Moving to Hungary in 2026

Moving to Hungary: entry, first 30 days, 3-month budget

Citizens of many countries visit Hungary visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, and others need a Schengen visa. A move needs a ground: the 10-year guest investor permit for an investment in a property fund from €250,000, the White Card for remote workers earning from €3,000 net a month, employment, study or family. Applications are filed at a consulate or through the immigration service's online portal, so choose the ground and gather documents before the trip.

1. Before the trip. Choose the ground, get certificates with apostilles and Hungarian translations, insurance, proof of housing and file the application.
2. Days 1-30. Enter on the visa issued for the permit, give biometrics, register your address, get a tax number and open a bank account.
3. Days 30-90. Receive the permit card and arrange health insurance; guest investors get a decision within 21 days.

Outside Budapest, for example in Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs, rents are noticeably lower. A family budget depends on its size and the residence ground; we calculate it in the chat. Exchange rate: about $1.12 per euro on 5 October 2026.

Hungary in brief

Hungary is a country in central Europe with about 9.6 million people, a European Union member since 2004 and part of the Schengen area since 2007. The capital is Budapest, home to about 1.7 million. The currency is the forint, as the euro has not been adopted. Hungarian is hard to learn, but in Budapest English is spoken in business and services.

Hungary suits investors who need a 10-year European Union residence permit for a stake in a real estate fund, remote workers earning from €3,000 a month, and entrepreneurs drawn by the 15% flat income tax and 9% corporate tax, one of the lowest in the European Union.

How to move in 2026

• Guest investor - a 10-year permit renewable for another 10: real estate fund units from €250,000, about $280,300, held for at least 5 years, or a donation to a university from €1,000,000, about $1,121,000. Applications are decided in 21 days. Details are on the page Hungarian residence by investment.
• White Card - for remote workers earning from €3,000 net a month, about $3,400, for a year renewable for one more; the fee is €110. Details are on the page Hungary White Card.
• Employment - a residence and work permit sponsored by an employer, or the EU Blue Card for highly skilled specialists.
• Study and family - separate permits for students and for joining a relative who lives in Hungary.

All permits allow travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180. We handle the choice of route and fund and the filing end to end.

Rules for specific nationalities

Some rules in Hungary depend on the passport.

• Russia. Russian citizens need a Schengen visa for a trip, and since November 2025 European Union countries have mostly issued single-entry visas to them.

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence is usually obtained after several years of continuous residence on a permit. Naturalisation comes after 8 years of residence, with an exam in Hungarian and the basics of the constitution. People of Hungarian descent who speak Hungarian can obtain citizenship by a simplified procedure without living in the country. Dual citizenship is allowed.

Taxes

Income tax is a flat 15% on a resident's worldwide income, and employees also pay 18.5% social contributions. Corporate tax is 9%, plus a local business tax of up to 2%. VAT is 27%, the highest in the European Union, with 18% and 5% rates for certain goods. The 183-day rule applies directly only to European Union citizens; others become resident through a permanent home and centre of vital interests. Since October 2025 mothers of three or more children have been exempt from income tax on earnings, and the relief for mothers of two is being phased in. Details are on the page taxes in Hungary.

Property

European Union citizens buy homes freely, while citizens of other countries need a permit from the county government office for each purchase, which takes one to two months. Foreigners may not buy agricultural land. The buyer pays a 4% property transfer duty. Buying a flat does not by itself give residence: the investor route goes through a real estate fund. We source and check properties on the page property in Hungary.

Business and accounts

The most common form is a limited liability company with minimum capital of 3 million forints, registered in a few working days. Banks open accounts for foreigners but check the source of funds and the business's link to Hungary. We help with company registration, a business account and a personal account.

Cost of living

• Rent in Budapest - a one-bedroom flat averages about $824 a month, with most listings at $702-946.
• Costs excluding rent - about €600, or $680, a month for one person and about €1,900, or $2,200, for a family of four.
• Transport - a monthly Budapest pass costs about $28.
• Prices - cafés and services are cheaper than in Vienna and Prague, while groceries have risen because of the 27% VAT.

Where to live

• Budapest - jobs, international schools, the airport and cultural life; families tend to choose green Buda. More in the Budapest guide.
• Debrecen - the second-largest city, with a university and new car and battery plants.
• Szeged and Pécs - southern university towns with affordable housing.
• Győr - an industrial city in the west between Budapest and Vienna.
• Lake Balaton - for a summer home and a quiet life.

Study and family

State schools are free for children with a residence permit but teach in Hungarian, so foreign families more often choose international schools in Buda. Hungarian universities accept foreigners on paid English-language programmes, with medical faculties in Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs especially popular. A student permit allows work with an hours limit, and after graduation you can switch to a job-seeker permit.

Practicalities

• Entry. Citizens of many countries visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180 and others on a Schengen visa, while holders of a Hungarian residence permit travel freely within Schengen.
• Healthcare. Public healthcare is available through contributions, and private clinics are affordable by European standards.
• Schools. Budapest has British, American, German and French international schools.
• Climate. Continental, with hot summers and cold winters.
• Paperwork. Applications go through the immigration authority's portal, and foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Hungarian.

Who Hungary suits

Pros: the European Union and Schengen, a 10-year investor permit, the White Card for remote workers, a 15% flat tax and 9% corporate tax, and prices below Western Europe. Cons: a difficult language, the European Union's highest VAT, slow bureaucracy and 8 years to citizenship. Hungary suits investors, remote workers and entrepreneurs who need a low-tax base in the European Union. Write in the chat and we will compare the routes and work out the full cost for your family.