Hungary Golden Visa 2026: The Complete Guide to the Guest Investor Residence Permit

I live and work in Budapest, so Hungary is the programme I am asked about most often in person. My short answer: it is a long, calm residence permit for people who want a European base without moving, and it is not a passport. Below is how it works, checked on 26 October 2026 against the pages of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) and BRIDGES data.

What the programme is

The official name is the residence permit for guest investors. It is based on Act XC of 2023 on the entry and residence of third-country nationals, and according to BRIDGES it has been accepting applicants since 1 July 2024. The permit is issued by OIF, the Hungarian immigration authority. It is valid for up to 10 years and can be extended once for another 10.

The two ways to qualify

Option	Minimum	What happens to the money
Units of a real estate fund registered by the Hungarian National Bank (MNB)	EUR 250,000	stays invested, units must be held for at least 5 years
Donation to a higher education institution run by a public-interest trust (education, research or art)	EUR 1,000,000	not returned

The fund has to keep at least 40% of its assets in Hungarian residential property, and its manager must meet size rules set out by OIF. The units are blocked in a securities sub-account for five years. OIF publishes a list of eligible fund managers, but it keeps no register of funds and does not recommend distributors, so the choice of fund is yours. A direct purchase of an apartment does not qualify. BRIDGES writes that a EUR 500,000 property option was announced and then postponed before it ever started. The money side is in my cost guide.

What the permit gives

• residence in Hungary for up to 10 years, plus one extension of up to 10 years;
• no minimum stay: the OIF FAQ says no stay is required and none is checked at extension;
• the right to work without restriction, to be self-employed and to run a company;
• travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180, as with any Schengen residence permit;
• family members can get family reunification permits.

What it does not give: the right to work in other EU countries (BRIDGES points this out), and no path to citizenship by itself. Years on the permit count toward naturalisation only if you actually live in Hungary. I explain this in residence versus citizenship.

The procedure in short

1. You apply for a guest investor visa at a Hungarian consulate in the country of your citizenship or residence. The visa is valid for 6 months.
2. You make the investment. OIF says it must be completed within 3 months of the visa being issued.
3. You enter Hungary and apply for the residence permit within 30 days of first entry, online through Enter Hungary or in person at OIF, and give fingerprints and a photo.
4. OIF decides. Its administrative deadline is 21 days, and the card is sent by post.

BRIDGES counts the investment deadline from entry rather than from the visa and estimates 4 to 6 months from start to card. I show both because they differ. The full step list with documents is in the application guide.

Who it suits and who it does not

It suits people who want a long European status without moving, can live with capital locked for five years and have clean, documented money. The amount is the same for any family size, according to BRIDGES, because relatives join through family reunification. See the family guide.

It does not suit someone who needs a passport soon, or someone who wants to buy their own flat and call that the investment.

Important for Russian and Belarusian citizens

OIF writes that every guest investor visa is checked against UN and EU restrictive measures. BRIDGES goes further: in its reading of EU Regulation 833/2014, selling such fund units to Russian citizens and residents of Russia is prohibited, unless the person also holds EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship or residence. A second passport from another country does not help. I did not find an OIF statement that names Russia directly, so treat this as the BRIDGES position, and read their article on this topic before paying anyone.

Wealth tax: new in October 2026

On 10 October 2026 the government published a draft wealth tax of 1% on net wealth above HUF 1 billion. It is still a draft. Details and what is unclear for investors are in residence, citizenship and taxes.

What I could not confirm

• the total time from start to card (4 to 6 months is a BRIDGES estimate);
• the BRIDGES reading of the sanctions for Russian citizens, which OIF does not state in these words;
• whether the draft wealth tax will be adopted and how it would treat fund units.