Your first weeks in Hungary: the registrations to do after landing

The first weeks in Hungary are mostly about telling the immigration authority where you are and getting your residence status on paper. Hungary's National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF, often called NDGAP in English) runs most of this through its online platform, Enter Hungary. This guide sets out what the official Hungarian and US sources say, in a sensible order.

Everything here is drawn from oif.gov.hu, the Hungarian health insurance fund (NEAK), the Hungarian tax authority (NAV), the Hungarian government portal and the US government. Where an official page does not give a figure, this guide does not invent one.

A note on the address card

Many guides to Hungary start with the lakcímkártya, the Hungarian address card. The OIF pages checked for this guide do not describe when a US citizen on a residence permit receives one or what the deadline is, and the related OIF reporting page returned an error when checked. Rather than repeat unverified steps, this guide sticks to the duties OIF states directly. Ask the OIF regional directorate or a government window (kormányablak) about the address card when you collect your permit.

Step 1: know which stay you are on

US citizens can enter Hungary visa-free. The OIF information page for visa-free visitors (in Hungarian) confirms that nationals of visa-exempt countries may stay in Hungary and the Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The same page lists a Hungary-specific benefit. Under a bilateral agreement, US citizens are among the nationals who can stay in Hungary for a further 90 days after their Schengen 90 days are used up. The OIF sets conditions: when you enter Hungary you must not already have used your 90 Schengen days in another Schengen state within the six-month period counted from your first entry, and you must leave the Schengen Area from Hungary on the last day of the bilateral 90 days. The extra days are valid only in Hungary, not in other Schengen countries.

Step 2: report your accommodation on Enter Hungary if staying over 30 days

The OIF visa-free page sets a reporting duty that many newcomers miss. If your stay in Hungary is longer than 30 days but under 90 days, you must report your accommodation to the immigration authority after entering, through the Enter Hungary electronic platform (enterhungary.gov.hu). The OIF then issues an accommodation certificate electronically.

Practical points:

• Have the full address of your apartment or hotel and your arrival date ready before you log in.
• Keep the accommodation certificate the OIF sends you. It is your proof that you reported.
• If you move during this period, check the platform for how to update your accommodation.

Step 3: apply for or complete your residence permit

For stays past the visa-free period, you need a residence permit for a specific purpose, such as employment. The OIF factsheet on residence permits for employment explains how the process works:

• You can apply at a Hungarian consulate abroad, through Enter Hungary, or in person at the OIF regional directorate for the area where you are staying.
• An application filed on Enter Hungary counts as received only when the administrative fee is paid and your facial photo, fingerprints and signature are taken within 15 days of receipt. OIF sends a notice when this happens.
• The authority decides on the merits within 70 days of the application. The factsheet gives 21 days as the period for procedural administration.
• If you applied at a consulate and are approved, you receive a type D visa. OIF describes it as a single-entry visa valid for 3 months, allowing a stay of up to 30 days, so that you can enter and collect the permit.
• The residence permit card is delivered by post to the delivery address in your application. Collecting it in person is allowed only if you show you cannot receive it at that address.

This is why your address matters from day one. The permit card goes to the address on your application, so give one where you will actually receive mail.

Step 4: prove accommodation and health insurance

The employment permit factsheet lists the documents OIF expects, and two of them are about your first weeks:

• Proof of accommodation, for example a document on accommodation provided free of charge, proof of a booked and paid stay, or an employer certificate stating that the employer will provide housing.
• Proof of health insurance, showing that you have comprehensive cover for all health services or can pay for them. OIF accepts, among other things, being insured under Hungarian social security or having access through an international agreement.

If you work for a Hungarian employer, ask them about your enrollment in the public system run by NEAK, Hungary's National Health Insurance Fund. Keep any NEAK document with your passport.

Step 5: tax registration with NAV

NAV, the National Tax and Customs Administration, is Hungary's tax authority. When checked, its English site said it was under construction, so most current guidance is on the Hungarian-language pages. If you will earn Hungarian income, ask your employer or NAV how your tax identification is handled before your first payslip.

US filing continues while you live in Hungary. US citizens report worldwide income to the IRS each year regardless of residence, so keep Hungarian payslips and tax certificates for your US return.

Step 6: enroll with the US embassy

The US Embassy in Budapest (hu.usembassy.gov) provides passport and citizen services to Americans in Hungary. Enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so the embassy can reach you in an emergency. STEP is a US service and does not replace any Hungarian reporting duty.

Keep an eye on deadlines later

The OIF factsheet sets deadlines for extending an employment residence permit. You may apply no earlier than 90 days before expiry and no later than 30 days before expiry, and only from within Hungary through Enter Hungary. Extensions are possible for up to 3 years from first issue. After that you can apply for a new permit at least 40 days before the current one expires. Put these dates in your calendar the day the permit arrives.

The OIF also notes that if a visa-exempt national's residence permit expires, the 90 days in 180 visa-free right revives from the expiry date, but only for staying as a tourist.

A simple first-month order

1. Before you fly: decide whether you are visiting, staying 30 to 90 days, or applying for a residence permit.
2. Within your first days: if you will stay over 30 days, report your accommodation on Enter Hungary and save the certificate.
3. If applying in Hungary: file on Enter Hungary, pay the fee and give biometrics within 15 days.
4. Keep proof of accommodation and health insurance in one folder.
5. Make sure your delivery address will receive post for the permit card.
6. Enroll in STEP.
7. Put permit extension dates in your calendar.

Common questions

Do I have to register my address in Hungary as a US tourist? According to OIF, if your stay is over 30 days but under 90 days, you must report your accommodation after entry through the Enter Hungary platform. OIF then issues an accommodation certificate electronically.

How long can Americans stay in Hungary without a visa? Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen Area. OIF also lists the United States under a bilateral agreement that allows a further 90 days in Hungary only, under conditions including leaving the Schengen Area from Hungary.

How is the Hungarian residence permit card delivered? OIF says it is sent by post to the delivery address in your application. You may collect it in person only if you show you cannot receive it at that address.

When should I extend an employment residence permit? OIF says no earlier than 90 days and no later than 30 days before expiry, through Enter Hungary from within Hungary.