Hungary has become one of the top destinations for students in Western Europe,Africa,Arab world,Asia and South America.Many come here fore scholarships,while some pay heavy fees to get admissions in Hungarian universities.
Another type of visitors are the economic migrants who are good in STEM,IT,programming,AI and web development.As lots of visitors think Hungary to be part of Europe,their main aim is to get into a European country to enjoy the lifestyle and settle there.
Many have a general information,that Europe is pro-immigration,they will either study or work there and get a residence in 3 to 5 years and get a passport easily. However, the reality is very different.
The laws and information about immigration for expats,specially the non-EEA citizen is a bit confusing. Additionally, majority of Hungarian immigration lawyers and consultants charge hefty fees for a normal residence permit case by scaring the client about strict requirements in Hungary,which is not the case.
Here we try to describe the various types of cards and visa types in Hungary which foreigners must know the different. You can check do you need a visa for Hungary and how to get a Hungarian visa.
Residence permit
Hungarian residence permit is a card,which you get from the immigration office in Hungary. The Hungarian residence permit is a plastic card,that mentions the reason for your stay in Hungary. It has one part of the card,where the reason of the stay is mentioned. It can be either Gainful Activity,Family Re-Unification,Study purposes,etc.
This is the first card in Hungary you get, if you are a non-EEA country national arriving to Hungary for the first time, if your stay was intended for more than 90 days.
For people coming to Hungary on a job,the procedure to get Hungarian residence permit goes like this.
If a company offers you a job in Hungary,it has to arrange the work permit for you.
After the work permit is available, they will send that and other documents to your home country. You fill a form and send it to Hungarian embassy in your home country.
If your visa is approved in your home country, it comes with a sticker visa on your passport,which allows you to travel to Hungary within a specific period of time. However, that is a single entry visa.
You have to make sure that you are traveling to Hungary before that limit on visa expires.
Once you have arrived to Hungary, you have to simply go to immigration office in Budapest,and collect your residence permit from there. Also check can i stay in Hungary for longer than 90 days?
Hungarian Work Permit
Work permit in Hungary is a A4 size paper in Hungarian which is mentioning that a certain person has desired skills to perform a special job. Additionally, it explains the fact that this person has special skills which are required in Hungarian job market,while no other local person could match to do the job. Hence, the person can work in Hungarian Market being a foreigner.
Hungarian residence permit is called tartózkodási engedély.
If you got a job in Hungary while being a non-EEA citizen, make sure your employer is arranging a consultant to get you a work permit and guide you the process to apply for residence permit.
It can happen that a person is studying in Hungary in any university and he has a residence permit for study purposes. However the duration of that permit is limited based upon the duration of the course or certain Hungarian laws which do not allow more than 1 or 2 years of residence permits.
If such person gets a job offer in Hungary, his employer will either arrange a work permit for him,or may ask the person to arrange a work permit based upon the offer letter.
Based upon the offer letter, you or your company apply for work permit and later on, the work permit helps you in getting a residence permit for gainful activity.
Hungarian Address Card
As a 3rd country national,or non-EEA citizen, if you get a residence permit for gainful activity,family re-unification,or as a student in Hungary, you also need to get an an address card.
Address card in Hungary is basically for registering your address,either you are on residence permit or have a National/EC residence permit.
Address card in Hungary is confused by multiple expats,since, Hungary has two kinds of address cards. Accommodation card, and Lakcim Kartya.
Hungarian Accommodation Card
Accommodation card in Hungary is given to workers,family members of workers,or students who are living in Hungary on residence permit. It is white in color and the data is filled manually before the immigration office can stamp this document.
The purpose of Hungarian accommodation card is to register your (temporary) address in Hungary. The permanent address in Hungary is only applicable once you get a permanent residence.
You have to apply for accommodation card, right after getting the residence permit. You can apply accommodation card only in Hungary, not in a foreign country.
Accommodation card in Hungary does not give any benefits to non-EEA nationals as expat in Hungary. They think it is an address card,whereas in reality, the white address card in Hungary is an accommodation or temporary residence card.
Hungarian Lakcim Kartya
Hungarian Lakcim kartya is the plastic address card,also used for registering your address in Hungary. It is pink in color. Lakcim Kartya is basically the address card for Hungarian nationals,EEA citizen or non-EEA citizen who got a permanent residence in Hungary.
Once you have the Lakcim Kartya as a non-EEA citizen in Hungary, your actual residence for Nationality starts. i.e. no matter you spend 30 years in Hungary on a simple work permit+white address card, you will not be eligible for Hungarian nationality as far as residence requirements are considered.
Either you visit a government office,tax office,or a bank, you have to show the lakcim kartya with your ID card (Passport or the green Hungarian ID card).
Hungarian ID Card
Hungarian ID card is a green plastic card which every Hungarian has. However, for non-EEA citizens, you have to apply for this card after getting a permanent residence card from the Hungarian Immigration office.
Hungarian ID card application has to be filed personally at the Government office called KormanyAblak. It can be applied together with the application of Lakcim Kartya once you have got the permanent residence card from the immigration office.
Also check do you have to carry ID in Hungary?
Hungarian Taj Card
Taj card in Hungary has its significance for the medical requirements. It is a social security card,which allows you to get free treatment in public hospitals and public clinics in Hungary.
Although for Hungarian citizens it has pretty easy set of requirements,whereas for non-EEA members in EU, it seems a bit difficult to obtain.
If you are on a job in Hungary, your employer should arrange for it, as the taxes deducted in your salary are also contributing to your TAJ card.
The challenge comes when a non-EEA citizen is working in Hungary and gets a TAJ card because of his job. On other hand, his non-working spouse(non-EEA citizen) and kids(non-EEA citizen) are not eligible for TAJ card on discounted terms.
In Hungary, if you are on family reunification visa being a family member for 3rd country national, you have to pay a huge amount of money to get a TAJ card for adults as well and kids. The amount is ridiculously high and not many can bear it.
Hungarian Tax Card
If you are in Hungary, you must make a Hungarian tax card and get a tax id. Either you are working,house wife or have kids going to school, you should get tax ids for all of them.
Tax card in Hungary can be applied in Tax offices called NAV offices. As Hungary has around 33% tax rates, the money is deduced against your tax id. Hence, you must ensure to have a tax id in Hungary.
