Moving to Budapest – Why I decided to move to Hungary

The story of how our colleague Fahimeh decided to move to Hungary from Iran.

Have you ever asked yourself the question: “should I live my whole life in my homeland, or should I move to a new place?”

Find your second homeland

I asked myself just that when I first visited Brazil. Later I found out that the country had a similar effect on many. It is a beautiful, extraordinary country, which made me feel I need a change and should get going. Over the following years I spent a lot of time traveling, and was consciously looking for a place I would be able to call my second home. I was looking for a place where I could feel fresh and born again. I wanted to learn about exotic cultures and taste exotic food.

Visiting Europe was the best possible decision. There are several, smaller and bigger countries next to each other. Each has its own culture, its own language, its own cuisine. I was delighted to visit most Western European countries, but I felt best when I arrived to Central Europe. I found everything I ever wanted in Hungary. People are friendly and aware of the enormous potential this country has. The capital, Budapest is simply stunning with the breathtaking green of Buda and the golden shimmer of Pest. I decided to stay.

Getting established

Now I just needed to find out how a foreigner, a non-EU citizen who has no local relatives can move to Hungary. I spent a lot of time searching the web and asking various people in order to find the best way. It turned out there are quite a few methods if you want to start anew in Hungary. These are basically also the ways of obtaining a Hungarian resident permit.

1. Find a job, that is, an employer who is willing to employ you, a skilled foreign worker.
2. Employ yourself – or at least start working in your own company, which you can set up quite easily. You just need a good concept, a strong business plan, and a starting capital.
3. Study in Hungary – find a college or university with a program you find interesting and enroll.
4. Get permanent residency by investing into government bonds.

The long road

So, luckily, I had various options to choose from. I was still young, so for me it was easiest to enroll at a Hungarian university and start studying. By the time I have finished my studies, I had enough connections to easily find a job and stay here with a work permit. As I have been here for some years now, I was able to apply for a permanent resident permit. A few years more, and I will be able to apply even for citizenship. By then I will surely master the language too, although some say it is quite difficult. But there are 10 million people around me already speaking it, so I can surely learn it.

And the short

My journey to getting established in Hungary has been quite long. If you want to go for something quicker and more convenient, you should probably set up a Hungarian company. The process is really simple and quick, and if you want to do business in Europe, you can start operation almost immediately.

If you are busy and time is money to you, you might want to apply for the investment residency program. This way you can get Hungarian permanent residency in only 6 months. With that, you will be able to travel freely in the Schengen zone, visiting historical cities, meeting people, and doing business.

Ask for help!

If you have decided you want to start the journey to becoming a citizen of Europe, now you will need to make a move. You will not be alone: I have already been through the necessary procedures to get all my permits, and I would be happy to help you. Call our office on +36.1.317.8570 and get expert assistance – from me.

Fahimeh Karimi
Assistant Account Manager

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