Golden Visa, official called as Guest Investor Residence Permit is one of the best EU long term residence permits which entitles the holder (i) to reside in Hungary (ii) to engage in activities which may be carried out independently for remuneration in accordance with the law and (iii) to act as a managing director of any for-profit legal entity. The upcoming Hungarian Golden Visa program, effective July 1, 2024, facilitates residency in Hungary by investment for international investors.

The application for EU long term residence permit may only be submitted in Hungary. Those who cannot enter the EEA without visa, must apply for a special Guest Investor Visa at the local embassy or consulate of Hungary in order to enter Hungary and submit their application. The application shall be submitted to the immigration authority or via the electronic platform. Applicants shall summon at the immigration authority in person. Our law firm prepares you the application and advises you throughout the entire process. 

Guest Investor Residence Permit is the residence permit commonly referred to as the Golden Visa. Guest Investor Visa is a short-term permit entitles the holder to stay for more than ninety days within a period of one hundred and eighty days and to make multiple entries with the purpose to realize the investment required for the EU Golden Visa. It is mandatory for citizens of a third country that is not listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament but citizens from the listed countries can enter Hungary without visa and submit their application.

The Golden Visa Hungary Program allows family reunification for family members.

After obtaining the permit, such family members are entitled to work in Hungary without restriction.

Rules of the Golden Visa Hungary Program are applicable from 1st July, 2024, allowing for residency in Hungary by investment, however, property acquisition is only available from 1st of January, 2025.

Yes, holders may obtain permanent residence and afterwards gain Hungarian citizenship if they meet the respective requirements. It is important to note though that in order to apply for permanent residence, you will be required to actually reside in the territory of Hungary for an uninterrupted period of 3-5 years while it is not a general requirement for holders of Golden Visa.

The Hungarian Golden Visa program offers residency in Hungary by investment opportunities. The wording of the Golden Visa legislation provides for the purchase of one property, so the necessary investment cannot be made by purchasing several properties of lesser value.

The Hungarian Golden Visa program offers residency in Hungary by investment opportunities that are specified in the legislation according to which only residential property can constitute an investment for this type of EU Golden Visa. Such property can be an apartment in a block of flats or a family home as well.

No, a Golden Visa investment can be made by acquiring ownership ratio, but the property must be owned jointly by the applicant and one or more family members for 5 years. Also, the value of the ownership ratio must be at least EUR 500,000.

At the time of acquisition of ownership of the residential property by the Golden Visa investor, a prohibition of alienation and encumbrance of the residential property shall be registered in the Land Register for a period of 5 years from the date of conclusion of the sales contract.

You may sell the property after 5 years, but it is required to own a proper investment (investment ticket or real estate) if you wish to renew this EU long term residence permit for another 10 years.

The administration time of Golden Visa Hungary Program applications is 21 days excluding certain actions such as correction of deficiencies of the application.

The Golden Visa is valid for a period of 10 years.

Golden Visa is renewable with the same terms, for another period of 10 years. If you keep your original investment throughout the entire period, you do not need to make another investment only in case you have sold it before applying for renewal.

Yes, the period of validity of the Golden Visa may exceed the period of validity of the applicant’s travel document. This does not apply for family members, their passport’s validity period may limit the validity of this EU long term residence permit based on family reunification. Therefore, we recommend that family members check their passport’s validity period and renew it if necessary before submitting their application.

Yes, you also must apply for a permit from the local Government Office to acquire real property in Hungary. This procedure lasts 60 days and can be launched on a basis of a signed purchase contract. In the event of a rejection of acquiring the property, you may have to realize another investment to finish or restart the procedure.

The Central Regional Directorate will appoint a forensic real estate expert in order to determine whether there is an obvious disproportionality between the actual market value of the property and the purchase price applied for. Cost of the real estate expert shall be paid by the applicant in advance.

Investment tickets must be issued by an investment fund that (i) has at least 40% of the net asset value investments in residential real estate in Hungary, and (ii) is listed in the register according to Defence and Security Procurement Act. If you choose this type of investment, we will make sure that you buy tickets from investment funds that qualify for the Golden Visa Hungary Program.

Investment tickets shall be kept for at least 5 years. However, if you intend to renew your Golden Visa, you should either keep your ticket for the whole time of validity period or you must realize another investment before applying for renewal.

Applicants must

• have a valid travel document,
• hold a permit for return or onward travel,
• have a Hungarian accommodation,
• not be subject to expulsion or a ban on entry and residence, or if their entry or residence does not endanger public policy, public security, national security or public health interests of Hungary,
• not be subject to an SIS alert.

In the case of an investment in a currency other than EUR, the value of the investment in EUR shall be determined by applying the exchange rates published by the central bank of Hungary (Magyar Nemzeti Bank) on the day of the investment.

If you are not entitled to enter Hungary without visa, you shall verify the realization of the investment to the immigration authorities in 3 months from entering the territory of Hungary for the first time with your Guest Investor Visa.

The Hungary Investment Visa provides the benefits of residency, access to the Schengen area, and potential future citizenship through investment.

To obtain a Hungary residence permit by investment, you must participate in the Hungarian Golden Visa program, launching on July 1,2024, which requires a qualifying financial investment in the country. Note that residence by property investment will be available from January 1, 2025.

The EU Investment Visa allows investors to gain residency in an EU country, facilitating business opportunities and travel within the Schengen area. The Hungarian Golden Visa Program is one of the most attractive EU Investment Visa programs.

Obtaining a Schengen Golden Visa allows you to live, work, and study in any of the Schengen countries. Additionally, it grants you visa-free access to all 27 Schengen Area countries, making travel within Europe much more convenient. This visa is also a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship in the issuing country.

To obtain Hungarian citizenship by investment, you need to participate in the country’s Golden Visa Program, which involves making a significant financial investment. This program offers a pre-defined track to permanent residency and eventually citizenship.

The requirements for obtaining Hungarian residency by investment include making a significant financial contribution, typically through real estate, and demonstrating sufficient financial resources to support yourself and your dependents. Applicants must also have a clean criminal record and valid health insurance.

The benefits of Hungarian residency by investment include the ability to live, work, and study in Hungary, visa-free travel within the Schengen Zone, access to high-quality healthcare and education, and the potential for permanent residency and citizenship after a certain period. Additionally, Hungary’s strategic location in Europe offers business opportunities and a high standard of living.