ELIGIBILITY
An EU Blue Card may be given to a third-country national if:
- he/she has a valid travel document;
- he/she is able to verify the purpose of his/her entry and stay;
- he/she is not subject to expulsion or exclusion, and is not considered to represent a threat affecting public policy, public security, national security, or public health of Hungary;
- a SIS alert has not been issued for the purposes of refusing his/her entry and residence; and
- he/she is not subject to any grounds for exclusion provided for by law;
- his/her employment is justified in line with specific guidelines laid down by the relevant legislation, or on grounds of domestic employment policy considerations;
- he/she has full healthcare insurance or applied for coverage for healthcare services with respect to all periods when his/her employment relationship carries no insurance; and
- he/she has notified the address of his/her accommodation in the territory of Hungary.
An application for EU Blue Card may be submitted in Hungary:
by third-country nationals who are in possession of a valid residence permit for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship during the period of validity of such permit.
A third-country national holding a residence permit issued by any Member State of the European Union for the purpose of highly qualified employment shall be issued a EU Blue Card:
- after eighteen months of legal residence in the Member State having issued the EU Blue Card, and
- if able to meet the above-specified requirements for receiving an EU Blue Card.
An EU Blue Card may not be issued:
- to any third-country national who has applied for refugee status to the refugee authority, or who requested any subsidiary form of protection or temporary protection from the refugee authority;
- to any person who has been granted refugee status, or any subsidiary form of protection or temporary protection in Hungary;
- to exiles;
- to a third-country national holding a residence permit for the purpose of research;
- to any person authorised under specific other legislation to exercise the right of free movement and residence;
- to any third-country national holding an EC permanent residence permit certifying long-term residence status granted by any Member State of the European Union;
- to any third-country national who enters the territory of Hungary under commitments contained in an international agreement facilitating the entry and temporary stay of certain categories of trade and investment-related natural persons;
- to any third-country national who has been admitted to the territory of Hungary with seasonal employment visa, or who has been admitted to the territory of any Member State of the European Union as a seasonal worker;
- to any third-country national covered by Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services, as long as he/she is posted on the territory of Hungary.
DEFINITIONS
INFORMATION ON SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS AND THE RELATED PROCESS
Requirements: the completed form, facial photograph taken not more than three months prior to date, and the mandatory enclosures, payment of the procedural fee.
Additionally, please be advised that an application for the issue or extension of a residence permit may be submitted – in the case of preferred employer – by the prospective employer as well, provided that the client has consented in writing by means of an unilateral statement.
In case the application is submitted by the Hungarian host entity or employer, it shall be submitted electronically upon electronic identification.
For detailed information on electronic administration, please click here.
Preferred employer shall mean:
- an employer having signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Government;
- any employer that plans to employ in Hungary a third-country national from a country neighbouring Hungary in any of the professions provided for in a communication by the Hungarian Minister responsible for employment;
- any employer who is an employer listed in the register of qualified employment agencies;
- any employer who implements an investment project of preferential status for national economy considerations.
Except as provided for by law, an application for EU Blue Card may be submitted to any consular officer of Hungary, or at any other place authorised to accept applications for residence permit located in the country where the applicant’s permanent or temporary residence is located, or in the country of the applicant’s nationality. At the time of submitting the application the applicant shall produce his/her valid travel document. Where the application for residence permit is submitted through the employer, the client is nevertheless required to appear in person before the competent authority, when so requested by the authority, for the purpose of data processing and for carrying out other procedural steps.
When the application is submitted, the applicant’s facial likeness and fingerprint will be taken for the residence permit issued with biometric data. The third-country national is obliged to abide by, and perforce tolerate, that procedure.
Enclosed with the application the third-country national is required to provide a statement undertaking the commitment of voluntary departure from the territory of the Member States of the European Union if the application is refused.
If the regional directorate approves the application for EU Blue Card, it authorises the relevant Hungarian diplomatic or consular mission to issue an entry visa for receiving a residence permit, of which the competent consular officer shall be notified. The entry visa for receiving a residence permit shall be issued by the competent consular officer based on the regional directorate’s decision.
