Destination guide · Central Europe

Moving to Hungary from the U.S.

Name: Hungary
Address: Hungary

Which residence permit fits a remote worker, an employee, an investor, a business owner or a family member, why Hungary has no retirement permit, the 2026 figures in forint, what the end of the U.S. tax treaty means for you, and what health coverage, rent, property and paperwork involve, with every figure taken from an official source and dated.

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Rules and figures checked: September 2026Official sources: 120

CurrencyHungarian forint (HUF)USD 1 = HUF 319.89 (Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Sep 25, 2026)¹

EU / SchengenYes / YesEU member since 2004; Schengen area member since 2007²

Retirement visaNoneThe law’s list of residence purposes is closed and has no retirement or “other purposes” permit³

Digital nomad income testEUR 3,000 net a monthWhite Card, in each of the six months before you apply, about $3,410^4,5

U.S. tax treatyNone since 2024The 1979 treaty stopped applying from January 1, 2024; a Social Security totalization agreement has been in force since September 1, 2016^6,7

Citizenship8 years of residenceContinuous residence in Hungary, and an exam in Hungarian unless exempt⁸

What changed recently

What Has Changed in Hungary Since 2024

Hungary replaced its immigration law in 2024, the U.S. income tax treaty stopped applying the same year, the property option of the guest investor route has gone, and permanent residence now needs an exam in Hungarian. The changes, newest first.

September 25, 2026: the immigration authority (OIF) told holders of the guest self-employment permit that they can now make their required regular reports online through Enter Hungary, and reminded them that the permit is extended only if they have met that reporting duty⁹.
2026: Hungary has a new government; in September 2026 the government’s website names Péter Magyar as prime minister¹⁰. This page describes the laws in force as of September 27, 2026. If you read of tax or immigration changes, check whether they have been enacted.
May 20, 2026: the EU regulation on data sharing for short-term rentals, (EU) 2024/1028, applies¹¹.
April 2026: new EU rules for bringing pets into the EU apply from April 22¹²; the EU’s Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps at Schengen borders, became fully operational on April 10¹³.
January 1, 2026: a minimum wage of HUF 322,800 a month¹⁴; the EU Blue Card salary floor rose to HUF 1,001,048 a month, from HUF 883,671 in 2025¹⁵; a new income tax allowance for mothers of two children, and a wider one for mothers under 30^16,17; a health service contribution of HUF 12,300 a month for those who pay it¹⁸.
June 30, 2025: Hungarian citizenship can be suspended for a Hungarian who also holds the citizenship of a country outside the EEA, such as the United States, and no other EEA citizenship, who threatens public order or national security, where suspension is proportionate. The new sections 9/A to 9/E of the Citizenship Act took effect on the tenth day after promulgation on June 20, 2025, by our count^19,8.
January 1, 2025: applicants for a national or EU residence card, Hungary’s two forms of permanent residence, must pass a written cultural knowledge exam in Hungarian, in Budapest, with no exemption for age^20,4.
December 30, 2024: the EUR 500,000 residential property option of the guest investor permit was removed by Act LXXXIV of 2024. That is the date by our reading of the amending act’s commencement section; OIF does not state it. Only the real estate fund and donation options remain^21,3,22.
2024: Act LVI of 2024 barred the registration of any new private or other accommodation for short-term guests in Budapest until December 31, 2026²³.
January 1, 2024: the U.S.–Hungary income tax treaty of 1979 ceased to have effect: for tax withheld at source on payments from this date, and for other taxes for tax periods beginning on or after it^6,24. The same year a new immigration law, Act XC of 2023, replaced Act II of 2007 with a closed list of purposes, including the White Card, the guest investor permit and guest self-employment³.

On this page

Who Hungary suits
Residence permits and money tests
Step by step, in the right order
Cost of living and rents
Health coverage
Taxes without a treaty
Renting and buying
Where to live
Registration, numbers, banks, driving, pets
EES and ETIAS
A 12-month timeline
Questions
Sources

Is Hungary for you?

Who Hungary Suits, and Who It Frustrates

Hungary suits Americans who can invest through a qualifying real estate fund, highly qualified employees, remote workers planning a stay of up to two years, and people joining family there. It frustrates retirees looking for a retirement permit and anyone counting on a U.S. tax treaty.

In its favor

Apply without leaving: as a visa-free visitor, a U.S. citizen may file a first residence application inside Hungary, online or at an OIF office, during the lawful visa-free stay^25,15.
A guest investor permit runs for up to ten years, renewable once for up to ten, with no limit on working in Hungary³.
A flat 15% personal income tax, with no brackets and no regional income tax¹⁶.
A totalization agreement with the United States has been in force since September 1, 2016⁷; self-employed people who move their business to Hungary for five years or fewer stay in the U.S. system²⁶.
Outside Budapest, homes cost less: used homes in Eger averaged HUF 713,000 per m² in early 2026, against about HUF 1.2 million in Budapest²⁷.
Riders over 65 travel free on Budapest local transit, whatever their nationality²⁸.
No inheritance duty between spouses, parents and children, other lineal relatives, or siblings²⁹.

Against it

No retirement permit. The law lists every purpose for which a permit can be issued, and the list has no retirement, financially independent or general “other purposes” permit^3,30.
No income tax treaty since 2024: Hungarian rules alone decide whether you are resident, and double taxation is possible^31,6.
The White Card lasts two years at most, cannot bring your family, and does not count toward permanent residence³.
The ordinary employment permit is open only to citizens of the countries a government decree lists: Georgia, Armenia and the Philippines³².
Health coverage: a non-working American on an ordinary residence permit is outside the rules for the HUF 12,300 contribution, and the voluntary agreement costs HUF 161,400 a month in 2026, by our arithmetic, with emergency care only for the first 24 months unless you pay ahead^33,34.
Exams in Hungarian: a cultural knowledge exam for permanent residence, with no age exemption, and a constitutional knowledge exam for citizenship after eight years^20,8.
Foreign buyers, Americans included, need a permit to buy a home, decided within 45 days³⁵.

Residence permits

Which Permit Fits You, and What It Takes in 2026

As an American you can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180³⁶. To stay longer in Hungary you need a permit, and Act XC of 2023 ties every long stay to a purpose: a stay of more than 90 days in any 180 needs a permit for a purpose the law names, and the permit is for a fixed term³. The list of purposes is closed. It includes guest self-employment, guest investment, the Hungarian Card, the EU Blue Card, study, the White Card, national interest, family reunification and several narrower ones, such as research and volunteering³.

Every route also has general conditions: a valid passport, proof of the purpose, accommodation, funds for your housing and living costs for the whole stay, and either full health coverage or the means to pay for your care³. Outside the White Card and the Blue Card, we found no fixed amount for those funds in the Act or its implementing decree.

Main routes for U.S. citizens, 2026. Checked September 27, 2026.
Route	Made for	Money or pay test	What you get	Law
White Card	Remote employees of a non-Hungarian employer, or owners of a profitable non-Hungarian business, who do not work in Hungary or own a stake in a Hungarian company³	Net income of at least EUR 3,000 a month in each of the six months before you apply⁴	Up to one year, extendable once by up to one year; no family members; no permanent residence³	Act XC of 2023, s. 62
Guest investor	Investors buying at least EUR 250,000 of units in a registered real estate fund, or donating at least EUR 1,000,000 to a qualifying university³	The investment itself, held for at least five years in the fund case³	Up to ten years, renewable once by up to ten; any work allowed³	Act XC of 2023, ss. 16 and 22
Guest self-employment	Sole traders and company executives³⁷	Sole traders: annual business income above 24 times the minimum wage, HUF 7,747,200 in 2026 by our arithmetic^37,14	One year, extendable by up to two, three years at most; no permanent residence card³	Act XC of 2023, s. 21
EU Blue Card	Highly qualified employees with a contract of at least six months and a higher-education qualification¹⁵	Gross pay of at least HUF 1,001,048 a month in 2026; HUF 800,838 in listed health professions¹⁵	Up to four years (at least two, or the contract plus three months if shorter), renewable by up to four³	Act XC of 2023, ss. 37 and 39
Hungarian Card	Holders of qualifications on a ministerial list, such as IT, engineering and natural sciences, and some athletes, coaches, performers and film workers³⁸	The general conditions³	Up to three years, extendable by up to three³⁸	OIF
Family reunification	Spouses, registered partners, minor children and dependent parents of Hungarian citizens, most permit holders and permanent residents³⁹	The general conditions³	Up to three, four, five or ten years, depending on the sponsor³⁹	OIF
National interest	People whose stay serves Hungary’s economic, nation-policy, scientific, cultural or sport interest, at the discretion of the minister responsible for immigration⁴⁰	The general conditions³	Up to three years, extendable by up to three each time⁴⁰	OIF
Study	Students at Hungarian institutions⁴¹	The general conditions³	At least one year or the course length, up to three years⁴¹	OIF

Links go to the consolidated Act on the National Legislation Database (njt.jog.gov.hu) and to the immigration authority’s pages (oif.gov.hu). In dollars, HUF 7,747,200 is about $24,218, HUF 1,001,048 about $3,129 and HUF 800,838 about $2,503, at the Magyar Nemzeti Bank rate of September 25, 2026 (USD 1 = HUF 319.89)¹; EUR 3,000 is about $3,410, EUR 250,000 about $284,175 and EUR 1,000,000 about $1,136,700, at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1367)⁵.

