How to move to Hungary for a permanent residence: all the methods and necessary documents
Table of contents
- There are several ways to obtain a permanent residence permit in Hungary
- Investments in Hungary
- What documents are required to become a member of the Programme?
- Permanent residency through the property purchase
- Permanent residency through company registration
- Family reunion
- Obtaining citizenship in a simplified procedure
Most people who plan to move permanently to Europe immediately start "storming" the developed countries – the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. And then they are disappointed by the high cost of living and the many different restrictions.
Therefore, in recent years, many potential seekers of a place to live have started to consider Eastern European countries, such as Hungary. The quality of life and job prospects are high here.
Other advantages of moving to Hungary for permanent residence:
1. Low prices regarding accommodation;
2. High quality of education and medicine;
3. You can travel to all Schengen countries without a visa;
4. You can go on holiday at least every week - Hungary has hundreds of mineral and thermal springs;
5. Loans from European banks with low-interest rates.
6. Good climate, beautiful nature and clean air.
There are several ways to obtain a permanent residence permit in Hungary
• Through property purchase;
• Through investment;
• Through business start-up;
• Through family reunification;
• Through naturalisation.
Important: it is not possible to immediately apply for a permanent residence permit in Hungary, you must first obtain a residence permit card.
Investments in Hungary
A guaranteed residence permit is only obtained by investing in the country. There is a special Hungarian Residency Bond Program (State Investment Programme of Hungary) for this purpose. In other cases, you may be rejected, but this rarely happens. Participants of the programme are entitled to accelerated processing of residence permits for the whole family. The deadline for receiving the document is 1-2 months.
What is the essence of this programme? To become a member, you have to buy the country's government bonds for 5 years, after which you can recover your investment.
Afterwards, you receive a permanent residence permit for your whole life.
What documents are required to become a member of the Programme?
1. Notarised copy of foreign passport;
2. For children, a birth certificate;
3. A copy of your home passport;
4. Marriage certificate (if available).
All documents must be accompanied by an apostille.
Permanent residency through the property purchase
Owners of property purchased in Hungary have the option to obtain a residence permit immediately and a permanent residence permit after 3-5 years. The only restriction is that if you have bought a property in Hungary and want to obtain a residence permit, you must have lived in the country for at least 183 days per year. The police can check that you are actually living in the designated place and can also question your neighbours.
Permanent residency through company registration
If you cannot become an investor or buy property in Hungary, there is a chance to obtain a residence permit and then a permanent residence permit by registering your company.
In this case, not only the applicant but also his or her entire family can obtain resident status. Once your business is registered, you will receive a temporary residence permit. It will have to be continued every year. If your business is operating and paying taxes to the Hungarian budget, after 3-5 years you will be able to submit documents for permanent resident status.
Family reunion
If you have registered a marriage with a Hungarian citizen or have relatives in the country, you can apply for a permanent residence permit. But only if you are the holder of a temporary residence permit. You must also live in the country for at least 183 days per year, even if you have already received a residence permit.
Obtaining citizenship in a simplified procedure
An applicant has the right to obtain Hungarian citizenship in a simplified procedure if he/she was once a Hungarian citizen or has Hungarian ancestry. The second way is to marry a Hungarian citizen registered more than 10 years ago, or more than 5 years ago if you have a child together. The Hungarian consul will certainly check your documents to ensure that there are no criminal records and that his naturalisation will not lead the school to the national security of the country. Knowledge of the Hungarian language is also a mandatory requirement.
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