Hungary pairs the EU’s lowest corporate tax (9%) with a flat 15% income tax and a capital that looks like a film set. The paperwork is famously thorough, though. This guide is about getting through it: permits, registrations, the bank, the flat and your first 90 days.
It’s general information as of September 2026, not advice. For the tax detail (corporate tax, KIVA, dividend taxation, the planned wealth tax) see our Hungary country guide.
Which permit fits you#
| Route | Who it’s for | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens | Apply if you stay more than 90 days, online via Enter Hungary or in person; fee HUF 1,000 (as of 2026); plus an address card from the government office |
| White Card | Non-EU remote workers employed abroad or owning a foreign company | At least €3,000 net a month for the six months before entry; one year, renewable once; no Hungarian employer or company shares |
| Guest Investor residence permit | Non-EU investors | At least €250,000 in a Hungarian real estate investment fund, held for at least five years, or a €1 million donation to a university foundation; up to ten years, renewable, no minimum stay |
| Guest self-employment | Non-EU owners and managers of a Hungarian business | A real business, typically with local staff or a clear need for your presence; usually a lawyer’s job |
| Work permit (single permit) | Non-EU employees of Hungarian companies | Job offer and employer-led procedure |
EU citizens have it easiest: register, get the address card, and you can live and work freely.
Non-EU founders often look at the White Card first and discover it forbids exactly what they want: owning a Hungarian company. If you want to run a Hungarian Kft from Budapest, look at guest self-employment or the Guest Investor permit. Our digital nomad visa guide compares Hungary with other programmes.
Your first 90 days#
From boarding pass to tax resident
Before you go: pick the route and the city
Decide how you’ll qualify (registration, White Card, investor, company). Budapest for business, the airport and international schools. Debrecen and Szeged for university towns at lower rents. Lake Balaton for summer and a very quiet winter. If you’re leaving Germany, work through our leaving Germany checklist first.
Before you go: paperwork and translations
Collect apostilled certificates and, for non-EU permits, a criminal record extract and proof of income. Hungarian authorities often want certified Hungarian translations. Book a short-let for your first month so you can view flats in person.
Week 1: flat and address
Sign a written lease in your own name, and ask the landlord for the accommodation certificate the immigration authority requires. Without the landlord’s cooperation you can’t register the address.
Week 1: mobile and internet
Magyar Telekom, Yettel and One cover the country. Home fibre in Budapest is fast and good value.
Month 1: registration certificate and address card
EU citizens staying more than 90 days apply for the registration certificate through the Enter Hungary portal or in person at the immigration authority (OIF). The fee is HUF 1,000. You then get an address card (lakcímkártya) from a government office; first-time issuance costs HUF 5,700. Non-EU applicants file their permit through Enter Hungary.
Month 1: tax ID and TAJ number
Apply for your tax ID (adóazonosító jel) at NAV with form T34, in person, by post or online. Your employer can’t pay your first salary without it. The TAJ number (social security) comes from the government office once you’re insured.
Month 1: health insurance
Employees are insured through payroll. Self-employed people and managing directors paying their own contributions are covered too. Everyone else can sign a voluntary agreement with the health insurance fund (NEAK), which costs a monthly fee tied to the minimum wage, or buy private cover. White Card holders need private insurance.
Month 1 to 3: bank account
OTP, K&H, Raiffeisen, Erste and others will ask for your passport, address card, tax ID, source of funds and a clear story. A forint account for rent and bills plus a euro account for income is the usual setup. Keep your old EU account and an e-money account running meanwhile; see offshore banking.
Month 3: day log and old-country exit
Start a day log from day one; our day tracker does it for you. De-register in your old country and make sure your old home doesn’t keep you tax resident there.
Month 3: driving licence
EU licences stay valid. Licences from Vienna Convention countries work for one year from the start of your residence and can then be exchanged without a test at a government office. Other licences usually need at least a theory test.
After year-end: tax residency certificate
Your old country will want proof. Request a certificate of residence from NAV once you meet the Hungarian residency test; bring your address card, lease and evidence of where you live and work.
Finding a flat#
Rents are our estimate as of September 2026 for long-term, furnished flats in decent areas, converted from typical forint asking prices. They are not official statistics; districts V, VI and XIII in Budapest sit at the top of the ranges.
| City | 1-bedroom | 2–3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest | €550–850 | €800–1,400 |
| Debrecen | €350–550 | €500–800 |
| Szeged | €350–550 | €500–800 |
Most leases are priced and paid in forints. If your income is in euros, a weaker forint makes your rent cheaper and a stronger one makes it dearer.
- Deposit. Typically two to three months’ rent. Agree the return terms in writing.
- Agents. Many listings go through agents. Ask up front whether you or the landlord pays the fee.
