General information

Regulations on a stay exceeding 90 days fall within the competence of national authorities, therefore there is no uniform procedure among the Schengen Member States. Foreign nationals requesting entry to Hungary with a purpose of a long stay may submit a residence permit application at a Hungarian Consulate operating in the country of residence.  The General-Directorate for Aliens Policing of Hungary makes a decision in residence permit applications.

In the case of a successful application, the applicant will receive a single entry visa valid for 3 months and entitling the applicant to stay in Hungary for 30 days, where the request for the issuance of the residence permit could be lodged at the local unit of the General-Directorate for Aliens Policing. 

The entry visa entitling its holder to receive a residence permit shall be issued by the competent consulate officer.

Please note that if you do not enter the territory of Hungary within 3 months from the date of approval of the issuance of your residence permit and do not start your approved residence, the approved residence permit becomes invalid and the approval of your accrued right of entry and residence ceases.

A valid residence permit from one of the Schengen countries can be used as a short stay visa within the Schengen Area. 
Family members of EU/EEA nationals with the right of free movement may enter Hungary with a short-stay uniform visa (C), even if they intend to stay in Hungary for more than 90 days. In such cases, within 93 days from the date of entry, the family member shall apply for a residence card at the regional office of the Directorate-General for Aliens Policing. 

Third-country nationals who are exempted from visa requirements (listed in Annex II of (EU) 2018/1806 Regulation) might lodge their applications for a residence permit in Hungary, directly at the regional Directorate for Aliens Policing in Hungary. 

Please check the requirements for the residence permit application at the webpage of the Directorate-General for Aliens Policing: 
http://oif.gov.hu/index.php?lang=en

Third-country nationals can apply for a residence permit at the Hungarian Consulate in Warsaw (generally in Poland) if they have a valid Polish D type visa or Polish residence permit.

Residence permit application can only be submitted by appointment booked via e-mail.

It is important to note that residence permit application can only be submitted at the Embassy of Hungary in person followed by an interview. No application can be submitted by third persons.

If the applicant does not speak Hungarian/English/Polish, an interpreter is required. The interpreter must be provided by the applicant.

General requirements:

  • Personal appearance due to biometric (fingerprint) enrollment;
  • Completed and signed application form and Appendix;
  • 1 passport photo (white background) -  not older than 6 months;
  • Valid passport (NOTE: the passport shall contain at least two blank pages, issued within 10 years before the submission of the visa application and it’s validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen area);
  • Valid Polish D type visa or valid Polish residence permit card
  • supporting documents of the purpose of stay;
  • justification of the permit of return or further travel;
  • supporting documents of the accommodation;
  • the documents certifying subsistence in Hungary;
  • health insurance.

The fee for the residence permit application is 110 EUR.  Payment is possible by credit card only.

Appeal procedure

In case of refusal, applicants may appeal within 8 calendar days (indluding the day of delivery). Appeals should be submitted to the Embassy of Hungary in Warsaw or directly to the Hungarian immigration authority.

Appeal submissions are by appointment only. Appeals must be submitted in person either by the applicant or by the representative with a valid power of attorney from the applicant.

Please note that appeals cannot be based on information of which the client had been aware of before the decision was made. The appeal must be reasoned.  The appeal should be lodged in written duly signed by the applicant or by the person who has a power of attorney.

The fee for the appeal is 160 EUR. The fee for the appeal procedure must be paid at the time of submitting the appeal by card. The fee for the appeal procedure will not be reimbursed in any case.