Application and permit process for visas and residence permits in Hungary

Hungary’s immigration system has undergone a spectacular structural transformation in recent years. Act XC of 2023 (on the general rules on the entry and residence of third-country nationals) introduced a goal-based system from 2024, which clearly outlines a new logic by 2026: behind each stay there is a specific legal title, a real purpose and a continuously verifiable set of conditions. 

The most important consequence for corporate clients (employers, investors, international companies opening subsidiaries) and private clients (foreign professionals, students, family members) is that the immigration police does not “only” check papers, but  also examines the reality of residence. In other words, formal compliance is not enough – it is also key that the goal and the circumstances are realistic, sustainable and documented.

In FirmaX Hungary’s approach, this guide not only lists the categories, but also helps you think on a systemic level: when you need a visa, when you need a residence permit, what is the role of the “D visa”, where Enter Hungary comes in, and what is the practical difference between short, long-term and long-term stays.

1. The “three time frames” of the Hungarian immigration system: short, long-term, long-term

The logic of the current regulation seems simple, yet the basis of many wrong decisions is that applicants start from the wrong category. Hungary (as an EU and Schengen member)  thinks in terms of three major time periods:

1) Short stay – “Schengen 90/180”

The essence of a short stay is a maximum of 90 days in the Schengen area within any 180-day period. This is considered by many to be a “tourist mode”, but it is important: it includes short business trips, conferences, negotiations, family visits, and even short training sessions – as long as the nature of the activity is really short and not “settled-like”.

In the case of a short stay, the central question of the authority’s logic is: will the applicant travel back? That is why it is important to have the intention to return, financial background, accommodation, destination, and proof of the destination.

2) Long-term stay – “90+ days, goal-bound”

As soon as someone stays for more than 90 days, the system changes: from now on, residence is always subject to a permit and  a specific legal title (work, study, family, business, research, investment, etc.). The key phrase: the residence permit “lives” as long as the goal exists – this is the Btátv. approach of the Society. 

3) Long-term residence – “stable long-term status”

Long-term residence is essentially the modern terminology of establishment: it can usually be acquired after several years of legal residence, in a separate procedure, and  it is more stable and less “fragile” to changes in legal titles.

Practical conclusion: most rejections  , deficiencies and delays stem from the fact that the applicant (or the employer) thinks in the wrong “time frame”. For example, you try to “start work” with a short visa, or you choose a permit that does not fit the purpose of more than 90 days.

2. EU/EEA vs. third-country nationals: two completely different worlds

 

EU/EEA citizens

Due to the principle of free movement, EU/EEA citizens are in a much simpler situation in Hungary: they can basically stay visa-free for a short period of time, and over 90 days, a registration procedure is typically considered.

Third-country nationals

In the case of third-country nationals, on the other hand, the system is licence and destination-oriented. According to Section 12 (1) of the Btátv. under the Act, the alien may only stay for the purpose, under the title, for the duration and under the conditions specified in the law. 

From a FirmaX point of view , this is where the most important advice comes in: with a third-country client, never start from a “document list”, but always with these three questions:

1. What is the real goal (work/study/family/investment, etc.)?
2. How long do I have to stay in Hungary (under 90 days or more)?
3. Are there sustainable conditions for the goal (money, housing, insurance, employer background)?

If these are clean, then documents can be collected.

3. Types of visas in Hungary in 2026: the logic of “entry”
   

   
   A visa is not the same as a residence permit: a visa typically  grants entry (and short-stay) rights, while a residence permit also provides  a longer-term, purpose-bound presence and often related rights (e.g. to work).

The main categories used in 2026 can be understood in practice as follows:

Schengen short-stay visa (visa C)

The C visa is the classic “Schengen visa”: a maximum stay of 90 days within 180 days. The typical destinations are tourism, business trips, conferences, family visits.

What documents is the logic of the C visa based on?
“What do you want to do” is not the only question, but also whether you can afford it and whether you will really leave. This is why the base blocks appear:

• passport,
• Justification of the purpose,
• accommodation,
• subsistence cover,
• insurance,
• Intention to return the country.

The process is typically appointments, submissions, biometrics, verification, decisions.

Visa D – “for the receipt of a residence card”

The D visa is misunderstood by many. In practice, the D visa is often not an independent settlement solution, but a “bridge”: if the applicant has already received the approval of the residence permit, he or she can use it to enter Hungary to receive the card.

FirmaX advice: this part is worth understanding separately for companies, because the start of work, onboarding, onboarding and contract dates often slip on this if the login logic is not well scheduled.

Guest Investor Visa

The guest investor scheme is one of the key elements of the new structure, which will operate from 2024. According to the OIF’s information, a guest investor visa can be granted to those whose investment in Hungary has an interest in the national economy, and the system applies a separate logic even at the visa level. 

In practice, the guest investor visa is not interesting “for its own sake”, but because  it is the antechamber of the investor residence permit: entry, presence, and then the residence permit.

4. Residence permits – the world of “over 90 days” where the details decide fate

In the case of residence permits, the most important common denominator is that the application shows not only “what you want”, but also whether your life situation in Hungary (your job, income, housing, insurance) will work both legally and in practice.

The OIF clearly divides applications into target groups in its information and in its system of forms: there are separate inserts: guest worker, guest investor, guest self-employed, intra-company transfer, seasonal work, volunteering, national card, Hungarian card, research, posting, training, student, intern, employment purpose, white card, etc. 

Residence permit for employment purposes – the typical “corporate” case

In the case of employment permits, the key documents are usually the employment contract, the employer’s declaration and the proof of the residence conditions. The information of the OIF emphasizes that biometric data (facial image, fingerprints) will be recorded in connection with the application in order to issue a residence document. 