Third-country nationals residing in the territory of Hungary may submit an application for EU Blue Card at the regional directorate responsible for the place where the place of accommodation of the third-country national is located if there are special circumstances to justify submission of the application in Hungary, or if lawfully residing in the territory of Hungary as a national of the States listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council, or together with such third-country national in the capacity of a family member.
The special circumstance referred to above shall, in particular, cover any event related to medical treatment, family reunification or occupational activity that has occurred for reasons beyond the third-country national’s control, and that prevents to have the application submitted at a place normally prescribed under general provisions set out by law.
A third country national of a visa-free country, legally residing in Hungary without a visa can submit an application for a residence permit electronically upon registration on the electronic platform of the immigration authority for procedure initiation.
Please, click here for detailed information on the electronic procedure.
As a general rule, the competent authority shall examine the application for EU Blue Card in a single application procedure, and the decision on the merits will be adopted within seventy days from the date of submission of the application.
The competent immigration authority shall deliver the residence permit document to the applicant by way of post. The applicant may collect the residence permit document at the competent immigration authority in person if able to evidence that he/she is not in a position to receive the residence permit document at the mailing address given, however, he/she is required to prove such circumstances.
Please, click here to access detailed information on the single application procedure.
Third-country nationals shall submit the application for the extension of their EU Blue Card electronically upon registration on the electronic platform of the immigration authority for procedure initiation. For more details on electronic administration, please click here.
Please note that an application submitted electronically is deemed to have been received by the authority if the administrative service fee has been paid. Furthermore, it is necessary to appear before the competent regional directorate within 15 days of the confirmation of receipt in order to verify your identity, to take your biometric data and a specimen signature, and to have your documents recognised.
The extension of the residence permit may be granted only if the conditions set out in the law are met and the residence of the third-country national has exceeded 90 days within any 180 days prior to the submission of the application for a residence permit.
If a third-country national holding a residence permit issued by any Member State of the European Union for the purpose of highly qualified employment wishes to submit an application for an EU Blue Card, he/she must do so within thirty days from the date of entry accompanied by documents in proof of compliance with the requirements set out by law.
1. The administrative service fee charged for the procedure for issuing a residence permit is EUR 110, which is to be paid at the diplomatic or consular mission in EUR or in other convertible currency, or in exceptional cases, in the legal tender of the state in which the application is submitted.
2. The administrative service fee charged for the procedure for the extension of a residence permit is HUF 23,000, if the application is lodged electronically via NDGAP’s electronic procedure initiation platform (Enter Hungary).
3. The administrative service fee charged for the procedure for issuing a residence permit for a third country national holding the citizenship of a visa-free country, legally residing in Hungary is HUF 26,000 if the application is lodged electronically via NDGAP’s electronic procedure initiation platform (Enter Hungary).
4. The administrative service fee charged for the submission of an application for the procedure for issuing a residence permit on the grounds of special circumstances, accompanied by a petition for equitable consideration is HUF 38,000 if submitted in person within the territory of Hungary.
The administrative service fee is to be paid by way of an electronic payment instrument (bank card). In case of submission of an application for the procedure for issuing a residence permit on the grounds of special circumstances accompanied by a petition for equitable consideration submitted in person within the territory of Hungary the administrative service fee is to be paid by way of an electronic payment instrument (bank card) or in the form of a bank deposit (using the cheque supplied by the regional directorate).
If you wish to ask for an invoice on the payment of the procedural fee, please click on the link below:
Invoice request on payment of procedural fee.
In case of a refusal, the decision may be appealed within 8 days after the decision was delivered and the appeal is to be submitted before the authority of first instance or the diplomatic or consular mission where the application was submitted. If the appeal is submitted after the deadline or if made by a person other than the persons entitled to submit an appeal against the decision in the applicant’s case, and if the applicant introduces any new evidence in the appeal, of which he/she was aware before the decision was adopted, or if the appeal is lodged without showing cause, the authority of first instance shall dismiss the appeal without any examination as to merits.
