How the Hungary Guest Investor Program works
Hungary calls the route the residence permit for guest investors. It is available to eligible non-EEA nationals whose qualifying investment is treated as being in the national economic interest. The permit can last up to ten years and can be extended once for another ten years. See the immigration authority's current permit guidance.
Visa-required applicants generally start with a guest investor visa at a Hungarian consulate, enter Hungary and apply for the residence permit within 30 days of the first entry. Visa-exempt applicants can follow the lawful visa-free filing route. Everyone must appear in person for biometrics. The two entry paths are explained in the official visa guidance and guest investor FAQ.
This is residence by investment, not citizenship by investment. The permit allows residence and unrestricted work, and eligible relatives may use family reunification. It does not turn a low-stay investor into a permanent resident or citizen automatically.
Hungary Golden Visa investment options
The current official guidance lists two routes. The choice changes the amount, risk, recoverability and evidence required. Both are defined in the OIF permit factsheet.
| Minimum | Route | Capital profile | What must qualify |
|---|---|---|---|
| €250,000 | Real-estate fund units | Capital at risk; potentially recoverable | Acquire units issued by a real-estate fund registered by the Hungarian National Bank and block the units in a securities sub-account for at least five years. The fund manager and fund structure must meet the statutory conditions. |
| €1,000,000 | Higher-education donation | Non-recoverable donation | Donate to a higher-education institution maintained by a public trust with a public-service mission for education, scientific research or artistic creation. |
A direct property purchase does not qualify. The fund route gives you fund units, not title to a particular home. Old articles and application forms can still show a property option that is absent from the current official programme guidance.
What to check before subscribing to a fund
The immigration test is more than a €250,000 transfer. The units must come from a qualifying real-estate fund, be held through the required securities structure and be blocked for at least five years. The fund manager must meet the statutory experience and asset-management conditions, and at least 40% of the fund's net asset value must be invested in residential real estate in Hungary. These conditions come from the official permit guidance.
Immigration qualification
Obtain written confirmation covering the fund, manager, unit class, securities account and five-year blocking mechanics.
Conflicts and commissions
Ask every adviser to disclose placement, referral, management and performance fees and any commercial relationship with the promoter.
Asset and valuation risk
Review concentration, leverage, valuation policy, development exposure, liquidity and what happens if redemptions are suspended.
Exit after five years
The immigration holding period is not a promise of liquidity. Read redemption windows, notice periods, gates, charges and currency exposure.
Official manager-list snapshot · page dated 23 January 2025
The OIF qualified-market-operator page currently names two real-estate fund managers. Check the live official list before subscribing.
- 1. Sprint Asset Hungária Alapkezelő Zrt.
- 2. Gránit Alapkezelő Zrt.
This is a manager list, not a list of approved funds or unit classes. Inclusion is not a government guarantee of capital, returns, liquidity, suitability or the immigration eligibility of a particular product.
Five years is the block, not the renewal test. A fund-route applicant must hold the qualifying investment when applying for the ten-year extension. A donation-route applicant may extend without making a second donation. See the official extension conditions.
Hungary Guest Investor Program costs
The investment is only the starting line. Add the official application fees below, then price legal work, certified translations, document legalisation, securities and custody charges, fund entry and management fees, health cover and tax advice. Each family member has a separate immigration application.
| Official item | Current fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Guest investor visa | €110 | Paid for the consular visa application where required. |
| Permit filed in person in Hungary | HUF 39,000 | Official procedural fee per application. |
| Permit filed through Enter Hungary | HUF 26,000 | Official procedural fee per application. |
| Permit extension | HUF 26,000 | Official procedural fee per application. |
Official fees checked 23 September 2026. Verify the live OIF fee page before filing.
