Hungary Visas, Taxes and Money for Digital Nomads

The White Card is a residence permit for people who work remotely from Hungary for a business outside Hungary. It is issued by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF), Hungary’s immigration authority.

• Who can apply: non-EU citizens who are employed by a company outside Hungary and work for it remotely, or who own shares in a profitable company outside Hungary and run it remotely.
• Who can’t: people who work in Hungary or for Hungarian employers or clients, own shares in a Hungarian company, or are students, posted workers or asylum seekers. EU/EEA citizens don’t need it.
• Income: at least €3,000 (about $3,400) a month net, earned for at least the six months before you apply, and kept at that level throughout your stay.
• Length: up to one year, renewable once for another year, so two years in total. Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the permit’s end date.
• Fee: €110 if you apply at a consulate abroad. Inside Hungary, the fee is HUF 39,000 in person or HUF 26,000 online, and a renewal costs HUF 26,000.
• Processing: usually about three to four weeks.

Documents

• A valid passport and a photo; fingerprints are taken when you apply.
• A certified statement from your employer confirming remote work and your duties, or proof that your company operates and that you own it.
• Bank statements for the last six months, or an income certificate from your employer or tax authority, showing €3,000 a month net.
• Proof of accommodation in Hungary: a lease, a property deed or a booking.
• Health insurance covering your stay.

How to Apply

• From abroad: at a Hungarian embassy or consulate in your country of nationality or residence. If approved, you receive an entry visa to collect the residence card in Hungary.
• From inside Hungary: citizens of visa-exempt countries (such as Americans, Britons and Australians) can apply while in Hungary, online through Enter Hungary or in person at a regional immigration office. Apply well before your Schengen days run out.

Family

There is no family reunification on the White Card: a spouse or children can’t join you as your dependants. Each family member needs their own permit on their own grounds, or must stay within the Schengen 90-day rule. The only exception is a child born in Hungary while the permit is valid.

Limits

You can’t do any paid work for Hungarian employers or clients, and the permit is withdrawn if you start working for a Hungarian employer or buy shares in a Hungarian company. You can’t switch to another type of residence permit during or after the White Card, so it doesn’t lead to permanent residence.

• 90 days in 180: citizens of visa-exempt countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, can stay 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area, not per country. Time in Austria, Croatia or Slovakia counts too.
• EES: the Entry/Exit System, fully live since April 2026, records each entry and exit of non-EU travellers digitally, with fingerprints and a facial image, and calculates your remaining days automatically.
• ETIAS: an online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors. No start date has been announced, and the EU says it will give several months’ notice. Nothing is needed yet.
• Schengen visas: nationals of countries that need a visa apply for a short-stay Schengen visa, valid for up to 90 days.

EU/EEA and Swiss Citizens

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa or permit. To stay longer than 90 days, you apply to the immigration authority for a registration certificate, showing that you work, are self-employed or have enough money and health insurance. After five years of legal residence you can get permanent residence.

Overstays

Because EES logs every entry and exit, overstays are now detected automatically. An overstay can lead to a fine, expulsion and an entry ban covering the whole Schengen Area, and it will show up on future trips. If you want to stay longer, apply for the White Card before your 90 days are up.

Hungary has a flat 15% personal income tax on most income, plus employee social security contributions of 18.5% on employment income. The White Card has no special tax regime.

• Tax residence applies to Hungarian citizens, people whose only permanent home is in Hungary, people whose centre of vital interests is in Hungary, and people who spend 183 days or more in Hungary in a calendar year. EU citizens with a registration certificate who stay 183 days are also residents.
• Residents are taxed on worldwide income, with relief under Hungary’s tax treaties for tax paid abroad.
• Non-residents are taxed only on Hungarian-source income.

Remote work done while you are physically in Hungary can count as Hungarian-source income, even if your employer is abroad, and social security rules depend on your nationality and any agreements between Hungary and your home country. If you hold a White Card or stay most of a year, get advice from a Hungarian tax adviser. This is a general guide, not tax advice; our taxes for digital nomads page covers the general principles.

Hungary uses the forint (HUF), not the euro, and it traded at about 355 to 370 forints to the euro in mid to late 2026. Prices are often in thousands of forints, so a coffee might cost roughly 900 to 1,200 HUF (ballpark). The forint moves a lot, so your costs in dollars or euros can change by several percent in a few months. A few tourist businesses accept euros, at poor rates.

Cards and contactless payments, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, are accepted almost everywhere, including at most market stalls. Wise and Revolut cards work well.

Bank ATMs, such as those of OTP Bank, are the cheapest place to withdraw cash. Avoid the standalone currency exchange ATMs in tourist areas, and always decline the ATM’s or card terminal’s currency conversion: choose to be charged in forints.

A Hungarian bank account is useful for rent and utilities if you stay long term. OTP Bank, the largest, and other big banks open accounts for foreigners with a passport, a residence card or registration certificate, and a Hungarian address. Many short-stayers manage with Wise or Revolut alone.