As a part of the European Union (EU) and Schengen Area, Hungary is an attractive location for international companies and talent. However, if your company is planning to open a new location in Hungary, you’ll need to understand all the relevant regulations and laws surrounding work visas and permits before building your team.
Types of work visas in Hungary
All non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss citizens must have a residence and work permit to live and work in Hungary. Employers act as the sponsor of the application and are responsible for the majority of the process, including providing documents to the immigration authorities. Some of the permit options include:
- Residence permit for employment purposes: This permit allows the applicant to establish an employment relationship with an employer in Hungary and reside in the country for up to 3 years, with possibility to extension. The Hungarian Card and the EU Blue card are types of residence permits for employment purposes, specifically designed for highly skilled employees.
- Guest worker permit: Starting November 2023, third-country nationals can stay in Hungary for up to 2 years with the option to extend it for 1 additional year. Only certain employers hiring for specific positions qualify for guest worker permits. These permits apply to guest workers in jobs requiring no qualifications or those with primary or secondary qualifications, for individuals staying in Hungary as employees.
Requirements to obtain Hungary work visas
Companies must obtain work permits on behalf of all non-EU/EEA/Swiss employees.
The following process will need to be followed:
- Job advertisement: First, companies must advertise the job vacancy at the Hungarian Labor Office for 15 days. This period allows unemployed Hungarian nationals, as well as EEA or Swiss nationals, to apply for the position.
- Manpower request: After the advertisement period, employers should submit a valid manpower request to the regional branch of the labor center.
- Quotas and limits: Hungary does have quotas for international employees. The quota is based on the average monthly workplace demand reported in the previous year.
From there, companies can follow the general or simplified procedure. The labor center will make a final decision on the work permit within 10 to 30 days.
Application process
Every Hungary working visa has a different application process. For example, some employees may be eligible for an EU Blue Card. They’ll need to:
- Have a valid travel document
- Certify the purpose of their entry and exit
- Meet the legal employment conditions
- Have full-coverage health insurance
- Report a valid address for their stay in Hungary
The application procedure involves submitting a valid passport, biometric data, an application, and the documents above. After approving the EU Blue Card, the regional directorate will grant permission to issue a residence permit visa and notify the Consular Officers.
Other important considerations
If you want to employ European Economic Area (EEA) citizens, remember that you don’t need to create an employment arrangement or acquire work permits. However, you must notify the Labor Center about employment and provide certain data, including the number of people employed along with their age, citizenship, qualifications, and more. The Hungarian Employment Center will verify the notification, which you should keep 3 years after terminating the employee.
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At this moment, G-P does not offer support processing work visas or permits in this particular location.
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