INFORMATION

on

residence permit for the purpose of traineeship

1. 1)Which third-country national is eligible to granted a residence permit for the purpose of traineeship?

A residence permit for the purpose of traineeship may be issued to a third-country national:

• ·who wishes to reside in the territory of Hungary for the purpose of traineeship based on an traineeship contract concluded with an approved organization hosting trainees, and
• ·the host organization provides a written commitment for reimbursing the costs of expulsion in cases when the trainee stays longer in the territory of Hungary past the period authorised – if the trainee does not have the necessary financial resources,
• ·who is able to provide evidence of having obtained a higher education degree required for the pursuit of traineeship within the two years preceding the date of application or who is pursuing studies that leads to a higher education degree relevant to the traineeship;

Applicants must have the necessary language skills to complete the traineeship.

Definition of third-country nationals:

• ·Non-Hungarian nationals who are not persons with the right of free movement and residence, i.e. who are not EEA nationals or family members of an EEA national, and
• ·stateless persons

qualify as third-country nationals.

A residence permit for the purpose of traineeship may not be issued to a person:

• ·who submitted an application for refugee status or temporary protection or subsidiary protection to the asylum authority;
• ·who has been granted refugee status or temporary protection or subsidiary protection in Hungary;
• ·a person with tolerated status;
• ·whose expulsion has been suspended for factual or legal reasons;
• ·who has the right of free movement and residence;
• ·who is a holder of an EC permanent residence permit certifying long-term residence status granted by any Member State of the European Union;
• ·who comes to the territory of the European Union as a trainee-employee in the context of an intra-corporate transfer;
• ·who is entered the territory of the European Union for the purpose of employment as highly qualified workers.

1. 2)Where the application may be submitted?

1. I.Application for the issuance of a residence permit

1. a)Application submission outside of Hungary

If you do not have a residence permit and your entry into Hungary does not constitute a visa-exempt travel, your application for the issuance of a residence permit is to be submitted outside of Hungary. 

You may submit an application before a diplomatic or consular foreign mission of Hungary in the country of your nationality or your habitual place of residence. Please be advised to contact the competent foreign mission of Hungary to inquire for further information, if there are any other places authorised to receive applications for a residence permit. Such application receiving places are constituted by e.g., honorary consuls, trade representations, and external service providers.  

If there are not any consulates or other types of places receiving application in the country of your nationality or your habitual place of residence, in exceptional cases, you may submit an application in a country where you are staying legally provided that you provide proof of the reasons of your exceptional application submission.

Submitting an application for a visa separately is not required, as an application for the issuance of a residence permit comprises an application for a visa entitling its holder to collect a residence permit

1. b)Application submission within the territory of Hungary

When can an application for the issuance of a residence permit be submitted within the territory of Hungary?

If you are allowed to enter the territory of Hungary visa-free due to your nationality, and you are not a holder of a residence permit, you may submit an application for a residence permit also within the territory of Hungary during your legal stay.

How can applications for a residence permit be submitted in Hungary?

Application submission in Hungary is available:

• ·by electronic means via the electronic information system and procedure initiation platform of “Enter Hungary”, which is available by clicking here, or
• ·in person, before the competent regional directorate of National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (hereinafter: NDGAP) as per you place of accommodation. Contact details of the regional directorates and further information are available by clicking here.

Please note that application submission is available only via the Enter Hungary platform if your authorised representative is a legal representative or a legal person.

1. II.Application for the extension of a residence permit

A residence permit for the purpose of a traineeship cannot be extended.

3) Additional information on application submission

For submission of an application in person, applicants are required to complete the application form correctly in full and to submit the completed document with their signature. The form is available by clicking here and the appendix here.

For submission of an application via the platform of Enter Hungary, the full and correct completion of the electronic application form is required, which is available on the platform. The platform of Enter Hungary is available by clicking here.

For the purpose of the issuance of a residence permit comprising biometric data, a facial photograph and fingerprint of the applicant will be taken.

An application submitted via the platform of Enter Hungary is deemed to have been received by the immigration authority, if the administrative service fee has been paid, and the facial photograph and fingerprint of the applicant is taken and signature specimen of the applicant is recorded within 15 days from the date of receipt. The immigration authority will send out a notification when your application is deemed to have been received.

4) Administrative service fee for the procedure

For information on administrative service fees for procedures, please click here.

5) What are the mandatory attachments/enclosures of an application?

For the approval of your application for a residence permit, the applicant is required to meet conditions for entry and residence in Hungary, during the procedures mandatory attachments/enclosures may serve as proof of meeting the set conditions.

Please make sure completion of the attachments/enclosures in full and check all documents before submission, supporting the soonest possible processing and examination of your application.

Documents in proof of the purpose of residence

The following documents may serve as proof of the purpose of your residence:

• ·a traineeship contract with the host organisation,
• ·a diploma of higher education or a certificate of active student status issued by a higher education institution, and
• ·a certificate of language proficiency or a certificate/diploma of foreign language studies, or other credible means of proof.

