-built remote-worker permits, the White Card, alongside a guest self-employment permit, the employer-tied Hungarian Card and a fund-based guest investor permit. The White Card suits salaried remote employees and company owners earning at least EUR 3,000 net a month from outside Hungary, but it is capped at two years, bars family reunification and never counts towards settlement. Personal income tax is a flat 15 per cent, and since 1 January 2024 there is no United States–Hungary tax treaty.
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The routes
Researched 6 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice
Nomad visa
White Card (digital nomad residence permit)
Fehér Kártya – White Card, residence permit for digital nomads (Act XC of 2023)
Third-country nationals employed by, or holding a profit-making share in, a company outside Hungary who do the work from Hungary over a digital connection and take no Hungarian income.
- Income floor
- Net monthly income of at least EUR 3,000 for the six months before entry, maintained throughout the stay (OIF factsheet); a separate EUR 10,000 savings figure circulates on agent sites but does not appear on the official page.
- Duration
- Up to 1 year, extendable once for a further year; no second extension, so two years in total before a fresh application is needed.
- Cost
- EUR 110 at a consulate (permit plus entry visa); HUF 39,000 in person at a regional directorate; HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary; extension HUF 26,000 (OIF fee schedule dated 3 March 2026). Some 2025 guides still quote HUF 24,000 and HUF 35,000.
- Processing
- Statutory 21 days from a complete application, excluding time spent curing deficiencies; agents and guides report 30 to 60 days in practice and three to four months door-to-door when consular appointments are included.
- Eligibility
- Third-country nationals only; verified employment relationship or company shareholding outside Hungary; no gainful activity in Hungary and no share in a Hungarian company; health insurance and accommodation in Hungary; biometrics taken; in-country filing only for nationals who enter visa-free.
- Work rights
- Remote work for foreign employers or one's own foreign company only; any work for a Hungarian employer or acquiring a share in a Hungarian company triggers withdrawal of the permit.
- Dependants
- Family members are expressly refused family-reunification permits, except a child born in Hungary during the permit's validity; partners must qualify on their own permit.
- Leads to
- No. White Card time is excluded from the national residence card, so it does not count towards permanent residence or citizenship.
- Apply
- Hungarian embassy or consulate in the country of nationality or habitual residence; visa-exempt nationals already in Hungary may file online on Enter Hungary or in person at the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) for their address.
Documents Valid passport · Employer statement certifying the role, duties and remote-work arrangement, or proof of company ownership and profits abroad · Bank statements or tax-authority certificate proving EUR 3,000 net a month for six months · Proof of accommodation in Hungary (lease, ownership or reservation) · Health insurance covering Hungary · Facial photograph and fingerprints (age 6 and over)
Freelance / self-employed
Guest self-employment residence permit
Vendég-önfoglalkoztatás célú tartózkodási engedély – residence permit for the purpose of guest self-employment
Freelancers and sole traders who want to invoice from a Hungarian business, and chief executives of a Hungarian company who actually run it from Hungary.
- Income floor
- Annual self-employment income above 24 times the monthly minimum wage, certified by the tax authority; at the 2026 minimum wage of HUF 322,800 that is roughly HUF 7.75 million a year. Executives instead show a company with five full-time Hungarian or EEA staff for six months, or that their presence is operationally essential with sufficient projected income.
- Duration
- Up to 1 year, extendable to 3 years in total; extension requires at least 90 days in Hungary in every 180-day period and compliance with reporting duties.
- Cost
- Standard residence-permit fees: EUR 110 at a consulate, HUF 39,000 in person, HUF 26,000 on Enter Hungary, extension HUF 26,000.
- Processing
- Statutory 21 days, excluding deficiency periods.
- Eligibility
- Third-country nationals and stateless persons; registered self-employed status or executive post in a Hungarian business; means of subsistence, accommodation and health insurance; holders may not switch in-country to an employment permit or Hungarian Card.
