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Q&A about the new immigration law in Hungary 4 – Family unification

January 1, 2024 Family and Student Visa, Residence Permit

Last updated on 5 February 2024.

One of the central issues for foreigners living or working in Hungary is whether and how they can bring their family members along. There will be a number of changes in this regard in the new 2024 immigration law; read below for some of the most frequently asked questions.

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Some questions about family unification:

I hear that family unification is no longer an option for study permits. What happens to my family now?

It is true that holders of student residence permit cannot apply for new family unification permits to bring their spouse and underage children to Hungary. However, if your family members are already here on their family unification residence permits, they may keep their status in the future as well.

My wife is Hungarian. Will the new law affect our application for a family unification residence permit?

No, the new law will not change anything for you. If you already have residency based on family unification, that will remain valid until expiry. If you have an application submitted, it will be considered based on the old law. Moreover, family members of Hungarian citizens will remain eligible for family unification, even according to the new immigration law that comes into force in 2024.

My spouse is Hungarian and I was planning to apply for permanent residency next year. Should I hand in my application sooner? Will decision makers will be stricter next year?

Since your spouse is a Hungarian national, you do not have to hurry; your eligibility for permanent residency remains unaffected, and you can apply for the National Residence Card without problems in March. Whether rejection rates or waiting times increase remains to be seen.

NEW QUESTION: I am here on a work permit that is valid until the end of 2024. We were planning for my wife to move to Hungary this year. Can we still do that?

Yes, you can. Residence permits issued based on the previous legislation keep all their privileges assigned to them. Since your work permit enabled family unification when issued, you can still apply for that for your wife.

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.