Table of Contents
Who can submit such a request?
A third-country person who is a family member of a third-country person with a residence permit, an EC residence permit or a person with a residence card is entitled to submit a residence permit for the purpose of family cohabitation. Therefore, an application for this type of residence permit can be submitted by a family member who already has a different type of residence permit, or at least submits the application at the same time, or by a family member of a person with the right to free movement.
Who is considered a family member?
From the point of view of a residence permit for family reunification purposes, a third-country national’s spouse, a child they share with their spouse, a dependent child over whom the third-country national exercises supervision are considered family members.
Proof of family status
When submitting an application for a residence permit, proof of the family relationship must be provided. The family relationship is mainly confirmed by the following documents:
- marriage certificate: in the case of a marriage concluded abroad, if one party is a Hungarian citizen, the marriage certificate issued abroad must be naturalized, i.e. the Hungarian marriage certificate must be issued. If it is necessary to certify a marriage between foreign parties, the marriage certificate issued abroad must be apostilled or certified.
- birth certificate: in the case of a child, a Hungarian birth certificate is required if the child is a Hungarian citizen, if the child is a foreign citizen, the birth certificate must be certified or apostilled.
What other documents are required for the application?
In addition to the documents related to the family relationship, the following documents are required to submit the application:
- proof of residence in Hungary: the applicant can prove his or her residence in Hungary with home ownership or a rental agreement or proof of other accommodation.
- proof of livelihood: it must be proved that the applicant’s livelihood is secured. Proof of this is provided by the previous year’s tax certificate, income certificate, statement of a bank account kept at a Hungarian financial institution or a public document for maintenance.
- proof of health insurance: third-country nationals are entitled to health care in Hungary only after they have received a residence permit, until then insurance with an insurance company is required.
- Existence of conditions for departure: the applicant must have a valid passport, as well as sufficient funds for departure or a plane ticket in case his application for a residence permit is rejected by the Immigration and Asylum Office.
Procedure and validity period
The Immigration and Asylum Office evaluates residence permits for the purpose of family reunification in 21 days, which does not include the time required to make up any gaps.
The validity period of the residence permit for family reunification is 3 years, or 4 years if the family member has an EU Blue Card.