Applying from the United States, or from inside Hungary

You have two ways in. Inside Hungary: because U.S. citizens can enter without a visa, OIF lets you file a first application for a permit such as the White Card or the Blue Card in Hungary during your lawful visa-free stay, online through Enter Hungary or in person at an OIF regional directorate^25,15. From the United States: you apply in person at the Hungarian post that covers your state, because your fingerprints and photo are taken there. The Embassy in Washington says a U.S. citizen can also apply at the immigration authority on arrival, but it does not recommend this “unless your port of entry to the Schengen area is Budapest”⁴².

If a consulate application is approved, you receive a type D visa in your passport to enter Hungary, and you receive the residence permit card itself in Hungary: the Embassy says you collect it in Budapest, while OIF’s route pages say the card is posted to the address on your application form^42,25. That visa allows one entry and a stay of up to 30 days and is valid for at most three months; if you do not enter in time, the permit lapses, except for guest investors³.

Four posts take visa and residence applications: the Embassy in Washington (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and D.C.); the Consulate General in New York (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, and also Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands); the Consulate General in Chicago (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin); and the Consulate General in Los Angeles (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming). The offices in Houston and Miami do not accept visa applications⁴³.

OIF fees for residence permits. The fee page was last edited on January 30, 2025; we found no newer table. Checked September 27, 2026.
Application	Fee
Residence permit with a D visa, at a consulate	EUR 110 (about $125)⁴⁴
First permit filed in Hungary, in person	HUF 39,000 (about $122)⁴⁴
First permit filed in Hungary, through Enter Hungary	HUF 26,000 (about $81)⁴⁴
Extension; national or EU residence card	HUF 26,000⁴⁴
Guest investor visa	EUR 110⁴⁴
Appeal	HUF 47,000 (about $147); EUR 160 at a consulate (about $182)⁴⁴

OIF’s stated time limits. Time spent answering a request for missing documents does not count. These are stated limits, not measured waiting times. Checked September 27, 2026.
Procedure	Time limit
White Card	21 days of administrative time; a decision within 30 days of filing²⁵
Guest investor, guest self-employment, family, national interest	21 days of administrative time^45,37,39,40; for family, a decision within 70 days when the application is combined with a job³⁹
Hungarian Card	21 days of administrative time; a decision within 70 days of filing³⁸
EU Blue Card	A decision within 70 days of filing¹⁵
Study	15 days of administrative time; a decision within 60 days of filing⁴¹
Job seeking or starting a business	15 days⁴⁶
National or EU residence card	70 days^47,48

The Embassy’s page and the current law do not match. The Embassy of Hungary in Washington’s residence-permit page still offers an application form for a “residence permit for other purposes”, says employment requires a work permit from “the Labor Authority”, gives a general processing time of 30 days and an appeal window of 5 days, and refers to the “Office of Immigration and Asylum”⁴². Act XC of 2023 has no general permit for other purposes³, and the time limits OIF publishes are those in the table above^25,15. Parts of the Embassy page appear to predate the 2024 law. We follow the Act and OIF, and use the Embassy page for practical steps such as where to apply. Ask your post which forms it accepts before you book an appointment.

No retirement permit, and what that leaves

Hungary has no retirement or passive-income permit. When you choose the United States as your nationality in OIF’s online guide and then “other reasons”, it lists seasonal work, research, traineeships, official purposes, working holidays, the White Card, job seeking or starting a business, medical treatment, volunteering and the national-interest permit, and nothing for retirees³⁰. The Act’s own list of purposes is closed³.

By our reading, three routes on that list do not depend on a job or business in Hungary. Each has its own conditions:

Guest investor: a EUR 250,000 fund investment or a EUR 1,000,000 donation, described below. Holders may also work without restriction³.
Family reunification, if your spouse or registered partner is Hungarian or holds a Hungarian permit that allows family members³⁹.
National interest: a permit granted at the discretion of the minister responsible for immigration where your stay serves Hungary’s economic, nation-policy, scientific, cultural or sport interest, for up to three years at a time⁴⁰. It is not a route you can plan on.

For every route except the national-interest permit, whose conditions the Act says need not be examined, you must also show funds for the whole stay and full health coverage or the means to pay for care³. The Embassy’s document checklist asks for health insurance with $50,000 of coverage for medical and repatriation costs and the last three months of bank statements⁴². Those figures are the Embassy’s practice; we did not find them in the Act.

Remote work: the White Card

The White Card (Fehér Kártya) is Hungary’s digital nomad permit³.

Who: an employee of an employer outside Hungary, or the owner of a profitable business outside Hungary, working remotely from Hungary with digital technology. You must not work in Hungary or own a stake in a Hungarian company³.
Income: lawful net income of at least EUR 3,000 a month, about $3,410, in each of the six months before you apply, and throughout your stay^4,5.
How long: up to one year, extendable once, for the same purpose, by up to one year: two years at most³.
The limits: you cannot apply in Hungary for a permit on any other ground while it is valid or after it ends; you cannot bring family members, except a child born in Hungary; time on it does not count toward the national residence card; and holders cannot get that card³.
Time: OIF decides within 30 days of filing²⁵.

White Card income check

Does Your Income Meet the White Card Test?

The test is EUR 3,000 net in each of the six months before you apply; a month at or above the figure meets it⁴. Enter your net income for each month, in euros or dollars. We compare every month to the exact cent. Dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1367), so EUR 3,000 is $3,410.10⁵; OIF may use a different rate, so if your income is in dollars, leave a margin.

A check of the income rule only. The White Card also requires a qualifying employer or business outside Hungary, no work or company stake in Hungary, and the general conditions, and the income must continue during your stay^3,4. Meeting the figure does not mean a permit will be granted.

Investment: the guest investor permit

The guest investor route is Hungary’s investment permit. The current law, and OIF’s page on the guest investor visa, offer two investments^3,49:

At least EUR 250,000 (about $284,175) in investment units of a real estate fund registered by the Magyar Nemzeti Bank. You must subscribe the units directly and hold them for at least five years; the fund must have at least 40% of its net assets in residential property in Hungary, and its manager must be on the qualified list of market participants for defense procurement³. OIF lists two such managers⁵⁰: Sprint Asset Hungária Alapkezelő Zrt. and Gránit Alapkezelő Zrt. The units go into a securities sub-account that is blocked for five years^45,4.
At least EUR 1,000,000 (about $1,136,700) as a donation to a higher-education institution maintained by a public-interest trust foundation, for education, research or art³.

No property option any more. As first enacted, from January 1, 2024, the Act also allowed the purchase of residential property worth at least EUR 500,000, with a five-year ban on selling or mortgaging it²². Act LXXXIV of 2024 replaced that list and repealed the related rule, from December 30, 2024 by our reading of its commencement section²¹. Current law and OIF list only the fund and the donation^3,45. Material that still advertises a EUR 500,000 property route describes the old law.

Visa or visa-free: the guest investor visa is valid for six months, for multiple entries, and costs EUR 110^3,44. U.S. citizens, whose country is on the EU’s visa-free list, can skip it: you apply for the permit within 30 days of your first lawful entry and must prove the investment within six months of that first entry³.
The permit: valid for up to ten years, even beyond your passport’s expiry, and renewable once by up to ten years. To renew on the fund route you must still hold the units; the donation route renews without a further investment. You may work without restriction and run a business³.
Family: family members of a guest investor receive a family permit for up to ten years, and at renewal they, like the investor, are exempt from the rule that you spent more than 90 days in any 180 in Hungary^39,3.
Time: 21 days of administrative time, not counting the period for proving the investment⁴⁵.

A question for OIF, not a rule we can state. The guest investor permit is not on the Act’s list of permits whose holders cannot receive a national residence card³. OIF does not say expressly whether time as a guest investor counts toward that card. If permanent residence matters to you, ask OIF or a Hungarian immigration lawyer before you invest.

Working for a Hungarian employer

EU Blue Card: a contract of at least six months in a highly qualified job and a higher-education qualification; for ICT managers and professionals, three years of relevant experience in the last seven can replace the degree¹⁵. Pay must reach the monthly gross figure the employment minister sets each year⁴: for 2026, HUF 1,001,048, or HUF 800,838 for general practitioners, pharmacists, optometrists, dietitians, physiotherapists, health visitors, paramedics, and nurses and midwives with a higher-education qualification. It applies to every Blue Card holder in 2026, including pending renewals¹⁵. The card lasts at least two years, or the contract plus three months if shorter, and up to four years, renewable by four at a time; in the first year you may work only in the approved job, and changing employer needs an extension application³.
Hungarian Card: for qualifications on a ministerial list, which OIF gives as IT, engineering, natural sciences, music teaching and music arts, or for professional athletes and coaches, performing artists and film-industry workers. It lasts up to three years and can be extended by up to three³⁸.
The ordinary employment permit is not open to Americans. It is limited to citizens of the countries in Annex 1 of Government Decree 450/2024: Georgia, Armenia and the Philippines³². The guest-worker permit is likewise limited to certain nationalities³.

Your own business: guest self-employment

The guest self-employment permit is for independent paid activity, for example as a sole trader, or for a company’s executive officers; an executive who also works in the company needs the Hungarian Card or another permit that allows work³⁷. A registered sole trader proves the purpose with a tax-authority certificate showing annual business income above 24 times the minimum wage: 24 × HUF 322,800 = HUF 7,747,200 for 2026, about $24,218, by our arithmetic^37,14. An executive must show that the company has employed at least five Hungarian or EEA full-timers for six months, or that the executive’s presence is essential and a business plan shows viable revenue³⁷.

The permit lasts one year, can be extended for the same purpose by up to two years, and cannot run beyond three years from first issue; after that a new application is possible. You cannot switch to another purpose in Hungary, you cannot bring family in the first year, and you cannot receive a national residence card on this permit^3,39. Holders must report regularly, and the permit is extended only if they have done so^3,9.