- Work rights
- Only the declared self-employed or executive activity; Hungarian clients are the point of the permit; salaried employment needs separate authorisation.
- Dependants
- No family-reunification permit for family members during the first year of the permit, except after a three-year reissue or for a child born in Hungary.
- Leads to
- No. Guest self-employment time is excluded from the national residence card.
- Apply
- Hungarian consulate abroad; visa-exempt nationals may file on Enter Hungary or at the competent OIF regional directorate.
Documents Valid passport and facial photograph · Proof of the self-employed activity or company registration and executive appointment · Tax-authority certificate of income, or business plan and financial evidence · Proof of accommodation · Health insurance
Long stay
Hungarian Card
Magyar Kártya – residence permit for a Hungarian Card
Software developers and other higher-education professionals, athletes, performers and film-industry workers with a contract from a Hungarian employer, including owner-managers who do the work themselves.
- Income floor
- No published figure; the employer must document means of subsistence in Hungary and the qualification must match the job.
- Duration
- Up to 3 years, extendable for a further 3 years; extensions filed online at least 30 days before expiry.
- Cost
- Standard residence-permit fees: EUR 110 at a consulate, HUF 39,000 in person, HUF 26,000 on Enter Hungary.
- Processing
- Initial assessment 21 days; a final decision within 70 days of filing if further documents are requested.
- Eligibility
- Third-country nationals with a qualification on the list set by the minister for higher education, or professional sports, performing or film roles; an employment contract or preliminary agreement with a Hungarian employer.
- Work rights
- Local employment with the sponsoring Hungarian employer; not a remote-for-abroad route.
- Dependants
- Not on the OIF list of permits barred from family reunification; the family-reunification factsheet governs the conditions.
- Leads to
- Not excluded from the national residence card; the general test is 3 years' continuous lawful residence plus, since 1 January 2025, a Hungarian cultural-knowledge exam certificate.
- Apply
- Hungarian consulate abroad, or for visa-exempt nationals on Enter Hungary or at the OIF regional directorate.
Documents Valid passport (valid 3 months beyond the permit) · Employment contract or preliminary agreement · Proof of professional qualification matching the post · Proof of subsistence and accommodation · Health insurance · Inter-company agreement where the worker is supplied through one
Investor
Guest investor residence permit (golden visa)
Vendégbefektetői tartózkodási engedély – residence permit for guest investors
Location-independent people with capital who want a ten-year permit with unrestricted work rights rather than a two-year nomad card.
- Income floor
- EUR 250,000 in units of a real-estate fund registered with the Hungarian National Bank, held for at least 5 years in a blocked securities account, or a donation of EUR 1,000,000 or more to a qualifying higher-education institution. The EUR 500,000 residential-property option has been removed.
- Duration
- Up to 10 years, extendable for a further 10 years.
- Cost
- Guest investor visa EUR 110 at a consulate (substitution visa EUR 90); the residence permit itself carries the standard in-country fees.
- Processing
- Statutory 21 days, excluding the period allowed to prove the investment.
- Eligibility
- Third-country nationals who first obtain a guest investor visa, then complete the qualifying investment; standard security and criminal-record checks.
- Work rights
- May work as employee, self-employed or chief executive in Hungary without restriction, and remote work for abroad is unaffected.
- Dependants
- Family reunification is not barred for this permit on the OIF list; conditions follow the family-reunification factsheet.
- Leads to
- Not on the OIF list of permits excluded from the national residence card; the 3-year residence and cultural-exam tests apply.
- Apply
- Guest investor visa at a Hungarian consulate; the residence permit only within Hungary, on Enter Hungary or in person at the OIF regional directorate; extensions only on Enter Hungary.
Documents Valid passport · Guest investor visa · Proof of the fund-unit purchase or donation · Proof of accommodation · Health insurance
Other route
EU/EEA registration certificate
Regisztrációs igazolás – registration certificate for EEA nationals
Citizens of EU and EEA states and Switzerland who plan to stay beyond 90 days; they need no permit, only registration.
