Hungary Residency by Investment 2026: requirements, costs, and roadmap

Hungary Residency by Investment is a pathway to obtaining a 10-year residence permit in a European Union and Schengen member state, via the Guest Investor Program which reopened on 01/07/2024. This article summarises the requirements, the two investment options valid in 2026, official fees, the step-by-step process, and risks to consider before signing.

What is Hungary Residency by Investment

The Guest Investor Program is the official name of the residency category commonly referred to by the media as the Hungary Golden Visa. Golden Visa is a familiar term used by the media, not a legal name; most of these programmes grant residence permits, not visas. For Hungary, the final document the investor receives is a vendégbefektetői tartózkodási engedély, which is a residence permit for guest investors with a maximum validity of 10 years.

Hungary Residency by Investment is a residency-by-investment category, not a citizenship-by-investment category. Hungary does not grant citizenship in exchange for an investment. Permit holders can only progress to national permanent residency and then naturalise through the standard procedure, subject to actual residency and passing a constitutional knowledge test in Hungarian. The biggest difference compared to the Greece or Portugal Golden Visa is that Hungary grants a 10-year validity immediately and does not impose a minimum physical presence requirement.

Hungary previously operated a residency bond programme between 2013–2017 before closing it. The current legal framework was completely rewritten in the new act on foreign nationals, which came into effect on 01/01/2024 and began accepting applications on 01/07/2024. The position of Hungary at the heart of Europe, along with its European Union and Schengen membership, is the reason the programme attracted interest from Asian investors from its very first year.

Legal basis and milestones

The Hungary residency by investment programme is governed by Act XC of 2023 on the general rules for the entry and residence of third-country nationals (2023. évi XC. törvény). Article 16 provides for the guest investor visa (vendégbefektetői vízum), and Article 22 provides for the guest investor residence permit. The implementing authority is the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság – OIF), which receives applications via the Enter Hungary electronic portal or in person at regional offices.

Timeline	Event
1 January 2024	Act XC of 2023 enters into force, establishing the guest investor category
1 July 2024	Commencement of guest investor visa and residence permit applications
10/2024 and 01/2025	The first two fund management companies are approved to distribute eligible fund units
12/2024	Parliament amends the law, removing the €500,000 EUR residential property option before it could take effect on 01/01/2025
3 March 2026	OIF updates the current fee schedule

Consequence for prospective applicants: all content circulating online regarding the purchase of a €500,000 EUR property to obtain a Hungary Golden Visa is now obsolete. As of 2026, the programme only recognises two investment forms, which are presented in the following section.

Two investment options recognised in 2026

Purchase of real estate fund units from €250,000 EUR

According to National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF), investors purchase fund units worth at least €250,000 EUR issued by a real estate fund registered with the Central Bank of Hungary (Magyar Nemzeti Bank – MNB). The units must be held directly and continuously for at least 5 years. The fund must allocate at least 40% of its net asset value to residential real estate in Hungary, and the fund management company must be listed in the register of eligible providers under Act XXX of 2016.

A point to understand correctly: this is an investment, not a deposit. The value of the units fluctuates according to the real estate portfolio held by the fund. After 5 years, the investor sells them at the market price at that time, which may be higher or lower than the initial capital. The OIF clearly states that it does not maintain a list of eligible funds and does not recommend distributors, so the choice of fund is entirely the investor’s responsibility.

As of early 2025, according to a summary by the International Bar Association (IBA), only 2 fund management companies have been approved to distribute units for the programme. The limited number of options makes the due diligence of each fund even more important: the management team, project portfolio, issuance fees, annual management fees, and the redemption mechanism after 5 years.

Donation from €1,000,000 EUR for higher education

The second option is a non-refundable donation of at least €1,000,000 EUR to a higher education institution managed by a public trust foundation, serving teaching, scientific research, or artistic creation. The donor receives no money back and acquires no shares or financial benefits.

This option is suitable for individuals with significant assets who wish to fulfil their investment obligations in one go and do not want to monitor fund performance for 5 years. In return, the actual cost is 4 times higher than the fund option and there is no possibility of recovery, even in part.

The €500,000 EUR residential property option has been removed

The original law included a third option: purchasing residential real estate worth at least €500,000 EUR, scheduled to apply from 01/01/2025. In December 2024, the Hungarian Parliament amended the law and removed this option before it took effect. Therefore, Hungary residency by investment currently does not allow for the direct purchase of property to obtain a residence permit, unlike Greece, Cyprus, or Malta.

Requirements for investors and source of funds

Applicants for Hungary residency by investment must be third-country nationals, meaning they do not hold citizenship of Hungary, the European Union, or the European Economic Area. Vietnamese citizens are eligible in terms of nationality. Applicants must hold a valid passport, not be subject to a Schengen entry ban, have no alerts in the Schengen Information System, and not have provided false information on essential points in their application.

Financially, the application must prove two distinct things: the Source of Funds (SoF) and the Source of Wealth (SoW). SoF asks where the money used for this transaction came from; SoW asks how the entire wealth was formed. The OIF requires notarised documents, contracts, or tax records proving the legal origin, accompanied by confirmation of financial capacity from a credit institution if the investment has not yet been made at the time of the visa application.

