The new Hungarian law relating to Brexit

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The new Hungarian law relating to Brexit has now been published. Hereby we are sharing a summary of how this law impacts UK citizens:

For UK citizens and their third country citizen relatives, due to Brexit, for residence and employment procedures started after 1st January 2021 – with the exception of circumstances listed below – Immigration compliance laws related to Non-EU/EEA citizens shall be applied.

Registration cards, permanent residence cards

UK citizens’ registration cards, permanent residence cards, third country relatives’ residence cards and permanent residence cards are considered to be valid until end of next year, 31st December 2021.

Permanent residence

UK citizens and their third country citizen relatives holding a valid travel document, and a registration card, residence card or permanent residence card may apply for a national settlement (permanent residence) permit in a simplified procedure during the course of 2021.

The following conditions are not investigated during the application:

  • place of residence and income
  • health insurance
  • uninterrupted three-year prior residence
  • one-year stay (as a supported ancestor)
  • two-year marriage with a Hungarian citizen (for spouse)
  • previous Hungarian citizen
  • minor child of settled person or refugee
  • settlement being in harmony with the interest of Hungary

Those applications where the applicant’s residence threatens public or national security or are under entry or stay ban, or ISIS warning notification about them in the police system, will be rejected.

  • Same applies if the applicant provides false data, makes untrue statements, or deceives the authority.
  • Citizens having a criminal record will not receive a settlement permit either.
  • Adjoint authorities participating in the decision-making procedure must provide their opinion within 15 days.

Good news for British citizens who can credibly prove that they were living in Hungary prior to 1st January 2021, but do not hold a registration card yet. They may still request a national settlement permit.

Residence permit for employment

UK citizens having an employment relationship in Hungary prior to 31.12.2020, if the employment relationship is still existing at the time of submitting the request, and if their place of residence or accommodation is outside of Hungary, may request a residence permit for employment without the investigation of the following conditions:

  • accommodation in Hungary
  • financial cover
  • health insurance/cover

The above is applicable to those, who had been conducting a private enterprise in Hungary, allowing them a residence permit for gainful purposes.

The above two types of requests may be submitted until 31st March 2021.

For further information please, contact us at the following
Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.

Prolongation of the validity of official documents under the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary

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Prolongation of the validity of official documents under the second state of emergency as per Government Decree 500/20201.

  1. Prolongation of the validity of official documents

  • Official documents (IDs) issued by Hungarian authorities and valid in Hungary that expire during the state of emergency shall have an extended validity.
  • These will expire 60 days after the end of the state of emergency.
  • This includes also documents whose validity had been prolonged at the end of the previous state of emergency and would expire during the present state of emergency, that is, they are prolonged as well.
  • Validity of driver’s licenses for vehicles is especially included in the prolongation.
  • The extended validity does not have to be registered in the document itself or the central registry.
  • If such a prolonged validity document is lost, it may not be replaced (that is, then a new document has to be issued with a new date of validity).
  • The validity of residence permits under the law on residence of persons with the right of free movement (Szmtv, Act I of 2007), and the law on residence of third country citizens (Harmtv., Act II of 2007) that expire during the state of emergency is extended until 30th day following the end of the state of emergency.

For further information please, contact us at the following

Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.

The Second tier of protective measures applicable under the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary

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The Second tier of protective measures applicable under the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary.

  1. Reinforcement of the mask mandate

  • Every person over the age of six must wear a mask:
  • on public transport
  • in any public area of settlements with a population over 10,000 where the local government prescribes as such, with the exception of sports activities and parks. At this time, local governments known to have introduced such measures already include Budapest 11th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st districts; please watch for information from local governments for further information.
  • while working or shopping in shops
  • in shopping malls (except for offices, sporting facilities, and utility premises)
  • in public archives open to the public
  • at office hours of government agencies, post offices, and any other premises where customer services are provided and regularly more than 5 people are present
  • waiting rooms of public transport
  • in restaurants, either while working or as guests
  • in healthcare institutions (except for patients in their ward rooms)
  • in social institutions
  • Masks must cover the nose and mouth, and should be surgical, labour safety or textile (or other fabric) masks.
  • Operators of such institutions, services, premises must ensure the enforcement of these rules. Customers not properly wearing masks must be denied service and made to leave the premises.
  • For transportation companies: passengers must be denied transport if they are not properly wearing masks, at the same time they must be removed from the vehicle and the police should be notified immediately.

