Who can apply for the Hungary digital nomad visa?

Any third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) national with a verified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary, or an ownership share in a profitable company registered abroad, who works or manages that company from Hungary with advanced digital technology and does not work for a Hungarian employer or own a Hungarian company. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it. Hungary's White Card is a one-year residence permit, extendable once, for non-EU remote employees of foreign companies or owners of profitable foreign companies who earned at least €3,000 net a month for the previous six months. It costs €110 at a consulate and is decided in about 21 days, but family members cannot join on it and it never leads to permanent residence.

How much does the White Card (digital nomad residence permit) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $123 (€110 at a consulate; HUF 39,000 in person in Hungary or HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary; extension HUF 26,000); Procedural fee for issuing the residence permit (which at a consulate includes the entry visa to collect it). HUF 26,000 is about €70 at the ECB rate of HUF 369.18 per euro. The residence-permit card itself has no separate fee. Processing time: 3 weeks to 4 weeks. The authority's standard procedure is 21 days, with a final decision due within 30 days of submission; consulate applications add the time to forward the file and collect the visa.

Can my spouse or children come with me on the Hungary White Card?

Not on the White Card. Hungarian law excludes family reunification for White Card holders, except for a child born in Hungary during the permit. A partner needs to qualify independently, for example with their own White Card or an employment-based permit.

Can freelancers get the Hungary White Card?

Only if they work through their own company registered abroad that shows a profit, or hold an employment contract with a foreign employer. A sole trader invoicing clients without a company does not meet the definition.

Digital nomad visa · Europe

Hungary digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost

Hungary's White Card is a one-year residence permit, extendable once, for non-EU remote employees of foreign companies or owners of profitable foreign companies who earned at least €3,000 net a month for the previous six months. It costs €110 at a consulate and is decided in about 21 days, but family members cannot join on it and it never leads to permanent residence.

Official name: Fehér Kártya (White Card), tartózkodási engedély digitális nomádok részére, 2023. évi XC. törvény. Facts updated 2026-10-04 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Non-EU/EEA citizens; Any third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) national with a verified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary, or an ownership share in a profitable company registered abroad, who works or manages that company from Hungary with advanced digital technology and does not work for a Hungarian employer or own a Hungarian company. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it.
Minimum income: $3,368/month; €3,000 net a month for the six months before entry (a beutazást megelőző 6 hónapban havi nettó 3000 EUR)
Fee: about $123; €110 at a consulate; HUF 39,000 in person in Hungary or HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary; extension HUF 26,000
Processing time: 3 weeks to 4 weeks
Initial stay: 1 year, renewable up to 2 years
Where to apply: Consulate, then in the country; Abroad: the Hungarian embassy or consulate (or authorised reception point) for your country of residence or nationality. In Hungary, if you entered visa-free: online on the Enter Hungary platform or in person at the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.

Not yet reviewed by a person

Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-04. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

Applied for this visa? Tell us what you found →

Who can apply

Any third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) national with a verified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary, or an ownership share in a profitable company registered abroad, who works or manages that company from Hungary with advanced digital technology and does not work for a Hungarian employer or own a Hungarian company. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it.

What you need

Residence-permit application form and a recent passport photo
Passport valid at least three months beyond the permit's expiry
Employer certificate confirming a verified employment relationship with a company registered outside Hungary and permission to work remotely, or company registry extract and proof of your shareholding and the company's profit
Proof of lawful income of at least €3,000 net a month for the six months before entry (bank statements, payslips or tax documents)
Health insurance covering Hungary, or proof of other entitlement to health care
Proof of accommodation in Hungary: lease, ownership document, booking confirmation, invitation letter or host declaration
Proof of means to leave (return ticket or funds)
Declaration that you will not work for a Hungarian employer or hold a share in a Hungarian company

Income proof: The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing requires lawful income of at least €3,000 net a month throughout the six months before entry, maintained during the stay, proven with bank statements or tax documents. Note that the Enter Hungary document list still shows the older €2,000 figure. Converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).

