Moving to Hungary from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine gives migrants the opportunity to live in a European country with a clean environment and a comfortable climate. The benevolent attitude of the government and the local population towards emigrants, low prices for food and real estate are undeniable advantages. In addition, obtaining Hungarian citizenship opens the borders for free movement and work in any country of the European Union.
A little about the country
Hungary is a Central European state with a total area of 93,000 sq. km. In the north it neighbors with Slovakia, in the northeast - with Ukraine, in the south - with Serbia, Slovakia and Croatia. In the east it borders with Romania, in the west - with Austria.
The main waterway of the country is the Danube River. In the west of Hungary, there is the largest lake in Europe, Lake Balaton with thermal and mineral springs, the coast of which is a continuous resort area. On the border with Slovakia, there is the largest karst cave, Agtelek, famous for a large number of underwater lakes and rivers.
The territory of the state is dominated by a temperate continental climate with warm summers and mild winters. The weather changes smoothly, without sudden temperature fluctuations. The mountain ranges of the Alps from the northwest and the Carpathians from the north protect the plains of Hungary from the cold air currents from the Atlantic. In summer, the air temperature does not exceed 26 degrees, in winter it rarely drops to -4.
Hungary has been a member of the European Union since 2004.
The country is a parliamentary republic, the legislative body of which is the National Assembly, elected by the citizens for a 4-year term. The highest representative of the state is the President, whose elections are held in the Assembly every 5 years. The executive body is the Government of the country.
The main independent administrative unit in Hungary is the counties - the county, of which there are 19. The counties are divided into yarashi, and those - into cities and communities. The capital of the state, Budapest, is a separate county and is divided into districts.
According to the rate of economic development, which amounted to 3,7%, Hungary is ahead of all EU countries. In 2019, the republic's GDP grew by 3,6% and made $ 139 billion... Unemployment has declined up to 4%.
Almost 70% The territory of the state is occupied by the agricultural sector, which, together with metallurgy, mechanical engineering, mining, pharmaceutical industry and tourism, form the basis of the Hungarian economy.
The national currency is the forint, the bargaining chip is the filler.
Population of Hungary - almost 10 million, 95% which are ethnic Hungarians. The increase in migrants is an average of 16 people per day.
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Native language 95% population - Hungarian, which is a state. Most of the country's citizens additionally know English, German or Russian.
64% believers are Catholics, 23% - Protestants, the bulk of whom are Calvinists.
The hallmark of Hungarian national cuisine is paprika, which is part of most local dishes, the most popular of which is goulash. Favorite meat - pork, vegetable - cabbage.
Where to start emigration
For people who decide to move from Russia or Belarus to Hungary, there are several programs that allow them to enter and stay on the territory of the republic on the following grounds:
- Family reunification;
- Labor immigration;
- Starting your own business;
- Investments in the state economy;
- Purchase of real estate;
- Relocation program for retirees;
- Studying at a Hungarian university.
To obtain a residence permit, you need to obtain a national entry permit (long-term visa category D) at the Hungarian Consulate. A Schengen visa is not suitable in this case.
To apply for a visa you will need:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months;
- A copy of all pages of the internal passport;
- Confirmation of financial condition (bank statement);
- Certificate from the place of work with the details of the organization and the level of wages;
- Original health insurance;
- Proof of residence in Hungary;
- Documents on the availability of real estate in the home country;
- A completed application form;
- Confirmation of the existence of grounds for obtaining a visa.
Reference! With a D visa, a foreigner can only stay on the territory of the republic for more than 90 days. This permit does not allow you to visit the Schengen countries.
After submitting the documents, the embassy staff may refuse to issue a visa without giving a reason.
Visa application form
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Reference! A Category D visa will be required for citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Only Ukrainians on a tourist visit can enter the territory of Hungary without permission.
Methods of immigration to Hungary
On the basis of a national visa, you can apply for a residence permit, which is issued for 1-5 years... After 3 years of legal residence in Hungary, an immigrant is entitled to permanent residence, after 8 years - for citizenship.
To obtain a residence permit, a foreigner needs to personally contact the Office of Immigration and Citizenship within 1 month from the date of entry into the country and provide the following documents:
- Application form;
- 2 color photographs 3.5x4.5;
- Certificate of no criminal record from the country of residence;
- A certificate of no criminal record from countries where the migrant has stayed for more than three months;
- Confirmation of the existence of grounds for staying in the country;
- Hungarian rental agreement or title deeds.
Reference! The application is written in Hungarian or English.
Application form for residence permit
Address card confirming the place of residence
Immigration through employment
This is one of the most challenging immigration programs. Like all EU countries, Hungary takes care of the employment of its own citizens. The employer first of all considers the candidacies of local residents, then applicants from the Schengen countries. If a suitable candidate is not found, a migrant from the CIS countries can count on getting a job.
In order to hire a specialist from another country, the employer must obtain a special permit. Registration of documents will require the provision of many certificates and takes a lot of time.
A visiting specialist applying for employment in Hungary must study the Hungarian language without fail. A residence permit is issued on the basis of a work visa.
Reference! After receiving a residence permit, a foreigner has the right to bring his family to the country.
