Tag Archive for: Inter Relocation Group

Understanding Immigration Regulations in Hungary

An Overview of Immigration Regulations in Hungary, Effective January 1, 2024

The previous immigration law was replaced by a new law on January 1, 2024. The implementation of the new rules is not immediate; it occurs gradually. In cases initiated until December 31, 2023, the old regulations still apply, while the new regulations apply from March 1, 2024.

Between these two dates, the processing of residence and settlement cases, as well as the submission of applications, is suspended. From March 1, 2024, only applications according to the new rules can be submitted, but previously submitted applications will be evaluated based on the old immigration law. During the suspension period, the validity of expiring permits is extended until April 30, 2024.

Those who hold a temporary residence certificate (ITI) with respect to an ongoing permit procedure will have to attend the Immigration Office in order to extend expiring temporary residence certificates.

Changes in Immigration Regulations in Hungary

The new law introduces new types of permits, and at the same time, the general “miscellaneous purpose” or “other type” permit is abolished. Every residence permit is now tied to the residence purpose and legal basis directly specified in the law, e.g. digital nomad (White Card), medical treatment, etc. In the future, it will not be possible to issue a residence permit with a general “other” purpose, lacking a specific purpose defined in the law.

“Guest Worker” Permits

The law distinguishes between permits for work purposes, specifically between permits for work in occupations requiring higher qualifications and those known as “guest worker” permits, which allow work in professions requiring lower qualifications.

Generally, family reunification residence permits cannot be associated with the latter “guest worker” permits, and they do not entitle the bearer for settlement (permanent residence) in Hungary. Additionally, they can only be extended for a limited period (up to a total of three years). After this period, the permit cannot be extended, and instead, a new application is required. The detailed regulations for this are not yet known.

The concept of a “guest worker” encompasses various types of residence permits, generally targeting employment that does not require a high level of qualification. This includes the seasonal guest worker residence permit, the residence permit for guest workers employed for the purpose of execution of investment projects, the residence permit for employment purposes, and the guest worker residence permit.

Guidance for Employers

The previous work-purpose residence permit is now mostly equivalent to the employment-purpose residence permit.

The guest worker residence permit understood in a narrower sense, can be applied for employment by specified employers, from countries defined by law, and in occupations as specified by law.

The employment permit issued for the purpose of the implementation of investment projects is aimed at employment by employers who implement an investment as defined in an agreement with the government.

For employment in professions requiring higher education, in addition to the former EU Blue Card, the new Hungarian Card is also suitable, specifically for professions defined in separate legislation.

Citizens of Ukraine and Serbia can obtain a National Card for the purpose of employment in professions specified by legislation.

“Golden Visa”

From July 1, 2024, the so-called guest-investor visa and residence permit (“golden visa”) will be available, allowing a residence of 10+10 years for a minimum real estate fund investment of 250,000 Euros. The detailed regulations for this are not yet known.

In addition to a real estate fund investment of 250,000 euros, there will be a possibility to obtain such a visa or residence permit through a real estate purchase of 500,000 Euros or a grant provided to a designated higher education institution in the amount of 1,000,000 Euros.

The former residence permit for income-generating purposes (“gainful activities”) corresponds to the guest-self-employed residence permit.

A third-country citizen may not receive a residence permit for family unification purposes if the person to be joined as a family member holds one of the following residence permits:

  1. Guest self-employment residence permit (held for less than one year)
  2. Seasonal employment-purpose permit
  3. Permit for employment for the purpose of investment project implementation
  4. Employment-purpose permit
  5. Guest worker residence permit
  6. White Card
  7. Study-purpose permit
  8. Internship-purpose permit
  9. Residence permit for voluntary activities

The actual implementation of the new legislation is expected to be accompanied by the creation of numerous executive decrees and additional regulations containing detailed provisions. Currently, there is no information available about these, but they are anticipated to cover the precise procedural guidelines, the documents usable and required in the procedures, as well as additional conditions and circumstances that may influence the application process.

Employer Responsibilities

Employers hiring guest workers must be prepared for several new obligations. They need to register themselves, pay registration and employment fees, and ensure that an employee whose employment or residence rights have ceased actually leaves the country.

