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Residence permit

Information for non-EU students

Your residence permit is one of the most important documents during your stay in Hungary. Please always check the latest and authentic information about residence permit issues. Valid source of information can be reached on the website of the NATIONAL DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ALIENS POLICING.

As you are all aware of it by now, a new immigration law has been introduced at the beginning of 2024. The law brought several changes which affected the whole system. It is crucial to get familiar with these changes as previous deadlines, rules and steps might not be applicable anymore. Not knowing about the changes will not grant you any flexibility or leniency!

Below we have highlighted the most important changes and what you should pay attention to.

YOU ARE SUBMITTING A VISA APPLICATION ABROAD

When booking an appointment with the Embassy/Consulate choose a date which allows you to join your studies in time, but it is not too early. For example, submitting a visa application in April for the Fall semester would be considered ungrounded by the Directorate as from their perspective you cannot have a valid reason to arrive so much earlier before your studies begin.

If you need a visa before you can enter Hungary and your request has been approved, you have 3 months to enter Hungary. These 3 months are not counted from the moment you receive your visa but from the moment the decision is made. It may happen that the period shown on the visa will be shorter than 3 months, since those days between the decision and the issuance of the visa will be deducted. Always check your visa to see what the last date is when you can enter Hungary and make your travel arrangements accordingly.

The e-certificate of accommodation (the document confirming your Hungarian address) should be given to you when you pick up your passport/visa at the Embassy or should be sent to you via email in a couple of days. If you do not receive this certificate till your arrival, reach out to the Directorate (bp2@oif.gov.hu).

EXTENSION OF PERMIT AND RELATED PROCEDURES

If you have a valid residence permit, you must start the extension procedure at least 45 days before the permit officially expires. This new rule is taken very seriously by the Directorate so pay special attention to the expiry date of your permit. If you only submit a request within these 45 days, you must add a document to your application in which you explain the specific reason for the delay.

Those who are extending a study permit issued BEFORE 2024.01.01. must follow a one-time, special procedure.

According to this:

  • They shouldn’t choose extension when submitting their request via the EnterHungary website,
  • A new request should be submitted, choosing the relevant case and choosing “no” for an answer at the question about extension.
  • The procedural fee is 24 000 HUF (scholarship-holders, Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens do not have to pay this).


This screenshot is just an example, fee-paying students shouldn’t choose that the procedure is exempt of fee.

Those who have a permit issued AFTER 2024.01.01. have to choose the option for extension when the time comes to extend their permit. The procedural fee in this case is 23 000 HUF (scholarship-holders, Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens do not have to pay this).

Under no circumstances should you wait till your permit expires before submitting an extension request. If there’s no way to obtain a mandatory document in time, submit an incomplete application rather than wait till your permit expires. Of course, it should be your priority to obtain all documents in time as the Directorate will check whether you could have collected everything before submitting the request.

Since the option for leniency has been erased if your permit expires and you haven’t submitted an extension request, you will automatically be expelled from Hungary and you will need to leave the country till the deadline given by the Directorate. There’s no possibility for flexibility or an appeal, the Directorate won’t consider unique circumstances. If you must leave Hungary, do that before the deadline to avoid very serious consequences. Those who fail to leave the country in time will face legal action, deportation and their data will be shared with EU member states as well.

Please be informed that the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing will not accept any kind of submission related to residence permits between 1st January and 29th February. Additionally, procedures related to residence permits will be suspended during this period, meaning that no decision will be made before 29th February.

The validity of residence permits and permanent residence permits expiring between 1st January and 29th February will be extended until 30th April. This is automatic, no additional document will be issued by the Directorate.

Please read the attached document very carefully to also learn about which cases are still processed.

We advise you against traveling/leaving Hungary after the official expiry date shown on your residence permit card as different countries/flight providers might not understand the situation and you might not be able to return to Hungary. If you are not in Hungary right now, we urge you to return before the official expiry date of your permit card.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

  • Your permit expires between 1st January and 29th February, you have submitted an extension request:

All pending cases are suspended, no decision will be made before 29th February. The validity of your permit has been automatically extended till 30th April and it is valid in Hungary. We strongly advise you against leaving the country.

  • Your permit expires between 1st January and 29th February and you haven’t submitted an extension request:

The validity of your permit has been automatically extended till 30th April and it is valid in Hungary. We strongly advise you against leaving the country. You will be able to submit an extension request early March, prepare accordingly.

  • You are not in Hungary right now and your permit expires before 29th February:

Please return before the official expiry date of your permit to avoid any issues during your travel. Please note that you cannot enter Hungary after the expiration date of your residence permit.

  • You are not in Hungary and your permit has expired/you had a passive semester:

Please check the latest information at the section titled “Important update regarding the submission of new permit applications – valid till 29th February 2024”

Although 30th April seems far away, don’t forget to submit your extension request at the beginning of March via the EnterHungary platform. If you have submitted an extension request before 31st December, make sure to check the EnterHungary page a couple of times to see whether you need to add anything to the pending application.

Those students who are submitting an extension request after 29th February should pay special attention when filling out their request on the EnterHungary website.

