Hungary golden visa 2026: program closes in 2027

54 days: that is how long investors have left to apply for Hungarian residency by investment under the old rules. On 5 November 2026 Hungary's Interior Ministry published a bill that closes the Guest Investor Program from 1 January 2027, and permits already issued will not be renewable once they expire.

Details

Hungary's golden visa is in its final weeks. On Thursday, 5 November 2026, the Interior Ministry published for consultation a package amending several dozen laws. One of those amendments closes the Guest Investor Program briskly and without ceremony: no new participants from 1 January 2027, and no renewals for permits that run out.

The program lasted less than three years. Viktor Orban's government launched it in 2024 as a fast lane to a Hungarian residence permit for non-EU nationals. In April 2026 the Tisza party won the election with a two-thirds constitutional majority, and the new government has been steadily taking apart its predecessor's legacy. Interior Minister Gabor Posfai announced the closure on the same day the draft appeared on the government website.

What is the Hungary golden visa and how much does it cost?

The official name is the Guest Investor Program. It worked in two steps: first a guest investor visa from a Hungarian consulate, valid for up to 6 months, then a residence permit in Hungary for up to 10 years. Under current rules that permit can be renewed for another 10 years.

By the end, two qualifying routes remained:

• real estate fund units worth at least $280,000 (250,000 euros). The fund must be registered in Hungary and approved for the program, and the units are held for at least 5 years;
• a donation of at least $1.2 million (1,000,000 euros) to a university maintained by a public interest trust.

The direct property route, buying a home for $560,000 (500,000 euros), was dropped earlier. Anyone hoping to buy a Budapest flat for status had that door closed well before this week. There was no minimum stay, and many investors visited Budapest about as often as a favourite restaurant: once a year, on a special occasion.

Who can still apply under the old rules?

The transitional provisions are more generous than many expected. In effect investors have 54 days, and the detail that matters most is the fee.

The awkward truth for anyone who invested in 2025: the promised 10 plus 10 years become a flat 10. After the permit expires, staying in Hungary requires a different legal basis. The fund units still have to be held for 5 years, or the permit is withdrawn even sooner.

Is this already law or still a draft?

It is still a draft. Comments are accepted on the government website until 12 November 2026, the package then goes to Parliament, and the amendments are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027. In theory details could change. In practice Tisza holds two thirds of the seats and the bill comes from the responsible ministry, so a reprieve is unlikely. The sensible plan is to act as if the law has already passed.

The wider backdrop is clear too. In April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Malta breached EU law by selling citizenship for investment. A residence permit is not a passport, but paid migration routes are losing political friends across Europe. Our review of European golden visas in 2026 covers what is still open.

What should current guest investor permit holders do?

• Check the expiry date. It is now the most important number in your Hungarian life. With no renewal, a new legal basis is best prepared a year ahead, not a month.
• Renew before 31 December if you can. If your card is nearing its end and the rules allow you to file for renewal now, do it in 2026 and pay the fee in the same year.
• Think about permanent residence. EU long-term resident status requires 5 years of continuous lawful residence, with limits on time abroad. If you visited Budapest once a year, that route will not work: time spent outside the country does not count.
• Watch your taxes. Spend more than 183 days a year in Hungary and you become a tax resident. Hungary's personal income tax is a flat 15%. How that interacts with other countries is covered in our tax overview.

Which routes to Hungarian residency remain after 2027?

Closing the program does not close the country. Hungary still issues residence permits for work, study, family and for people starting a business there. Remote employees and freelancers have the White Card, Hungary's digital nomad visa, for those working for a foreign employer or their own foreign company. A business route is best planned together with company registration, and it needs a real business, not a brass plate.

The same package also rewrites foreign investment screening. Investors from outside the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland will have to notify the minister in advance before taking majority control of a company in six sectors: oil refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, basic metals, metal products and energy supply. The thresholds are company revenue of $560 million (180 billion forints) or a deal value of $31 million (10 billion forints). A private investor with a small Budapest firm is unaffected, but the direction of travel is obvious.

Alternatives: where residency by investment still works

If you need a second passport rather than just residency, see our catalogue of citizenship programs. Still choosing a country? Start with our overview of residence permits by country and the digital nomad visa guide. For Greece we have a separate piece on the Greek golden visa, and for Portugal a guide to Portugal golden visa processing times.

Our services for Hungary and residency by investment

We guide clients from choosing a legal basis to holding the card, and help people already living in Hungary move to a new status calmly before the old one expires.

Before moving, read our guide to Hungary and our Budapest city guide: rents, neighbourhoods and the small practicalities, from address registration to a bank account.

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