Failure to fulfil these obligations, if the employer does not act as generally expected in a given situation, can result in a fine of 5 million forints, and they may also be responsible for covering the costs associated with the deportation of the third-country national.

Employers are advised to seek further guidance on such obligations related to the employment of third-country citizens from the expected further legal regulations and related authorities to be regulated in detail in the expected but not yet available new legislation (including executive orders and further related government decrees).

Hungarian Immigration:

A new immigration law will come into effect on 1st January 2024 in Hungary, but all procedures will be halted between 1st January and 29th February 2024, and most of the new regulations will only be applicable from 1st March 2024.

Until 29th of February 2024 current regulations will also be applicable. During this time, no permit requests may be submitted.

All residence permits and settlement permits that expire between 2024-01-01 and 2024-02-29 are automatically prolonged until 2024-04-30 by the force of law.

Procedures started before 2024-01-01 will be judged under the old regulations.

If an application is submitted electronically, it is considered as having been started if the administrative fee is paid until December 31, 2023.

This will also apply to new applications for residence permits, residence cards, and EU registration cards, which will only be accepted if they are in the national interest, which means the government has mandated that the application is needed. Therefore, new applications can only be submitted from 1st March.

Please stand by for further updates.

At Inter Relocation, it is with immense joy and honour that we share the news of our third consecutive nomination for the esteemed Cartus Masters Cup Award at the 2023 Global Network Conference.

This prestigious recognition, presented annually by Cartus Corporation, celebrates outstanding service and exceptional performance within its esteemed Global Network. As a leading provider of relocation services, this nomination stands as a testament to Inter Relocation’s unwavering commitment to excellence and the exceptional support we provide to our clients throughout their relocation journey.

Inter Relocation's 3rd Nomination for the Prestigious Cartus Masters Cup Award

We’re celebrating our our third consecutive nomination for the Cartus Masters Cup Award

The Cartus Global Network Conference:

The 2023 Cartus Global Network Conference, taking place from September 20-21, 2023, brings together a dynamic and innovative community of industry-leading worldwide service providers. Representing 175 countries from around the globe, this event fosters collaboration, encourages innovation, and shares best practices to elevate service delivery for Cartus clients and their relocating employees.

This year’s theme, “Where Mobility Meets Agility,” embodies the compassionate and agile approach that Cartus supplier partners, including Inter Relocation, take in helping relocating employees navigate the evolving mobility landscape.

Inter Relocation and the Cartus Masters Cup Award:

Our nomination for the Cartus Masters Cup Award lies in the category of Home-related Services. This esteemed award is reserved for Global Network members who consistently achieve exceptional standards of quality and service excellence.
As a nominee, Inter Relocation must showcase:

  • Unwavering commitment to service excellence and customer satisfaction.
  • A collaborative and innovative approach in developing cost-effective solutions for Cartus clients.
  • An outstanding performance and dedication to Cartus’ vision and values, ensuring tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients and their employees.

Inter Relocation’s Remarkable Service:

At Inter Relocation, we are dedicated to providing unparalleled relocation services that put our clients’ needs front and center. Our expert team takes pride in delivering personalized assistance, guiding our clients through the entire relocation process seamlessly.

With a deep knowledge of the local market and fast, responsive communication, we keep our clients informed at every step of the way, alleviating any concerns or uncertainties they may have.

A Word from Stuart McAlister, Inter Relocation’s Company Owner:

Inter Relocation Receives Commitment to Excellence Gold Award“I’m honoured to receive this Cartus Masters Cup Award nomination, which recognizes thededication and quality of service we consistently demonstrate while supporting Cartus clients and relocating employees. The rigorous standards that Cartus maintains for all its supplier partners make this nomination an even greater honour. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our hardworking colleagues, who work tirelessly to uphold our high standards and make each relocation journey a success.”

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Cartus Corporation and our valued clients for their continued trust and support. With our focus firmly set on delivering personalized, efficient, and high-quality service, we look forward to serving even more clients and making a positive impact in the realm of global mobility.

