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Permanent residence card

What

Permanent Residence Card (Állandó tartózkodási kártya) allows you to stay in Hungary for an unlimited period.

Who

  • EEA citizen who has been staying in Hungary for 5 years without discontinuity
  • family members of persons with the right of free movement (see under GOOD TO KNOW) who has been staying in Hungary for 5 years
  • children of persons who have the right for permanent residence
  • family member of a Hungarian citizen if he/she have been living in the same household for minimum 1 year
  • Spouse of a Hungarian citizen if they have been married for minimum 2 years before they submit the application for the Permanent Residence Card
  • EEA citizens without living in Hungary for 5 years:
    • persons who have been staying in Hungary for 3 years, reached the old-age pension limit and before reaching the limit they have been doing gainful activity minimum 12 months in Hungary
    • persons who have been living in Hungary for 2 years with doing gainful activity but they had to finish this activity because of medical reasons
    • persons who had to finish their gainful activity because of work accident
    • person who starts to do gainful activity in an EEA member state after he/she has been doing gainful activity in Hungary for 3 years and he/she keeps his/her Hungarian residence

How

When examining the time you have stayed in Hungary, these absences are not counted as a discontinuity of residence: shorter absence than 6 months in a year, mandatory military service, maximum 12 months absence because of pregnancy, illness, study, vocational training, positing.

To apply for Permanent Residence Card, you have to go to the local directorate of the Immigration and Asylum Office. You should fulfil the application form and pay 1500 HUF (~5 € in 2017). You can find more information and the application form on this page:

When

You have to submit the application for Permanent Residence Card before your existing residence permit expires. Issuing the permanent residence card takes 70 days.

Good to know

Persons with the right of free movement:

  • EEA citizens,
  • family members of Hungarian or EEA citizens,
  • accompanying person who is dependent from Hungarian citizen or they have been living together for minimum 1 year and the Hungarian citizen take care of him/her because of his/her health condition
  • person who has been dependent of an EEA citizen or has been living together with an EEA citizen in the country they come from and the EEA citizen takes care of him/her because of his/her health condition

Where

Regional Offices of the Immigration and Asylum Office

On the following links you can find the regional offices of the Immigration and Asylum Office:

Last update on Sep 28th 2018