Residence in Hungary through investment: a guide to the Golden Visa

From 2024, Hungary has launched a “golden visa” program for investors. It provides an opportunity to move to the country with your family, open a business and obtain a residence permit for a period of 10 years.

What is a golden visa to Hungary and how to get it in 2025

Golden visa to Hungary is a residence permit within the European Union, which can be obtained for investment. The acceptance of applications from investors started in July 2024; the residence permit is granted for investments from 250,000 € at once for 10 years. The conditions of the new investor program were defined in the bill of November 14, 2023 “On the General Rules for the Entry and Residence of Third Country Nationals in the Republic of Hungary” No. T/6079; 1OACQV2B0001.

Investment options under the golden visa program to Hungary:

1. Purchase of investment fund units – from €250,000. The fund must be registered with the Hungarian State Security Office and at least 40% of its assets must be allocated to residential real estate in the country.
2. Donation to public funds – from €1,000,000. An investor can contribute to foundations supporting higher education institutions to promote scientific research or artistic creation.

Hungary already offered Golden Visas a few years ago. Under the previous program, which was in effect from 2013 to 2017, a 5-year residence permit was granted for investments in real estate or government bonds. The minimum investment amount was €250,000, then increased to €300,000. During the life of the program, the authorities received 6621 applications from investors, of which 4794 were approved and 1827 rejected. The program was closed after reports of possible corruption and insufficient vetting of applicants.

7 advantages of residence permit in Hungary through investments

1. Visa-free travel in Europe. The Hungarian resident status opens up the possibility to travel to Schengen countries, as well as to countries that have authorized entry for Hungarian residents, such as Cyprus and Switzerland.
2. You can stay in each country for up to 90 days per six-month period.
   Attractive real estate market. House prices in Hungary are significantly lower – by about 20% – than in London or Paris. In Budapest and its surroundings you can buy both modern apartments and housing in historic buildings.
3. The possibility of long-term residence for the whole family. Golden visa can be issued for all family members, including spouses, children under 25 and parents. After obtaining a residence permit you can live in the country for up to 10 years with the possibility of extension for the same period.
4. Access to public health care. Residents can use local medical facilities that offer preventive health care, immunizations, and regular checkups. Most medical services are free of charge or for a small fee.
5. Low cost of living. The standard of living in Hungary is significantly lower than in other European countries. According to Eurostat, the price index in Hungary is 32% lower than in Germany, France or Italy.
6. Opportunity to start a business. With a residence permit you can start your own business or get a job in a Hungarian company. Income tax in the country is only 9%, which is the lowest rate among EU countries.
7. Minimum requirements for investors. There is no need to take language tests or provide medical certificates to obtain a golden visa. In addition, investors are not required to stay in the country permanently, while holders of ordinary residence permits cannot leave Hungary for more than three consecutive months.

If you are interested in obtaining a golden visa to Hungary, contact IST Hungary for more information and assistance!

Preparatory stage: obtaining a visitor visa for investors

The process of obtaining a golden visa is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the applicant receives an investor visitor visa valid for up to 6 months. This visa allows entering Hungary, making the necessary investments and applying for a residence permit.

Requirements for applicants for a visitor visa for investors:

1. Age from 18 years.
2. Possession of a valid passport.
3. Health insurance or sufficient funds to cover possible medical expenses.
4. No criminal record.
5. Proof of sufficient funds to cover travel and living expenses in Hungary.
6. Documents confirming the legality of the source of funds for investment.
7. Availability of an account in a foreign bank – for citizens of Russia and Belarus.
8. Absence of a ban on entry and stay in Hungary.
9. Clean migration history without visa violations.
10. The applicant must not be a citizen of the European Union or the European Economic Area.

A spouse, children under the age of 25, and parents may be included in the application. Children over the age of 18 can be added if they are in higher education, unmarried and financially dependent on the investor. Parents must also be financially dependent on the investor or have a sole source of income in the form of a pension.

Applications from citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine are accepted only if they have a second citizenship.

Steps to obtain a golden visa to Hungary

1. Prepare a written intention to invest. According to the legislation, an investor’s entry and stay in Hungary must be in the economic interest of the country. Therefore, investors must provide written confirmation of their intention to invest under this program.
2. Collect the necessary documents. The basic package of documents for obtaining a residence permit in Hungary includes:

• A copy of your passport.
• Photographs.
• Medical insurance.
• Investor’s resume – brief biography and professional experience.
• Bank statement confirming the availability of sufficient funds for investment.
• Statement of account movements for the last six months.
• If relatives are included in the application, proof of relationship such as birth, adoption or marriage certificates must be provided.

3. Fulfill the investment condition. Within 3 months after the first entry to Hungary on a visitor visa, the investor must purchase units of an investment fund or make a donation to a selected university.