______________________________________________________________________

About Cartus Corporation:

Cartus Corporation, a global leader in talent mobility, delivers comprehensive corporate relocation services to organizations worldwide. As a subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate Inc., they serve a diverse clientele, including a significant portion of Fortune 100 companies, delivering proactive, flexible solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs.

For more information, visit cartus.com and anywhere.re.

About Inter Relocation

Founded in March 2002, Inter Relocation began as a Budapest-based provider of relocation and immigration services. With just three staff members initially, we’ve since grown to a team of 20 professionals.

In 2003, we expanded internationally as the Inter Relocation Group, extending our services to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Today, we’re proud to have franchise group members in 23 countries across CEE and Central Asia, with our Budapest office as the headquarters.

At Inter Relocation, our unwavering commitment is to deliver award-winning services of the highest quality to our clients, partners, and assignees. We believe in social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and ethical practices, actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Founded by Stuart McAlister, a British expat who understands the challenges of relocation firsthand, our personal touch and dedication shape our client-focused approach.

Our dedication to excellence has earned us numerous awards and recognition, making us a trusted partner in the relocation industry. As we celebrate our third nomination for the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup Award, we continue to deliver top-tier service for a seamless relocation experience.

Inter Relocation is Nominated for a Prestigious Cartus Masters Cup Award at the 2022 Global Network Conference.

Highest Honour Bestowed by Cartus Global Network Will Recognize Winner’s Outstanding Service and Performance.

Inter Relocation has been named to the short list of finalists for Cartus Corporation’s Masters Cup Award at its 2022 Global Network Conference, to be held virtually from October 3-5, 2022. The Cartus Global Network is Cartus’ industry-leading worldwide service provider network.

Each year, the network comes together to collaborate on ways to improve and innovate service delivery to Cartus clients and their relocating employees. Exploring current global mobility “hot topics,” the conference provides attendees with take-home value and best practice recommendations. Cartus is welcoming its global supplier network, representing companies from 175 different countries to the event. which provides the network with the opportunity to celebrate the past year’s successes, recognizing companies and individuals that have truly gone above and beyond to provide exceptional service to Cartus customers.

This year’s theme is Leading The Way, Anywhere, which reflects the industry-leading partnerships and global scope the Cartus Global Network represents.

Cartus Masters Cup

Inter Relocation has been nominated for the Cartus Masters Cup in the category of Home-related Services. Presented annually to the highest-achieving Global Network members who have previously received top awards, the Cartus Masters Cup recognizes a service provider that has consistently achieved exceptional standards of quality.

Winners must demonstrate:

  • total commitment to service excellence
  • a truly collaborative approach when developing cost-effective and innovative approaches for Cartus clients
  • an outstanding performance and commitment—not only to Cartus’ vision and values, but also to its mission to deliver proactive, flexible solutions that meet the unique needs of its clients and their employees, every time.

“We are proud to have received a nomination for the Cartus Masters Cup, which recognizes the dedication and quality of service we have consistently demonstrated while supporting Cartus clients and relocating employees through the relocation process. The rigorous and exceptionally high-performance standard that Cartus keeps all its supplier partners to makes this nomination an even greater honour.”

– Stuart McAlister, Managing director

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About Cartus

For more than 60 years, Cartus has provided trusted guidance to organizations that require global relocation solutions. Providing the full spectrum of relocation services, including language and intercultural training, Cartus serves more than half of the Fortune 50 and has moved employees into and out of 185 countries. Cartus is part of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services.

About Inter Relocation

Inter Relocation was founded in March 2002. It is a provider of relocation destination services and immigration compliance in Budapest, Hungary. The company was established with three full-time members of staff and has since grown to its current staff of 16.

In addition, in 2003 the international side of the company, called the Inter Relocation Group. From humble beginnings with the company offering relocation services in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Inter Relocation now boasts franchise group members in 22 countries across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The Budapest office acts as the group headquarters.

We would like to give you a short update on the changes to the regulations relating to protective measures connected to the pandemic. The current regulations have been extended until 19.04.2021 and we expect though that this deadline will be further extended.

When planning to enter Hungary you need to keep in mind the regulations posted on our blog.
Here are the in-country regulations that have been introduced or modified, after the government of Hungary stated that its target of giving the first vaccination dose to 2.5 million had been reached.

