Post Study Options: How to Get a Work Visa in Hungary After Your Studies

Hungary is a land-locked Schengen country in Central Europe sharing its borders with Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Hungary has more than a thousand thermal water springs and bathing for relaxation or medical treatment is an essential part of the Hungarian lifestyle.

The Hungarian economy has opened substantially since joining the European Union in 2004. Although Hungary's unemployment rate spiked after the global economic crisis, the country's economy has recovered well, and the unemployment rate has not only stabilised but is steadily decreasing.

As the largest electronics producer in Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary has plenty to offer in electronics manufacturing and research. Other strong economic sectors include mining, technology, telecommunication and I.T. Typically, the country has a shortage of highly skilled technology and IT candidates for jobs.

University accommodation and tuition fees in the country tend to be lower than the rest of Europe, and it has made Hungary an attractive country for students from the international student community. Studying in Hungary opens excellent employment opportunities and most courses are taught in English.

Hungary is part of the European Union that advocates the free movement of people. As an EU/EEA and Swiss student, you can stay back in Hungary without a need for a visa or work permit. Your registration certificate taken during your studies is valid indefinitely. Your right of residence shall be invalidated when you officially exit Hungary and relocate to another country or if the right of residence is terminated. After five uninterrupted years in Hungary, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals are eligible for a permanent residence card.

Non-EU/EEA and Swiss students need to go through the necessary paperwork to secure a work permit in Hungary after graduation. The Hungarian government offers a nine months extension to students who completed their studies and search for a job. You have to submit your application before your current permit expires otherwise you will be required to leave Hungary.

One of the benefits of having a Hungarian residence is you are entitled to travel to any Schengen Member States not exceeding the 90/180-day rule.

Check the options you have below if you want to stay after completing your studies.

Residence Permit for the Purpose of Job-searching or Entrepreneurship

Non-EU/EEA and Swiss students who completed a degree from a Hungarian university or any other higher education institute are eligible for the Study-to-Work visa. This permit allows you to stay in the country for another 9 months after graduation and cannot be extended.

You must submit your application no later than 15 days before your student residence permit expires. The process may take up to 70 days from the date of submission.

You need to prepare the following documents:

Valid Travel Document (must be valid for at least 3 additional months beyond the date of expiry of the residence permit)
Passport photo
Valid Study/Research Residence Permit
Proof that you are seeking employment or launching a business (certificate of registration by the competent government employment agency, company registration application
Proof of funds
Valid comprehensive health insurance
Proof of accommodation

The authorities might ask for further documents. If your residence permit application is denied, you cannot stay in Hungary after you graduate, and will have to leave the country when your student visa expires.

Residence Permit for the Purpose of Employment

Once you are offered a suitable job contract, you are eligible for this permit. You can personally submit your application at the regional directorate in your area or you can request your employer to submit the application for you.

You need to prepare the following documents:

Valid Travel Document (must be valid for at least 3 additional months beyond the date of expiry of the residence permit)
Passport photo
Valid Residence Permit
Proof of Employment/ Job Contract
Proof of funds
Valid comprehensive health insurance
Proof of accommodation

* Additional documents may be requested

The validity of your permit is based on your job contract and can be renewed. The expiration of your travel document should be 3 months longer than your contract otherwise it will affect the duration of your permit. Your application must be submitted 30 days before your current permit expires. The process takes 60-70 days.

Residence Permit for the Pursuit of Gainful Activity

This permit is for those who want to stay in Hungary as self-employed or will start a business. Your application must be submitted at the regional directorate in your area. The decision for your application will be provided within 21 days.

You need to prepare the following documents:

Valid Travel Document (must be valid for at least 3 additional months beyond the date of expiry of the residence permit)
Passport photo
Valid Residence Permit
Proof of funds
Valid comprehensive health insurance
Proof of accommodation
For Self-Employed
- Proof of private entrepreneurial license, or entrepreneur register number
- Business plan for economic activities
- A personal service contract, contract for professional services or a use contract entered into as a private individual
For Starting a Business
- Proof of legal entity established to engage in gainful operations ( the business must have 3 full time employees who are Hungarian or EU citizens for at least 6 consecutive months)
- Business Plan

* Additional documents maybe requested

This permit is valid for a maximum of three years and can be extended for additional 3 years at a time. Your travel document must be 3 months longer than the residence permit. This means that the expiration date of your travel document will affect the validity of the approved residence permit.

EU Blue Card

This permit is granted to highly qualified employees to reside and work in Hungary and other Schengen member states.

The EU Blue Card is a permit to work in a job that requires advanced skills. This means that the job must attract a certain minimum salary, which is set according to a method of calculation established by the government. You must also have the higher qualifications required to do the job. The process usually takes up to 90 days.

To qualify for the permit, you must meet the following conditions:

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 entry and residence
not subject to any grounds for exclusion provided for by law
employment is justified in line with specific guidelines laid down by the relevant legislation, or on grounds of domestic employment policy considerations
has notified the address of his/her accommodation in the territory of Hungary
with valid residence permit for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship

You need to prepare the following documents:

Valid Travel Document (must be valid for at least 3 additional months beyond the date of expiry of the residence permit)
Passport photo
Valid Residence Permit
Valid Work Contract
Proof of funds
Valid comprehensive health insurance
Proof of accommodation

Permanent Residency

Permanent Residency in Hungary allows you to stay and work in Hungary for as long as you want without having to worry about visa when leaving or coming to back to country.

There are two types of permanent residency options issued to foreigners with long term residence status.

National Permanent Settlement Permit

Third-country nationals can apply for permanent residency under National Permanent Residence Permit (NPRP) in Hungary if you have lawfully lived at least 3 years in Hungary being absent for 90 days every year. This permit is not issued to EU citizens.

This permit entitles you to:

Gainful employment in Hungary.
Unrestricted entry and longer-term stay.
Work or visit other Schengen countries

The national permanent residence permit affords the right of residence in the territory of Hungary for an indefinite period of time. The validity period of the document is 5 years and can be extended an additional 5 years.

EC Permanent Residence Permit

There is another type of permanent residency issued EC Permanent Residence Permit (ECPR) issued to third country nationals who have lived in Hungary for 5 years.The validity period of an EC permanent residence permit is 5 years, and it may be extended by an additional 5 years This permit is possible under the following conditions

Lawfully resided in the territory of Hungary continuously for at least the preceding five years before the application was submitted; or
Issued an EU Blue Card, and
Lawfully resided in the territory of Hungary continuously for at least the preceding two years before the application was submitted; and
Lawfully resided in the territory of any Member State of the European Union continuously for at least five years.
Not absent from Hungary for 90 days in each year.

The ECPR is revoked if the applicant is absent from the territory of Member States of the European Union for a period of over twelve months. A decision from authorities to issue ECPR is taken within 70 working days.

To apply, you should prepare the following documents:

Valid Travel Document
Passport photo
Valid Residence Permit
Proof of funds
Valid comprehensive health insurance
Proof of accommodation

* Additional documents maybe requested

Naturalised Citizenship

You must have legally resided for at least 8 years in Hungary and has permanent residence in order to apply for citizenship by naturalisation. You can make this application after 3 years of continuous stay in Hungary if you are married to a Hungarian citizen. The process usually takes 3 months or more.

There should be no criminal record and you must be in financially stable position and you also must pass Hungarian language test to be eligible for citizenship in Hungary.

Dual citizenship is allowed in Hungary so you should check with your home country if they will allow the same.

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