Moving for business
The government is quite loyal to immigrants who open companies in Hungary. In addition to paying taxes on the income of his company, the foreigner also creates jobs for the indigenous people. For this reason, the authorities do their best to attract business immigrants.
A foreigner who has opened a company can obtain a residence permit almost immediately after arrival. The permit is issued for a period of two years with the possibility of extension. Three years later, if the company is prosperous and brings a stable profit, the foreigner can apply for permanent residence.
You can open a company in Hungary without investing a lot of money. The authorized capital for such an enterprise should be not less than 2,000 euros... At the same time, it is possible to attract several founders, but the amount of investment must be at least 400 euros for each.
Reference! Together with the businessman, his family members also receive a residence permit.
If you have more significant funds, you can get permanent residence bypassing the stage of obtaining a residence permit.By investing in the country's economy at least 300 thousand eurosa foreigner and his family automatically receive a permanent residence permit and the opportunity to become citizens of the country on preferential terms.
In addition to the main amount of investment, the emigrant will also need 50 thousand euros as a one-time commission. All invested funds, with the exception of commissions, will be returned to the foreigner after 5 years, while permanent residence and the opportunity to obtain citizenship are preserved.
Residence permit for the purchase of real estate
Acquisition of real estate in Hungary in the amount of more than 300 thousand euros gives a foreigner the right to obtain a multiple entry visa for 5 years. There are no benefits for these persons when applying for permanent residence or citizenship.
Before buying, a foreigner must come to the country on the basis of a tourist visa and apply to the municipality for the purchase of housing. Upon approval of the request and making an advance payment in the amount of 10% from the cost, you can deal with registration of ownership and obtaining a visa.
An emigrant who has bought real estate gets the opportunity to move his family to Hungary and apply for a residence permit on a general basis.
After obtaining a residence permit, the owner must stay on the territory of the state for at least 183 days a year... This fact is carefully checked by the authorities. Control visits and interviews with neighbors are arranged.
Residence permit through family reunification and marriage
Hungarian citizens or foreigners with resident status can invite close relatives. The inviting party must have living space and financial ability to provide migrants. Close relatives include husband, wife and children.
The right to preferential acquisition of citizenship is obtained by a foreigner who has married a Hungarian citizen. After three years of being married, the immigrant is eligible to apply for a Hungarian passport.
The main condition is cohabitation and housekeeping. Newlyweds should be prepared for visits by regulatory authorities that identify fictitious marriages.
Reference! In case of divorce, a foreigner needs to look for another reason to extend the residence permit and obtain citizenship.
Obtaining citizenship for refugees
Refugees are recognized as people who leave their home country, fleeing persecution or hostilities. To obtain this status, a foreigner must prove that his life is in danger if returned to his country.
Citizenship for refugees is possible if you have your own home (not rented) and permanently reside in the country at least 8 years.
Repatriation
This type of immigration is available to those who had Hungarian citizenship, but lost their status during the war due to the separation of some territories. Descendants of ethnic Hungarians can also count on repatriation.
To obtain a Hungarian passport, a foreigner needs to prove their origin. As a basis, you can use:
- Parents' birth certificate;
- Archival documents confirming Hungarian origin.
If there is evidence, citizenship is issued in 3-4 months.
Hungarian birth certificate
Features of resettlement programs
| Naturalization method | Who is available | Stages of registration | Additional terms |
| Employment | Highly qualified specialists with a profession in demand in the country |
| Not |
| Business and investment | Citizen of any country |
| To obtain permanent residence, a foreigner must buy or rent residential property for a long time |
| Buying a property | Citizens of the CIS countries and the European Union |
| For citizens of the CIS, only a purchase is required, for residents of the European Union it is enough to rent real estate |
| Family reunification | Spouses or children of Hungarian citizens |
| The inviting party must have funds for the maintenance and residential real estate |
| Repatriation | Ethnic Hungarians |
| Proof of origin |
Living in Hungary for expats
Without exception, all foreigners note low prices for food and housing in comparison with other European countries. Good ecology and mild climate are also considered to be the country's advantages.
The disadvantages include the need to learn difficult Hungarian. At the same time, the majority of the country's inhabitants are passable in English.
Difficulties in finding work are no less upsetting for foreigners. There are many offers on the labor market, but most employers are reluctant to hire foreigners.
Olga:“I quickly found a job only due to the presence of a demanded profession and knowledge of four languages. The bad news is that you need to know Hungarian to get a job at a decent place. In addition, upon dismissal, foreigners are deprived of a residence permit. If they do not find another job, they may be deported. All employers are aware of this and often shamelessly take advantage of the situation. "
The living wage in the country is 280-300 euros, the average salary is about 550 euros.
Michael:“The salary / cost of living ratio is quite acceptable. Foreigners should take into account that Hungary has a fairly high income tax. Also, all agreements when renting an apartment or ordering any services must be concluded in writing with an exact indication of the amount of work and cost. Otherwise, the price of the service, announced initially, can easily increase several times. "
The country has a low crime rate and comfortable living conditions. Most immigrants note the friendliness and responsiveness of the locals. For those who have not managed to settle down in Hungary, there is still the possibility of free movement in the countries of the European Union.