Pay check

EU Blue Card or Guest Self-Employment: Does Your Pay Meet the Figure?

Choose the route and enter the amount in forint or dollars: gross pay a month for the Blue Card, annual income from your sole-trader business for guest self-employment. The Blue Card needs pay that reaches or exceeds the 2026 figure^4,15; guest self-employment needs income above HUF 7,747,200, so that exact amount is not enough³⁷. We compare to the exact cent; dollars use the Magyar Nemzeti Bank rate of September 25, 2026 (USD 1 = HUF 319.89)¹.

A check of the pay or income figure only. The Blue Card also needs a contract of at least six months and a high qualification¹⁵; guest self-employment is proved with a tax-authority certificate, and executives have a different test³⁷. The self-employment figure is our arithmetic from the 2026 minimum wage and changes when the minimum wage does. Meeting a figure does not mean a permit will be granted.

Study and family

A study permit is valid for at least one year, or the length of the course, and up to three years; OIF’s time limit is 15 days⁴¹. After graduating you can apply for a permit for job seeking or starting a business, at the latest 15 days before the study permit expires⁴⁶. Time on a study permit does not count toward the national residence card³.

Family reunification covers the family of Hungarian citizens, of most permit holders and of permanent residents: spouses and registered partners, minor children, dependent parents, and siblings or relatives who cannot care for themselves³⁹. Holders of the White Card, employment and guest-worker permits, study, training, trainee and volunteer permits, and guest self-employment in its first year cannot bring family³⁹. The family permit generally lasts up to three years; four with a Blue Card sponsor; five with a Hungarian citizen or EU long-term resident sponsor; and ten with a guest investor. After five years, the family member has an independent right to stay³⁹.

Extensions, permanent residence and citizenship

Extensions: for most permits you must have been in Hungary for more than 90 days in any 180 on the permit; guest investors and their families are exempt. Apply at most 90 and at least 30 days before the permit expires⁴.
National residence card (national permanent residence): after three years of lawful, uninterrupted residence immediately before you apply, among other routes such as two years of marriage to a Hungarian citizen. Absences of under four months each, totaling up to 270 days in the three years, do not break the residence. Your stay must also be in line with Hungary’s interests³. The card is excluded for holders of guest self-employment, employment and guest-worker, study and job-seeker, training, White Card, posted-worker, trainee, volunteer and medical-treatment permits, and of seasonal-work, investment-project work and temporary residence permits³.
EU residence card (EU long-term residence): after five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, or through the Blue Card route of two years in Hungary within five in the EU. It is withdrawn after 12 months outside the EU or six years outside Hungary^3,48. OIF’s time limit for either card is 70 days, and the fee in Hungary is HUF 26,000^47,48,44.
The cultural knowledge exam: for either card, if you apply from January 1, 2025, you must pass a written exam in Hungarian, in Budapest, run by the Budapest Government Office. Topics include national symbols and holidays, key history, literature and music, the institutions of the Fundamental Law, civic rights and everyday life in Hungary and Europe. The fee is HUF 20,000 (about $63) per attempt; after three failed attempts, any further registration for the exam is refused. Children under 14, people under guardianship and those who have already passed are exempt, and the exam does not apply to a national residence card issued in the national interest; OIF says it cannot grant an exemption for old age or other personal circumstances^20,4.
Citizenship by naturalization needs eight years of continuous residence in Hungary before you apply, a clean record, secure housing and livelihood, and a pass in an exam on basic constitutional knowledge in Hungarian. There is no special rule for U.S. citizens⁸.
Shorter periods: three years for spouses of Hungarians married at least three years, parents of Hungarian minors, recognized refugees and stateless people; five years for people born in Hungary or who settled there as minors. People with a Hungarian-citizen ancestor, or who make probable their Hungarian origin, and who speak Hungarian need no residence period; nor do Hungarian-speaking spouses married ten years, or five with a child⁸.
Exam exemptions: applicants aged 60 or over at filing, those who earned a qualification at a Hungarian-language school or university, people who cannot take the exam for lasting health reasons, and minors and people with limited legal capacity. An exempt applicant must still prove knowledge of Hungarian⁸.
Dual citizenship: the Citizenship Act treats a Hungarian citizen who also holds another citizenship as Hungarian⁸. Since June 30, 2025, a Hungarian who also holds a non-EEA citizenship, such as U.S. citizenship, and no other EEA citizenship can have Hungarian citizenship suspended if they threaten public order or national security and suspension is proportionate, for example by serving in a foreign army^8,19. We found no change to the eight-year rule in 2024–2026⁸.

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. OIF and the consulates decide each case, and the national-interest permit is discretionary; check the official source for your route and, if your case is not simple, speak to a Hungarian immigration lawyer.

Step by step

The Order of Operations, Step by Step

The sequence below is for a first residence permit, whether you apply at a consulate in the United States or inside Hungary during a visa-free stay^42,25. Adjust it for your route.

Choose the route by what you will live on: remote work for a foreign employer points to the White Card, a Hungarian job to the Blue Card or Hungarian Card, your own business to guest self-employment, a fund investment or donation to the guest investor permit, and family in Hungary to family reunification^{3,15,38,37,39}.
Check the money test with the calculators above, and gather proof: for the White Card, six months of net income records⁴.
Arrange health coverage that meets the general condition of full coverage or the means to pay for care³; if you apply through the Embassy, its checklist asks for $50,000 of medical and repatriation coverage⁴².
Decide where to file. At a consulate: book with the post that covers your state and apply in person^43,42. In Hungary: file through Enter Hungary or at an OIF office during your visa-free stay²⁵. A guest investor coming visa-free must apply within 30 days of first entry³.
Allow the full time limit. For the White Card, plan on the 30 days OIF gives for a decision; for the Blue Card, 70 days^25,15. Do not book a move that assumes a faster answer.
If approved at a consulate, enter within three months on the type D visa, which allows one entry and 30 days’ stay, and receive your permit card, which OIF posts to the address on your form (the Embassy’s page says you collect it in Budapest)^3,25,42.
Report your accommodation to OIF online through Enter Hungary, with a lease, deed or booking as proof, and report any change of address within three days⁵¹.
Get your tax number: if the tax authority has not issued you one automatically, apply on form T34, by post or in person⁵².
Open a bank account; every payment-service provider must offer a basic account⁵³.
Sort out health coverage: an employer registers you for a TAJ number; if you will not work, compare the voluntary agreement with private coverage^54,34.
Watch the driving deadline: a foreign license lets you drive for one year from the start of your residence, then must be converted⁵⁵.
Plan the extension: apply 90 to 30 days before the permit expires⁴, and keep your presence above 90 days in any 180 unless you are a guest investor³.

Cost of living

What Things Cost, From Official Figures

Hungary uses the forint, not the euro. Dollar figures on this page use the Magyar Nemzeti Bank’s official rate of September 25, 2026: USD 1 = HUF 319.89 (and EUR 1 = HUF 364.42)¹. Your costs are in forint, so their dollar value moves with that rate.

Start with inflation, which is low. Consumer prices were 1.3% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier and 0.2% higher than in July; on the EU’s harmonized measure the rise was 1.8%, core inflation was 2.0%, and the index for pensioners rose 0.9%⁵⁶. Food was 1.4% cheaper than a year earlier and services 5.0% more expensive. Household energy cost 4.3% less, with piped gas 10.9% cheaper and electricity 1.4% more expensive⁵⁶.

Pay and the minimum wage

Average gross earnings for full-time employees were HUF 745,500 a month in July 2026, about $2,330, and HUF 523,300 net. The median was HUF 618,200 gross and HUF 437,900 net. Gross average earnings were 7.5% higher than a year earlier, net earnings 9.1% and real earnings 7.8%⁵⁷. The minimum wage is HUF 322,800 a month from January 1, 2026, about $1,009, and the guaranteed wage minimum for jobs needing secondary education is HUF 373,200¹⁴.

Rents: the KSH–ingatlan.com rent index

There is no official statistic of rents actually paid, town by town. The nearest official source is the KSH–ingatlan.com rent index, an experimental statistic that the Hungarian Central Statistical Office builds with the listings site ingatlan.com from asking rents in its rental listings⁵⁸. Asking rents are not the rents people end up paying. In August 2026 they rose 0.7% on the month nationally (0.9% in Budapest) and were 5.0% higher than a year earlier nationally and 5.2% in Budapest, and 77–78% above the 2021 base⁵⁸. Within Budapest, the annual rise was highest in the other Buda districts (outside the Buda hills), at 6.8%, and lowest in the inner Pest districts, at 3.3%⁵⁸.

Average monthly asking rent and average floor area of listed apartments, first half of 2026, by region; figures for “county-rank cities” combine several cities. Per-m² figures are our arithmetic. Checked September 27, 2026.
Area	Our towns in it	Average asking rent a month	Average floor area	Per m² a month
Budapest	Budapest	HUF 273,000 (about $853)	53 m²	HUF 5,151
Pest region, all	Szentendre	HUF 281,000 (about $878)	73 m²	HUF 3,849
Central Transdanubia, all	Balatonfüred	HUF 199,000 (about $622)	57 m²	HUF 3,491
Western Transdanubia, county-rank cities	Győr, Sopron	HUF 204,000 (about $638)	58 m²	HUF 3,517
Western Transdanubia, all	Keszthely	HUF 200,000 (about $625)	57 m²	HUF 3,509
Southern Transdanubia, county-rank cities	Pécs	HUF 172,000 (about $538)	53 m²	HUF 3,245
Northern Hungary, county-rank cities	Eger	HUF 152,000 (about $475)	53 m²	HUF 2,868
Northern Great Plain, county-rank cities	Debrecen	HUF 224,000 (about $700)	60 m²	HUF 3,733
Southern Great Plain, county-rank cities	Szeged	HUF 178,000 (about $556)	57 m²	HUF 3,123

Source: KSH–ingatlan.com rent index, table annex, columns “average rent, HUF thousand” and “average floor area, m²”; the file’s latest period is the first half of 2026⁵⁹. Each regional figure mixes several towns: the Western Transdanubia county-rank cities, for example, are Győr, Sopron, Szombathely, Zalaegerszeg and Nagykanizsa⁵⁹. By our arithmetic, a 70 m² apartment at Budapest’s average asking rent per m² would be about HUF 360,600 a month, about $1,127, before utilities and common charges. The next release is expected on October 12, 2026⁵⁸.

