EU Blue Cards may be issued to third-country nationals who, in addition to the general conditions for residence permits:

• whose employment is supported on the basis of criteria laid down by law and in the interests of national employment policy;
• who are considered to be fully covered by health care or have applied for such coverage for any period during which they are not considered to be covered by virtue of their employment relationship; and
• who have a registered address in Hungary.

Special conditions for the EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card application must be accompanied by a preliminary agreement to establish an employment relationship or a work contract specifying the job to be filled. Proof of higher education qualifications may be provided as follows:

It can be certified with a document certifying higher education or professional qualification. If the document certifying higher education or professional qualification is not issued in Hungarian, a Hungarian translation certified by the National Translation Office is required. The higher education qualification and the position to be filled must be compatible with each other.

The minimum wage applicable to the EU Blue Card in 2026 is HUF 1,001,048.

EU Blue Card Validity

The Blue Card must be valid for at least one year. If the employment is for a shorter period, the contract must be issued for a period exceeding the duration of the contractual relationship by three months. The EU Blue Card may not be valid for more than four years, which may be extended for a maximum of four years at a time.

When determining the period of validity, the Immigration Office also takes into account the period of validity of the applicant’s passport. The validity period of the applicant’s travel document must cover at least the duration of the authorized stay, i.e., the passport must still be valid on the date of expiry.

The application will be processed within 90 days.

Blue card issued by another European Union member state

A third-country national who holds a residence permit issued by a Member State of the European Union for the purpose of highly skilled employment may obtain a blue card in Hungary if:

he or she has resided legally in the issuing Member State for at least eighteen months and meets the conditions for issuance specified by law.

Procedural fee

The procedural fee payable upon submission of the application is HUF 26,000. The procedural fee payable for the extension of the permit is HUF 26,000.

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A third-country national can obtain a work permit in Hungary (also referred to as residence permit for the purpose of employment) if the purpose of his stay is to work as employed or in a similar legal relationship.

The validity period of a work permit in Hungary

The validity period of a work permit is a maximum of two years. So a work permit in Hungary can be requested for a maximum of this period. The license can be extended before it expires, but the extended period cannot be more than an additional 2 years.

What documents are required for a work permit in Hungary?

The two most important documents for obtaining a work permit are a valid labor demand and a pre-employment contract with the Hungarian employer. The procedure for a work permit is a combined procedure, which results in a combined permit, i.e. it entitles the holder to residence and employment at the same time.

So what actually is a combined work permit?

Combined work permit  in Hungary: a residence permit that entitles the third-country national to both establish an employment or work relationship with a specified employer and to reside in the territory of Hungary.

What is the importance of pre-employment contract in the process for work permit?

In order to confirm the employment relationship to be established, the third-country national must conclude a pre-employment contract with the Hungarian employer, in which they must agree in advance:

• on the actual job title,
•  the salary, 
• the expected start of employment, 
• the duration of the employment relationship, 
• the place of work, and 
• the job title 

The work experience and qualifications required to fill the position must be prefixed, provided that the position to be filled is tied to a degree or qualification. 

The expected start of employment must not be later than 120 days after the submission of the application for the residence permit.

Owners and senior officials of legal entities who wish to carry out actual work (in addition to their activities as senior officials and representatives) and submit their application for awork permit may, in addition to the above documents, be asked to attach the supporting documents required for applicants for a residence permit for the purpose of earning income. the acting authority.

What is the importance of workpower registration (or labor demand) in the process of work permit in Hungary?

Workpower registration( or labor demand) is required for the employment of third-country nationals. The Workpower registration must be submitted by the employer. A valid labor demand shall be considered a labor demand that the employer:

• submitted at the same time as the application,
• submitted before the submission of the application, but not more than sixty days ago, or
• submitted more than sixty days ago, but extended it at least sixty days before submitting the application.

The period of validity of the labor demand must be determined in a period longer than 10 days. The need for labor must be reported to the district or district office in the capital city in whose territory the employee is employed. If the employee’s employment will take place in the territory of several counties, or possibly nationally, then the labor demand must be submitted to the employment office according to the employer’s seat.

