Are you a non-EU citizen interested in working as a highly-skilled employee in Hungary? Below, you’ll find details about the requirements you need to meet, the procedures you should follow, and the rights you’ll have during your stay.
To work in Hungary as a highly-skilled professional, you must apply for an EU Blue Card. It’s important to obtain this card before arriving in Hungary, as it grants authorization for entry, residence, and employment in a highly-skilled role. In specific circumstances, you may apply for the EU Blue Card while already in Hungary.
The EU Blue Card allows you to reside and work in Hungary in a role requiring advanced skills. This typically involves a job with a minimum salary determined annually by the government and requires relevant qualifications.
The government has the authority to limit the number of non-EU citizens allowed to work in Hungary under the EU Blue Card program at any given time.
| Where and how to apply |
Authorisation for employment Non-EU nationals may be employed in Hungary only under specific conditions. As a general rule, employment is subject to authorisation; however, there are exceptions either connected to the employment activity or the person concerned. As a general rule, non-EU nationals without the right of free movement and residence can only engage in employment – except for a few cases specified in national legislation – if they are authorised for employment. Authorisation is either given in a single application procedure or, if the rules of single application procedure do not apply, in the form of a work permit. 1. Single application procedure The authorisation for employment and residence is given in a single application procedure if the purpose of stay is: pursuing gainful employment; being employed as a highly-skilled worker holding EU Blue Card; being employed while staying in Hungary as a family member of a non-EU national; being employed while holding a residence permit issued for humanitarian reasons. You need to submit your application for a single permit at the embassy or consulate in your country of origin or in certain cases at the place of lawful residence or in Hungary. In the application for a single permit, you also need to apply for the visa entitling you to receive such a residence permit (unless you are exempt from a visa requirement). The competent regional directorate of the immigration authority in Hungary will assess your application, during which the authority requests the official opinion of the competent employment centre, whether they support the employment of the applicant. Therefore the documents concerning the employment, such as the work contract or preliminary agreement, as well as the document certifying the qualification (if this needs to be proven), shall also be attached to the application, together with the documents that prove that the residence criteria are fulfilled. Unless exceptions apply, the competent branch office of the employment centre also carries out a labour market test during its procedure of providing an official opinion. Your employer may also submit a work force request to the competent branch office of the employment centre prior to the single application procedure as a result of which the labour market test could be started prior to the single application procedure. During the labour market test, is checked whether there is available workforce among Hungarian or EEA-country national registered jobseekers or their family members, who meet the necessary requirements applicable to the position concerned. The decision-making in a single application procedure takes a maximum of 90 days. If approval is given for the single permit, a visa entitling the holder to receive a residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment will be issued at the embassy or consulate in your country of origin (unless you are exempt from a visa requirement). The visa will allow you to enter the territory of Hungary. Prior to the expiry of the validity of your visa, you can obtain your single permit at the competent regional directorate of the immigration authority. You can find the competent regional directorate on the website of the authority. 2. Work permit In case the single application does not apply, the employer has to submit a work permit application to the competent employment centre by filling out a standardised form. Unless exceptions apply, the issuing of the work permit depends on whether there is available workforce among Hungarian or EEA-country national registered jobseekers or their family members, who meet the necessary requirements applicable to the position concerned as set out in law. The potential employer may also submit a workforce request to the competent branch office of the employment centre prior to the application for a work permit. This can also be done at the time of applying for a work permit. The non-EU national also has to meet all requirements specified in the workforce request submitted by the employer. The employment of non-EU citizens is only authorised if all relevant legal conditions are met, which needs to be verified by submitting the relevant documentary evidence. The work permit is issued for a maximum period of two years and may be renewed for the same period occasionally. Under certain conditions set out in the relevant law, the work permit is issued without the need for the labour market examination to take place. In such cases, the competent branch office of the employment centre does not need to examine whether there is available workforce among the registered unemployed who meet the requirements specified in the employer’s request. Residence permit and visa Once you have obtained a work permit, you have to apply for a residence permit at the embassy or consulate in your country of origin or in certain cases at the place of lawful residence or in Hungary. In the application for a residence permit, you also have to apply for the visa entitling you to receive such a residence permit (unless you are exempt from a visa requirement). The competent regional directorate of the immigration authority in Hungary will assess your application and if approval is given for the residence permit, a visa entitling the holder to receive a residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment will be issued at the embassy or consulate in your country of origin (unless you are exempt from a visa requirement). Even if you do not need a work permit, you still have to obtain a residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment. The visa will allow you to enter the territory of Hungary. Prior to the expiry of the validity of your visa, you can obtain your residence permit at the competent regional directorate of the immigration authority. Exemptions from work permit obligation Certain categories of workers do not need a work permit, including: directors of a branch office or representative office of a foreign-registered business association; staff of diplomatic or consular missions; holders of permanent residence permits and immigration permits granted under previous legislation; non-EU citizens employed in international