Curfew is now between 22:00 and 05:00 hours.

Restrictions on services are now terminated, premises that deliver services requiring personal presence no longer have to be closed and services can be provided and utilized; though the obligatory closing time for such businesses is between 21:30 and 05:00.

Exception: for restaurants and cafés the restrictions are unchanged, they can only offer purchases for takeout or delivery only.

Shops need to undertake though observance of the below restrictions. Shops which do not undertake such measures shall remain closed.

Restrictions to be maintained:

  • For every 10 sqm of the shopping area one customer is allowed.
  • The operator of the shop must indicate at the entrance the number of customers allowed into the shop.
  • Operators of shops and of shopping malls must ensure compliance with the protective measures.
  • Operators of shops must ensure that customers queueing keep 1.5m distance (except for members of the same household); hand sanitizers are available for use and surfaces and carts, baskets are disinfected regularly.
  • In counting customers, children under 14 and helpers of people above 65 and of people with disabilities are not considered.
  • Shops without a designated shopping area must ensure that people queueing outside keep 1.5 m distance.
  • Customers are asked to keep distance in shops and complete shopping in the possible shortest time.
  • Outside of shops in shopping malls everybody is obliged to keep 1.5 m distance (except for members of the same household).
  • Operators of shopping malls shall ensure compliance with the restrictions.

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.

In our latest article titled Regulations introduced concerning business and economy related travels issued on 12nd March among others we have informed you about a list of countries from where Hungarian citizens and citizens/90+ day residents can enter for business purpose.

This list has been now extended with the following countries:

  • Azerbajian
  • Georgia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kirgisistan
  • Uzbegistan
Currently the state of emergency is declarted to end on 22nd May, so we assume that the shared entry regulations will remain in force until that date, too. Should there be a change, we will inform you.
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.

Please find below a summary about the regulations introduced concerning business and economy related travels. At the moment they are claimed to be valid till 16th March 2021, though please note, that the period can be extended any time.

Hungarian citizens returning from business or economy related trips may enter Hungary according to general restrictions applicable to Hungarian citizens.

Hungarian citizens may enter Hungary without any restrictions if the purpose of their travel was business or economy related, and the fact is proven upon return, if they travelled to/are returning from

  1. EU member states
  2. EEA member states,
  3. states having status of free movement and residence identical to that of EEA member states based on international agreement
  4. EU membership candidate states (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey)
  5. UK
  6. other countries listed in the decree of the minister of external economic relations and external affairs

Should any doubt arise with respect to the authenticity of the proof of the travel purpose, then the general restrictions apply.

Non-Hungarian citizens may generally enter Hungary according to previous restrictions, with the exceptions below.

If a Non-Hungarian citizen is the citizen of the states listed above, or is entitled to a stay of more than 90 days in one of those states, and is entering from one of those states, and the purpose of entry to Hungary is a business or economy related purpose, to be proven upon entry, they may enter Hungary without restrictions.

Should any doubt arise with respect to the authenticity of the proof of the travel purpose, the general restrictions apply.

The decree of the minister of external economic relations and external affairs lists countries that supplement the list above, from which Hungarian citizens and citizens/90+ day residents of which may can freely enter from business trips, these countries are:

  1. USA
  2. Bahrein
  3. UAE
  4. India
  5. Indonesia
  6. Israel
  7. Japan
  8. China
  9. South Korea
  10. Russia
  11. Singapore
  12. Turkey
  13. Ukraine

This time in our article we would like to shed light on the regulations effective as of Monday, 8th March 2021.

Please be aware, that previous regulations on protective measures remain in place. The new restrictions are in addition to those, for the periods outside of the curfew period (i.e. for the period between 5 AM and 8 PM).

Please note though that regulations are not applicable to public health providers and wholesale activities.

Social contacts in public areas and places open to public must be restricted to the possible narrowest circle, 1.5 m distance must be kept (except for members of the same household).

Continuous wearing of masks covering the nose and mouth is obligatory within city limits of settlements, on streets and public areas. (People exempt from the mask mandate: minors under six, persons suffering from mental, psychosocial disability or autism spectrum disorder.

