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Get your Work Permit in Hungary

How to Get a Work Permit in Hungary

In order to work in Hungary, foreign nationals must generally apply for a work permit. The process of obtaining a work permit can be challenging, especially for foreigners who are new to the country and don’t speak Hungarian fluently yet.

There are several ways to obtain a work permit if you plan on living in Hungary long-term. Budapest Consulting will give you the main cornerstones in the maze of this business, called work permits!

Want to work in Hungary? By filling in the Work Permit documents correctly, we can help you to get your work permit faster.

Do you wish to work in Hungary?

Working legally in Hungary requires you meet certain criteria and apply for the appropriate work visa or permit. Below we explain how to get a work visa or permit in Hungary as well as other useful information about working here. 

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What is a Work Permit?

The work permit is a document that allows you to legally work in Hungary. In order to obtain a work permit, you must first find a job in Hungary. Once you have found a job, you can apply for a work permit at the Hungarian Immigration Office. 

If you have the right qualifications and experience, you should receive your work permit within three months. Once you have received your work permit, you can apply for a residence permit at the local police station where you live. Once you have received this residence permit, you can legally live and work in Hungary.

Who Needs a Work Permit in Hungary?

If you wish to work in Hungary, you will generally have to apply for a work permit. However, there are a few exceptions. 

  • Students - If you are a student and intend on remaining in Hungary for less than one year and pursuing a course of study, you do not need a work permit. 
  • Researchers - If you are a researcher, you don’t need a work permit if you will be working in the country for less than one year. 
  • Language teachers - If you are a language teacher and are legally employed in Hungary, you do not need a work permit. 
  • Individuals with special skills - If you have a special skill that is in demand in the Hungarian labour market, you can apply for a special visa that allows you to work in the country without a work permit. 

These visas are issued on a case-by-case basis, so you need to contact your local immigration office to find out if you qualify.

We are your partner, if you are:

  • Trainee
  • Employee
  • Entrepreneur
  • Job-Searcher
  • Intra-corporate Transferee

One can be employed, if

  • he/she has a seasonal work visa, or,
  • he/she has a residence permit for humanitarian purposes,
  • or if they have a residence permit for
    • employment,
    • family uniting,
    • studying, or
    • he/she has an EU Blue Card.

Applying for a Hungarian Work Visa

A work visa is an immigration permit issued by a Hungarian consular office abroad to a person who wishes to work in Hungary. Foreign nationals can apply for a work visa if they can’t apply for a work permit. 

If you wish to work in Hungary for less than 6 months, you won’t need a work visa. Instead, you will only require a short-term Schengen visa. If you wish to work in Hungary for longer than 6 months, you will need to apply for a work visa from your home country. You will also need to apply for a work permit once you arrive in Hungary. 

How to Get an EU Blue Card in Hungary

The EU Blue Card is a work permit issued to highly skilled migrant workers who wish to work in an EU member state. The EU Blue Card scheme was introduced in 2014 as part of a scheme to attract skilled migrants to Europe. 

Hungary issues the EU Blue Card to third-country nationals who take up a highly skilled job in the country. The applicant needs a higher-education qualification required for the job (or relevant high-level professional experience), an employment contract or a binding job offer for at least six months, and a salary that reaches the minimum threshold, which the authorities set anew every year.

The application can be submitted online on the Enter Hungary platform, at a Hungarian consulate abroad or, if the applicant already stays in Hungary lawfully, at the immigration office. The EU Blue Card is valid for up to four years and can be extended. Current conditions and the salary threshold are published by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.

What is the validity period of the work permit?

If you are applying for a work permit, it is valid for one year. If you renew your work permit in that time, it is valid for a further year. However, you can also apply for a residence permit at the same time. The residence permit is valid for five years, so once you have received that you can work in Hungary indefinitely. 

If you plan on living in Hungary long-term, you should apply for a work permit and residence permit as soon as you arrive in the country.

FAQ for Get Your Work Permit in Hungary

A document that allows you to legally work in Hungary is called a work permit. The first step to acquire a work permit is finding a job in Hungary. If you have obtained a job in Hungary, you can apply for the work permit at the Hungarian Immigration Office.

If you would like to work in Hungary, you will generally have to apply for a work permit at the immigration office. However, there are a few exceptions, such as: students, researchers, language teachers and individuals with special skills.

A work visa is an immigration permit issued by a Hungarian consular office abroad to a person who wants to work in Hungary. Those foreigners who cannot apply for a work permit can acquire a work visa. You have to apply for a work visa from your home country if you would like to work for Hungary for less than 6 months.

Those foreign workers, who are highly skilled and want to work in the European Union can apply for the EU blue card, which is a kind of work permit. The EU blue card was introduced in 2014 with the goal of seducing skilled migrants to work in the EU.

A Hungarian work permit is valid for one year. If the work permit is renewed within that period, it will be valid for another year. However, during that period you can also apply to a Hungarian residence permit which is valid for one year. Once you obtained that, you can work in Hungary indefinitely.