Family: None. The law states that family members of a White Card holder or applicant cannot be granted residence permits for family reunification; the only exception is a child born in Hungary during the permit's validity. Partners must qualify for their own permit.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$3,368/month€3,000 net a month for the six months before entry (a beutazást megelőző 6 hónapban havi nettó 3000 EUR)
Fee	about $123Procedural fee for issuing the residence permit (which at a consulate includes the entry visa to collect it). HUF 26,000 is about €70 at the ECB rate of HUF 369.18 per euro. The residence-permit card itself has no separate fee.
Processing time	3 weeks to 4 weeksThe authority's standard procedure is 21 days, with a final decision due within 30 days of submission; consulate applications add the time to forward the file and collect the visa.
Stay	1 year, renewable up to 2 years

How to apply

Consulate, then in the country. Abroad: the Hungarian embassy or consulate (or authorised reception point) for your country of residence or nationality. In Hungary, if you entered visa-free: online on the Enter Hungary platform or in person at the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.

Confirm you qualify: an employment contract with an employer outside Hungary that allows remote work, or ownership in a profitable foreign company, and at least €3,000 net monthly income for the previous six months.
Collect your employer's certificate or company documents, six months of bank statements or tax records, health insurance, and proof of accommodation in Hungary (lease, booking or host declaration).
Apply at the Hungarian consulate with the residence-permit form and pay €110, or if you are already in Hungary visa-free, register on Enter Hungary and submit online (HUF 26,000).
Wait for the decision (21 days standard, 30 days maximum); consulate applicants receive a visa to enter and collect the card.
Collect the White Card and register your address; apply for the single one-year extension before it expires after at least 90 days in Hungary in the preceding 180.

After you arrive

Renewal: Valid for up to one year and extendable once for the same purpose, by up to one more year, provided you spent at least 90 days in any 180 in Hungary on the permit before applying to extend.

Residence: The law expressly says White Card holders may not be granted a national residence card (the long-term status), so time on it does not lead to permanent residence.

Taxes

You become a Hungarian tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year (or by having your permanent home or centre of vital interests there) and are then taxed on worldwide income at the flat 15% personal income-tax rate, subject to double-tax treaties; employees of foreign companies may also owe social-security contributions unless a certificate of coverage applies.

In practice

The English page on enterhungary.gov.hu returned a 404 on 2026-10-04 and its document list still quotes €2,000; the OIF factsheets (English and Hungarian) give €3,000 net, which is the figure applied.
The White Card is for remote employees and company owners only; freelancers without an employer or a company abroad do not fit the definition.
A card holder who takes a job with a Hungarian company or forms a Hungarian company must switch to another permit; the White Card is revoked.
Budapest has nearly all of Hungary's coworking and English-speaking landlords; the 90-days-in-180 presence rule means you cannot keep the card as a base while mostly living elsewhere.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

EU, EEA, CH:You do not need this permit. Register with the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing for a registration certificate if you stay more than 90 days.
US, GB, CA, AU, NZ, JP:Visa-free for 90 days in 180 in the Schengen area. You can enter visa-free and apply inside Hungary through Enter Hungary or at a regional directorate, or apply at a consulate first.
All other passports:Nationals who need a Schengen visa must apply at the Hungarian consulate for their country of residence or nationality and receive a visa to enter once the permit is approved.

Cities in Hungary on Nostos

Budapest
Balanced score 73 · $1,389/month
Szeged
Balanced score 72 · $1,486/month
Pécs
Balanced score 70 · $1,486/month
Debrecen
Balanced score 70 · $1,486/month

Have you applied for this visa?

Does this guide match what you found?

Tell other nomads how it went.

Outcome, how long it took, what it cost and what the guide did not tell you. Your account appears here once a person has read it; your email never does.