Personal leisure sporting activities may be conducted within and outside of city limits, possibly in green areas, alone or in the company of members of the same household, keeping a distance of 1.5 m. During personal sporting activities a mask does not need to be worn. Parks, public gardens are open.

There has been uncertainty about what shops can remain open, please find the list below:

  • shops selling daily consumer food products,
  • shops selling other daily consumer goods (especially shops selling perfume products, drugstore products, household cleaning products, chemicals and hygienic paper products),
  • shops selling essential devices and materials for performance of work, official obligations, economic, agricultural and forestry activities (especially shops selling vehicles, machinery, parts, building materials and devices), excluding shops selling consumer electronics devices as their main activity
  • shops selling animal food
  • agricultural shops, including shops selling fertilizers and slaughterhouses
  • gardening shops and nursery gardens
  • markets and local farmers’ markets, except for shops otherwise required to close
  • shops selling medications, medical devices, optical and vision devices, and animal pharmacies
  • petrol stations
  • national tobacco shops
  • newsstands

Shops not listed above are obliged to close and the operator or manager of the shop is obliged to ensure the observation of the restrictions.

Stay in restaurants is allowed for the time and purpose of receiving and transporting foods suitable for takeout, according to the already existing regulations.

Premises requiring personal presence for providing services must close, except for premises offering the below services:

  • financial services
  • traffic and transport services
  • private healthcare services, including preparation of glasses
  • social services
  • postal, parcel and home delivery services
  • lottery and sports bets services
  • vehicle repair services, agricultural and industrial machinery repair services, household machinery repair services, building engineering services,
  • services for the repair of information technology and communication devices
  • funeral services
  • animal health services
  • animal, plant and food health laboratory services
  • food processing services,
  • public catering services,
  • animal husbandry services
  • legal services
  • security services
  • building operation and office services
  • vehicle and machinery rental services
  • washing and cleaning services

Casinos, hotels, sporting facilities cannot be attended, visiting of and staying at casinos and card game halls is forbidden (except for their employees). For stays at hotels the already existing restrictions are applicable, i.e. for business purposes only.

Ice rinks, swimming pools, gyms and fitness rooms, sporting facilities may be visited according to already existing restrictions, for competitive sportspeople for the purposes of training and competitions.

Sanctions

Compliance with the restrictions is monitored jointly by the police and the army. Premises not following the set regulations may be asked to pay a fine between HUF 100,000 and HUF 1,000,000, and can be imposed repeatedly or even closed down for up to one year.

These sanctions can be applied jointly and repeatedly.

The sanctions may not be applied if the operator or manager of the premises carried out all necessary measures to terminate an illegal situation, especially by instructing the person committing a breach to leave, or notifying police if the person does not leave upon instruction.

No appeal is available against the fines.

Failure to comply with restrictions is also a misdemeanor, to be sanctioned with fines between HUF 5,000 and HUF 500,000, with on-site fines ranging from HUF 5,000 to HUF 100,000 or HUF 200,000 in cease of repeated offences. 

  • Further to the above, there are restrictions in public education as well, schools operate in a digital schedule, kindergartens are closed for an extraordinary holiday.
  • Student hostels operate according to the decision of the director of the education institution.
  • Adult education is conducted digitally in remote education. Exams cannot be conducted.
  • Professional legal exams are conducted according to the relevant decree of the Ministry of Justice.
  • Employees in public administration perform their work remotely at their homes or places of residence, with their own devices.

Work at the regular workplace might be ordered for those participating in the defense against the pandemic and where the type of work does not allow the performance of work at home.

Orders for remaining at the workplace are communicated verbally.

The government requests private actors to prefer the application of home office measures during their business activities.

Border control, extension of restrictions – please read our other article about the restrictions here.

Regulations are valid at least until 22nd March 2021, school closings until 7th April 2021.

At the same time, the effect of the regulations is extended automatically until the end of the emergency regime, or until 23rd May 2021.

Border control and the effect of already existing restrictions are prolonged until 22nd March 2021.

It’s only 19th January 2021 as I write this short article and I believe I have spoken to more than 20 members of the UK expat community, both before and after midnight on 31st December, when us Brits completed our journey out of the EU.