  1. Curfew

Everybody is obliged to remain at their place of residence, stay or commercial accommodation from 8 PM to 5 AM

  • Exceptions:

  • performing work,
  • transferring to place of work,
  • transferring from work to place of residence/stay/accommodation
  • In case of emergency threatening life, or threatening with harm to health or severe injury
  • protection of life
  • competitive athletes going to or coming from training or sporting events, or participating in a training or sporting event
  • walking dogs within a 500m perimeter of the dwelling place
  • Exceptions not related to health/emergency and dog walking must be supported by documents based on the form published by the Government. Without possession of such a document, it is not allowed to leave the place of residence/stay/accommodation even for the reasons falling under an exception.
  • Assembly and forming of groups in public areas is forbidden.

  1. Conduct in public places

  • Sporting activities for personal leisure in public places and public sporting venues are allowed, especially walking, running and cycling.
  • Team sports, such as especially football, ice hockey, handball, basketball and volleyball are not allowed in public areas, open places and sporting venues, except for training and sporting events in professional competitive sports.

  1. Events and gatherings

Events and group gatherings (such as music, cultural, sporting, private events and Christmas fairs) are banned, with the following exceptions:

  • Religious events do not fall under the ban (except for weddings and funerals). Religious communities themselves may decide about their own events.
  • Live music or cultural events provided online do not fall under the banned events if only the performers and technical personnel are present at the premises.
  • Sporting events must be held behind closed doors. Spectators are not allowed.
  • Funerals can be held with participants of 50 people maximum.
  • Weddings can be held with the participation of the performer of the service, the marrying parties, their witnesses, parents, grandparents, siblings and children.
  • Operators of such venues are responsible for observing the regulations.

  1. Regulations for restaurants

  • Except for those working there, and the cases listed below, it is forbidden to be present in restaurants.
  • Being present in a restaurant is allowed for the time of receiving food purchased for takeout or delivery.
  • Restrictions do not apply
  • to workplace canteens and buffets
  • bars and restaurants of hotels if they only serve guests of the hotel
  • canteens and buffets of public education institutions if the only serve students and employees of the institution
  • canteens and buffets in public health institutions

  1. Regulations related to shops

  • Between 7 PM and 5 AM

  • shops
  • national tobacco shops
  • lottery shops
    • must be closed and it is not allowed to be present there
  • petrol stations
  • pharmacies
    • may be open
  • With respect to this ban, restaurants are not considered shops.

  1. Regulations for commercial accommodation

  • No stay is allowed in commercial accommodations (hotels), with the following exceptions
  • Employees may be present in hotels
  • Persons may be present in hotels arriving for purposes of business, economic or educational activities
  • Military personnel and assigned healthcare personnel may be present in hotels.

  1. Regulations on leisure institutions

  • Visiting of and staying at the following events and locations is forbidden:

  • events for the performing arts (theatre, dance, music, circus)
  • cinemas
  • training rooms and gyms
  • pools
  • public baths
  • skating rinks
  • zoos, game parks
  • adventure parks and funfairs
  • playhouses
  • museums
  • libraries
  • film and music archives
  • public cultural venues
  • integrated cultural institutions

  • Exceptions:

  • employees working at such institutions
  • skating rinks, pools, training rooms, gyms and sports facilities may be visited by competitive athletes
  • Such venues in hotels must be kept closed.

For further information please, contact us at the following
Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.

Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness

Homelessness is a growing crisis in Hungary, as it is in many places around the world, particularly due to the current pandemic and the economic troubles that it causes. Here at Inter Relocation we have always tried to give a little something back to the local community and we were already aware of Utcáról Lakásba! Egyesület (ULE for short, meaning From Street to Home Association) via one of our wonderful team members, who already did everything she could to support this charity.

It’s through our colleague we came to hear about Móni earlier this year. Móni had been homeless for some time and was living in a tent. She had asked the assistance of Adj Munkát Csoport (the Provide Jobs Group) to help her find work and through ULE she came to us as our office cleaner.

Móni’s story

The team immediately took to Móni, she is full of life and clearly enjoys her work and being with us for a few hours a week. As the team grew to know her, they started to ask her, delicately, about her circumstances. She explained how she came to be homeless and what she is now doing to try to get back on her own two feet with a roof over her head. Some colleagues asked her if she needed anything and she accepted some clothes and bedding, and one of the team took it upon themselves to buy Móni lunch on the day when she cleans.