Electricity

Households on the universal-service tariff of MVM Next, the state-owned supplier, pay a reduced price up to an annual limit of 2,523 kWh per metering point and a higher “residential market price” above it. The latest residential price sheet we could find, an edition dated December 2024 that sets out the prices applying from August 1, 2022, gives a reduced price including VAT that depends on the distribution network area: HUF 36.208 per kWh in the ELMŰ area, HUF 35.992 in the MVM Émász area, HUF 36.386 in the MVM Démász area and HUF 35.293 in the E.ON and OPUS TITÁSZ areas, up to the limit; above it, HUF 70.104 in every area, plus a basic network fee of HUF 153.035 a month⁶⁰. Your supplier can tell you which area your address is in. Consumer prices for electricity were 1.4% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier⁵⁶, so ask MVM Next for the current sheet before you budget.

Public transit

Riders over 65 travel free on Budapest local transit “regardless of nationality or legal status”, with an ID card, passport, card-format driving license or Hungarian residence permit as proof^61,28, and children under 14 travel free⁶². From June 15, 2026, foreign EU, EEA and Swiss student cards and ISIC cards used for student passes also need proof of a Hungarian address⁶².

Transit passes and fares from the operators’ own price lists. Checked September 28, 2026.
City and ticket	Price
Budapest (BKK): monthly Budapest pass	HUF 8,950 (about $28)⁶³
Budapest (BKK): single ticket / 30-minute / 90-minute ticket	HUF 500 / 600 / 850⁶³
Budapest (BKK): monthly pass for pensioners	HUF 3,330⁶³
Pest county pass (vármegyebérlet), full price	HUF 9,450⁶³
National pass (Országbérlet) for all local and intercity public transit, full price	HUF 18,900 (about $59)⁶³
Debrecen (DKV): monthly pass	HUF 9,200 electronic; HUF 9,600 paper⁶⁴
Szeged (SZKT): general monthly pass	HUF 9,600⁶⁵
Pécs (Tüke Busz): monthly pass	HUF 7,600; HUF 7,200 with a Tüke Card⁶⁶

The Szeged price is from the tariff in force since January 1, 2024⁶⁵; a Hajdú-Bihar county pass for HUF 9,450 is also sold and accepted on Debrecen’s buses and trams⁶⁴. We did not check local passes in Győr, Eger or Sopron, or whether free intercity travel for over-65s depends on citizenship.

Build your own full budget, line by line and in both currencies, in the Relocation Planner workbook.

Health coverage

Public Insurance, the Voluntary Agreement, and the Medicare Question

Whether you are in Hungary’s public health insurance depends on whether you work there and on your residence status. For a non-working American on an ordinary permit, the public options are narrow and expensive.

Who is in the public system

Employees are insured through their job. For a foreign employee who does not count as resident for social insurance, the employer requests the TAJ number from the government office before the job starts⁵⁴.
Resident for social insurance (belföldi) means, for non-EU nationals, only people with long-term residence status, recognized refugees and protected persons. An ordinary residence permit is not enough³³.
The HUF 12,300 contribution: people who count as resident, are not insured through work or otherwise, and have had a registered address in Hungary for at least a year pay a health service contribution of HUF 12,300 a month in 2026 (HUF 410 a day for part months)^18,33. By the same definition, a non-working holder of an ordinary residence permit is outside this route³³.

The voluntary agreement

People who are not insured and have no other entitlement can sign an agreement (megállapodás) with the government office for their own health services and those of the children living with them³⁴. The monthly payment is 50% of the minimum wage for an adult and 30% for a child under 18³³: with the 2026 minimum wage, HUF 161,400 a month per adult, about $505, and HUF 96,840 per child, about $303, by our arithmetic¹⁴. NEAK’s page still shows the 2025 amount of HUF 145,400³⁴.

A 24-month wait: until the first day of the 24th month after signing, the agreement covers emergency care only, unless you pay 24 plus 1 months up front³⁴.
Pre-existing conditions: you complete a health questionnaire, and chronic conditions you declare on it are not covered³⁴.
Never covered: dental care other than emergency care, treatment elsewhere in the EEA at the Hungarian insurer’s expense, and the transplant waiting list³⁴.

The health coverage your permit requires

The Act requires full health coverage or the means to pay for your care³. For the family permit, OIF lists the ways to show it: social insurance, an international treaty or agreement, or documents proving you can pay for your care³⁹. The Embassy in Washington’s checklist asks for $50,000 of medical and repatriation coverage⁴²; that figure is the Embassy’s practice, and we did not find it in the Act. Compare private policies with the agreement above before you choose.

Family doctors, prescriptions and waiting lists

Choosing a GP: you pick a family doctor, who records your TAJ number, and you can switch once a year without giving a reason. GPs see patients in order of arrival, except urgent cases⁶⁷.
A shortage: on September 1, 2026, the official list of long-term vacant family-doctor practices had 971 entries nationwide by our count, 121 of them in Budapest; among our towns, Győr had 14, Eger 5, Pécs 4, Sopron 2, and Debrecen and Szentendre 1 each. A practice is listed once its contract with the municipality has lapsed for at least six months⁶⁸.
Prescriptions: NEAK subsidizes the price of listed medicines prescribed with the right entitlement; manufacturers set the price of unsubsidized medicines freely⁶⁹.
Waiting lists: planned operations follow the order of a waiting list, and NEAK publishes waiting times⁷⁰. We could not read current figures.
Out of hours and emergencies: call 1830 for an out-of-hours family doctor and 112 if a life is in danger^71,72.

Medicare does not follow you

Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad⁷³. Most Medigap plans include foreign travel emergency coverage, but it pays 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime, and only for emergencies that start in the first 60 days of a trip⁷⁴. That is travel coverage, not residence coverage.

Whether to keep paying the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) is a real decision: if you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the premium rises by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have been enrolled but were not, usually for life⁷⁵. Decide with your whole plan in view.

Taxes for Americans

Two Tax Systems, and No Treaty Between Them

Moving to Hungary adds a second tax system; it does not remove the first while you remain a U.S. citizen. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live⁷⁶. Between the United States and Hungary there has been no income tax treaty since 2024: the United States gave notice of termination on July 8, 2022⁷⁷; termination took effect on January 8, 2023, and the 1979 treaty ceased to have effect for tax withheld at source on payments from January 1, 2024, and for other taxes for tax periods beginning on or after that date⁶. Hungary reads the dates the same way: since January 1, 2024 each country taxes income from the other under its own domestic law, and Hungary treats U.S. income as income from a country without a treaty²⁴. The Social Security totalization agreement is separate and still in force⁷. What follows is the map; the route is a job for a cross-border tax adviser.

When you become tax resident

The Personal Income Tax Act makes you a Hungarian resident automatically if, as a non-EEA national, you hold a permanent residence status, such as a national or EU residence card. Otherwise you are resident if your only permanent home is in Hungary, or your center of vital interests is there, or your habitual abode is there. The Act’s 183-day presence test applies to people with EU free-movement rights, such as EEA nationals¹⁶.

No tie-breaker. With no treaty, NAV says a person’s residence is decided solely under Hungarian rules³¹, while the United States keeps taxing you as a citizen⁷⁶. Double taxation is possible. If you hold a temporary permit and keep a home in the United States, whether you are a Hungarian resident depends on your facts; settle it with an adviser before you move.

Income tax for 2026

Hungary has a flat personal income tax of 15%, with no brackets and no regional income tax¹⁶. The social contribution tax of 13% comes on top in some cases. On wages, your employer pays it, and no annual cap applies⁷⁸. On income you receive yourself, such as dividends, capital gains and, since July 1, 2023, interest, you pay it; for most of these items it stops once your income for the year reaches 24 times the minimum wage, HUF 7,747,200 in 2026, about $24,218, but that cap does not apply to interest, and rental income is exempt from the tax^78,79. Employees pay a social security contribution of 18.5% on their pay³³, and so do insured sole traders⁸⁰. If you read of income tax cuts for 2027, check whether they have been enacted: as of September 27, 2026, the consolidated Act still sets 15%¹⁶.