Build an all-in budget
| Budget line | Basis | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying capital | €250,000 fund units or a €1 million donation | The fund capital remains exposed to investment risk; the donation is not recoverable. |
| Government applications | Per applicant | Visa and permit fees apply separately, and every qualifying family member has their own application. |
| Legal and document work | Quote required | Ask for dependants, translations, legalisation, investment review, filing, deficiency replies and renewals to be itemised. |
| Fund and custody charges | Product-specific | Check subscription, management, performance, securities-account, custody, redemption and exit charges. |
| Tax and cross-border advice | Fact-specific | Price advice in Hungary and every country that may tax the applicant, fund distributions or gains. |
Application process and realistic timing
The correct route depends first on whether the applicant may enter Hungary without a visa. The residence-permit filing itself happens in Hungary, and biometrics always require an in-person appearance.
| Applicant | Entry route | Permit filing | Investment proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-required applicant | Apply for the guest investor visa through the competent Hungarian consulate, then enter Hungary. | Apply for the residence permit in Hungary no later than day 30 after the first entry made with that visa. | If the investment was promised at visa stage, complete it within three months after visa issuance. OIF's FAQ says to certify it through Enter Hungary within three months after entry; its permit factsheet says proof is due during the visa's validity. Use the earlier deadline unless OIF confirms otherwise for your case. |
| Visa-exempt applicant | Enter Hungary lawfully without a visa. A guest investor visa is not required solely to start this route. | Apply within 30 days of the first legal visa-free entry. A visa-exempt person already holding a Hungarian permit may apply during lawful stay after completing the investment. | The permit guidance allows up to six months from first legal entry to provide the investment evidence, subject to the facts and filing route. |
A holder of another Hungarian permit cannot assume an in-country switch is available. The official guidance says a non-visa-exempt permit holder must first apply abroad for a guest investor visa.
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01
Test eligibility before choosing a product
Confirm third-country-national eligibility, immigration history, family plan, source of funds and whether the proposed investment fits the current statute.
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02
Decide whether to appoint independent Hungarian counsel
A lawyer is not a programme condition. If you appoint one, ask who promotes the investment, who receives fees and who independently checks the fund, manager, subscription and exit terms.
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03
Prepare the visa and funds evidence
Compile identity, accommodation, health-cover, subsistence, onward-travel and lawful-source evidence. Visa-required applicants normally apply through a Hungarian consulate.
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04
Enter Hungary and file on time
The guest investor visa is valid for up to six months. The residence-permit application must be filed in Hungary no later than day 30 after the first qualifying entry.
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05
Complete and prove the investment
Submit the manager, securities-account or recipient certificate that proves the statutory investment. Do not rely on a sales brochure as evidence of legal qualification.
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06
Attend biometrics and respond
An in-person appearance for fingerprints and a facial image is compulsory, including where the application begins through Enter Hungary. Answer any deficiency request within its deadline.
The official residence-permit administration period is 21 days. It excludes time allowed to prove completion of the investment, correct deficiencies or complete other procedural steps, so it should not be sold as a 21-day end-to-end approval. Visa, appointment, banking, fund subscription and document lead times sit outside that clock. The exclusions are stated in the OIF permit factsheet; OIF does not publish a dependable end-to-end average.
Deadlines that control the application
Within 30 days of first entry
Submit the guest investor residence-permit application in Hungary.
Within 3 months of visa issuance
Complete an investment that was declared as a future investment in the visa application.
Within 3 months of entry
OIF's FAQ says to certify completion of the declared investment through Enter Hungary by this point.
At least 5 years
Keep qualifying fund units in the prescribed blocked securities sub-account.
Within 5 days of a change
Report a change in the investment-verification information through Enter Hungary.
At least 30 days before expiry
Submit the extension application in Hungary through Enter Hungary.
Deadline wording checked against the OIF guest investor FAQ and permit guidance on 23 September 2026.
The official proof deadlines are not worded identically. OIF's FAQ says a promised investment must be certified within three months after entry, while the current permit factsheet says proof can be supplied during the guest investor visa's validity. Completing the investment within three months after visa issuance and using the earlier proof deadline avoids relying on the more generous wording.
Document and source-of-funds checklist
The visa and permit stages do not use one identical checklist. Healthcare and subsistence evidence sit primarily at the guest-investor visa stage; the later permit filing focuses on the investment, accommodation, passport and biometrics. OIF can ask for additional evidence in an individual case.
