Start looking at properties for your Hungarian golden visa now

UPDATE: The real estate investment option is expected to become available starting from January 2025. Watch this space for updates.

Find your dream house now

If you wish to obtain the guest investor residency through real estate purchase, make sure to start the property search now. While submitting applications will not be possible before July 2024, it is best if you have everything ready by then, and purchasing real estate in Hungary takes time, especially if you are a third-country national. You will need to find a piece of property you like, and then you will need to take care of the relevant paperwork (detailed below).

Currently, there are not too many pieces of real estate in Budapest or its vicinity that match the main requirement (that its value must be at least EUR 500,000). As a result, if you intend to real estate around the capital, you should act right now, while there is a wider selection.

Residential real estate purchase for the golden visa

Looking for real estate as part of your golden visa application, the same rules will pertain to you as anyone else; there are no shortcuts expected. However, if you work with a professional team like Helpers, that can reduce the time and effort normally spent on finding the right piece of real estate or finding a lawyer to take care of the legal side of the agreement and communicate with the land registry. You as a buyer will also be required to pay a 4% property purchase tax within a few months of the sale (as soon as the Tax Authority instructs you to do so).

Property purchase in Hungary as a third-country national also requires a permit from the local municipality. The permit is tied to the property to be purchased, so you can apply for it only once you have agreed with the seller. Receiving the permit may take about a month.

In addition, you will be required to meet conditions specific to the guest investor residency.

• It must be one piece of property (so it cannot be three apartments with the total value of EUR 500,000)
• The property cannot have any claims or mortgage on it
• The property must be appraised by an official, and you need to obtain a certificate of value to prove that the property matches the requirements (its value is at least EUR 500,000)
• You must pledge not to sell the property for at least 5 years after purchase (this must be indicated on the deed)
• The contract must contain specific clauses to support your eligibility for the golden visa program

Let the Helpers Team help you with property search and purchase

Even though the application period for the Hungarian guest investor program starts only July, you can and should already start working on your application if you want to obtain Hungarian residency as soon as possible.

The two most time sensitive aspects of the property purchase are the property search itself, since it might take time to find a home that fits both your needs and the golden visa requirements, and obtaining the purchase permit from the local municipality (which is tied to the property of your choice, so it cannot be requested before you have an agreement with the seller).

Helpers has ample experience with real estate investment and property management as well as residency applications. Thanks to our extensive network of local professionals, with our help you can get access to the best deals, including real estate that has not even been listed yet on public forums. We would be happy to help you with the entire application procedure, from the first steps of property search until you receive you 10-year residence permit.

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About the Hungarian golden visa program

Starting from 2024, you can obtain Hungarian residency for 10 years for yourself and your family members through one single investment, with no minimum stay. The program is officially called “guest investor residency”, and you have the following options:

• EUR 250,000: purchase of bonds issued by a real estate fund registered by the Hungarian National Bank (MNB)
• EUR 500,000: purchase of Hungarian residential real estate
• EUR 1 million: donation to a designated educational or cultural institution