How common kinds of income are taxed for a resident in 2026. Checked September 28, 2026.
Income	Personal income tax	Social contribution tax
Wages from a Hungarian employer	15%¹⁶	None from you: your employer pays 13%, with no cap⁷⁸. You pay an 18.5% social security contribution³³
Other income in the consolidated tax base on which you pay the tax yourself, with no payer to settle it	15%¹⁶	13%, until your income for the year reaches HUF 7,747,200⁷⁸
Interest, including interest paid from the United States	15%²⁴	13%, with no annual cap^78,24
Dividends, including U.S. dividends	15%, taxed separately from the consolidated base, with at least 5% left after any credit for foreign tax^16,31	13%, until your income for the year reaches HUF 7,747,200⁷⁸
Rental income	15%⁷⁹	None⁷⁹
Pensions, as the Act defines them	Exempt¹⁶	—

The HUF 7,747,200 cap limits only the social contribution tax that individuals pay themselves; the tax employers pay on wages has no cap. Interest is outside the cap, and NAV’s booklet lists some interest that is exempt. Where income comes from a payer, including in some cases a payer abroad, the payer owes the tax, so who pays it on pay from a U.S. employer is a question for your adviser⁷⁸. HUF 7,747,200 is 24 times the 2026 minimum wage^78,14. Whether U.S. Social Security counts as an exempt pension is a question for your adviser; see below.

Income tax estimate

Estimate Hungarian Income Tax for 2026

Enter your annual tax base in forint and, if you have any, your annual interest income. The estimate applies 15% to the tax base¹⁶, and 15% plus the 13% social contribution tax to interest, which has no cap^78,24. It works in whole forint and shows the result to the fillér, a hundredth of a forint; dollars use the Magyar Nemzeti Bank rate of September 25, 2026 (USD 1 = HUF 319.89)¹.

A simplification, by our arithmetic from the Act and NAV’s booklets. It is for a resident and treats what you enter as the tax base. It applies the 13% to all interest, although NAV’s booklet lists some exempt interest⁷⁸. It leaves out the 18.5% social security contribution on wages, the social contribution tax on income other than interest (paid by your employer on wages, or by you up to its cap), the family and mothers’ allowances, the credit for foreign tax and its 5% minimum, exempt pensions, and U.S. tax itself. Your adviser works out the base.

No regime for newcomers or retirees

We found no special regime for new residents, retirees or people with foreign income in the Personal Income Tax Act: no remittance basis and no flat sum for newcomers¹⁶. The new family and mothers’ allowances exist, but a foreign individual can use most of them only if at least 75% of their total income is taxable in Hungary, and some only as an EEA, Ukrainian or Serbian national¹⁷.

Pensions, Social Security and retirement accounts

The Personal Income Tax Act lists pensions among tax-free income, and its definition of a pension includes a pension so defined in a tax treaty and, even without a treaty, equivalent income paid by a foreign organization¹⁶.

A question for your tax adviser, not a rule we can state. Whether U.S. Social Security retirement benefits count as such a foreign equivalent, and so are exempt in Hungary, is our reading of the definition, not something NAV has published: we found no NAV page that names U.S. Social Security. We also found no official guidance on how Hungary treats payouts from a 401(k) or IRA, whether as a pension or as other taxable income. Settle both with a Hungarian adviser, and consider asking NAV for a ruling, before you rely on either.

History only: under the 1979 treaty, U.S. Social Security and other public pensions were taxable only in the paying country (article 15(2)). That treaty no longer applies^81,6.
Credit for U.S. tax in Hungary: on income from a country without a treaty, Hungarian tax on income in the consolidated base is reduced by 90% of the foreign tax paid, up to the 15% Hungarian tax on that income. On separately taxed income, such as U.S. dividends, the credit applies, but at least 5% Hungarian tax remains. No credit is given for foreign tax on income from a Hungarian source³¹.
U.S. interest is taxed in Hungary as interest income, at 15% plus the 13% social contribution tax, and the same applies to securities issued by entities in OECD countries²⁴.
Credit for Hungarian tax in the United States: you can take a credit or a deduction for foreign income tax on income the United States also taxes, but not on income you exclude under the foreign earned income exclusion⁸². Whether each country will credit the other’s tax on your particular income is a question for your adviser.

Inheritance, gift and property taxes

Inheritance duty is 18% in general and 9% on residential property. Children, grandchildren, parents and other lineal relatives, a spouse or registered partner, and siblings are exempt. It covers everything inherited in Hungary; foreign movable property inherited by someone living in Hungary is covered only if no comparable tax is due abroad, and foreign real estate is outside it²⁹.
Gift duty is also 18%, or 9% on residential property; gifts between lineal relatives, siblings and spouses are exempt and need not be reported⁸³.
Buying property: a transfer duty of 4% for most buyers, and no national annual property tax, though municipalities may levy their own; see buying^84,85.
Letting property: rental income is taxed at 15%, with no social contribution tax⁷⁹.

Social Security: the totalization agreement

The U.S.–Hungary totalization agreement has been in force since September 1, 2016⁷. Employees can get certificates of coverage, and self-employed people who move their business to the other country for five years or fewer stay covered in the country they left. On the Hungarian side it covers public pensions, unemployment and health insurance²⁶. To combine credits, the United States needs at least six U.S. credits before it counts Hungarian periods, and Hungary needs at least 365 days of Hungarian coverage before it counts U.S. credits, unless an exception applies²⁶.

What you still file in the United States

U.S. filings for citizens living abroad, tax year 2026. Sources: IRS and FinCEN, checked September 25, 2026.
What	The rule
Form 1040	Due April 15; citizens living abroad get an automatic extension to June 15 (interest still runs from April 15)⁷⁶.
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion	Up to $132,900 of earned income for 2026. It does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income^86,87.
Foreign Tax Credit	Claim Hungarian tax paid on Form 1116; no credit on income you excluded⁸².
FBAR	Required when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year⁸⁸.
Form 8938 (FATCA)	For taxpayers living abroad: over $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time (single); $400,000 and $600,000 (joint)⁸⁹.

For U.S. tax preparation and planning, our sister brand eTaxNexus works with Americans abroad.

Questions to take to your tax adviser

On which date will I become Hungarian tax resident under Hungarian rules alone, and does my former U.S. state still treat me as resident?
Does Hungary treat my U.S. Social Security as an exempt pension, and should I ask NAV for a ruling?
How will Hungary classify and tax my 401(k), IRA and Roth IRA withdrawals, and should I take anything out before I move?
With no treaty, how do the Hungarian 90% credit, its 5% minimum and the U.S. foreign tax credit apply to my dividends, interest and pension?
Which Social Security system covers my work, and do I need a certificate of coverage?
Can I use any of the family allowances, given the 75% rule for foreign individuals?

Renting and buying

Lease Rules, the Purchase Permit, and Short-Term Rentals

Renting an apartment

The Civil Code has general lease rules and a separate set for leases of an apartment; we read the text in force on September 27, 2026⁹⁰. The Housing Act adds that a lease of an apartment is valid only in writing⁹¹.

Deposit: no fixed cap, but if a deposit is more than three months’ rent, a court can reduce it at the tenant’s request⁹⁰.
Rent is paid monthly in advance⁹⁰.
Term: we found no minimum term. If you stay on after a fixed term ends and the landlord does not object within 15 days, the lease becomes open-ended⁹⁰.
Notice: either side can end an open-ended apartment lease by the 15th of a month, for the end of the following month⁹⁰.
Unpaid rent: the landlord must first set you a deadline and warn you of the consequences; for breaches of the house rules, notice is at least 15 days, to the end of a month⁹⁰.

Keep your written lease: it is one of the documents OIF accepts for your accommodation report⁵¹.

Buying: a permit first

A foreign buyer, including an American, needs a permit from the government office of the capital or county where the property lies to buy real estate other than agricultural or forest land. The time limit for the decision is 45 days³⁵, and the fee is HUF 65,000 per property, about $203⁹¹. The office must grant it if the purchase harms no public or municipal interest, the buyer’s identity can be credibly established and the intent to transfer ownership can be shown; a criminal record, an entry ban or an arrest warrant, for example, can count as harm to the public interest. It can refuse the permit if Hungarians lack reciprocity in the buyer’s country, and reciprocity is presumed unless the foreign minister states otherwise³⁵. If you want farmland or forest, ask a Hungarian lawyer which rules apply.

Transfer duty: 4% of the market value. For homes it is 4% up to HUF 1 billion per dwelling and 2% above that, capped at HUF 200 million per property^84,92. Transfers between lineal relatives or spouses are exempt⁸⁴.
First homes: a buyer under 35 buying a first home worth no more than HUF 15 million gets up to 50% off the duty; for any first home, the duty can be paid in interest-free installments over up to 12 months^92,84.
A lawyer countersigns: a private deed can be registered in the land registry only if a member of a Hungarian regional bar has countersigned it⁹³.
Annual taxes: there is no national annual property tax. A municipality may levy a building tax, capped in the Act at HUF 1,100 per m² or 3.6% of the adjusted market value, or a communal tax of up to HUF 17,000 per property; both caps are indexed for inflation, and rates vary by municipality⁸⁵. We did not compute the indexed 2026 caps; ask the town hall for its rates.
Letting it out: rental income is taxed at 15%, with no social contribution tax⁷⁹.

What property costs

House prices rose sharply in 2025: the nominal house price index was 20% higher for the year. KSH links the rise to payouts of the Prémium Magyar Állampapír government bond and to the Otthon Start home-loan program, which began in the third quarter of 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, prices were 8.6% higher than a year earlier (6.7% after inflation) and 2.5% lower than in the previous quarter²⁷. Used homes in Budapest averaged about HUF 1.2 million per m², and a used Budapest home cost HUF 69 million on average, about $216,000: HUF 70 million for a condominium apartment, HUF 60 million for a panel apartment and HUF 94 million for a family house²⁷.