- Utilities. Heating (often gas or district heating) and “common costs” for the building are usually on top of rent. Ask for last winter’s bills.
- Registration. Make sure the landlord will sign the accommodation certificate. Some prefer not to, for tax reasons. Walk away.
What it costs per month#
Estimate as of September 2026, based on our own research and typical asking prices; not official statistics. Single in a 1-bedroom, couple in a 2-bedroom.
| Item | Single | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (Budapest) | €550–850 | €800–1,250 |
| Utilities (heating, electricity, water, common costs) | €100–220 | €140–300 |
| Mobile and internet | €30–50 | €45–70 |
| Groceries | €300–450 | €550–800 |
| Health insurance (private or voluntary, if not employed) | €50–150 | €100–300 |
| Transport | €40–150 | €80–250 |
| Eating out and other | €250–500 | €400–850 |
| Total, Budapest | €1,320–2,370 | €2,115–3,820 |
| Total, Debrecen or Szeged | €1,120–2,070 | €1,815–3,370 |
The cheaper-city total swaps in the lower rents from the flat table and leaves the rest roughly the same. VAT is 27%, the EU’s highest, so everyday prices feel less “Eastern European” than rents suggest.
Documents to bring#
What goes in the folder
Tick them off – your progress is saved in this browser only.
Valid for the whole period you apply for. Non-EU applicants need a passport and the right visa or visa-free entry.
Birth and marriage certificates, children’s birth certificates, with certified Hungarian translations where required.
Required for most non-EU permits.
Employment contract, client contracts, company documents. For the White Card, six months of income of at least €3,000 net a month.
For the Guest Investor permit: the fund certificate or donation documents.
Private cover until you’re insured in Hungary, including family members.
Banks will ask where your money comes from. Tax returns, sale contracts and payslips save weeks.
Plus a certified Hungarian translation for the exchange.
Needed for registration, the address card, the bank and later your tax residency.
Common traps#
Where moves to Hungary go wrong
Using the White Card to run a Hungarian company.
White Card holders may not work for a Hungarian employer or own shares in a Hungarian company. There’s no family reunification and no path to permanent residence. It’s a two-year remote-work permit, nothing more.
Treating the Guest Investor permit as a tax plan.
It gives residence without a minimum stay, not tax residency. The fund investment must be held for at least five years.
Skipping the address card.
The registration certificate alone isn’t enough; banks, NAV and the government office want the lakcímkártya.
No tax ID before the first payday.
Employers can’t legally pay you without it. File T34 in week one if you’re starting a job.
Forgetting the dividend surcharge.
Dividends to Hungarian residents carry 15% income tax plus 13% social contribution tax up to an annual cap. Plan the payout, not just the 9% corporate tax.
Ignoring forint risk.
Rent, bills and taxes in HUF, income in EUR. Keep a buffer.
Taxes and days#
You’re Hungarian tax resident with 183 days a year, or earlier if your only permanent home or centre of vital interests is in Hungary. Income tax is a flat 15%. Our tax residency guide explains how that interacts with your old country and its treaty. Running a company? Read company abroad on where it’s managed from.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Want your move and your company set up to work together? Book a strategy session, or compare Hungary with other options in the Jurisdiction Finder.
FAQ#
Do EU citizens need a visa to move to Hungary?
No. If you stay more than 90 days, apply for a registration certificate (online via Enter Hungary or in person, HUF 1,000) and then get an address card from a government office.
Can I own a Hungarian company on a White Card?
No. White Card holders may not own shares in a Hungarian company or work for a Hungarian employer. Founders need a different permit, such as guest self-employment or the Guest Investor permit.
How do I get a Hungarian tax ID?
File form T34 with NAV, in person, by post or online through the client gateway. In person you usually get the number on the spot; the tax card follows by post.
Can I join the public health system?
Yes, if you’re employed or pay contributions as self-employed or managing director. Otherwise you can sign a voluntary agreement with NEAK for a monthly fee, or use private insurance.
How do I prove Hungarian tax residency to my old country?
Request a certificate of residence from NAV once you meet the residency test, with your address card, lease and evidence of your life in Hungary.
Can I drive with my foreign licence?
EU licences stay valid. Licences from Vienna Convention countries work for one year from the start of residence and can then be exchanged without a test. Other licences usually require a theory test.
Sources#
- Immigration authority (OIF) – Registration certificate for EEA nationals
- Immigration authority (OIF) – White Card for digital nomads
- Immigration authority (OIF) – Residence permit for guest investors
- Immigration authority (OIF) – Residence permit for guest self-employment
- NAV – General information for foreign citizens (tax ID, T34)
- NAV – How to apply for a tax card
- NAV – Double taxation treaties
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Hungary, other taxes (social contribution tax)
- Your Europe – Registering residence abroad