What started out as curiosity to see what the process would be this year, rapidly developed into confusion and in some few cases satisfaction as I was variously asked about a horribly long and complex process, whether a CV or negative criminal record document would be required, to the happy folk who contacted me just to let me know that they had succeeded in making their applications in the first week of January.

As I believe I’m the only owner of an immigration compliance company in Hungary who is also a UK citizen, you could say I have a vested interest in this subject and for the past couple of weeks I’ve asked a range of expat Facebook group members and email enquirers to hold off, while my immigration team put together my application and submit it, hopefully this week.

Based on the preparation my immigration team has done, we have put together a text that should allow anyone who wants to, to complete the process alone. Of course if anyone does want our professional support then they can contact us at [email protected] and we will happily take the stress out of the process. The following is what we have put together:

National Permanent Residence Permit for UK citizens holding a registration certificate or permanent residence card on 31.12.2020

Documents needed:

  • Passport
  • Registration card or permanent residence card
  • Address card

Additional required personal data:

  • Email and phone number
  • Mother’s maiden family name
  • Mother’s first name
  • Your professional qualification
  • Highest level of education (high school degree, BA, BSC, MA etc.)
  • Permanent address before coming to Hungary (country, city and street)
  • Beginning of uninterrupted lawful residence in Hungary:
  • Hungarian address
  • Have you ever been convicted of any crime?: yes/no
  • Is there any criminal proceeding in progress against you before a Hungarian or foreign authority?: yes/no
  • In addition to the above, have you been convicted by a Hungarian authority for violation of law, especially for offence?: yes/no
  • Have you already been expelled from Hungary or from other countries?: yes/no
  • Do you have any debt in your homeland or in another country?: yes/no
  • Do you have a maintenance obligation (parent, child, spouse)?: yes/no
  • Are you aware of suffering from HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, lues, leprosy, typhoid fever infectious diseases requiring treatment, or do you carry the pathogens of HIV, hepatitis B, typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever?: yes/no

This is the data marked compulsory to fill on the Enter Hungary platform in order to submit an application, but according to the authority a new application form will be created by them most likely containing even less information.

As of Friday 15th January, this was on the government website:

‘The online application platform specifically provided for the beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement on the online application system ‘Enter Hungary’ is currently under development, we kindly request your patience until it is available.

Submitting an application for a national permanent residence permit or a residence permit for frontier workers is available on Enter Hungary until the above mentioned platform is available.’ (link)

The following are instructions about how to enter the government site and submit your application.

The request can be submitted via the Enter Hungary online platform. The platform can be accessed via this link:https://enterhungary.gov.hu/eh/ and can be set to English.   Please kindly click on the ‘sign in’ option in the top right corner. When registering, the ‘I act as a private individual, in my own case’ should be chosen when submitting one’s own application.

Detailed guide after logging in

After logging in, you should go to my cases menu option and click on the green ‘new application’ button, where the following category should be chosen: permanent residence permit (settlement) then Application for EC/national permanent residence permit (settlement).

When submitting an application for a national permanent residence permit, the ‘yes’ option should be selected at the ‘I declare that the procedure is exempt of fee’ section.

Then the above-mentioned personal data should be filled to the data sheet and moving on, the abbreviation ‘WA’ should be indicated in the data field for ‘DETAILED CV’.

The following documents should be submitted in the file attachments possibility:

  • Passport (only the data page)
  • Registration certificate
  • Address card
  • In case applicable: power of attorney

After submitting the application, the system will generate an application form that should be signed and then the scanned document must be uploaded to the case. This application form should be present at the personal attendance as well as in other cases, the authority asks for the original.

There is a compulsory personal attendance at the authority that must happen within 15 CALENDAR days from the date of submitting the application. According to the information from the authority, this can happen at any given customer service, but only with an appointment due to the current COVID measures.

This is only an appointment where the applicant’s biometrics data (fingerprint and photo) will be taken. Passport, registration certificate, address card and the signed application form should be present in original.

Again, if this seems too much to handle, or if you are not sure you qualify, don’t panic! Just drop us a line at [email protected] and I or one of my team will be happy to assist you.

By Stuart McAlister,
Managing Director, Inter Relocation

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.