- Income floor
- None published for the registration; sufficient resources and health cover are the standard free-movement conditions.
- Duration
- Open-ended; registration after 90 days, address card issued alongside it.
- Cost
- No fee figure verified in the sources opened.
- Processing
- Registration is handled at the regional OIF directorate; no statutory deadline verified.
- Eligibility
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals; register the stay after 90 days and register the address within 3 working days of moving.
- Work rights
- Unrestricted: remote work, local clients and local employment.
- Dependants
- Family members follow free-movement rules; third-country family members apply for a residence card.
- Leads to
- EEA nationals become tax resident after 183 days in a year if registered; permanent residence follows free-movement rules rather than the national residence card.
- Apply
- Regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) for the place of residence.
Documents Passport or national ID card · Proof of accommodation for the address card
Without a visa, by passport
The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated
- EU / EEA / SwitzerlandFree movement; register the stay after 90 daysRemote work, local clients and local employment are all lawful without a permit.
- United Kingdom90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: no published tolerance for remote work; the OIF only states that visa-exempt nationals may file a White Card in-country, which signals that the state expects a permit for a working stay.
- United States90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey, as for other visa-exempt nationals; the US–Hungary tax treaty no longer applies from 2024, so Hungarian-source days can be taxed with no treaty relief.
- Canada90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: not addressed in published rules; in-country White Card filing is open to Canadians.
- Australia90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: not addressed in published rules; in-country White Card filing is open to Australians.
- New Zealand90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: not addressed in published rules.
- Japan90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: not addressed in published rules.
- Brazil90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: not addressed in published rules; Brazilians may file the White Card from inside Hungary.
- Mexico / Argentina / Israel / UAE90 days in any 180, visa-exemptGrey: not addressed in published rules.
- IndiaVisa required (Schengen C visa for short stays; D visa with a residence permit for longer)Remote work on a tourist visa is not a permitted purpose; the White Card must be obtained at a Hungarian consulate before travel.
- South AfricaVisa requiredAs for India: apply for the White Card or other permit at a consulate before travel.
- Turkey / China / RussiaVisa requiredAs for India; consular filing only.
Tax
When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer
- Residency trigger
- Hungarian nationals, EEA nationals holding a registration card who spend 183 days or more in a calendar year, and third-country nationals with permanent settlement are resident by status. Otherwise a person is resident if their only permanent home is in Hungary; if they have homes in more than one country, where their centre of vital interests lies; and if that cannot be established, where their habitual abode is, with 183 or more days in Hungary in the calendar year as the deciding count. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, and employment income for work physically performed in Hungary is treated as Hungarian-source even when paid from abroad.
- Special regime
- None. Personal income tax is a flat 15 per cent for everyone; there is no nomad, expat or newcomer regime. Allowances exist for people under 25 and for mothers of two or more children (the two-child allowance is being phased in from 1 January 2026), but they attach to the consolidated tax base and are not a foreigner scheme.
- Social security
- Employees pay an 18.5 per cent social security contribution and employers a 13 per cent social contribution tax; the 2026 minimum wage is HUF 322,800 a month. EU nationals working for a non-Hungarian employer and third-country nationals assigned from a non-EEA country become liable in Hungary, the latter once an assignment exceeds two years, unless a bilateral agreement and certificate of coverage keep them in the home system. A resident who is not otherwise insured owes a health service contribution of HUF 12,300 a month in 2026.
- Treaties
- Hungary has a wide treaty network, but the United States terminated its treaty with Hungary with effect from 1 January 2024 (withholding from 1 January 2024, other taxes for periods from that date), so an American working from Hungary relies only on domestic foreign-tax-credit rules. For other treaty countries, a remote employee taxed in the home country generally faces Hungarian tax once resident, with credit or exemption under the applicable treaty. A residency certificate can be requested from the tax authority NAV.
