INFORMATION

on

residence permit for official purposes

1. 1)Which third-country nationals are eligible to be granted a residence permit for official purposes?

A residence permit for official purposes may be granted to a third-country national who wishes to reside in the territory of Hungary

• ·as a person enjoying diplomatic or other privileges and immunities under international law, or as a member of his/her family, or
• ·as a member of an official delegation of a foreign state, public body or an international organisation,
• ·as a press correspondent,
• ·for study, educational, scientific, training or training purposes within the framework of an international treaty or international cultural, educational, scientific cooperation or governmental international aid programme,
• ·as a member of the staff of a scientific, educational or cultural institution operating in Hungary under an international treaty or as a person visiting the country to participate in the activity of such an institution.

Please note that the Minister responsible for foreign policy makes decision  on applications of persons enjoying diplomatic or other privileges and immunities under international law, their family members, persons visiting diplomatic missions or consular posts in the territory of Hungary, the members of international organisations, and persons whose entry is in the interest of foreign policy.

Definition of third-country nationals:

• ·Non-Hungarian national who is not a person with the right of free movement and residence, i.e. who is not an EEA national,
  
• ·a stateless persons.

qualify as third-country nationals.

1. 2)Where can clients submit their applications?

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

1. a)Application submission outside the territory of Hungary

If you are not a holder of 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 the territory 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

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 within the territory of Hungary as well.

Application submission in the territory of 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 NDGAP as per your 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 attorney-in-fact is a legal representative or a legal person.

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

Submission of applications for the extension of a residence permit is only available within the territory of Hungary, via the platform of Enter Hungary, which is available by clicking here.

Please be informed that the extension of the residence permit is only possible if

-         you are a holder of a valid residence permit at the time of application submission,

-         you resided within the territory of Hungary with your residence permit at least 90 days in any 180-day period.

Please note that an application for the extension of a residence permit is to be submitted at least 30 days prior to the date of expiry of the issued residence permit.

1. 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.

1. 4)Administrative service fee for the procedure

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

1. 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 residence:

• ·a document proving diplomatic or other privileges and immunities under international law, and, in case of a family member, a document proving the family relationship,
• ·a certificate or declaration issued by a foreign state or public body, an international organisation or a scientific, academic, educational or cultural institution operating in Hungary,
• ·with any other credible evidence.

Documents in proof of means of subsistence in Hungary

One of the following documents must be submitted as proof that the applicant has sufficient resources, i.e. (s)he can cover costs related to his/her subsistence, accommodation, return/onward travel (i.e. exit from 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 by a family member of the applicant's undertaking to provide care and maintenance for the applicant, and a document proving his/her capacity for the care and maintenance,
• ·a document on regular income issued by the employer or the tax authority,
• ·with any other credible evidence.

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

One of the following documents must be submitted as proof that the applicant is the owner of a residential property suitable for habitation, or (s)he has legal title to use such a real estate

• ·a residential lease contract,
• ·a document on accommodation by courtesy,
• ·a document in proof of ownership of the residential property,
• ·a document in proof of the reservation of accommodation and payment for it.

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/valid tickets for the relevant travel or the amount of money to cover the costs of the travel.

Other required documents

• ·Attaching/enclosing 1 facial photograph to/with the application is required.

In case of an extension, attaching/enclosing documents on unchanged conditions again is not required.

1. 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 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.

1. 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.

Furthermore, please note that if the Minister responsible for foreign policy  makes a decision  on the application, the applicant must appear in person at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to receive the residence permit and to register the accommodation in Hungary.

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

The validity period of the document shall be determined in accordance with the duration of the official activity, but may not exceed 3 years. The validity period under appropriate conditions may be extended on occasion with the duration of the official service or training, but not exceeding 3 years.

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.

1. 9)Further information

• ·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.