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Q&A about the new immigration law in Hungary 3 – Business immigration

In the third part of our FAQ posts on changes to Hungarian immigration law and its effects on foreigners living, working or doing business in Hungary, we discuss changes specific to business immigration (formerly called “gainful activity” permit). Read below to find out about the new permit types and also what to do if you currently hold a gainful activity permit.

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Some questions on gainful activity residence permits

I currently have a residence permit for gainful activity. I heard this type of residency will not be available anymore. Will my residence permit be revoked?

No, your residence permit will not be revoked. It will remain valid until its expiry. However, since the category is restructured, you will not be able to simply renew your permit once it expires, and you will have to select another type of residence permit.

I currently have a residence permit for gainful activity. Will I be able to renew it in 2024?

No, you will not. This category will be discontinued, and two other categories will become available instead:

Guest self-employment, which will be valid for only one year, although it can be extended once for another two years. Family unification is available for this permit type only starting from the second year.
Hungarian Card, which is available if you have a high qualification relevant to your business. This permit will be valid for three years, and it is eligible for family unification.

I have a Hungarian business and a gainful activity permit. I wanted to apply for permanent residency in 2024. Will I be able to do so?

We will need more information on this, but for now, the new immigration law does not expressly forbid applicants from seeking the national residence card (formerly known as the National Permanent Residence Permit) should they meet the eligibility criteria while holding the “gainful activity residence permit”. We will have to see how the decrees specifying implementation will handle this type of case. Watch this space for more information.

Learn more with Helpers

The Helpers Team has been providing administrative assistance to expats in Hungary, and we work on making life easier for them. Follow our series to gain more insight and get clarifications about the new Hungarian immigration law as we navigate these shifts together.