What is the expiry period of a work permit in Hungary?

The work permit is issued by the National Directorate General of Immigration for the period specified in the employment permit to the third-country worker. The work permit can be issued for a maximum of two years, so the expiry  of the residence permit cannot be longer than this. 

However, if the validity period of the applicant’s passport expires earlier than the requested period, the National Directorate General of Immigration will take into account the period of validity of the passport, regardless of how long the third-country national applied for the residence permit. The work permit can be extended.

Apart from the employment contract and the labor demand, what other documents are required to obtain a residence permit for employment purposes?

Documents to be attached to the application for a work permit in Hungary:

• proof of residence in Hungary: It might be a lease agreement or also your own property. The useful floor area must be calculated so that the residents get at least 6 square meters per person.
• comprehensive health insurance: in view of the fact that the applicant will not be insured for the first time at the time of application, private insurance is necessary in order to receive the permit. Following the acquisition of the residence permit and the establishment of the employment relationship, the third-country employee will be insured with the Health Insurance, just like Hungarian citiztens.
• proof of savings with a bank account statement or another way: 3 months’ bank account statements are required. It is necessary to prove that the third-country national is able to cover the cost of travel to and from Hungary.
• valid passport: the validity period of the applicant’s passport must cover the duration of the stay.
• At the same time as the application is submitted, the third-country national must declare whether, in the event of rejection of the application, he/she undertakes voluntary departure from the territory of the member states of the European Union.

Read my articles in English about Hungarian Immigration Law

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Unpleasant surprises in case of property acquisition by foreigners

In most cases, this takes place within 1-2 months without problems. Recently, however, the competent municipality has refused to give its consent in several cases. thus, the client’s acquisition of ownership failed. In this article, we present the main rules and report on a successful court case

The rules for foreigners if they want to buy Hungarian real estate

Foreign citizens, legal entities or organizations without legal personality can only acquire real estate with the permission of the capital and county government office competent for the location of the real estate.

The process of acquiring real estate for foreigners begins with the submission of the documents, certificates and permits described below. After sending the necessary documents, the Government Office will contact the municipality where the property is located.

Possible harm of interest interests of the local municipality regarding the acquisiton

The real estate acquisition procedure can only continue if the acquisition of real estate by a foreign legal or natural person does not harm the interests of the municipality.

Other authorites approval regarding the acquisiton of the Hungarian real estate

In the event that natural persons intend to acquire real estate, the Government Office contacts the National Directorate of Alien Policing (former Immigration and Citizenship Office) and the National Police Headquarters. They are investigating whether a natural person who wants to buy an apartment in Hungary has:

• • arrest warrant against him/her,

• • entry and residence ban

• • clear police certificate

• • alltogether: does the foreigner’s acquisition of real estate in Hungary harm the public interest

Other aspects during the authorization of the acquisition of real estate in Hungary

• • Does the applicant wish to pursue economic activity in Hungary;

• • Is the property you wanted to acquire necessary for the continuation of your economic activity;

• • Does the applicant wish to live in Hungary in a way of life?

The Hungarian court case related to the acquisition of real estate by foreigners

In the case of our old Russian client, whom we represented and helped in numerous immigration law cases, the government office refused to acquire real estate. This decision was justified by the fact that the local government, which was a downtown Budapest municipality, refused to give its consent citing a violation of the local government’s interests.

At the same time, the local government did not indicate any specific complaints or possible dangers regarding the person of our client, which would have justified why he should not be able to acquire the property

Lawsuit at the Metropolitan Court

We did not leave our client’s loss of interest unaddressed and filed a lawsuit against the decision. During the trial, we referred to the fact that the unjustified decision causes constitutional problems and violates our client’s right to legal remedies.

We also stated that arbitrary and unjustified decisions cannot be accepted in a state of law.