Average price per m² of used homes in the county seats, first quarter of 2026, and the change on a year earlier. Checked September 27, 2026.
Place	Price per m²	Change on Q1 2025
Budapest	about HUF 1.2 million (about $3,751)	+7.4%
Debrecen	HUF 941,000 (about $2,942)	+5.9%
Győr	HUF 928,000 (about $2,901)	+16.7%
Szeged	HUF 863,000 (about $2,698)	+12.5%
Pécs	HUF 775,000 (about $2,423)	+13.8%
Eger	HUF 713,000 (about $2,229)	+14.4%
Balaton agglomeration	HUF 843,000 (about $2,635)	+0.3%

Source: KSH, housing market prices, first quarter of 2026²⁷. KSH gives Budapest as “1.2 million forint”, rounded. For a longer view of Budapest, KSH’s real estate database, built from the tax authority’s records of sales between private persons, gives an average of HUF 981,000 per m² for all 29,249 dwellings sold in 2024; KSH calls these figures indicative⁹⁴. The two sources cover different periods and kinds of home, so do not compare them directly.

Price estimate

What the Average Price Gives for Your Size

Choose a place and enter the floor area you want. The estimate multiplies KSH’s first-quarter 2026 average price per m² of used homes by your area²⁷ and converts at the Magyar Nemzeti Bank rate of September 25, 2026¹. It then adds the 4% transfer duty, which applies to a home up to HUF 1 billion per dwelling, by our arithmetic⁸⁴.

An average for used homes, not a valuation. It leaves out the under-35 first-home relief, the permit fee, and lawyer and registration costs.

Short-term rentals

If you plan to let a home to tourists, the rules are strict, and in Budapest there is a freeze.

Budapest: no new private accommodation (magánszálláshely) or other accommodation can be registered anywhere in Budapest until December 31, 2026, unless a request for classification of the accommodation was filed by December 31, 2024; a change of operator for places registered by December 31, 2024 cannot be registered either²³.
Everywhere: private accommodation means at most eight rooms and 16 beds²³. You register with the local notary (jegyző), in Budapest the district notary, and with the national tourism data center, NTAK; listings must show the NTAK registration number⁹⁵.
Enforcement: the notary must immediately ban an unregistered place and impose a fine; a host of private accommodation who keeps ignoring an order to fix a breach can be fined HUF 100,000⁹⁵.
Local limits: municipalities, in Budapest the districts, may set by decree how many days a year a private accommodation may be let²³.
EU rules: the EU regulation on data sharing for short-term rentals, (EU) 2024/1028, has applied since May 20, 2026¹¹. We did not find how Hungary has put it into practice.

Our position on property. We take no developer or property commissions. We may receive a referral fee from some professional partners. It never changes what you pay, and we tell you when it applies.

Where to live

Ten Towns, Compared on Official Numbers

We compare ten towns below on population from KSH’s gazetteer, one entry per town, linked in the table, used-home prices in the first quarter of 2026²⁷, regional asking rents⁵⁹ and climate normals for 1991–2020 from HungaroMet⁹⁶. Our groupings are starting points for a scouting trip, not verdicts.

Capital and U.S. Embassy

Budapest, with 1,685,209 people on January 1, 2025, is by far the largest city here⁹⁷, and the U.S. Embassy is there⁹⁸. It is also the most expensive: used homes averaged about HUF 1.2 million per m² in early 2026, and listed apartments averaged HUF 273,000 a month in asking rent in the first half of 2026^27,59. A monthly pass costs HUF 8,950, and riders over 65 travel free^63,28.

Consider: Budapest · Szentendre

University and Regional Cities

Debrecen (202,130), Szeged (157,282), Pécs (139,412) and Győr (129,373) are the next largest of our ten towns^{99,100,101,102}. Used homes there averaged HUF 775,000 to 941,000 per m² in early 2026, with Győr up 16.7% on a year earlier²⁷. Monthly passes cost HUF 7,600 in Pécs and HUF 9,600 in Szeged^66,65.

Consider: Debrecen · Szeged · Pécs · Győr

Lower Prices

Eger, with 48,686 people, had the lowest average used-home price of the county seats here, HUF 713,000 per m², and its region’s county-rank cities the lowest asking rent in our table, HUF 152,000 a month^103,27,59. Pécs, at HUF 775,000 per m², is the next²⁷.

Consider: Eger · Pécs

Lake Balaton and the Austrian Border

Keszthely (17,455)¹⁰⁴ and Balatonfüred (12,906)¹⁰⁵ sit on Lake Balaton. KSH’s average for the Balaton agglomeration, whose towns the release does not list, was HUF 843,000 per m² for used homes in early 2026, just 0.3% more than a year earlier²⁷. The Siófok sheet on the lake has the warmest July in our table⁹⁶. Sopron, with 60,820 people, lies in Western Transdanubia, where the county-rank cities’ average asking rent was HUF 204,000^106,59.

Consider: Keszthely · Balatonfüred · Sopron

Population on January 1, 2025 and at the census of October 1, 2022; average price per m² of used homes, first quarter of 2026 (the town, or the area named); average monthly asking rent of listed apartments in the town’s region, first half of 2026. Checked September 27 and 28, 2026.
Town	Population, Jan 1, 2025	Census 2022	Used homes per m², Q1 2026	Regional asking rent a month
Budapest	1,685,209⁹⁷	1,665,539	about HUF 1.2 million	HUF 273,000 (Budapest, 53 m²)
Debrecen	202,130⁹⁹	200,225	HUF 941,000	HUF 224,000 (Northern Great Plain, county-rank cities, 60 m²)
Szeged	157,282¹⁰⁰	158,386	HUF 863,000	HUF 178,000 (Southern Great Plain, county-rank cities, 57 m²)
Pécs	139,412¹⁰¹	140,303	HUF 775,000	HUF 172,000 (Southern Transdanubia, county-rank cities, 53 m²)
Győr	129,373¹⁰²	129,186	HUF 928,000	HUF 204,000 (Western Transdanubia, county-rank cities, 58 m²)
Sopron	60,820¹⁰⁶	61,233	No town figure in the quarterly release	HUF 204,000 (Western Transdanubia, county-rank cities, 58 m²)
Eger	48,686¹⁰³	50,196	HUF 713,000	HUF 152,000 (Northern Hungary, county-rank cities, 53 m²)
Szentendre	28,483¹⁰⁷	28,501	No town figure in the quarterly release	HUF 281,000 (Pest region, all, 73 m²)
Keszthely	17,455¹⁰⁴	18,158	HUF 843,000 (KSH’s Balaton agglomeration average; KSH does not list its towns)	HUF 200,000 (Western Transdanubia, all, 57 m²)
Balatonfüred	12,906¹⁰⁵	13,086	HUF 843,000 (KSH’s Balaton agglomeration average; KSH does not list its towns)	HUF 199,000 (Central Transdanubia, all, 57 m²)

Sources: KSH gazetteer, the entry for each town as marked in the table; KSH housing market prices²⁷; KSH–ingatlan.com rent index⁵⁹. The quarterly price release covers the county seats and the Balaton agglomeration, not Sopron or Szentendre; it does not list the towns in the Balaton agglomeration, so the Keszthely and Balatonfüred rows show that area’s average, not a town figure. Rents are regional averages, not town figures.

Climate normals 1991–2020 from HungaroMet city climate sheets: mean temperature, average daily high and low, and precipitation. Where a town has no sheet of its own, the nearest published city is shown as a proxy. Checked September 28, 2026.
Town (sheet used)	January mean	January high / low	July mean	July high / low	Precipitation a year
Budapest; also used for Szentendre (Budapest sheet)	0.0°C (32°F)	3.0°C (37°F) / −2.5°C (28°F)	22.5°C (73°F)	28.1°C (83°F) / 16.7°C (62°F)	586 mm (23 in)
Debrecen (Debrecen sheet)	−0.8°C (31°F)	2.3°C (36°F) / −3.6°C (26°F)	21.9°C (71°F)	27.8°C (82°F) / 16.0°C (61°F)	546 mm (21 in)
Szeged (Szeged sheet)	−0.1°C (32°F)	3.4°C (38°F) / −3.0°C (27°F)	22.3°C (72°F)	28.9°C (84°F) / 15.7°C (60°F)	534 mm (21 in)
Pécs (Pécs sheet)	0.4°C (33°F)	3.5°C (38°F) / −2.4°C (28°F)	22.0°C (72°F)	27.7°C (82°F) / 16.5°C (62°F)	673 mm (26 in)
Győr (Győr sheet)	0.3°C (33°F)	3.5°C (38°F) / −3.3°C (26°F)	21.6°C (71°F)	28.2°C (83°F) / 14.6°C (58°F)	615 mm (24 in)
Eger (proxy: Miskolc sheet)	−1.3°C (30°F)	2.0°C (36°F) / −3.9°C (25°F)	21.5°C (71°F)	28.1°C (83°F) / 16.0°C (61°F)	642 mm (25 in)
Sopron (proxy: Szombathely sheet)	−0.2°C (32°F)	3.2°C (38°F) / −3.1°C (26°F)	21.0°C (70°F)	27.3°C (81°F) / 14.8°C (59°F)	614 mm (24 in)
Balatonfüred and Keszthely, on Lake Balaton (proxy: Siófok sheet)	0.2°C (32°F)	2.7°C (37°F) / −2.1°C (28°F)	22.9°C (73°F)	27.8°C (82°F) / 18.4°C (65°F)	560 mm (22 in)

Source: HungaroMet city climate sheets for 1991–2020⁹⁶. The sheets do not name the exact station. HungaroMet publishes no sheet for Szentendre, Eger, Sopron, Keszthely or Balatonfüred; the proxy for each is our researcher’s choice. Fahrenheit and inch conversions are our arithmetic. Compare Hungary with other destinations.