Practicalities
- Address registration
- Register the Hungarian address within 3 working days of moving to obtain the address card (lakcímkártya), which carries the personal ID number; banks, NAV and operators ask for it.
- Tax number
- The tax identification number (adóazonosító jel) is issued by NAV after address registration; needed for local invoicing, employment and some bank products.
- Bank account
- Most Hungarian banks require a passport or residence permit plus the address card; agents report accounts are difficult on a tourist stay alone.
- SIM registration
- All SIM cards must be registered against a valid identity document; foreigners without Hungarian ID register a passport in an operator's branded store.
- Health insurance
- Private insurance covering Hungary is a condition of every residence permit; residents who are not insured through work owe the HUF 12,300 monthly health service contribution in 2026.
- Permit renewals
- Extensions must be filed on Enter Hungary between the 45th and the 30th day before expiry; in-person filing in Hungary is limited to visa-exempt nationals.
- Overstay penalties
- Overstaying the 90-in-180 limit or a permit is an immigration offence across Schengen with fines, an entry ban and future visa refusals; Hungary publishes no fixed nomad-specific tariff, and figures such as EUR 5,000 quoted by visa blogs are unofficial.
- Appeals
- An appeal against a refusal carries an administrative service fee of HUF 47,000.
Hungary: the White Card, a strict two-year clock and a 15 per cent flat tax
Where remote workers base and why
Budapest absorbs almost all of Hungary's remote-worker traffic: fast fibre, a large English-speaking co-working scene in districts V to IX, and costs still below Vienna or Prague. Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs draw a smaller number, mostly people tied to universities.
The proposition rests on the White Card. It is one of the few EU permits written expressly for people employed abroad, it costs under EUR 110 and the statutory decision period is three weeks. The trade-off is hard: two years maximum, no family reunification, no route to settlement. People who want to stay longer switch to the guest self-employment permit, which does count Hungarian clients but also never leads to a national residence card, or to an employer-sponsored Hungarian Card.
What applicants report
Consular filing dominates because only visa-exempt nationals may file from inside Hungary. Applicants describe appointment waits at busy missions, insistence on six full months of bank statements matching the EUR 3,000 net figure, and requests for a formal employer letter that names the remote-work arrangement. Agents attribute most refusals to gaps in the income trail or a Hungarian income source, since any Hungarian earnings or company share disqualifies the applicant outright.
The official 21-day clock stops during deficiency requests, so guides quote 30 to 60 days from filing and three to four months end to end. Extensions go through Enter Hungary only and must be lodged between the 45th and 30th day before expiry; a late extension means leaving and starting again.
Money and tax on the ground
Banks want the address card as well as a passport or permit, so the sequence is permit, address registration within three working days, tax number from NAV, then the account. SIM cards need a passport registered in-store.
Tax is a flat 15 per cent on worldwide income once resident, with no nomad regime. The residency test bites on a sole permanent home or centre of vital interests before the 183-day count, so a White Card holder with a Budapest lease and no home elsewhere can be resident well inside a year. Americans have had no treaty with Hungary since 2024, which removes tie-breaker protection and treaty relief for Hungarian-source days.
What is changing
Since the 2024 immigration law Hungary has tightened labour routes every year: employment permits limited to return-agreement countries in 2025, the guest worker quota halved, guest worker intake closed in June 2026. The White Card, guest self-employment and Hungarian Card have been left alone, and the fee schedule and visa-free list were reissued in March 2026 without changing the remote-worker rules.
The settlement rules are the thing to watch: the national residence card now needs a Hungarian cultural-knowledge exam, and neither of the two permits nomads actually use counts towards it. Anyone planning more than two years in Hungary should plan a change of status from the outset.
Researched from oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · oif.gov.hu · taxsummaries.pwc.com · taxsummaries.pwc.com · the authority