Practical pitfalls for companies:

• The job, wage, place of work and the duration of the contract should be in line with the logic of the permit.
• The entry date should not only be planned from an HR point of view, but also with the reality of immigration (decision times, possibility of rectification of deficiencies).
• Accommodation and insurance should not be “invented after the fact”: these typically indicate the stability of the application.

EU Blue Card – if you want to have a highly qualified professional

The Blue Card is a classic tool in corporate recruitment and international mobility. The specific conditions (qualification, employment contract, salary level, procedural details) also come from the EU framework, but the Hungarian procedural logic is the same: real goal + sustainable conditions + documented background.

FirmaX aspect: the  biggest difference in Blue Card cases is that the “quality” of the application is decided on the company side: how organized the employer documentation, the professional description of the position, the certification of qualifications are, and how consistent the entire package is.

 

Residence permit for study purposes – not just an “admission paper”

The study permit seems obvious, yet many applicants slip up on the fact that the authority does not only look at the entrance exam, but also at the reality of life: whether the student can live somewhere, what he or she lives on, what kind of insurance he or she will have.

Family reunification

In the case of family reunification, proof of kinship is basic, but the question of housing and livelihood also appears. The goal: to make the cohabitation of family members legally settled and sustainable.

Investor (guest investor) residence permit – separate logic, separate compliance

According to the information provided by the OIF, a guest investor residence permit may be granted to those whose entry and residence are in the interest of the national economy with regard to their investment in Hungary; The system names investments that are made in the sphere of “national economic interest”. 

The practical point is that in investor cases, proof of sources, investment declaration and the clarity of the “story” are of paramount importance, because compliance and security control are typically stronger in these cases.

The route of the procedure: where to administer, how to follow, what happens in the background?

Enter Hungary – the role of the electronic channel

Enter Hungary is a key platform for the digitalisation of the Hungarian immigration service. The official Enter Hungary interface exists, and the OIF refers to the fact that submission can also be done via an electronic form in several of its information. 

In practice, Enter Hungary means three things:

1. many cases can be submitted and managed electronically,
2. the quality of the forms and attachments is critical (readability, translation, consistency),
3. The traceability of deficiencies and administration is typically improved, but the system does not “replace” a good strategy.

FirmX suggestion: Applications should always be put together as if they were read by an external auditor who does not know the applicant. The order and names of the documents, and the references to each other (e.g. contract-income-housing harmony) often matter more than an extra certificate.

Biometrics and document issuance

A recurring element in several of the OIF’s information sheets is that biometric data (facial image, fingerprints) is recorded at the time of submitting the application or for the issuance of the document. 

This is important because many applicants think: “I’ll submit online, I’m done”. In fact, the online channel is often the administrative backbone, but biometrics and the receipt of the document are often a personal moment.

6. The four pillars of a successful application – and why they are always decided

1) Real Residency Purpose

The goal should be understandable and justifiable. It should not only exist “on paper”. For example, in the case of work: real position, real company needs, realistic working conditions.

2) Living Coverage

The applicant can finance the stay in Hungary. This is not only a bank account issue: the source of income, regularity, and the reality of expenses are also a message.

3) Housing

It should be orderly and justifiable. Housing is not an “additional paper”, but one of the most tangible elements of your stay.

4) Safety compliance

The system emphasizes public security and national security risks – especially in the case of certain target groups and schemes. According to Section 12 (1) of the Btátv. It can also be perceived in the context of the justification that strengthening control was one of the objectives of the reform. 

FirmaX conclusion: if these four pillars are followed through in a “clean line” by the applicant’s history and documentation, then the application is typically not only faster, but also brings less deficiency correction and less uncertainty.

7. Practical “FirmaX checklist” – what does a well-put case look like?

First decision point: visa or residence permit?

• Does it stay under 90 days? → short stay logic (C visa if visa required).
• Will it stay over 90 days? → residence permit logic (purpose-bound).
• Are you already receiving an approved permit? → entry “bridge” type D visa (in practice).

Second decision point: what is the real goal?

• work (classic employment / special categories),
• Blue Card,
• study,
• family,
• investment,
• intra-company mobility, posting, research, etc.

At the OIF, the goals are also linked to separate inserts and forms, which clearly shows that the same logic does not run in all cases. 

Third decision point: consistency of documents

The word “consistency” takes it all here. Example: if you work in Budapest according to your employment contract, but your housing and your whole “story” is in another city, without explanation, it raises questions. Or if your income is minimal, but your planned cost level is high, that is also a question.

A good application is like a good business pitch: few contradictions, a clear story, and an appendix to support every claim.

Guest investor affairs: why is it more sensitive and how can it be handled in a “professional” way?

Guest investor visas and residence permits are based on the logic of national economic interest, so the system is approached with a higher level of “due diligence” from the outset. The OIF’s prospectuses treat the guest investor visa and the guest investor residence permit separately, which indicates that this is not a simple “tourist plus” category. 

In FirmaX practice, three areas must always be strengthened here:

1. Proof of source (origin, way, purity of the money),
2. Investment structure (what, when, how it performs),
3. Lifestyle compliance (housing, coverage, presence).

If these are in order, the case is typically not only stronger, but also “calmer” on the client side, because there are fewer surprises.

The essence of the 2026 system in one sentence

According to the logic of the Btátv., the Hungarian visa and residence system in force in 2026 is a goal-based, condition-driven, verifiable structure, where the key to success is:

• selecting the appropriate title,
• the completeness and internal consistency of the dossier;
• a real, sustainable purpose of residence,
• and safety compliance.

The official OIF information (prospectuses, forms, inserts, Enter Hungary references) also reflects this approach: there is no “one big license”, but solutions and procedural channels built up for each purpose.