Practical matters

Paperwork: Registration, Numbers, Banks, Driving and Pets

Reporting where you live

As a non-EU national you report your accommodation to the immigration authority (OIF), not to the town hall. The report gives your address, the start and expected end of your stay there and your visa or permit number, and must be filed electronically through Enter Hungary. You attach proof such as a deed, a lease or a paid booking; Blue Card and study permit holders, among others, need not attach it. A change of address must be reported within three days, and you must keep the certificate of your report with you⁵¹.

Your tax number and TAJ number

Your tax identification number (adóazonosító jel) comes from NAV. If NAV has not issued one to you automatically, as for a foreign worker, you apply on form T34, only by post or in person. The first card is free (HUF 4,000 to replace a lost one), processing takes 15 days, and NAV lists an identity document or passport and an address card among the documents⁵².

Your TAJ number is your social insurance number. For a foreign employee who does not count as resident for social insurance, the employer requests it before the job starts; the first TAJ card is free, and it is issued within 60 days, or within eight days if the application is complete⁵⁴. See health coverage for who is insured.

A bank account

Every payment-service provider in Hungary must offer a basic payment account (alapszámla) to someone who has no other forint payment account in Hungary. Its monthly fee may be at most 0.5% of the minimum wage on the last day of the previous year, which means at most HUF 1,454 a month from July 1, 2026. The fee covers two free cash withdrawals a month up to HUF 150,000 in total, or HUF 300,000 from February 1, 2026 if you make the declaration, and four free transfers up to HUF 100,000; no overdraft is allowed⁵³. Under EU law the right covers consumers legally resident in the EU, including anyone with a right to reside under national law¹⁰⁸.

Driving on a U.S. license

A foreign license lets you drive in Hungary for one year from the start of your residence; after that it must be converted to a Hungarian license on request. Hungary accepts licenses from countries party to the 1968 Vienna or 1949 Geneva road-traffic conventions⁵⁵.

No test for a license from a convention country, if you declare that you lived in the issuing country when it was issued and meet the Hungarian age and driving-experience requirements⁵⁵.
If a license does not follow the convention model, you also need an International Driving Permit or a certified Hungarian translation to drive on it⁵⁵.
You can file the conversion at a government window (kormányablak), attaching the foreign license⁵⁵.

The decree applies the same rules to every convention country and has no list of U.S. states⁵⁵. Ask the government window before your year runs out whether your state license is accepted for conversion without a test, and carry an International Driving Permit until you know.

Pets

New EU rules for pets apply from April 22, 2026¹². The United States is on the list in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so a dog, cat or ferret from the United States needs no rabies antibody (titer) test^109,12. For each animal:

A microchip, then a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel¹².
An EU animal health certificate, valid for six months from the checks at the point of entry, or until the rabies vaccination expires if that is sooner¹².
At most five pets in one non-commercial movement¹².
Because the United States is not on the Annex I list, pets must enter through a designated travelers’ point of entry^12,109. The Commission’s list for Hungary, a 2017 file that its page still links, names Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport (24 hours), Debrecen airport (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Sármellék airport near Keszthely (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), plus road, rail and river crossings with Ukraine and Serbia^110,111.

Parts of the main pet page of Hungary’s food-chain safety office still cite the EU rules repealed in 2026, while its FAQ uses the 2026 acts¹¹²; follow the EU acts. We found no official figure for fees at the point of entry; ask your airline and the point of entry before you book.

Shipping your household

Personal belongings can enter the EU free of duty when you move your normal residence there, if you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, have owned and used the goods for at least six months, and declare them within 12 months of settling; you may not sell, lend or hire them out for 12 months without notice¹¹³. In NAV’s reading, a third-country national generally gets the relief only with a settlement permit. Someone on a temporary permit can still get it by credibly proving that they have permanently given up their residence in the third country; guest workers are excluded¹¹⁴. NAV’s page dates from June 2024 and still uses the permit names of the old law, so ask NAV how it treats your permit before you ship^114,3.

Schools

Kindergarten is compulsory for at least four hours a day from the start of the kindergarten year in which a child has turned three by August 31, and school is compulsory from the year in which a child has turned six by August 31 until the end of the school year in which the child turns 16. Foreign children with a residence permit or long-term status can attend kindergarten and public school on the same terms as Hungarians¹¹⁵.

The U.S. Embassy, and emergencies

The U.S. Embassy is at Szabadság tér 12, H-1054 Budapest; telephone (36-1) 475-4400⁹⁸.
In an emergency, call 112, free from any phone; calls are answered in centers in Miskolc and Szombathely⁷². A 2017 police news item also lists 104 for the ambulance, 105 for the fire service and 107 for the police¹¹⁶.
For an out-of-hours family doctor, call 1830, for adults and children, weekdays from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. and 24 hours on weekends and holidays; if a life is in danger, call 112⁷¹.

Entry rules

Before the Permit: Visiting Under EES and ETIAS

Hungary has been an EU member since 2004 and in the Schengen area since 2007². As an American you can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area³⁶. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) began a progressive start on October 12, 2025. Since April 10, 2026 it has been fully operational: it records your entries and exits with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps, which lets border systems detect overstays automatically¹³. Once you hold a Hungarian residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not registered in the EES; you show the permit with your passport¹¹⁷.

As of September 27, 2026, ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet running and no start date has been announced; the EU says it will give several months’ notice¹¹⁸. When it starts it will cost EUR 20 (free under 18 and over 70) and last three years or until your passport expires^119,120. Residence permit and long-stay visa holders will not need it¹²⁰. The Schengen, EES and ETIAS section of our FAQ explains the 90/180 count.

Timeline

A Realistic Twelve Months

Built backwards from the rules above for a White Card, where OIF decides within 30 days of filing. The plan assumes the full 30 days, and more if OIF asks for missing documents, since that time does not count. Other routes have their own limits, shown in the table above.

Months 12–9

Decide and test

Choose the route and run the income or pay check. For the White Card, your income must reach EUR 3,000 net in each of the six months before you apply, so start keeping clean monthly records now. Book a session with a cross-border tax adviser: with no U.S.–Hungary treaty, your Social Security, 401(k), IRA and investment income need a plan. Use your 90 visa-free days for a scouting trip.

Months 9–6

Build the file

Gather six months of payslips or business records, proof of your employer or business outside Hungary, and health coverage. Start pet preparations: microchip first, then the rabies vaccination, which counts only from 21 days after it is given. Decide whether to file at your consulate or in Hungary.

Months 6–3

Apply

At a consulate, apply in person and allow at least the 30 days OIF gives for a decision; then you have three months to enter on the type D visa. In Hungary, file through Enter Hungary early in your visa-free stay, to leave room for the 30-day decision.

Months 3–1

Prepare the move

Line up a first address and a written lease, which you will need for your accommodation report. Get moving quotes: household goods enter free of duty only under strict conditions, and on a temporary permit you should expect to prove that you have given up your U.S. residence. Arrange your pet’s EU health certificate.

Arrival

Report and register

Receive your permit card, which OIF posts to the address on your form; the Embassy’s page says you collect it in Budapest. Report your accommodation through Enter Hungary, and any later move within three days. Apply for your tax number on form T34, open a basic bank account and set up health coverage.

By month 12

License, extension, returns

Convert your U.S. license before one year from the start of your residence. For the White Card’s one extension, apply 90 to 30 days before expiry, having spent more than 90 days in any 180 in Hungary. Put the Hungarian tax return, the U.S. return (June 15 for Americans abroad) and the FBAR on the calendar.

Questions

What Americans Ask Us About Hungary

Does Hungary have a retirement visa?

No. Act XC of 2023 lists every purpose for which a residence permit can be issued, and the list has no retirement, financially independent or general “other purposes” permit³. OIF’s guide for U.S. citizens offers nothing for retirees under “other reasons”³⁰. By our reading, the routes that do not depend on a job are the guest investor permit, family reunification and the discretionary national-interest permit^3,39,40.

Can I still get Hungarian residence by buying a EUR 500,000 home?

No. The residential-property option was removed by Act LXXXIV of 2024, from December 30, 2024 by our reading of that act²¹. The guest investor permit now needs at least EUR 250,000 in units of a registered real estate fund, held for five years, or a donation of at least EUR 1,000,000 to a qualifying university³.

How much do I need to earn for the White Card?

At least EUR 3,000 net a month, about $3,410, in each of the six months before you apply, and throughout your stay^4,5. You must work for an employer or own a business outside Hungary, and not work in Hungary³.

Can the White Card lead to permanent residence?

No. It lasts one year, can be extended once by up to one year, and time on it does not count toward the national residence card; holders cannot get that card or bring family members, except a child born in Hungary³.

Can I work in Hungary as an American?

With the right permit. The EU Blue Card needs gross pay of at least HUF 1,001,048 a month in 2026, about $3,129¹⁵; the Hungarian Card is for listed qualifications³⁸; guest investors may work without restriction³. The ordinary employment permit is limited to citizens of Georgia, Armenia and the Philippines³².

Is there still a U.S.–Hungary tax treaty?

No. The 1979 treaty ceased to have effect for tax withheld at source from January 1, 2024, and for other taxes for periods beginning on or after that date⁶. Hungary now treats U.S. income as income from a country without a treaty, and decides your residence under its own rules alone^24,31.

Will Hungary tax my U.S. Social Security?

The Personal Income Tax Act exempts pensions, and its definition of pension includes equivalent income paid by a foreign organization even without a treaty¹⁶. Whether U.S. Social Security falls under that definition is our reading, not something NAV has published; we found no NAV page that names it. Ask a Hungarian tax adviser, and consider a ruling from NAV, before you rely on it.

Do I pay Social Security in both countries?