The traineeship contract must include:

• ·a description of the traineeship programme, including the educational objective or learning components,
• ·the duration of the traineeship programme,
• ·the conditions for the placement of the trainee and the supervision of the traineeship,
• ·the number of practical hours,
• ·a description of the legal relationship between the trainee and the host organisation, and
• ·a declaration that the host organisation will be responsible for the third-country national's subsistence and accommodation costs for the entire duration of the applicant’s stay in the territory of Hungary.

Documents in proof of means of subsistence in Hungary

One of the following documents must be submitted as proof that the applicant has sufficient financial resources, i.e. (s)he can cover costs related to his/her subsistence, accommodation, return/onward travel (i.e. exit from the territory of Hungary) and healthcare services from legally acquired income and savings:

• ·a certificate from a credit institution under the applicant’s name (e.g. a bank account statement, an account statement on savings or stocks and bonds, bank balance statement),
• ·a notarised declaration made by a member of the applicant's family undertaking to provide for the maintenance and support of the applicant and a document certifying the ability of the person providing support,
• ·a certificate regarding the award/payment of the scholarship.

Documents proving that the applicant has a place of accommodation in the territory of Hungary

A real Hungarian address must be declared as accommodation on the application form. For the notification no separate document is required.

Documents proving that the applicant has health insurance

Documentary evidence must be submitted as proof that the applicant has access to comprehensive health insurance services covering all healthcare services or that (s)he can cover the costs of such services.

An applicant meets this condition in the following cases:

• ·(s)he qualifies as a person with health insurance services under social security,
• ·(s)he has access to the Hungarian health insurance services within the framework of an international convention/treaty or agreement,
• ·(s)he can cover the costs of his/her healthcare services based on documents in proof of his/her means of subsistence available in Hungary.

Documents proving that the applicant meets the conditions of exit (i.e. conditions to a return/onward travel)

Meeting the conditions of exit may be proved by:

• ·a valid passport,
• ·having a valid ticket for the relevant travel or the amount of money to cover the costs of the travel.

Other required documents

• ·Attaching/enclosing 1 facial photograph.

6) Time period of procedural administration

Time period for procedural administration: 21 days.

In addition to mandatory attachments/enclosures, NDGAP may request the submission of further documents for clarification of facts of the case and/or implement other procedural conducts.

The period for remedying deficiencies (e.g., submission of missing documents) and for the implementation of various other procedural conducts is not comprised in the time period of the procedural administration. 

The authority acting on the application case adopts a decision as to merits within 60 days from the date of the submission of the application.

7) Receiving the residence permit document

If you submitted your application for a residence permit before a foreign diplomatic or consular mission of Hungary and the regional directorate approves your application for a residence permit, it shall constitute approval for the issuance of an entry visa entitling its holder to receive a residence permit, of which the competent Hungarian consulate shall be notified by the regional directorate.

The entry visa entitling its holder to receive a residence permit shall be issued by the competent consulate officer.

Please note that type D visas entitling their holder to receive their residence permits issued to third-country nationals are single-entry visas authorising a stay of not more than 30 days and are valid for 3 months.

Please note that if you do not enter the territory of Hungary within 3 months from the date of approval of the issuance of your residence permit and do not start your approved residence, the approved residence permit becomes invalid and the approval of your accrued right of entry and residence ceases.

A residence permit document shall be delivered by way of post to the address indicated as place of delivery in the application form.

Please note that receiving your document before NDGAP’s regional directorate in person is only allowed, if you prove that you are not in a position to receive the document at the address indicated as place of delivery in your application.

8) How long is the validity period of the permit?

The validity period of the residence permit issued for the traineeship purposes is based on the duration of the traineeship, but may not exceed 6 months, which cannot be extended.

Please note that the authority shall determine the date of expiry of the residence permit in a way that the third-country national’s travel document shall be valid at least for another 3 months after the date of expiry of the approved residence.

9) Further information

• ·Submitting an application for a residence permit for another purpose within the territory of Hungary

During the validity period of a residence permit and after its date of expiry, application for the issuance of a residence permit under another legal title is not allowed in Hungary.

• ·Family reunification

Family members of a third-country national who is a holder of a residence permit for the purpose of traineeship or an applicant for a residence permit for the purpose of traineeship may not be granted a residence permit for family reunification.

• ·Long-term residence

Third-country national who is a holder of a residence permit for the purpose of traineeship may not be granted a national residence card.

• ·Appeal

In case of refusal, the decision may be appealed within 8 days of delivery, submitted to the authority of first instance, or at the Hungarian diplomatic or consular foreign mission where the application was submitted.

Please note that the authority shall dismiss the appeal without any examination as to merits in the following cases:

-  the appeal is received after the deadline,

-  the appeal is not submitted by an authorised person,

-  the applicant introduces and refers to new facts of the case, of which (s)he was aware before the decision was adopted,

-  the appeal is submitted without indicating its grounds or cause.

For information on reporting obligations, please click here.