What was clear is that it is extremely hard to get sufficient work when one lives in a tent, to be able to earn enough to pay the first month’s rent and security deposit on an apartment or even a room. ULE was working as hard as possible to find Móni a place to live but with winter approaching the Inter Relocation team got together and decided that we can’t wait any longer.

A roof above her head

In one of those weird moments of serendipity, the very day we started to look for apartment options for Móni, one of our colleagues was approached by an acquaintance who had an apartment to rent. It was not in a typical expat location, but the very friendly rental fee made our colleague think that it could be right for Móni. Rapid discussions took place, the upshot of which being that Inter Relocation committed to paying the first two months’ rent. Móni actually moved into her new home around two weeks ago and we’re delighted to report that she is doing really well.

The story doesn’t end there, however.

Móni has a roof over her head but doesn’t yet earn enough to pay her rent on her own. The plan is to get her social housing by the spring but somehow we still need to cover her rent for four months.

We have never turned to our Budapest Expats community and asked for support with charitable donations but we feel this is a worthy cause that helps at least one person get back to the kind of life we are so grateful for. Maybe then we can help another person, and another.

Help Móni for her better future

So how can you help? It’s simple, either transfer funds to ULE or click on the following link and make a donation. As little as 1,000 Ft could really help a young woman to stay safe and warm this winter:

Donations via Adjukössze:

https://adjukossze.hu/kampany/utcarol-lakasba-egyesulet-1096/tamogatom

‼️ It is extremly important to write in the comment section “Albérleti támogatás” or “rental donation”. ‼️

To make a donation by bank transfer:

Account holder: Utcáról Lakásba! Egyesület

Magnet Bank, 16200151-18523939

IBAN: HU35 1620 0151 1852 3939 0000 0000

SWIFT/BIC: HBWEHUHB

On behalf of Móni we thank you for any support you can spare. We’ll of course update you on the progress we make.

Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary

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The latest key information about the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Hungary including the new curfew regulation.

1. Curfew

  • Everybody is obliged to remain at their place of residence, stay or commercial accommodation from midnight to 5 a.m.

Exceptions:

  • performing work,
  • transferring to place of work,
  • transferring from work to place of residence/stay/accommodation
  • case of emergency threatening life, or threatening with harm to health or severe damages,
  • protection of life

2. Music events

  • Cultural events where music is performed or played as a main act and no pre-purchased seating tickets are required are banned. Presence at such events is banned.

3. Cultural events and venues, movie theatres, sporting events

Events not falling under the ban above may be held with restrictions such as:

  • only every third seat may be occupied, two seats must be left empty between each person
  • seats directly in front of and behind each other may not be occupied
  • 5 m distance must be held between people when seated, or during intermissions, at the venue of the event in general, and at restaurants/bars at the venue
  • Organizers of the event and the operators of the venues are responsible for enforcing the restrictions. They must ensure that those not complying with the restrictions are not participating in the event and leave the venue.
  • Museums, libraries, archives, public cultural institutions and venues, integrated cultural institutions can be visited, but visitors must keep 1.5 m distance. Operators of such venues are liable for visitors observing the restrictions and removing persons failing to do so.
  • Police monitors the application of the restrictions.
  • Breaches may be sanctioned by warning, fines between HUF 100,000 and HUF 1,000,000, closing the venue for a duration between 1 day and 1 year, in case of sporting events ordering closed door events for 1-10 occasions. Sanctions may be combined and can be imposed multiple times per day.
  • Police also monitors and sanctions the observance of mask mandates as per the relevant regulations.
  • Sanctions may not be imposed if the operator warns the trespassing persons to observe restrictions, who then refuses to oblige or leave, and the operator immediately reports to the police.
  • There is no appeal against fines imposed. Fines are to be paid within 15 days.

4. Public transport related regulations

  • Public transport companies in Budapest and main cities must draft plans for increasing transport density between 7 and 9 AM and 3 and 7 PM by 5th November 2020.
  • The plans are to be approved by the Government Office and must be implemented on the day of approval. Failure to provide a plan or to implement such results in fines of HUF 1M to 5M payable by the public transport company.

5. Free parking

  • No parking fees are payable for parking with vehicles in public areas or private roads open to the public.