In addition, the application needs to prove accommodation in Hungary via a lease agreement, title deed, or booking confirmation, and prove sufficient financial capacity to support oneself and any accompanying family members. The due diligence process involves the Hungarian Constitution Protection Office, so applications with unclear financial histories or links to sanctioned countries will be rejected.

The 5-step Hungary residency by investment process

1. Apply for a guest investor visa at the Hungarian consular authority in the country of residence or nationality. For Vietnamese citizens, this is the Embassy of Hungary in Hanoi or the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. The application includes the form, passport, photos, proof of accommodation, and either a certificate of investment from the fund management company or university, or a commitment to invest accompanied by proof of financial capacity. The visa is valid for a maximum of 6 months, is non-renewable, costs €110 EUR, and has a maximum processing time of 21 days.
2. Enter Hungary and complete the investment. If the investor only provided a commitment when applying for the visa, they must execute the investment within 3 months from the visa issuance date and provide proof via Enter Hungary within 3 months from the date of entry.
3. Submit the residence permit application within 30 days of the first legal entry, via Enter Hungary or in person at an OIF regional office. The application includes the investment certificate, proof of accommodation, passport, and 1 photo.
4. Provide fingerprints, have a photo taken, and sign at the OIF within 15 days after electronic submission. The application is only considered received after this step and after the fee has been paid.
5. Receive the decision. The OIF processes this within 21 days, excluding waiting time for investment proof and supplementary documents. If rejected, the applicant may appeal within 8 days. The residence card is issued with a maximum validity of 10 years.

The guest investor visa automatically expires when the residence permit is issued. Investors should not enter using a short-term Schengen tourist visa to submit their application, as the 30-day mark is calculated from the first legal entry for the purpose of the investment. Vietnamese citizens are not yet exempt from Schengen visas, so they must go through the guest investor visa step.

Official fees and actual costs

Fixed deposit	Fee level	Endorsements
Guest investor visa	€110 EURO	Submitted at the consular authority
Residence permit, submitted via Enter Hungary	26.000 HUF	Approximately €65 EUR
Residence permit, submitted in person	39.000 HUF	Approximately €100 EUR
Residence permit renewal	26.000 HUF
Family reunification permit for each relative	26.000 HUF	€110 EUR if submitted with the visa at the consulate
National residence card	26.000 HUF	Renewal 20,000 HUF
Appeal against a rejection decision	12.000 HUF	€160 EUR if appealing at the consulate

The above fee schedule is based on the OIF version updated on 03/03/2026; euro conversions are for reference only. State fees are a small portion. The actual cost of a Hungary residency by investment application includes the initial investment of €250,000 EUR or €1,000,000 EUR, issuance fees and annual fund management fees depending on the fund, legal fees, translation, notarisation, and legalisation of documents, costs for renting accommodation in Hungary to prove an address, and fees for each family member.

For applications from Vietnam, civil and financial documents must be translated, notarised, and consular-legalised according to a 3-step process. From 11/09/2026, the Apostille Convention will be in effect for Vietnam, and the procedure for legalising documents for use in Hungary is expected to be reduced to 1 step. Applicants after this date should re-confirm with the consular authority regarding the accepted certification format.

10-year validity, renewal, and maintenance conditions

The Hungary residency by investment permit is valid for a maximum of 10 years and can be extended only once for up to another 10 years for the same purpose. Renewal conditions include: maintaining the fund units or having completed the donation, having no criminal record, no violations of residency regulations, and proof of sufficient financial means. Fund investors are permitted to replace their units with others of equal or higher value.

The 5-year holding obligation is a key condition. Selling fund units early, or the fund failing to maintain the 40% residential real estate ratio, constitutes grounds for the OIF to revoke the permit. When the main investor’s permit is revoked, the permits of accompanying family members also become invalid as they are dependent on the main permit.

There is no physical presence requirement for either the initial permit or the renewal. The OIF has confirmed they do not check whether permit holders are in Hungary for at least 90 days in every 180-day period. This differs from Portugal Golden Visa, where investors must be present for an average of 7 days per year.

Family members

The spouse and dependent family members of a Hungary residency by investment applicant, including minor children and dependent parents, may apply for a residence permit under family reunification. The permit duration for family members matches that of the main investor, which is a maximum of 10 years. Family members may only submit their applications after the main investor has received their residence permit; they cannot apply in parallel.

Family members are permitted to work in Hungary under the same conditions as the main investor without needing a separate work permit. Children may attend public schools and universities within the Hungarian education system. The family reunification permit fee is 26,000 HUF per person when submitted via Enter Hungary.

Benefits for permit holders

• Unrestricted work: holders may be employed, self-employed, or hold executive positions in companies in Hungary without needing to convert their permit.
• Schengen travel: the Hungary residence permit allows for short-term stays in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in every 180-day period, following the same principle as Schengen benefits of the Greece Golden Visa. The permit does not allow for long-term residency or employment in other Schengen countries.
• No presence required: there is no physical presence requirement to maintain or renew the permit.
• Long duration: 10 years with a 10-year extension, which is longer than the 5-year Greece Golden Visa and the 2-year cycles of the Portugal Golden Visa.
• Access to services: opening bank accounts, renting or buying property, registering for health insurance, and studying in Hungary.

