In order to secure these rights, you need to apply for a new National Permanent Residence Permit in Hungary by the end of 2021 even if you already have an existing residency document.

All UK nationals and their family members who want to continue living in Hungary must apply before 31 December 2021.

You can find further information on the scheme at the website of the Hungarian immigration authority (National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing):
www.bmbah.hu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=1314&Itemid=1853&lang=en

Under the new preferential scheme there is no minimum period requirement for residency. You just need to present your existing residency documents or show you were in Hungary before 1 January 2021 by submitting documents such as a work contract or a house rental agreement. Your existing residency documents will remain valid until 31 December 2021.

You can submit your application online on Enter Hungary  or in person at the relevant regional immigration office, using a paper form.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic some restrictions have been introduced in in-person appointments at government offices. This means  that  you  need  to  book   an  appointment  if   you  would  like  to  apply  in  person. 

You  can  do  this  at  the  website  of  the  immigration   authority: www.bmbah.hu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=395:appointment-booking&lang=en.

Also note that you will need to visit a government office within 15 days of submitting your application, even if you do it online. This is to allow the authorities to collect biometric data. The Enter Hungary platform will send a notification about this.

This guide explains in detail how to complete the online version of the application form. It is provided by the British Embassy Budapest as a guide only. While we have made every effort to ensure accuracy, and checking the text with the Hungarian authorities, the Embassy accepts no responsibility for any application process.

You should contact the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing via their Call Center (+36 1 463 9292, Mo-Thu: 8.00-16.00, Fr: 8.00-13.30) if you are unsure about any aspect of your application.

General principles for completing the application form

The application process is free, and protected by the Withdrawal Agreement for UK nationals and their family members.

To access the application form online, you need to create an account on Enter Hungary  first.

On the application form, you only need to fill in the fields marked with an asterix “*”, as indicated in the guide below.

If you already have a valid Hungarian registration certificate, residence card or permanent resident permit, you only need to upload the copy of this and the data page of your valid passport. We also suggest that you attach the copy of your address card (“lakcímkártya”), if you have one.

If you don’t yet have a valid Hungarian residency document but you were living in Hungary before 1 January 2021, in addition to the copy of your valid passport you need to attach documents credibly proving that you were living in Hungary before 1 January 2021.

These may include an employment contract, a flat or house rental agreement, a certificate of student status, a certificate issued by a medical institution in case of a permanent therapy or a certificate issued by the Hungarian tax authority evidencing regular income from activities carried out in Hungary.

Third country (non-EEA) national family members of UK nationals (including UK nationals not eligible under the Withdrawal Agreement) are also eligible to apply for a National Permanent Resident Permit under the new scheme provided that the UK national is staying in Hungary legally with a permanent resident status, the family relation was established before 1 January 2021 and the relationship exists at the time of submitting the application.

Each eligible family member need to complete a separate application form, following the steps set out in this guidance. (Family member means spouses or registered partners, children or grandchildren under the age of 21, dependent children and grandchildren, dependent parents and grandparents, any person whose entry and residence has been authorised by the competent authority on grounds of family reunification and the person who has parental custody of a minor child who is a Hungarian citizen.)

Once you have submitted your application, the authorities have 30 days to examine it. In the meantime, the Enter Hungary platform will send you a notification requesting you to visit a government office to provide biometric data. You will be asked to submit this biometric data in person within 15 days of submitting your application, even if you do it online.

Please note that you need to follow a separate procedure if you are a frontier worker or a self-employed frontier worker in Hungary.

Please visit the website of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing for further details on this: www.bmbah.hu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1630:information-on-the-preferential-procedure-application-for-citizens-of-the-united- kingdom&Itemid=2062&lang=en