The court’s decision:

The court’s decision in the case of our foreign client’s acquisition of real estate in Hungary was that it annulled the harmful government office decision and ordered a new procedure to be conducted. Thus, we became 100% winners. The lesson is that in cases involving immigration enforcement, foreigners, and the acquisition of real estate by foreigners, a lawyer who, if necessary, is at home in constitutional law and litigation should be entrusted.

Other information on me and my lawyer’s activity

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A residence permit for purpose of employment may be issued for the purpose of employment to third-country nationals whose purpose of residence is to perform work for or under the direction and/or supervision of others, for remuneration, under employment relationship.

What kind of documents do you need for the purpose of work permit and residence permit for the purpose of employment?

The most important documents are the work permit and the employment contract.

Employment Contract: a pre-employment contract shall be made between the employee and the employer prior submitting the documents to the Immigration Authority. The employer and the employee have to agree in the pre-employment contract in the followings main terms: subject of the job, salary, expected first day of the work, period of the employment contract, place of the work, working experiences and qualification required to fulfill the job.

Labor force demand: the third country citizens shall have a work permit.

The work permit:

1. shall be filed to the Immigration Authority simoultaneously with the residence permit request,
2. shall be filed before submission of the residence permit to the Immigration Authority but not later than 60 days, or
3. if it was filed later than 60 days, but it was extended for 60 days before filing the residence permit.

The validity of the labor force demand shall be longer than 20 days. The labor demand request shall be requested at the authority where the third country citizend will work.

Validity of the residence card for the purpose of employment 

The residence card is given by the Hungarian Immigration Authority for the same period as the validity of the work permit. The maximum validity of the  permit is two year. Therefore the validity of the residence card for the purpose of employment shall be maximum two years too. The permit can be expended upon expiry.

What kind of documents are necessary to obtain a residence card for the purpose of employment besides the employment contract and the work permit?

The third country citizens shall also provide to the Immigration Authority the following documents:

1. documents proving the existence of Hungarian accomodation: rental agreement, favor use agreement or own real estate
2. comprehensive health insurance: having regard to the fact that the thir country citizens will not have Hungarian insurance upon the first submission, private health insurance is necessary
3. bank statements which proofs the savings (incomes) of the third country citizens
4. valid passport

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Who is considered a family member?

Pursuant to Act I of 2007 on the entry and residence of persons with the right to free movement and residence, the following are considered family members:

• the spouse;
• a child under the age of 21 or a dependent;
• dependent ancestor;
• dependent partner (provided that they have established a registered partnership relationship according to Hungarian legislation).

Proof of family relationship

When submitting the C-EEG visa application, the family relationship must be proven. It is used to prove the family relationship: birth certificate, marriage certificate, partnership registration, adoption certificate or another method.

However, it is not enough to prove the family relationship with the documents mentioned above, it is also necessary to prove their authenticity (especially in the case of spouses and partners).

Material cover, costs related to entry and return

The visa-issuing authority assumes the existence of the necessary financial cover for the entire duration of the stay, as well as for the return or onward journey, during the procedure related to the C-EEG visa application, i.e. it is not necessary to prove it.

The course of the procedure

The visa application must be submitted at the Hungarian consulate. The visa application is free of charge for family members.

There must be a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of 3 months between the date of submission of the application and the start date of the planned entry.

The validity period of the passport must be 3 months longer than the last day of the planned stay, and the passport must have been issued within 10 years prior to the date of submission of the application.

The consul decides on issuing or refusing the visa within 15 days. You can appeal against the rejection decision within 8 days.

With a visa

With the visa, the family member can enter Hungary and stay here until the visa is valid. No later than the 93rd day after entry, a family member of an EEA citizen can submit an application for a residence card, which is valid for a maximum of 5 years, at the Immigration and Asylum Office. In order to apply for a residence card, it is necessary to prove the means of subsistence, so the financial cover for a long-term stay must be ensured.

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The family member of a Hungarian citizen is entitled to a permanent residence card who has been legally residing in Hungary for five years without interruption, and the child born in Hungary of the parent entitled to permanent residence, as well as the spouse of a Hungarian citizen, provided that the marriage was concluded 2 years before the application was submitted and their cohabitation continuously exists.