Roadmap to permanent residency and citizenship

The 10-year Hungary residency by investment permit is not permanent residency. To obtain a National Residence Card (Nemzeti Tartózkodási Kártya), which is permanent residency status in Hungary, the permit holder must have resided legally and continuously in Hungary for at least 3 years immediately prior to application. According to IBA summaries, the continuity condition allows for absences of no more than 4 months at a time and a total of no more than 270 days over 3 years, while also requiring proof of financial self-sufficiency. The fee is 26,000 HUF.

This creates a paradox that should be recognised early. The programme does not require physical presence to maintain the permit, but the path to permanent residency requires actual residence. Investors who only want Schengen travel rights do not need to live in Hungary. Investors who want permanent residency or citizenship must move to Hungary and live there for the majority of the time over 3 years.

Hungarian citizenship follows the standard naturalisation process; there are no exceptions for investors. Applicants must have a longer period of residency, typically 8 continuous years, and pass a constitutional knowledge exam in Hungarian. Hungary allows dual citizenship, but Vietnamese nationality law has specific regulations that should be checked beforehand. The institutional context is presented in the article Hungarian politics.

Risks to consider before signing

1. Fund market risk: fund units are not capital-guaranteed. If the real estate portfolio decreases in value or the fund fails to redeem units on time, the investor may lose a portion of their investment.
2. Liquidity risk: there is a mandatory 5-year holding period. Early withdrawal means losing the residence permit for the entire family.
3. Legal risk: the Hungary residency by investment programme amended its law once, just 6 months after opening, removing the property purchase option before it even took effect. Transitional provisions are not an automatic right; applications are only assessed under old regulations if the amended law explicitly states so.
4. Vetting risk: the OIF and the Constitution Protection Office vet the background of every application. According to Hungarian media, 24 applications from Russian citizens were rejected out of the first 192 visa applications. Applications with unclear sources of funds will be rejected, and fees are non-refundable.
5. Tax risk: according to IBA, fund unit returns are subject to a 15% personal income tax in Hungary, and those staying in Hungary for over 183 days per year may become tax residents. Tax advice should be sought in both Vietnam and Hungary before transferring funds.
6. Limited choice risk: only 2 fund management companies have been approved so far. State authorities do not rank or guarantee funds, so investors must conduct their own due diligence or hire an independent firm to do so.

Who is applying: first-year data

According to data from Hungarian authorities published by Szabad Európa in March 2025, by the end of February 2025, there were 192 applicants for the Hungary residency by investment visa, but only 25 had submitted residence permit applications. China led with 9 applications, 4 of which were approved. Vietnam ranked second with 5 applications, 2 approved and 3 under review. South Africa had 2 applications, and the remaining countries had 1 each.

This figure is small compared to initial expectations and compared to Greece or Portugal. Reasons may include: the €250,000 EURO fund level is on par with Greece but lacks tangible assets in the investor’s name, there are few funds to choose from, and applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens are being tightened. For Vietnamese investors, the fact that applications have been approved shows the process is operational, but it also indicates the programme is still new and may continue to be adjusted. The foundation of the Hungarian economy and the Budapest housing market are the deciding factors for the effectiveness of the fund option.

Hungary Residency by Investment compared to Greece, Portugal, and Malta

Criteria	Hungary	Greece	Portugal
Minimum investment	€250,000 EURO in real estate fund units, or €1,000,000 EURO donation	€250,000 – €800,000 EURO in real estate depending on the area	€500,000 EURO in investment funds, real estate option no longer available
Permit duration	10 years, renewable once for 10 more years	5 years, renewable in 5-year increments	2 years, renewable by period
Presence requirement	No days of presence required	No days of presence required	Average of 7 days per year
Direct property purchase	No	Yes	No
Minimum holding	5 years	Throughout the duration of the card	5 years

Hungary stands out for its 10-year duration and 21-day processing time. Greece is better in that it offers tangible assets in the investor’s name; see more in Greece Golden Visa conditions 2026. Portugal has a clearer path to citizenship but requires presence and has long processing times; detailed comparisons are in the article Greece and Portugal Golden Visas. Malta follows a contribution plus rental or purchase model, presented separately in the article Malta residency by investment.

Summary and next steps

The 2026 Hungary residency by investment programme is the longest-duration residency by investment programme in Europe, with fast procedures and no physical presence requirement, offering 2 options: €250,000 EURO in real estate fund units held for 5 years, or a €1,000,000 EURO donation to higher education. In return, investors bear the fund’s market risk, are bound by a 5-year commitment, and must pass strict background vetting.

Before signing a contract to purchase fund units, investors should have 3 documents on hand: the fund’s prospectus and asset report, the results of a preliminary source-of-funds vetting, and a comprehensive cost breakdown including fund fees, legal fees, and fees for each family member. Applications should be assessed for eligibility before transferring funds, which can begin at the Hungary residency by investment service page.