Intelligent Solution Group > Services > Obtaining a residence permit in Hungary through the purchase of real estate

Obtaining a residence permit in Hungary through the purchase of real estate

The Hungarian Investment Residence Permit is a programme that enables non-residents to protect themselves and their businesses from geopolitical risks and difficulties in opening European bank accounts.

Hungary is launching a unique programme under which investors are granted official status for a period of 10 years.

In 2023, we helped 18 clients and their families obtain Hungarian residence permits; at that time, the property investment programme was in operation, but it has been on hold since December 2023.

Residence permit in Hungary for business investors

The programme launched on 1 July 2024. Please contact one of our managers for further details.

Price: €60 000

Hungary is a member of the EU and a signatory to the Schengen Agreement. This means that its residents may stay in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within a six-month period (in this case, a Hungarian residence permit serves as a Schengen visa).

Key points regarding eligibility in 2025

Under the new scheme, investors will have three options available to them, but only one is currently active:

1

Investments of €250,000 or more in government-approved funds;
2

A charitable donation of €1,000,000 to a higher education institution in Hungary. The donation is non-refundable.

Further details about the fund:

a private fund approved by the state authorities;
investments in the fund must be made via European banks;
investment areas: property and economic development;
the fund may return investments within 12 months of receiving a request from the investor. Accordingly, an investor may submit a request to withdraw their investment after 5 years

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What documents are required for a residence permit in Hungary

Not only the main investor but also their close relatives (spouse and minor children) are eligible to obtain a residence permit.

The following documents are required for the application:

copies of all pages of a foreign passport valid for at least 12 months from the date of application for a residence permit;
a copy of the marriage certificate;
a copy of the children’s birth certificates;
a bank statement confirming that the applicant has at least EUR 250,000 to cover investment obligations (the statement must be in English);
a bank statement showing the movement of funds over the last 6 months;
a curriculum vitae for the applicant and family members participating in the programme (a biographical account containing as much detail as possible about the applicant in the form of a list with dates and timeframes);
health insurance taken out with a Hungarian insurer;
a certificate of no criminal record (this document is required for persons aged 14 and over).

Citizens of certain countries must also sign a declaration confirming that they are not subject to US or European Union sanctions.

Copies of the documents must be apostilled.

The benefits of obtaining a residence permit in Hungary

Other benefits of obtaining official status include:

Low tax rates – from 15%*

Visa-free travel to 170 countries**

Residence for the entire duration of the residence permit

Granting of citizenship eight years after obtaining permanent residence

*for comparison: in Germany, the top rate can be as high as 45%

**including the US, Singapore and the UK

Assistance with obtaining a residence permit in Hungary through investment for financially independent individuals

The process of obtaining a residence permit through Intelligent Solution Group can be broken down into the following stages:

Due Diligence — a comprehensive legal assessment of a foreign investor’s reliability

Obtaining a visa and booking an appointment

Opening a brokerage account and depositing funds into the account

Applying for a Hungarian residence permit

Investing in a fund

Residence permit card issuance: application – three weeks, issuance – 15 days.

Representatives from Intelligent Solution Group will assist the investor at every stage of the process of obtaining official status.

What residence requirements must be met in order to retain a Hungarian residence permit?

There is no mandatory minimum residence requirement for retaining a Hungarian residence permit. You are free to visit Hungary as you wish, but you will need to have resided in the country for a certain period of time in order to subsequently apply for permanent residence and citizenship. We will advise you in detail on all the ins and outs of residence and compliance with the regulations.

Can the investor’s minor children and parents be included in the Hungarian residence permit programme?

The investor’s spouse and minor children are automatically included in the programme. Parents and other relatives are not covered by the standard programme, but we can consider individual arrangements and assist with applying for separate visas or residence permits.

What happens to an investment in a fund after five years – can it be withdrawn without incurring any losses?

Five years after investing, you may submit a request to exit the fund. Funds are returned within 12 months of submitting the request. Typically, funds are returned without any loss, though fluctuations may occur depending on market conditions. We support you at every stage to minimise risks and ensure the process is transparent.

Cases:

CASE: How to recover frozen $600,000

The client faced a problem with frozen funds in the account of his international company. The bank where the account was held was in the process of liquidation and froze all funds while starting an audit of its clients.

CASE: Forgotten $400,000

Our client decided to completely liquidate his company, established about 10 years ago in Latvia. During the liquidation process and communication with the bank, we discovered that the client had $400,000 in the account for several years — money everyone had forgotten about.