Identity and status
Valid passport, application form, required photograph and evidence of the lawful entry or guest investor visa used for the filing.
Investment and source of funds
The route-specific fund or donation evidence, available-funds records where the investment is planned, and documents showing the money's lawful origin.
Hungarian accommodation
A lease, courtesy-accommodation document, property-ownership evidence, or a paid accommodation reservation.
Healthcare
Comprehensive health-insurance evidence or proof that sufficient funds are available to cover healthcare costs.
Subsistence and onward travel
Evidence of means to support the stay and a valid passport or other evidence covering return or onward travel.
Translations
The OIF FAQ requires an authentic Hungarian translation by Hungary's Office for Translation and Attestation (OFFI) for foreign documents issued in a language other than English. English-language documents fall outside that stated translation rule, although the authority may request clarification or further evidence.
OIF does not state a universal police-clearance requirement, apostille rule or fixed 30/60/90-day freshness rule in the reviewed guest-investor checklists. Do not impose one without checking the applicant's documents and filing post. See the official visa checklist and translation guidance.
Residence, family, work and tax
No permit minimum stay
The current programme has no mandatory minimum stay, including at extension. Travel-document and lawful-entry rules still apply.
Work rights
The permit allows unrestricted employment and independent remunerated activity in Hungary.
Family reunification
Eligible family members use separate family-reunification applications, can receive permits tied to the sponsor's term and may work without restriction under the guest-investor rules.
Separate long-term status
A national residence card generally requires three years of lawful, uninterrupted residence; an EU residence card generally requires five years. Both have further conditions, including a cultural-knowledge requirement.
The no-minimum-stay and work rules are stated in the official guest investor FAQ and permit guidance.
Permanent residence and citizenship require actual residence
The absence of a minimum stay for the guest investor permit does not remove the residence tests for a later status. OIF says a national residence card generally requires at least three years of lawful, uninterrupted residence in Hungary, while an EU residence card generally requires five years of lawful residence. Housing, subsistence, healthcare, security and Hungarian cultural-knowledge conditions also apply. The ordinary rule in the Hungarian Citizenship Act requires eight years of continuous residence, a clean record, means and accommodation, no public-safety or national-security bar, and a Hungarian-language civics test unless an exemption applies. Anyone planning to live mainly outside Hungary should treat permanent residence and citizenship as separate goals, not automatic programme benefits.
Which family members may qualify
- A spouse, including a registered partner recognised under the applicable Hungarian rules
- Minor children, including adopted and foster children
- Dependent minor children of the sponsor or spouse where the relevant parent has custody
- A dependent parent of the sponsor or the sponsor's spouse
- A sibling or ascendant relative of the sponsor or spouse who cannot support themselves because of their health
Family applications may begin in parallel, but the family-reunification right does not arise until the principal receives the guest investor permit. A visa-required relative cannot file the family application from inside Hungary; visa-exempt relatives may generally apply during lawful visa-free stay. Each relative files separately and proves the relationship, accommodation, finances, healthcare and travel conditions. A linked permit can last up to ten years, but not beyond the relative's passport or the sponsor's permit. See the official family-reunification guidance.
Schengen travel is limited to visits
A valid Hungarian residence permit and travel document allow visits to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, subject to normal entry conditions. The permit does not give a right to live or work in another Schengen country; longer stays or local employment normally require that country's permission. The European Commission explains the rule in its EU Immigration Portal.
Immigration residence and tax residence are different. The lack of a minimum stay does not decide where you are tax resident, how fund income or gains are taxed, or whether a move changes estate and reporting obligations. Get cross-border tax advice for the countries that can tax you before subscribing.
Choosing a Hungary Guest Investor lawyer
Use counsel who will test the investment before you subscribe and who can explain every commercial relationship in writing. The same firm can coordinate immigration and investment documents, but it should state clearly whether it represents you, the fund, the promoter or more than one party.
