MaltaResidency
- Min. investment
- €375,000+routes from €99,000
- Time to approval
- 6–8 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Residency by Investment
Hungary Golden Visa
Europe's longest golden visa: a 10-year renewable Hungarian residence permit through a €250,000 fund investment.
Time to residency
3–6 months
Minimum investment
€250,000+
Figures as of August 2026, per the official program source — confirmed on application.
Program Overview
About the Hungary program
In brief
The Hungary program is a residency-by-investment program that grants the right to live in Hungary. The minimum qualifying investment is €250,000+, and approvals typically take 3–6 months. Presence requirement: No meaningful stay requirement; address registration required. Figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant.
Hungary's Guest Investor Program, relaunched in 2024, grants a 10-year renewable residence permit — the longest validity of any European golden visa — for a €250,000 investment in a regulated real estate fund.
With Schengen mobility, no meaningful stay requirement, and one renewal taking coverage to twenty years, it is one of Europe's most practical residence options.
Presence requirement
No meaningful stay requirement; address registration required
Document validity
10-year permit, renewable once for 10 more
Dual nationality
Residence status — your current citizenship is unaffected
How it compares
Hungary against other residency programs
Where Hungary sits among the 8 residency by investment programs we advise on. The gold marker is the peer average.
Minimum investment (lower is better)€250,000
Peer average $428kBelow the peer average
Time to approval (lower is better)3–6 months
Peer average ≈ 14 monthsBelow the peer average
Investment is compared on a USD-normalized basis; the label shows this program's own currency. Time uses the upper end of the published range. Figures are indicative.
What Hungary's Guest Investor permit unlocks
The Guest Investor Program grants one of the EU's longest first permits. What it changes from day one:
Capabilities follow from the status itself — citizenship or residence as the program grants it; specifics are confirmed during your assessment.
The Life It Unlocks
Twenty years of Europe, one decision.
The longest runway in Europe
A ten-year permit, renewable once to twenty — no other European golden visa gives your family that much certainty per application.
Budapest outward
Schengen mobility from central Europe's most underrated capital — the continent within a morning's reach.
One fund, no landlording
A regulated fund investment — no property to manage, no tenants to find, no renovation surprises.
Investment Pathways
Real Estate Fund Investment
From €250,000
Investment in a registered Hungarian real estate fund with at least 40% of assets in residential property, held for five years.
Minimum 5-year holding period
Higher Education Donation
From €1,000,000
A donation supporting a Hungarian institution of higher education.
Explore your route
From (indicative)
$273,000
Capital treatment
Minimum 5-year holding period
Investment in a registered Hungarian real estate fund with at least 40% of assets in residential property, held for five years.
Who comes with you
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Dependent children
Family additions are quoted individually — request your exact figure
Application Timeline
Government processing time
The Hungary authorities publish a processing time for complete files — the numbered stages below show where those months go. Here is the figure to plan around.
3–6 months
Official processing time, complete files
Plan around the top of the range — 6 months end to end leaves room for queries without changing your plans.
Your dates
Complete files are typically processed in 3–6 months.
Based on the officially published range — last re-verified August 2026. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
- 1
Months 1–2
Guest investor visa
Application for the guest investor entry visa with proof of funds.
- 2
Months 2–4
Entry & investment
Entry to Hungary and completion of the qualifying fund investment within 93 days.
- 3
Months 4–5
Residence application
Submission of the guest investor residence permit application.
- 4
Months 5–6
10-year permit
Issuance of the 10-year renewable residence permit.
Requirements
- Qualifying investment completed within 93 days of first entry
- Clean criminal record
- Valid health insurance covering Hungary
- Registered Hungarian address
Family Eligibility
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Dependent children
Required documents
The standard checklist for a single applicant. Add your family in the Grenada cost calculator and this list adapts to everyone applying with you.
PassportEvery applicantValid passport per applicant.
Biometrics & photosEvery applicantTaken in person within fifteen days of filing.
Proof of qualifying investmentMain applicantThe €250,000 fund-unit certificate or €1,000,000 donation confirmation — completed within three months (six for visa-exempt entrants).
Accommodation in HungaryMain applicantLease, ownership, or reservation.
Subsistence & source of fundsMain applicantEvidence of means and lawful origin; the law fixes no statutory amount.
Criminal record certificateAdult applicantsStandard practice, with certified OFFI translations for non-English documents.
Health insuranceEvery applicantComprehensive cover valid in Hungary.
Family civil documentsDependantsAttested, translated marriage and birth certificates; family permits issue after the investor's.
Exact formats — apostille or legalization, sworn translation, issue dates — vary by your country of origin and are confirmed document-by-document during your engagement.
What to Weigh
Honest advice includes the trade-offs. Before committing to the Hungary program, consider:
- Fund investments are capital-at-risk with a five-year lock-up — diligence the fund manager, not just the visa.
- The permit does not by itself lead to Hungarian citizenship.
- The investment must be completed within 93 days of first entry — the timeline is compressed once you begin.
Does Hungary fit you?
Three questions, scored by the same engine as our Program Finder — with an honest answer, even when it isn't this program.
What are you ultimately looking for?
What investment level are you comfortable with?
How soon do you want this in hand?
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Hungary's 10-year permit different from other golden visas?
Most European permits run one to five years with regular renewals. Hungary grants ten years upfront, renewable once — twenty years of coverage with a single renewal event.
What does the fund invest in?
Qualifying funds must place at least 40% of assets in Hungarian residential real estate; strategies and fees vary by manager. We review fund documentation with independent counsel.
Can I work in Hungary with the permit?
Yes — the guest investor permit includes the right to live, work, and study in Hungary.
Regulatory framework
Act XC of 2023
Act XC of 2023 on the General Rules for the Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals
Adopted 2023 · guest-investor provisions in force from 2024
Guest-investor visa and residence-permit provisions, with Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.)
The Act creates a residence permit of up to ten years, extendable once, for third-country nationals whose qualifying investment serves Hungary's national economic interest. Two routes are live — €250,000 in registered real-estate fund units or a €1,000,000 higher-education donation; the €500,000 residential-property route was repealed before it ever opened.
View the lawOfficial National Legislation Repository (njt.hu)
Sources & verification
Program terms are set by the issuing government and may change without notice — figures last re-verified against the official source in August 2026. Investment figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant; fees, due diligence, and family additions are quoted individually. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
Alternatives
Related Programs
Families often weigh this program against these alternatives.
PortugalResidency
- Min. investment
- €500,000+routes from €250,000
- Time to approval
- 10–14 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
GreeceResidency
- Min. investment
- €250,000+
- Time to approval
- 3–6 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Is Hungary right for your family?
A private assessment covers eligibility, total cost, and timeline for your situation — and says so if another route fits better.
Hungary · 3–6 months