6. Mask usage

Masks are now mandatory in pubs, bars, restaurants for both hosts and guests, with the following exceptions:

  • in outlets where food and drinks are also sold as a supplementary service, the mask may be taken off for the time of consuming food purchased there.
  • in cultural and sporting venues, if food and beverages are sold, then within the area designated for such sale, the mask may be taken off for the time of consuming food and beverages purchased there.
  • no masks are necessary while being seated at the table of the bar/pub/restaurant
  • if food and drinks are sold in a restaurant/bar/pub where these can also be consumed without being seated at a table, then the mask may be taken off for the time of consuming food purchased there, even if not seated at a table
  • people not observing the mask wearing regulations must be excluded from service and made to leave the restaurant/bar/pub by the operator of the venue

This not a new regulation, but please note that masks must be worn so that they continuously cover both the nose and mouth, and they should be surgical masks, work safety masks, or textile masks. Kerchiefs, bandanas, shawls are no longer sufficient and wearing them as a mask, or wearing proper masks the wrong way, constitutes a misdemeanour.

7. Fines for misdemeanours

  • Breach of the above pandemic protective restrictions shall be a misdemeanour and shall be fined with fines form HUF 5,000 up to HUF 500,000, or HUF 200,000 for on-site fines.

For further information please, contact us at the following
Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.

Quarantine regulations in Hungary according to Act CIV of 2020

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Here are the latest key information about the Quarantine regulations according to Act CIV of 2020.

Key points

  • Travel and entry restrictions and exceptions are unchanged.
  • For those who fall under a quarantine regulation, quarantine is automatic, no further decree is required. All details are communicated by the border guard.
  • The person entering at the time of entry has to designate a “quarantine flat” where they would spend the time of the quarantine, and they must occupy the quarantine flat immediately after entry and stay there for the time of the quarantine, at the same time marking the apartment with the notice received at the border.
  • Quarantine time remains 10 days.
  • The installation of the quarantine application on a mobile device is practically obligatory (unless the person does not have a mobile device or is not suitable)
  • Penalties for quarantine breach can be up to HUF 150,000, or HUF 600,000 in case of multiple breaches.
  • If someone wants to have themselves tested under the quarantine, they need to get an appointment for the test and send an electronic request to police, who will allow leaving the quarantine for the test. If the necessary tests are negative, it has to be reported to the police electronically, who will raise the quarantine by acknowledging the tests results.

Detailed regulations

  • Applicable under the period of pandemic alert.
  • If the relevant government decree requires an official home quarantine obligation for persons entering the country, there is no special administrative procedure required
  • The border guard informs the person entering about the quarantine obligation, the duration of the quarantine
  • The place of the quarantine is according to the choice of the person entering, the “quarantine apartment”, which may not be a healthcare institution
  • The exact address of the quarantine apartment must be provided to the border guard
  • The person quarantined must immediately transfer to the quarantine apartment, the journey may only be interrupted due to health, technical or public transport schedule reasons.
  • The quarantined person must occupy the quarantine apartment without delay and must post the received notice visibly on the entrance.
  • If the quarantined person has a suitable device, he/she must install the quarantine app on their device upon arrival at the quarantine apartment and use it during the official home quarantine. It may be removed from the device following the expiration of the quarantine.
  • Personal data and availabilities of the person entering the country and falling under a quarantine obligation are recorded by the border guard upon entry.
  • The person entering the country may provide their data and the address of the quarantine apartment electronically through the official web page of the Police 24 hours prior to entry.
  • Upon entry, data are compared with passport, and transferred to the local police HQ of the quarantine apartment.

The quarantined person may only leave the quarantine apartment

  1. with the acknowledgement of the local police HQ for a request for testing (see below)
  2. on the orders of a doctor
  3. in case of an illness, escorted by emergency medical personnel
  4. in a life-threatening situation or a situation that threatens with serious damage
  5. if permitted by government decree
  • If the quarantined person identifies symptoms of the quarantine specific illness on themselves, they shall report at their own family doctor or the local family doctor by phone.
  • If the relevant government decree allows for a waiver from a quarantine and the quarantined person has an appointment with a healthcare institution for testing, 24 hours prior to the examination the quarantined person can report it electronically to the local police HQ, which is acknowledged electronically by the police. The quarantined person may then leave the apartment to visit the healthcare institution, travelling there and back without interruptions.
  • If the result of the test should make the person exempt from quarantine based on the relevant government decree, the quarantined person may send the test result electronically to the local police HQ, which is then electronically acknowledged by the police.
  • Compliance with the above obligations is controlled by police. Police may enter the quarantine apartment if it is necessary for controlling the quarantine. A breach of the above obligations can be penalised with fines from HUF 5,000 up to 150,000. If breaches occur multiple times on the same day, the fine can be imposed multiple times, up to HUF 600,000 per day. There is no appeal against the decree imposing the fine.