organisations or in joint organisations established under an international convention; non-EU citizens employed in commissioning, warranty repair, maintenance or guarantee service activities performed on the basis of a private contract with a foreign-registered company, if such work does not exceed 15 consecutive days at any given time. The full list of activities exempt from a work permit obligation is set out in Government Decree No. 445/2013. (XI. 28.). As of 1 January 2019, natural person clients or their authorised legal representatives may submit an application for a residence permit (issue or extension) electronically via Enter Hungary. Applications for residence permit for the purpose of employment are examined by the competent authority within the framework of a single application procedure. Please, click here to access detailed information on the single application procedure. Submission of an application by the employer If a foreign national plans to enter into an employment relationship, an application for the issue or extension of a residence permit may be submitted – in the case of preferred employer – by the prospective employer as well, provided that the client has consented in writing. In that case the competent authority may communicate with the employer as well, however, the client will be notified of all procedural steps taken. Where the application for residence permit is submitted through the employer or electronically the client is nevertheless required to appear in person before the competent authority, when so requested by the authority, for the purpose of data recording and for carrying out other procedural steps. Fees The administrative service fee charged for the procedure for issuing a residence permit is EUR 60, payable at the diplomatic mission of Hungary primarily in EUR or other convertible currency, or in exceptional cases in the legal tender of the State where the application is submitted. |
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Documents required |
When applying for a single permit or a residence permit, you need to:
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Further requirements |
You cannot be subject to an entry ban or an alert in the Schengen Information System for the purposes of refusing entry, nor can your entry and stay threaten public policy, public health or public security in Hungary. |
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Duration of validity of permits |
An EU Blue Card shall be made out for a period of at least one year. If the contract of employment covers a period less than this period, the EU Blue Card shall be issued or renewed for the duration of the contract of employment plus three months. The validity period of an EU Blue Card is four years maximum, and it may be extended by four additional years at a time. However, the validity of the travel document should also be taken into consideration, in that in spite of the above, the validity of the EU Blue Card may not exceed the validity period of the passport where the purpose of residence is the pursuit of gainful employment in possession of an EU Blue Card. |
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Appeals |
You can submit an appeal against the decision on your single permit or residence permit application within 8 days of delivery to the immigration authority or at the Hungarian diplomatic or consular mission where the application was submitted. |
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Further information |
More on EU Blue Card |
| Change of employment |
Please note that for a period of two years after the date of issue, the holder of an EU Blue Card shall be allowed to work:
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| Unemployment |
Your permit authorises you to carry out a specific employment activity with a specific employer. If you terminate your employment, you have to apply for a new residence permit as soon as possible, at maximum within 5 days from termination. If your purpose of residence does not meet the special purposes a residence permit for other purpose can be applied for. |
| Change of status |
Change of status may be possible depending on the purpose of stay and your personal circumstances. |
| Family members |
A residence permit for the purpose of family reunification may be issued to a third-country national who is a family member of a third-country national in possession of a residence permit. Employment is also permitted – in accordance with the relevant employment rules – when holding a residence permit for the purpose of family reunification. As a general rule, employment of a family member of a non-EU national holding a residence permit issued for the purpose of family reunification is subject to prior labour market authorisation. This authorisation can be gained:
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Long-term residence |
Hungarian law distinguishes between three different regimes for permanent residence, and for each of them you need to have:
You cannot be subject to any ground for refusal set out in the law, e.g. threat to public or national security, being the subject of an expulsion order, entry ban or alert in the Schengen Information system. National permanent residence permit You are entitled to hold a national permanent residence permit if you have legally and continuously resided for at least three years in Hungary. You will also be able to obtain a national permanent residence permit if you have not yet resided legally in Hungary for three years but you hold a residence permit or an interim permanent residence permit and:
Your establishment has to be in accordance with the interest of Hungary. This permit authorises you to reside in Hungary for an indefinite period of time. The national permanent residence permit is issued for five years and is renewed for five years at a time. EC long-term residence permit You are entitled to hold an EC long-term resident status if you lived continuously and legally in Hungary for five years. General conditions for residence permits apply. This permit authorises you to reside in Hungary for an indefinite period of time and also grants the right of intra-EU mobility under certain conditions. The EC long-term residence permit is issued for five years and is renewed for five years at a time. Interim permanent residence permit If you are a non-EU citizen holding an EC long-term residence permit issued in another EU Member State, you can obtain an interim permanent residence permit:
Family members of non-EU nationals arriving for the purposes stated above (i.e. gainful employment, pursuit of studies and other justified reasons), apply for an interim permanent residence permit. The family members of non-EU nationals holding an interim permanent residence permit may be issued an interim permanent residence permit if their family relationship already existed in the Member State of the European Union where the EC residence permit certifying permanent residence status was issued. This status is valid for a maximum period of five years and may be extended once by a maximum of five additional years. |