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Hungary

A ten-year residence permit in the heart of Europe, from EUR 250,000 in a regulated fund.

Route: Residency by investment
Minimum investment: EUR 250,000 fund or EUR 1,000,000 donation
Time to residency: Around 3–6 months: the visa first, then the permit
Presence required: None
Citizenship: Not part of the programme; naturalisation requires long actual residence and Hungarian language
Travel: Schengen area, visa-free
Dual citizenship: Allowed
Reach status: Advisory & filing

Figures indicative as of September 2026. Amounts, fees and processing times change with each government’s rules. A consultant confirms the current terms for your family before anything is signed.

Hungary’s Guest Investor Program, launched in 2024, grants a ten-year residence permit, renewable once for another ten years, to investors who place EUR 250,000 in a licensed Hungarian real-estate fund or donate EUR 1,000,000 to a public-interest university. It is the longest-dated residence permit offered by any EU investment programme.

There is no minimum stay, the permit covers the spouse, minor children and dependent parents, and Budapest offers a low cost of living, strong universities and direct access to the EU market. A property-purchase option was written into the law but has been suspended, so the fund route is the practical choice.

Assess my case Residency & migration

Why families choose it

01
Ten years at a time
A single permit lasts ten years and renews once for ten more, with no annual paperwork.
02
No minimum stay
Keep the permit while living elsewhere; there is no residence requirement.
03
Regulated fund with an exit
Units in a real-estate fund registered with the Hungarian National Bank, redeemable after the five-year holding period.
04
Schengen access
Visa-free movement across the Schengen area with the residence permit.
05
Affordable base
Budapest costs a fraction of Western European capitals, with international schools and English-taught universities.

Investment routes

fromEUR 250,000

Real-estate fund

Units in a real-estate fund licensed for the programme and registered with the central bank, held for at least five years.

fromEUR 1,000,000

University donation

A donation to a public-interest trust that maintains a Hungarian higher-education institution.

Residential property

The property-purchase option written into the law has been suspended and is not currently available.

Figures indicative as of September 2026. Amounts, fees and processing times change with each government’s rules. A consultant confirms the current terms for your family before anything is signed.

How it works

Who can be included

Spouse, minor children and dependent parents of the investor can be included in the same application, each receiving the same ten-year permit.

A consultant confirms your eligibility and the fund whose strategy and exit terms suit you.
You apply for a guest investor visa at the Hungarian consulate; it is valid for two years and allows multiple entries.
Within three months of entering Hungary on the visa you complete the investment and apply for the residence permit.
The family’s documents, clean-record certificates and health insurance are filed with the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.
Biometrics are taken in Hungary at the appointment we schedule for you.
The ten-year residence permits are issued, renewable once for a further ten years if the investment is maintained.

Questions people ask

Talk to a consultant: Assess my case

Can I buy a property instead of the fund?

Not at the moment. The property-purchase option in the law has been suspended, so the fund and the university donation are the two routes open today.

What happens after ten years?

The permit can be renewed once for a further ten years. Beyond that, holders who have actually lived in Hungary can look at permanent residence or naturalisation under the ordinary rules.

Is the fund investment guaranteed?

No investment is guaranteed. The funds are licensed for the programme and registered with the Hungarian National Bank; we review each fund’s assets, fees and redemption terms before recommending it.

Do I need to visit Hungary?

Yes, at least once: you enter on the guest investor visa, complete the investment and give biometrics. After the permit is issued there is no minimum stay.