If a quarantine is ordered by the government healthcare agency, the following regulations are applicable:

  • installation of the quarantine app
  • the exemptions from the ban on leaving the quarantine apartment,
  • electronic reporting of test appointment and visiting test site,
  • police control of the quarantine and fines
  • Decrees regarding quarantine obligations are immediately executable and can be validly communicated orally or in an electronic format that is not considered as a written form.
  • There is no appeal against quarantine decrees. If a person concerned by the decision so requests, the oral decision must be set in writing, and the written decision can be challenged at court at the Tribunal of Budapest Capital.

For further information please, contact us at the following
Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.

Latest update on Hungary entry regulations

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We would like to give you an update on the recent regulations valid for entering Hungary. The below is a summary of the Government Decrees 408/2020 and 407/2020.

As you can read about this in the media, border control is temporarily reinstated on all borders, the earlier introduced categorisation of countries by level of spread of Covid-19 infection is no longer applicable.

Regulations are not applicable to:

  • Freight Transportation activities
  • Entry with official (not private) passports
  • Persons showing proof of having recovered from Covid-19 infection within 6 months

Non-Hungarian citizens may not enter Hungary, with the following exceptions.

Non-Hungarian citizens may request an exemption from the travel ban through the National Police HQ by filling an online form. Your Inter Relocation consultant can assist with this process.

Non-Hungarian citizens who meet the below criteria or who hold the below mentioned residence documents are treated as Hungarian citizens:

  1. Persons with permanent residence cards (ÁTK, állandó tartózkodási kártya)
  2. Persons holding a residence permit entitling them to stay more than 90 days

NOTE: it is not specifically written in the law, but as per our understanding and as per the police portal, holders of a granted D visa are allowed to enter, too:

„persons holding a valid residence permit issued by the aliens policing authority allowing for the residence in Hungary for a duration exceeding 90 days and presents this document upon entry (“D” type visa is equivalent);”

However the website of the police also mentions that at the time of the border control the officer has the right to request proofs of the D visa, based on what it was issued (accommodation, insurance, financial background, purpose of stay)

Source 1

Source 2

  1. EU/EEA citizens holding a registration and an address card
  2. Athletes, sports experts, sports associations’ delegated/assigned persons returning from foreign sporting events.

Hungarian citizens and their non-Hungarian citizen relatives may enter Hungary, considering the following:

  • If a medical examination shows the possibility of a Covid-19 infection, the person is placed in official home quarantine for 14 days.
  • One may prematurely exit quarantine (with the permission of the epidemic authority) if two negative Covid-19 tests within 5 days, with a difference of at least 48 hours are presented. If the first of the two tests was made in Canada, USA or one of the Schengen countries, it is also accepted; though the certificate has to be issued either in English or Hungarian

The business travel exemption is no longer limited to travels of employees and chief officers of joint venture companies having interests in both Hungary and abroad. The regulations now also allow Hungarian citizens returning to Hungary from a business trip, and non-Hungarian citizens arriving to Hungary for business reasons to enter without limitations (that is, without quarantine, testing requirements, or a total ban on entry). Such persons have to carry proof of their purpose of entry. Should any doubt arise about the validity of such proof, the general limitations shall apply.

Commuting is allowed within 30 km distance of the border, one may enter Hungary for a 24 hour period.

Transiting can be arranged as follows: one may transit Hungary within 24 hours via designated routes and may only stop at designated resting points.

There are special regulations for military convoys.

As of 5th of September a new exception is included in the regulations:

employees of Hungarian cultural institutions returning from cultural events abroad where they participated as performers or technical personnel are treated as Hungarian citizens.