Proof of continuous residence

In order to apply for a permanent right of residence, it is necessary to prove that the applicant has stayed in Hungary without interruption. Proof of this is provided, among other things, by the residential address card, existing employment in Hungary, and witness statements.

The Immigration and Asylum Office does not establish continuous residence if the family member has stopped exercising his right of residence in Hungary, i.e. if he has left Hungary for more than six months within a year before obtaining the right of permanent residence. However, if the family member returns to the territory of Hungary within 180 days for a period exceeding 90 days, the period required for the right of permanent residence starts again.

When does the right of permanent residence of a Hungarian citizen’s family member cease?

The right of permanent residence is terminated in the following cases:

• the third-country national resides elsewhere continuously for two years,
• the third-country national is subject to an entry and residence ban,
• if you established the family relationship in order to obtain the right of permanent residence,
• provides false information to the authority in order to obtain a permanent residence card.

Does a third-country national’s right to permanent residence cease if he and his spouse, a Hungarian citizen, separate?

In the event of a divorce or annulment of the marriage, the right of residence of the spouse with the citizenship of a third country is generally preserved as a family member, provided that one of the following conditions is met:

• as a family member of a Hungarian citizen whose marriage existed for at least 2 years prior to the divorce and who stayed in Hungary for at least 1 year during the marriage,
• on the basis of a court decision, he has the right of parental custody over his child staying in Hungary,
• based on a court decision, he has the right to visit his minor child and the visit will take place in Hungary.

Validity period of permanent residence card

The permanent residence card is valid for 10 years.

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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.

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In the course of the lawyer’s procedure, he provides legal representation of his client, whether before a court, authority, or in any other legal matter. The lawyer’s primary duty is to represent his client, keeping his client’s interests in mind, warning the client of his rights and obligations, and any legal disadvantages that may affect him, i.e. representing his client, defending him in a criminal case, giving him legal advice, preparing a contract, submission, other document, or manage a related deposit.

2. The lawyer’s duty of confidentiality

From the moment the client enters the lawyer’s office and presents his legal problem, the lawyer is bound by a duty of confidentiality regarding what is said, regardless of whether or not an engagement is established between the lawyer and the client. The lawyer’s obligation of confidentiality continues even after the termination of his legal practice. The obligation of confidentiality extends not only to what is said orally, but also to documents prepared by the lawyer or obtained during his proceedings.

Exemption from legal professional secrecy

The lawyer is released from his obligation of confidentiality only if he is granted a waiver. Exemption from the obligation of confidentiality may be granted:

• the principal;
• legal successor of the principal; and
• legal representative of the client.

Apart from the above, no other person can release the lawyer from his duty of confidentiality.

There is one exception to the exemption: in the event that the lawyer became aware of some fact or data as a defense counsel, he may not be questioned as a witness regarding these, even if he is entitled to be exempted from the obligation of confidentiality.

3. Assignment between the Lawyer and the Client

An assignment is created between the lawyer and his client when they agree on its content, the assignment fee and any costs. The assignment contract must be concluded in writing, unless the assignment is for consulting. If the assignment between the lawyer and the client is terminated for any reason, the lawyer is also obliged to act in the interest of the client during the notice period.

In order to maintain the relationship of trust between the lawyer and the client, it is an important condition that the lawyer may not accept assignments from anyone else. The lawyer may accept assignments from his former client if there is no connection between the former and the new case. Of course, the client can give the lawyer a written exemption from this.

I would like to draw the attention of my clients to the case of document editing. If I act as a document editor (e.g. during the preparation of a sales contract), I am present as the legal representative of each contracting party (e.g. the seller and the buyer). Thus, all parties are considered the attorney’s principals, regardless of which party bears the attorney’s fees.

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The relevant amendment is Vht. Section 159 (8) was affected, according to which „In case of recovery of a claim based on a contract concluded with a consumer, if one year has passed since the publication of the notice for the continuous auction of the residential property and the residential property has not yet been sold, the executor shall schedule the new auction as that a valid purchase offer can be made for the residential property with an amount equal to at least 90% of the asking price.”