- Named Hungarian lawyer and current bar details
- Written opinion on the exact fund and unit class
- Disclosure of referral and distribution payments
- Itemised family, filing and renewal scope
- Clear ownership of deadlines and deficiency replies
- Separate tax and investment advice where required
Hungary Guest Investor Program FAQs
Is the Hungary Golden Visa open in 2026?
Yes. Hungary's official guest investor route currently provides two qualifying options: at least €250,000 in eligible real-estate fund units or a €1 million qualifying higher-education donation. Direct residential-property purchase is not a current qualifying route.
How much is the Hungary Guest Investor Program?
The lowest statutory investment is €250,000 in qualifying real-estate fund units, held in a blocked securities sub-account for at least five years. The donation route is €1 million. Budget separately for government fees, legal work, translations, banking, custody and fund charges.
Can I qualify by buying a home in Hungary?
No. A home purchase is not one of the current qualifying investments. The €250,000 route uses units in a qualifying real-estate fund; it is not the same as buying and owning a specific apartment or house.
How long is the guest investor residence permit valid?
The residence permit can be valid for up to ten years and can be extended once for up to another ten years for the same purpose, subject to the extension conditions and a valid investment where required.
Must I live in Hungary to keep or renew the permit?
The immigration authority's current FAQ states that the guest investor permit has no mandatory minimum stay, including at extension. That does not make you tax resident, permanently resident or eligible for citizenship by itself; those questions use separate tests.
Can a Hungary guest investor work?
Yes. The immigration authority says a guest investor permit holder may work in Hungary without restriction and may conduct independent remunerated activity or act as a company executive.
Can family members be included?
Yes. The official categories include a spouse or recognised registered partner, minor children, certain dependent minor children, dependent parents, and a sibling or ascendant relative unable to support themselves because of their health. Each relative files separately, and a visa-required relative cannot submit the family application from inside Hungary.
When must the investment be completed?
If you declared a future investment at the guest-investor visa stage, complete it within three months after the visa is issued. OIF's FAQ says to certify it through Enter Hungary within three months after entry, while the current permit factsheet gives the visa-validity period for proof. Use the earlier deadline unless OIF confirms otherwise. The residence-permit application itself is due no later than day 30 after the first qualifying entry.
Is the filing deadline 30 days or 93 days after entry?
30 days. OIF's guest investor permit factsheet says the application must be submitted within 30 days of the first legal entry into Hungary, whether you enter on the guest investor visa or visa-free (checked 27 Sep 2026). Some other sites quote about 93 days; that roughly matches the separate three-month window in OIF's FAQ for completing and certifying a declared investment, not the permit-filing deadline. A visa-exempt person who already holds a Hungarian residence permit can apply at any time during lawful stay.
Which Hungary Golden Visa funds are approved?
The immigration authority publishes a qualified-market list of fund managers, not a list of government-approved funds. Its page dated 23 January 2025 names Sprint Asset Hungária Alapkezelő Zrt. and Gránit Alapkezelő Zrt. The exact fund, unit class, securities account and holding structure still need independent verification.
Can I travel through the Schengen Area?
A valid Hungarian residence permit and travel document normally allow visits to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, subject to ordinary entry conditions. The permit does not grant a right to live or work in another Schengen country.
Does the Hungary Golden Visa guarantee permanent residence or citizenship?
No. It is a temporary residence permit. A national residence card generally requires at least three years of lawful, uninterrupted residence in Hungary, while an EU residence card generally requires five years of lawful residence; further conditions apply. Ordinary naturalisation generally requires eight years of continuous residence plus a clean record, subsistence and accommodation, no public-safety or national-security bar, and a Hungarian-language civics test or exemption. A low-stay investor should not treat the permit alone as a passport route.
How fast is the application?
The official administrative period for the residence-permit decision is 21 days, but that is not a guaranteed end-to-end timeline. Time waiting for investment proof, missing documents and other procedural steps is excluded, and visa preparation and appointment timing come before it.
Official sources and review note
This page is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Programme rules, fees, eligible products and administrative practice can change. Check the current official material and obtain advice for your facts before investing. Last reviewed 23 September 2026.