Special regulations for sporting and cultural events:

  • participants of sporting events organised in Hungary (excluding spectators), persons personally invited to such events by the organisers in writing, competitors holding a competition permit, sports professionals, persons participating in the implementation of the sporting event, performers and technical personnel of cultural events organised in Hungary are allowed to enter if they present two negative Covid tests (within 5 days with 48 hour difference, or a test not older than 3 days)
  • spectators of sporting events and cultural events organised in Hungary are allowed to enter if they present a negative Covid test not older than 3 days and the valid tickets for the given event. and they may be obliged to subject themselves to medical examination. They may not enter if they show symptoms of the Covid-19 disease, or they fail to present valid tickets for the event, or the validity of the presented tickets is doubtful. They have to leave Hungary within 72 hours.

For further information please, contact us at the following
Phone number: +36 1 278 5680
Email address: [email protected]
or contact your local Inter Relocation consultant.

Important information on travelling to Hungary

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Important information about  the details of the regulation (81/2020) which is now in place as of today and is related to travel to Hungary. 

Citizens of the below listed countries are allowed to travel here expressly for business reasons:

  1. Czech Republic
  2. Poland
  3. South Korea
  4. Federal Republic of Germany
  5. Republic of Austria
  6. Slovak Republic
  7. Japan

At the time of entry one needs to prove that the sending company and the receiving company are connected companies based on law 1996. LXXXI 4. § 23.

Based on the information received from the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, assuming the citizens of the above mentioned countries are able to successfully enter Hungary and have the relevant documentation, they can start their residence document applications via the portal of the authority too.

Travel to Hungary is also allowed to those EU/EEA citizens, who  are entitled to permanently reside here and hold a permanent residence card. EU/EEA citizens who do not hold a permanent residence card and non-EU citizens who hold a residence permit or permanent residence permit, may make a special request to re-enter Hungary via an online portal provided by the Hungarian police. It is our understanding that for EU/EEA citizens such requests are generally accepted.

Here is a link to the portal (it’s in Hungarian only):

https://ugyintezes.police.hu/en/uj-ugy-inditasa/

On the site, the option “Államhatáron történő beutazáshoz méltányossági kérelem” category needs to be selected,without registering. Inter Relocation is happy to assist with making such an application. Contact us for more information.

Special personal conditions which can be considered for entry, in case the applicant can justify them:

  1. a) the need to attend court in Hungary by providing official documentation
  2. b) the need for business travel, justified by an invitation letter issued by a state institution
  3. c) the need to enter Hungary for medical treatment
  4. d) the need to sit a school exam connected to active student status and this being justified by the educational institute
  5. e) the need to travel connected with transportation, to enable the person to get to the starting point of the transportation task or to return home, this being proven by an employer certificate
  6.  f ) the need to attend a funeral of a close family member
  7.  g) other

Supporting documents need to be attached to the request.

IMPORTANT:

Currently we have no experience of how exactly this will work (what documentation is requested to justify connected companies). We also understand that in the event that if a person arrives at the border with insufficient paperwork that they may still be allowed entry into the country, but subject to a compulsory 14-day quarantine.

As soon as we receive further information on this, we will notify you. We also suggest that before any citizen travels to Hungary, they contact their own border authority, to check if there are currently any restrictions on returning to their home country.

Summary

The key point is that citizens of the above listed countries can now travel to Hungary, if they can provide information proving the connection between their home country company and the company they are going to work at in Hungary, they should be allowed in without the need for any quarantine. We can then carry out any destination and immigration services that are ordered.

Brexit Update – what changes for Brits in Hungary from 1st February?

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Brexit Update – The United Kingdom left the EU at 00:00 CET on Saturday 1st February 2020. We take a look at what that means for UK citizens who are already in Hungary and for any Brits that may still plan to relocate to Hungary this year.

Many believed this day would never come. It did though and all UK citizens in Hungary who have not yet managed to establish Hungarian or perhaps Irish citizenship, ceased to be EU citizens on Saturday. There have been many articles over the last year or more, communicating what Brexit will mean for UK citizens living in Hungary and here we seek to provide clear guidance as to what to do, if anything, now that Brexit day has indeed arrived.

Brexit and Immigration

If you’re a UK citizen and already hold a registration card (Regisztrációs Igazolás) and address card (Lakcímkártya­) then the good news is that your residence status in Hungary is guaranteed, for life. You do not need to do anything right now, your existing cards will remain valid until the end of the transition period, which forms an important part of the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and EU.