The administrative service fee charged for an appeal submitted at a diplomatic or consular mission is EUR 160, which is to be paid in Euros or in other convertible currency, or in exceptional cases, in the legal tender of the state in which the application for an appeal is submitted. In case of submissions within the territory of Hungary before a regional directorate, the administrative service fee charged for an appeal is HUF 47,000, which is to be paid by way of an electronic payment instrument (bank card) or in the form of a bank deposit (using the cheque supplied by the regional directorate). The client’s name and date of birth, and the case type i.e. „Residence Permit Appeal” are to be indicated in the comment box.
If you wish to ask for an invoice on the payment of the procedural fee, click on the link below:
Invoice request on payment of procedural fee
FORMS
The application shall be submitted with the form “Application for Residence Permit” and Appendix 3 completed and printed.
If the applicant is travelling together with his/her minor child, shown in his/her passport, Appendix “A” must be completed and enclosed with the application.
Forms optimised for Microsoft Word to be completed electronically:
- Residence Permit and Appendix 3
- Application for Replacement Residence Document
- Application for Substitute Residence Document
Forms available for downloading in PDF format, to be filled out manually:
- Residence Permit and Appendix 3
- Application for Replacement Residence Document
- Application for Substitute Residence Document
MANDATORY ENCLOSURES
DOCUMENTS VERIFYING THE PURPOSE OF RESIDENCE
The purpose of entry and residence may be verified by a prior agreement concluded with a view to entering into an employment relationship for a fixed period of not more than four years, or an existing employment contract entered into by the employer and the third-country worker for the purpose of highly qualified employment.
The higher education qualifications required for the job to which the prior agreement concluded with a view to entering into an employment relationship or the employment contract – enclosed with an application for an EU Blue Card – pertains may be verified by a certificate in proof of higher education or professional qualifications.
DOCUMENTS IN PROOF OF MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE IN HUNGARY
Sufficient resources to cover the applicant’s subsistence in Hungary may be verified:
- by a prior agreement concluded with a view to entering into a contract for the purpose of highly qualified employment, or
- by an existing employment contract.
DOCUMENTS PROVING THE EXISTENCE OF HUNGARIAN ACCOMMODATION
In the notification of accommodation the third-country national shall enclose the accommodation registration form, prescribed by specific other legislation, signed by the lawful holder of the real estate property.
DOCUMENTS PROVING THE EXISTENCE OF COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE
Enclosed with the application for residence permit the applicant shall provide proof of having access to comprehensive health insurance services (in particular on the basis of specific other legislation on the social security system, international agreement, or under specific agreement), or that he/she has the necessary financial resources to cover the costs of such services.
During the process, the immigration authority may request further documents, apart from the mandatory enclosures, for ascertaining the relevant facts of the case. In case the application has been submitted electronically, the notification for remedying deficiencies and the provision of missing documents will be carried out electronically as well.
VALIDITY PERIOD
An EU Blue Card shall be made out for a period of at least one year. If the contract of employment covers a period less than this period, the EU Blue Card shall be issued or renewed for the duration of the contract of employment plus three months.
The validity period of an EU Blue Card is four years maximum, and it may be extended by four additional years at a time. However, the validity of the travel document should also be taken into consideration, in that in spite of the above, the validity of the EU Blue Card may not exceed the validity period of the passport where the purpose of residence is the pursuit of gainful employment in possession of an EU Blue Card.
ACCRUED RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
A third-country national holding a valid EU Blue Card has the right of entry without a visa and the right of residence in the territory of Schengen Member States not exceeding ninety days within a one hundred and eighty day period.
Please note that, for a period of two years after the date of issue, the holder of an EU Blue Card shall be allowed to work:
- only in the employment relationship for which it was issued, or
- only in an employment relationship authorised in connection with domestic employment policy considerations, for the purpose of highly qualified employment.
Third-country nationals holding a residence permit shall report the birth of a child – who is also a third-country national – in the territory of Hungary and shall simultaneously supply the following information:
- the natural identification data of the child as provided for by law;
- particulars of the child’s travel document;
- address of the child’s place of accommodation or home address.
Third-country nationals are obliged to report without delay to the immigration authority [the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, any police station, or the competent Hungarian diplomatic or consular mission when staying abroad] if their travel document or residence permit is lost, stolen or destroyed. The immigration authority shall confirm receipt of such report in writing. The immigration authority shall be immediately notified in the event that a travel document, which was presumed lost and reported as such, is found subsequently.