One of the questions asks students whether the request they wish to submit is an extension. Although the logical answer would be “yes”, the system only offers one option: “no”.

“No” is the correct answer, please choose this when you reach this specific question. The reason is that according to the new immigration law, all requests submitted after the changes are considered new applications.

The full announcement and details can be found HERE.

Please note that the measure explained below applies to two groups of students:

  • Those who are starting their studies in the Spring semester of academic year 2023/2024
  • Those who are currently staying abroad and cannot enter Hungary because their permit has expired/is invalid

The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing has introduced a special measure in connection to the suspension of residence permit applications between 1st January and 29th February.
This measure creates an exception, allowing those who are in higher education and are currently staying abroad to submit a new residence permit application even during this period.

HOW YOU SHOULD PROCEED?

If you have a pending application submitted before 31st December 2023 and no decision has been made yet, you are able to request the termination of the current pending procedure and submit a new application at the same time.

Whether you had a pending application or you want to submit a new application just now, you can do that at the competent Hungarian diplomatic mission according to your nationality or habitual residence if you are staying abroad.

IMPORTANT! If you have requested the termination of your pending case and are submitting a new application you will have to submit all relevant documents again. Please make sure that you would be able to collect and submit all the necessary documents since an incomplete application can cause long delays.

You can find the details of the newly introduced measure HERE. Please read the document very carefully.

While considering your options please keep in mind that all students must arrive to join their classes in person no later than 14th March 2024. If you believe you wouldn’t be able to meet this deadline, please contact your Faculty’s Student Services Office.

Third-country nationals, who submitted their application at a Hungarian Consulate abroad and hold a type D visa, must do the following.

  1. Travel to Hungary with the type D visa. Please keep in mind that your visa only allows you to enter Hungary to pick up your permit. The permit will be the document confirming the purpose of your stay.
  2. You can get the issued residence permit at the university. You will receive an e-mail about the collection details after we received the permit. Please DO NOT turn up without any notification and take into consideration that issuing the card and posting time might take as long as 7 weekdays . You are NO longer supposed to visit the Immigration Office to pick up the card. Make sure to check the validity date. This date should be remembered as you will have to submit your extension request 45 days before your permit expires.
  3. Your e- certificate of accommodation will be sent to you electronically. In case your address is different from the one you indicated during your visa application, you will have to report the change. Please check the relevant section for instructions.

Those students who are nationals of a visa-exempt country (non-EU) can either submit a residence permit application in their home country or can enter Hungary and start the procedure online here, via the EnterHungary website. (https://enterhungary.gov.hu/eh/)

Third-country nationals, who already stay in Hungary and want to extend their residence permit

If you move to a new accommodation, you must report the change via EnterHungary within 3 days’ time.
More info here.

To renew the residence permit, please follow the steps here which are shared below as well. Keep in mind that you must submit an extension request at least 30 days before your permit expires. If you miss this “deadline” make sure to include an explanation as well, detailing the reasons for the delay.

  1. You have to submit your application for extension of residence permit through EnterHungary, so firstly register or sign in to your account at EnterHungary. You can find a guide for the page here.
  2. Select “Application for residence permit”, then click “Study or student mobility”
  3. Fill out all the obligatory fields.
  4. Upload all the mandatory attachments to your Enter Hungary case.
  5. Pay the procedural fee if not exempted (see Procedure fees) through Enter Hungary
  6. After submitting your application, you must visit the client service of the regional directorate according to your accommodation within 15 days for giving biometrical data. Always check the status of your application and messages received from the Directorate as if you miss this deadline, your case will be automatically deleted.

Message of the NATIONAL DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ALIENS POLICING.

What makes a perfect application as told by the Directorate:

Perfect Know How is a third country national living in Hungary, who has a valid residence permit for study purposes.
Perfect Know How submits an application for the extension of the residence permit online through the Enter Hungary system 2 months (but a minimum of 30 days) before the expiration of the residence permit. Perfect Know How continuously monitors the status of his/her application on the Enter Hungary website, so that, if necessary, he/she can upload the required documents in time. Perfect Know How thus saves herself/himself a lot of inconvenience and receives her/his residence permit in time, before her/his previous residence permit expires.

Act like Perfect Know How!

If you move to a new accommodation, you must report the change via EnterHungary within 3 days’ time.

  1. Third-Country Nationals might report the relocation (change) of address ONLY ONLINE via EnterHungary.
  2. You will receive the new e-certificate via EnterHungary. You will find it in your storage.
  3. When submitting application for the residence permit, it is also possible to report a new address. However, please remember, if the relocation/change of address is earlier than the application, then you should do the report separately.
  4. If your accommodation has not been changed since you applied at the Embassy, please do not apply for it. In this case you will get your e-certificate automatically.

More info here.

Substitution of residence permit: If one of your personal data (e.g. in surname because of marriage/divorce) has been changed, or it is misspelled on the residence permit, you have to apply for a substitution.
Replacement of the residence permit card: If your permit was lost, destroyed, stolen or damaged, you have to apply for a replacement. Always report a stolen permit to the police as well.

Latest rules, regulations and more info about Substitution or Replacement of the permit can be found here.