The transition period is currently set to expire on 31st December 2020, after which time one of the following options will apply:

  1. If you have already legally resided in Hungary for three years on 1st January 2021 then you will immediately be allowed to apply for a national permanent residence permit on preferential terms
  2. If you have not yet legally resided in Hungary for three years you will be allowed to retain your current cards and then once the three years has been completed, then apply for the aforementioned national permanent residence permit.

More information on Brexit and how it affects existing residents can be found by following this link.

Not yet established residence?

If you either plan to relocate to Hungary this year or already arrived but have not yet got around to registering, the good news is that during the transition period set out in the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and EU, UK citizens may continue to establish their right to reside in Hungary, as if they were still EU citizens. However, the clock is ticking and unless the transition period is extended, there are now less than 11 months until this window of opportunity closes.

On 1st January 2021, current legislation states that newly arriving UK citizens will be treated as the non-EU citizens they are and will need to apply for a combined work and residence permit if they wish to engage in work for a Hungarian company. However, there is always the possible that a bi-lateral agreement will be signed between the UK and Hungary, allowing for a more simplified process.

If you are in any doubt as to what to do, or would like more information on the process of establishing or retaining legal residence in Hungary, post-Brexit, please contact us here or at [email protected].

UK citizens with non-EU spouses

More positive news here. Any non-EU spouse of a UK citizen who is currently legally resident as the dependent of an EU citizen, retains the right to reside, post-Brexit. When the UK citizen attains the right to apply for permanent residence on preferential terms, the spouse and any other dependents also qualify, subject to some terms and conditions.

This also applies to any UK citizen who applies for residence during the transition period.

Public transport

One key issue that UK retirees to Hungary have always enjoyed is the majorly discounted national travel and the right to use the Budapest public transport system, free of charge.

Whilst it is reasonable to assume that this right will be lost after the transition period, our opinion is that as the transition period allows for all rights and benefits of EU membership to be retained by UK citizens, this right to discounted or free travel should be retained, at least for the rest of 2020.

In conclusion

Although the UK has now left the EU, in reality the transition period means that not much has changed. Watch this space for more information.

Charity and Culture at the 23rd Budapest Burns Supper

The Budapest Burns Supper has been a highlight of the expat ball season for more than twenty years now. Saturday night saw another incredible effort to raise money for sick and under privileged children in Hungary.

On Saturday 25th January the Corinthia Hotel Budapest once again hosted a night of haggis, whisky, pipers, the work of Rabbie Burns and of course, a huge fund-raising effort. Over 300 guests packed into the elegant hotel ballroom, dressed in their Scottish finery.

The event loosely follows the format of a traditional Burns Supper, a tribute to the life and works of Scotland’s Bard, Robert Burns. Saturday night started out with Scottish songs, performed by the choir of the Budapest British International School, after which the pipers and drummers, specially flown in from Scotland as always, announced that dinner will shortly be served.

Charity and Culture at the 23rd Budapest Burns Supper

Highlights of the evening included a very amusing toast to the lassies and lassies’ reply, given by professional actors Shyvonne Ahmmad and Angus Taylor from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow and a rendition of Burns’ poem O Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast in Hungarian by Hungarian Scottish Society and Robert Burns International Foundation founder, Zoltán Magyar.

SME Awards

For the second year in a row, the organisers of the Burns Supper focused on the growing Small and Medium Enterprise Sponsorship scheme. Whilst smaller businesses cannot make the significant donations that multinational companies can, as a percentage of their revenue, their contributions are far larger.

The purpose of the SME sponsorship scheme is to allow smaller companies to have their own fund-raising projects, rather than their contributions going into a larger “pot”.

This time, the RBIF chose to honour two SMEs that have donated larger amounts to the foundation. Eszter Balázs, an insurance agent with Generali, donates a percentage of every sale she makes, an incredible commitment for a small business owner. Stuart McAlister represented his company, Inter Relocation, which has donated funds to help hospitals in Makó and Hódmezővásárhely buy key equipment over the last two years.

Both Eszter and Stuart were awarded with traditional Scottish Quaichs, shared sipping cups that symbolise their organisations’ spirit of giving.

An amazing result

Preliminary figures suggest that the 23rd Budapest Burns Supper raised in excess of 11 million HUF. This is another incredible result and will significantly aid the Robert Burns International Foundation in reaching its charitable goals for 2020.

Photo credits: Pelle Zoltán Photography/ Robert Burns International Foundation