After the investment is successfully credited, the applicant receives a golden visa for a period of 10 years. If the investment is maintained, the status can be extended for another 10 years – but only once.

Steps in obtaining a golden visa for investors in Hungary

The process of applying for a residence permit in Hungary through investment takes approximately 5 months. However, this period may vary depending on the speed of preparation of documents by the investor, fulfillment of the investment condition, and the workload of the Hungarian consulate and migration service.

1. Verification of compliance with program conditions
   1 day

IST Hungary’s compliance specialists assess whether the potential investor meets the program requirements. At this stage, the lawyers identify possible problems and make recommendations on how to remedy them. Thanks to this preliminary check, the probability of application approval increases to 99%. For verification, it is sufficient to provide a copy of your passport.

2. Obtaining a visitor visa for investors
   1.5 months

IST Hungary lawyers prepare an individual list of necessary documents for the investor. Once all documents are collected, we assist with their translation into Hungarian, notarization, apostille and legalization. The application for a visitor visa is submitted to the Hungarian consulate in the country of citizenship or residence. The visitor visa is valid for up to 6 months, during which time the investor needs to come to Hungary and fulfill the investment condition.

3. Fulfillment of investment condition
   Up to 3 months

The investor must complete the purchase of investment fund units or make a donation to an educational institution within 93 calendar days of first entering Hungary on a visitor visa. In order to purchase a property required for registration in Hungary, a foreigner should contact a local lawyer, as only they can register the purchase contract, obtain a purchase permit and execute the documents at the Land Committee. IST Hungary accompanies investors at all stages – from choosing an investment option to obtaining a golden visa. Specialists from the real estate department will help to find an object for rent or purchase and organize the transaction.

4. Applying for a residence permit
   1 day

After fulfilling the investment condition, the investor submits an application to the competent migration authority in Hungary or online. After the application is approved, the investor and his/her family members will be invited to be fingerprinted and photographed.

5. Obtaining a residence permit card
   About 30 days

Residence cards for the investor and his/her family will be produced and mailed to the specified address in Hungary. It usually takes between 21 and 30 days to process a residence permit application and another 7 days to produce the resident card. Golden visa to Hungary is issued for a period of up to 10 years, after which the residence permit can be extended provided the investment is maintained. Staying in the country on a permanent basis is not required.

Costs of obtaining a residence permit in Hungary

When applying for a residence permit in Hungary, it is important to consider not only investment costs but also additional costs.

Fees and commissions. The administrative fee for the purchase of investment fund units is:

• 65,000 € – for families of four if the applicants are only spouses and children under 18 years of age;
• 10,000 € – for each family member starting with the fifth applicant;
• 15,000 € for a child over 18 years of age.

The fund’s commission for the purchase of units is 5000 €.

Purchase of real estate. The state duty is 4% of the value of the property. For properties with a value exceeding 2.6 million €, the rate is 2%. The tax must be paid within 90 days after the completion of the transaction.

When purchasing a new building, the investor also pays VAT, which is usually included in the price of the property – 5%.

Administrative fees range from 280 €. This category includes the real estate purchase permit, cadastral registry extract, landlord’s passport and document fees.

Legal costs are usually up to 5% of the transaction price, including realtor and notary fees.

Obtaining residence permit and citizenship after Golden visa

After three years of residence in Hungary, the investor can apply for a permanent residence permit and after eight years for Hungarian citizenship.

A resident with a permanent residence permit in Hungary has the same rights as Hungarian citizens, except for the right to vote and stand for election. The permanent residence permit status is indefinite, but it can be revoked if the resident does not reside in Hungary for more than two years.

To obtain Hungarian citizenship, one must reside in the country as a permanent resident for eight years and pass a language test.

Hungarian citizens have the right to live, study and work in any country of the European Union, as well as in Norway, Sweden, Liechtenstein and Iceland. Hungarian laws allow dual citizenship, so foreigners can retain their first citizenship.

The main thing about obtaining a Golden Visa to Hungary

1. A golden visa to Hungary can be obtained through the purchase of units of local investment funds or support of higher education institutions in the country.
2. Spouse, children under 25 years of age and parents may be included in the application. Adult children and parents must be dependent on the investor.
3. To enter the country, the applicant first obtains a visitor visa for investors.
4. The investment must be made within three months after first entering Hungary on a visitor visa.
5. A residence permit for investment is granted for up to 10 years and can be extended for a similar period of time, provided the investment is maintained. Adult children are granted a residence permit for three years, renewable for another three years.

IST Hungary is a licensed agent for citizenship by investment programs in the EU and the Caribbean. Ready to start your path to a new citizenship? Schedule a meeting with our investment program experts.

Frequently Asked Questions