Frequently asked

Who can apply for the Hungary digital nomad visa?: Any third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) national with a verified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary, or an ownership share in a profitable company registered abroad, who works or manages that company from Hungary with advanced digital technology and does not work for a Hungarian employer or own a Hungarian company. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it. Hungary's White Card is a one-year residence permit, extendable once, for non-EU remote employees of foreign companies or owners of profitable foreign companies who earned at least €3,000 net a month for the previous six months. It costs €110 at a consulate and is decided in about 21 days, but family members cannot join on it and it never leads to permanent residence.
How much income do you need for the White Card (digital nomad residence permit)?: About $3,368 per month (€3,000 net a month for the six months before entry (a beutazást megelőző 6 hónapban havi nettó 3000 EUR)). The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing requires lawful income of at least €3,000 net a month throughout the six months before entry, maintained during the stay, proven with bank statements or tax documents. Note that the Enter Hungary document list still shows the older €2,000 figure. Converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).
How much does the White Card (digital nomad residence permit) cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $123 (€110 at a consulate; HUF 39,000 in person in Hungary or HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary; extension HUF 26,000); Procedural fee for issuing the residence permit (which at a consulate includes the entry visa to collect it). HUF 26,000 is about €70 at the ECB rate of HUF 369.18 per euro. The residence-permit card itself has no separate fee. Processing time: 3 weeks to 4 weeks. The authority's standard procedure is 21 days, with a final decision due within 30 days of submission; consulate applications add the time to forward the file and collect the visa.
How long can you stay in Hungary on the White Card (digital nomad residence permit), and can it be renewed?: 1 year, renewable up to 2 years. Valid for up to one year and extendable once for the same purpose, by up to one more year, provided you spent at least 90 days in any 180 in Hungary on the permit before applying to extend.
Does the White Card (digital nomad residence permit) lead to permanent residence in Hungary?: Not by itself. The law expressly says White Card holders may not be granted a national residence card (the long-term status), so time on it does not lead to permanent residence.
Can family members come with you on the White Card (digital nomad residence permit)?: None. The law states that family members of a White Card holder or applicant cannot be granted residence permits for family reunification; the only exception is a child born in Hungary during the permit's validity. Partners must qualify for their own permit.
Do you pay tax in Hungary on the White Card (digital nomad residence permit)?: You become a Hungarian tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year (or by having your permanent home or centre of vital interests there) and are then taxed on worldwide income at the flat 15% personal income-tax rate, subject to double-tax treaties; employees of foreign companies may also owe social-security contributions unless a certificate of coverage applies.
Where do you apply for the White Card (digital nomad residence permit)?: Consulate, then in the country: Abroad: the Hungarian embassy or consulate (or authorised reception point) for your country of residence or nationality. In Hungary, if you entered visa-free: online on the Enter Hungary platform or in person at the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.
Can my spouse or children come with me on the Hungary White Card?: Not on the White Card. Hungarian law excludes family reunification for White Card holders, except for a child born in Hungary during the permit. A partner needs to qualify independently, for example with their own White Card or an employment-based permit.
Can freelancers get the Hungary White Card?: Only if they work through their own company registered abroad that shows a profit, or hold an employment contract with a foreign employer. A sole trader invoicing clients without a company does not meet the definition.

Sources

White Card: residency for digital nomads, Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság, National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (oif.gov.hu) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Eligibility, exclusions, €3,000 net income for six months, one-year validity extendable once, 90/180 rule, 21/30-day processing, where to apply, no family reunification, no national residence card
Fehér Kártya (digitális nomád) tartózkodás, Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság (oif.gov.hu) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Hungarian text of the €3,000 net monthly income rule, documents, extension conditions
Procedural fees, Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság (oif.gov.hu) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · €110 at a consulate, HUF 39,000 in person, HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary, HUF 26,000 extension
White Card: required documents, Enter Hungary, Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság (enterhungary.gov.hu) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Document list (employer certificate or company ownership, income certificate, health cover, accommodation); still quotes the older €2,000 income figure

Not yet reviewed by a person. Applied for this visa? Tell us what you found →