Immigration

Immigration to Hungary

A foreigner may be granted a residence permit in Hungary if

a) he or she has legally and regularly lived in Hungary without interruption for at least three years after his or her entry into the country (except if the purpose of the stay has been to pursue studies);
b) his or her accommodation and livelihood in Hungary are guaranteed;
c) the exclusionary items specified in the Act on Residence of Foreigners in Hungary (No. 39 of 2001) do not apply to him or her; or
d) if he or she has received express permission for residence, under special circumstances, from the Minister of the Interior.

Leaving the country for a maximum of ninety days a year shall not be deemed an interruption of the three-year-stay requirement.
A foreigner having a visa or a permission to reside in Hungary may be granted exemption from meeting the condition of the three-year-stay requirement if

a) he or she applies for permanent residence as a family member, for the purposes of family unification – provided that he or she has been staying in Hungary legally, and has been living in matrimony with a Hungarian national (or foreigner having a valid residence permit or immigration permit, or a foreigner recognized in Hungary as a refugee); or if
b) he or she had previously been a Hungarian national, but his or her nationality has ceased; or if
c) his or her ascendant had been a Hungarian national.

If the applicant is a married individual with a valid residence visa or residence permit, he or she may obtain an exemption from the three-year-stay requirement mentioned above only if he or she had married a Hungarian national (or a foreigner having a valid residence permit or immigration permit, or a foreigner recognized in Hungary as a refugee) at least two years prior to the submission of the application for the residence permit.

The application for a residence permit shall be submitted in person (or in case of a joint application, by way of the adult family member) by the prescribed form, at the regional office of the alien policing authority under whose jurisdiction the future place of residence of the applicant will fall.