Types of European Residence Permits

Getting a temporary residency in Hungary (residence permit) is quite simple. There are many types of resident status and ways to obtain a long-term visa. You can move to live in Hungary permanently in case you can prove your sustainability and justify your intention. One of the reasons for requesting registration in Hungary or getting the European resident status can be purchasing of real estate or providing legal Rental Agreement.

By providing package of necessary documents, you will become a happy holder of a residency card with the "other" status note (applying for Resident permit for Other purposes). With this type of a long-term Visa the holder has no right to work in Hungary, but the status can be easily changed since you decide to start a business or official employment. The Permanent Residence Permit is issued for tree to five years, and the holder can be legally employed without a need for a working permit. The status of permanent residency can be renewed much easier than the temporary residence permit. The Office for Immigration and Asylum in Hungary will process the application for permanent status in a 3 months period, but it is also common that the decision is hold for many months. The documents and cover letters that you provide for your case are very important and should be officiant. 

Presenting your recent tax statement will serve as your main advantage, proving you have been paying taxes in Hungary for at least a year prior to application. In case you are not officially employed in Hungary or work distantly as a freelancer, you can register as the legal entity and pay a fixed income tax of 160 Euros a month. Knowledge of Hungarian language is not required, but it is advisable that you show your intention to learn the language. You can choose from variety of language courses or take a few private lessons prior to your interview at the Immigration Office. Few polite sentences in Hungarian will provide you a friendly attitude and soften the judgement of the governmental officials. 

Another type of residence permit – is the one you apply for after you sign a preliminary working agreement or Employment Contract. It is issued for a maximum of 2 years, and if you want to change your job, you will need to change it immediately within 2 weeks. For this reason, third-country nationals are often employed at the big multinational companies for at least 3 years until they obtain a permanent status. 

European Residency obtained on the basis of the family reunification will also require provision of a full package of documents. The advantage of this type of residence permit is that you are automatically entitled to work and get employment. The application for the family reunification purposes should be supported by marriage or birth certificate, proving that the Hungarian resident you are planning to refer to can provide for you. Your whole family can apply for the resident status in your own country through Hungarian Consulate or Embassy. You can also apply for the permit in Budapest, which will be much easier with Hungarian-speaking assistant and an experienced guide that will take you and your family through the labyrinths of the Hungarian bureaucracy. 

Unfortunately, it often turns out that the manager, who registers your application and receives your documents is performing a standard check-up procedure without understanding you case. The applicant expects that his card will be ready in a month, but the main office is issuing a new request for extra or missing documents supporting the case. The procedure can be very confusing and the whole communication is in Hungarian. If you want your application accepted and get your decision just after 3 weeks period, you will need to choose the right strategy, prepare all required documents and provide them at once. 

The most difficult to obtain is the status requested based on Company Registration. If you opened a business in Hungary and planning to ask for residency for you and your family members, you will need a professional helper, who can present your case in the Immigration Office. The list of required documents for obtaining and renewing the Residence Permit: 

• filled in application form,
• bank account statement,
• income or tax statement,
• savings statement (5000 EUR a year per family member),
• property purchase contract/rental agreement\/beneficiary housing or other.

Note: the validity of your residence permit depends on the validity of your rental contract.

• property sheet (Tulajdoni lap) issued by Hungarian Administrative office,
• medical insurance, paid for at least a year,
• registration fee payment recite,
• full passport scan.

Note: your passport should be valid for the whole requested period of stay.

In this article, I have not considered student visa, since it is not a basis for obtaining permanent residency, but gives the right to stay in the country only within the framework of the educational program. In general, the Hungarian immigration services are quite favorable to citizens of the former CIS, especially if the latter actively contribute to the Hungarian economy, send their children to schools and kindergartens, attend Hungarian language courses and are settled in the country for most part of the calendar year.