The U.S.–Hungary totalization agreement, in force since September 1, 2016, decides which system covers your work^7,26. Self-employed people who move their business to the other country for five years or fewer stay in the system they left, and employees can get certificates of coverage²⁶. Ask the SSA which applies to you.

How do non-working Americans get health coverage?

Holders of an ordinary residence permit do not count as residents for social insurance, so the HUF 12,300 monthly contribution route does not apply to them^33,18. The voluntary agreement costs 50% of the minimum wage, HUF 161,400 a month in 2026 by our arithmetic, and covers only emergency care for the first 24 months unless you pay 24 plus one months up front^33,34. Private coverage is the other option.

Can Americans buy property in Hungary?

Yes, with a permit from the capital or county government office, decided within 45 days; the fee is HUF 65,000 per property^35,91. It must be granted if the purchase harms no public or municipal interest, the buyer’s identity can be established and the intent to transfer ownership can be shown; it can be refused if Hungarians lack reciprocity in the buyer’s country, which is presumed unless the foreign minister states otherwise³⁵.

How long until I can become a Hungarian citizen?

Eight years of continuous residence, a clean record, secure housing and livelihood, and a pass in a constitutional knowledge exam in Hungarian, unless you are 60 or over or otherwise exempt, in which case you must still prove knowledge of Hungarian⁸.

Sources

Every Figure on This Page, and Where It Comes From

We use official sources only: Hungarian laws and decrees in the National Legislation Database (read on njt.jog.gov.hu, the host of the official database that served us; njt.hu uses the same paths); the immigration authority (OIF) and the Embassy of Hungary in Washington; the tax authority (NAV); the Magyar Nemzeti Bank; the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) and HungaroMet; NEAK, the national ambulance service, the hospital directorate and the police; the transit operators and the state-owned electricity supplier; the Government of Hungary’s website; the EU; and U.S. federal agencies and the State Department. Hungarian-language titles are given in English. Each source was read on the date shown; where a page gives its own last-edited date, we say so. Where official texts disagree, we say what each one says and which we follow. If you spot something that has changed, email [email protected].

Official exchange rates, September 25, 2026: USD 1 = HUF 319.89, EUR 1 = HUF 364.42. Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), the central bank of Hungary. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
EU countries: membership, euro area and Schengen dates. European Union. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Act XC of 2023 on the general rules for the entry and residence of third-country nationals, consolidated version (time state September 27, 2026). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.) implementing Act XC of 2023, version in force from January 1, 2026. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, September 24, 2026). European Central Bank. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Hungary: tax treaty documents (termination of the 1979 convention; page reviewed January 10, 2026). Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
U.S. international social security agreements: overview. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian Citizenship, consolidated version. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Notice to guest self-employed permit holders: regular reporting through Enter Hungary (September 25, 2026). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Website of the Government of Hungary (news of September 24, 2026). Government of Hungary. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131: non-commercial movement of pet animals. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Entry/Exit System (EES). European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Government Decree 426/2025 (XII. 23.) on the 2026 minimum wage and guaranteed wage minimum. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
The EU Blue Card (page last edited March 2, 2026). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act CXVII of 1995 on Personal Income Tax, consolidated version of September 19, 2026 (with Annex 1). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 73: personal income tax allowances (2026, published March 19, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 91: the health service contribution (2026, published January 9, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act LXIV of 2025 amending the Citizenship Act (suspension of citizenship). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Hungarian cultural knowledge exam (page last edited September 24, 2026). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act LXXXIV of 2024 (sections 41, 135 and 153: new section 16(3) of Act XC of 2023 and repeal of section 22(11)). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act XC of 2023, original text in force from January 1, 2024 (section 16(3), including the former residential-property option). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act CLXIV of 2005 on Trade (sections 2, 6/D and 11/H on accommodation). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Personal income tax changes following the termination of the Hungarian–U.S. double taxation convention. National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
White Card (digital nomad) residence (page last edited March 11, 2026). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Agreement between the United States and Hungary (pamphlet). Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Housing market prices and house price index, first quarter of 2026 (published July 31, 2026). Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Free and discounted travel: who is entitled (sheet of August 2026). BKK Centre for Budapest Transport. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 20: inheritance duty (2026, published February 2, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Residence in Hungary: choose your purpose of stay (decision tree for U.S. citizens, “other reasons”). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Information booklet 04: foreign-source income of individuals (2026, published February 20, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Residence permit for the purpose of employment (countries listed in Government Decree 450/2024). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act CXXII of 2019 on persons entitled to social security benefits (Tbj.), version in force on September 27, 2026. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Entitlement based on an agreement (megállapodás) for health services. National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Government Decree 251/2014 (X. 2.) on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners, version from January 3, 2026. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Entry and exit requirements for non-EU nationals (90 days in any 180-day period). Your Europe, European Union. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Residence permit for guest self-employment. National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Hungarian Card (Magyar Kártya). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Residence permit for family reunification (page last edited March 10, 2026). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Residence permit issued in the national interest. National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Residence of students and pupils. National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Residence permits. Embassy of Hungary in Washington. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Consulates and their jurisdictions in the United States. Embassy of Hungary in Washington. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Procedural fees (page last edited January 30, 2025). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Guest investor residence permit (page last edited March 3, 2026). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Residence permit for job seeking or starting a business. National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
National residence card. National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
EU residence card (EU long-term residence). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Guest investor visa. National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Real-estate fund managers on the qualified market-participants list (page last edited January 23, 2025). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Reporting obligations of third-country nationals (accommodation). National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary (OIF). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Tax identification number and tax card (page dated June 12, 2025). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Basic payment account (alapszámla) (updated February 17, 2026). Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), the central bank of Hungary. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Applying for and issuing the TAJ card. National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Government Decree 326/2011 (XII. 28.) on driving licenses, version in force from February 26, 2026 (sections 17 and 18). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Consumer prices, August 2026 (first release, published September 8, 2026). Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Earnings, July 2026 (first release, published September 16, 2026). Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
KSH–ingatlan.com rent index, August 2026 (experimental statistics; asking rents). Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
KSH–ingatlan.com rent index: table annex (average asking rent and floor area by region, first half of 2026). Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Residential electricity price sheet, universal service (edition of December 2024). MVM Next Energiakereskedelmi Zrt. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Discounted and free travel: entitled customers and accepted documents (English sheet). BKK Centre for Budapest Transport. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Discounts (student cards from June 15, 2026). BKK Centre for Budapest Transport. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Tickets and passes: prices. BKK Centre for Budapest Transport. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Passes. DKV Debrecen Transport. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Ticket offices and fares (tariff from January 1, 2024). SZKT Szeged Transport. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Tickets and passes. Tüke Busz, Pécs. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Family doctor (GP) care (page dated January 21, 2021). National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Long-term vacant family-doctor practices (list as of September 1, 2026). National Hospital Directorate-General of Hungary (OKFŐ). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Subsidies on medicines. National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Waiting lists: information for patients. National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Out-of-hours primary care: the 1830 number. National Ambulance Service of Hungary (OMSZ). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
The 112 emergency number. Hungarian Police. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Travel outside the U.S. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Medicare coverage outside the United States (Product 11037, April 2026). Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Avoid late enrollment penalties. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Applicability of the convention between the United States and Hungary on the avoidance of double taxation. National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 49: the social contribution tax (2026, published January 16, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 10: taxation of letting real estate (2026, published February 3, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 03: personal income tax and contributions of sole traders (2026, published August 31, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Convention between the United States and Hungary for the avoidance of double taxation (1979), no longer in effect. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Foreign tax credit. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Information booklet 38: gift duty (2026, published February 10, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Information booklet 19: transfer duty on purchases (2026, published January 30, 2026). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act C of 1990 on Local Taxes, version of July 31, 2026. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Foreign earned income exclusion: what is foreign earned income. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). FinCEN, U.S. Treasury. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Do I need to file Form 8938? Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Act V of 2013 (Civil Code), version in force on September 27, 2026: sections 6:331 to 6:348 on leases. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act LXXVIII of 1993 on leases of apartments (Housing Act), version from March 1, 2025. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act XCIII of 1990 on Duties, consolidated version (sections 19 and 26). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act C of 2021 on the Land Registry. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Real estate database (Ingatlanadattár): average prices per m² by settlement, 2024. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government Decree 239/2009 (X. 20.) on accommodation services, version from July 1, 2026. National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Climate of Hungarian cities: 1991–2020 city climate sheets. HungaroMet, the Hungarian Meteorological Service. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Budapest, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
U.S. Embassy in Hungary. U.S. Department of State. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Debrecen, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Szeged, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Pécs, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Győr, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Eger, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Keszthely, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Balatonfüred, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Sopron, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Gazetteer of Hungary (Helységnévtár): Szentendre, population on January 1, 2025 and at the 2022 census. Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Directive 2014/92/EU: right to a basic payment account. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636: lists of third countries (annexes I and II). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Travelers’ points of entry for dogs, cats and ferrets. European Commission, Food Safety. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Travelers’ points of entry: Hungary (file dated 2017, still linked from the Commission page). European Commission, Food Safety. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Traveling with pets: frequently asked questions. National Food Chain Safety Office of Hungary (Nébih). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Council Regulation (EC) 1186/2009: relief from customs duty (personal property). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Customs and tax exemption for personal property of people moving from a third country to the EU (June 27, 2024). National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NAV). Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education, version in force on September 27, 2026 (sections 8, 45 and 92). National Legislation Database of Hungary (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
When to call the emergency numbers (news item of May 2, 2017). Hungarian Police. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April 2026: who is exempt. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411: ETIAS fee of €20. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Rules and costs change; check the official sources above and speak to a qualified professional before you act. Next scheduled review: December 2026.

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