Who does the amendment apply to?

The amendment to the law on the minimum amount of the purchase offer applies only to real estate auctions based on a claim from a contract with a consumer. In practice, therefore, in the case of real estate auctions initiated and conducted as a result of claims arising from contracts (loan contracts) between credit institutions and persons considered to be consumers, the minimum purchase offer of 90% is applicable.

When does the 90% requirement apply?

The enforcement procedure is a multi-step process. When the executor starts the auction, the property concerned will first be auctioned in the Real Estate Auction Notices. If this first auction is unsuccessful, the executor will auction the property in the next round among the Unsuccessful Real Estate Auction Announcements. If this fails, a so-called property takeover procedure can begin.

According to the provision of the referenced legal position, the 90% purchase offer is applicable if one year has passed since the publication of the announcement for the continuous auction of the residential property. Therefore, in order to apply the rule, it is necessary that (i) the property is auctioned in the Continuous Real Estate Auction Announcements, which can take place if both the aforementioned auction procedures and the acceptance procedure were unsuccessful and (ii) since publication in the Continuous Real Estate Auction Announcements a year passes.

The auction of the residential property during the first auction

It is important to mention that in connection with real estate auctions resulting from contracts concluded with consumers, the legislator amended the Vht. One of the most significant amendments is that, in the event of a residential property auction, the valid bid must be equal to at least the asking price of the residential property. This amendment makes it possible for residential properties to be sold at a minimum valuation during the auction, unlike the previous practice, which rule protects the consumer, but may hinder the lender from the point of view of return.

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Act V of 2013 on the Civil Code entered into force on March 15, 2014. The new regulation underwent significant changes in terms of both its structure and content. From a structural point of view, it is of outstanding importance that the coercive provisions on business companies regulated by a separate law (Act IV of 2006 on business companies) are included in the new Civil Code. came under the scope. The independent provisions relating to individual economic companies are in the new Civil Code. They were regulated in his Third Book. The general rules for legal entities have been significantly expanded, so when applying the legal provisions, not only the relevant provisions of the given business company must be taken into account, but also the general rules for legal entities.

DISPOSITIVITY

Among the common rules governing legal entities, the new Civil Code. one of its most essential new elements is that the regulation on legal entities is dispositive. The dispositive regulation means that individuals are free to decide on the creation of a legal entity, they can establish the organization and operating rules of the legal entity themselves, i.e. they are given a high degree of freedom in that the new Civil Code. deviate from its provisions. However, in the following cases, despite the dispositive regulation, it is not possible to deviate from the new Civil Code. from the rules applicable to legal entities: a) if the deviation is found in the new Civil Code prohibits; or b) the deviation clearly violates the rights of the legal entity’s creditors, employees or the minority of members; or c) the discrepancy hinders the enforcement of supervision over the legal operation of legal entities.

TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

The new Civil Code CLXXVII of 2013 on transitional and authorizing provisions related to its entry into force. Act provides transitional provisions for adapting to the new legal environment. Among other things, it stipulates that the new Penal Code. companies already established at the time of entry into force of the new Civil Code decide on their continued operation at the same time as amending the first founding document after its entry into force, and submit the supreme organizational decision to the company court. This is necessary so that the companies can give some kind of feedback that they are familiar with the new Penal Code. provisions applicable to them, and accordingly undertake to ensure that their activities comply with legal provisions. In the case of limited liability companies, the deadline for submitting the declaration cannot be later than March 15, 2016, after which the founding document of the limited liability company cannot contain the new Civil Code. a provision inconsistent with its provisions. The companies can submit the above-mentioned decision regarding their continued operation and amend their articles of incorporation in accordance with the new Civil Code without paying fees and publication costs, provided that the amendment of the accompanying articles of incorporation is only in accordance with the new Civil Code. adjustment to the provisions of the new Civil Code contains modifications due to the application of its derogating rules.

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