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Digital Nomad Visa (White Card) In Hungary

In this article, we will detail the Digital Nomad Visa (White Card) in Hungary, and the conditions and advantages of issuing the application.

What is The White Card?

The White Card is a new type of residence permit tailored specifically to the lifestyle of digital nomads.

A residence permit whose owner has a legal relationship for certified employment in a country other than Hungary or owns an ownership interest in a company with certified profits in a country outside Hungary and in both cases does or manages his business working with an advanced digital technology solution from Hungary.

Telework therefore appears as a separate purpose of residence with a separate type of residence permit, so if a person has already proven another purpose of residence (for example, to study or work in a country or to have a job), they can no longer apply for a White Card.

Similarly, it is exceptional when a person has the right to stay in the country for other reasons (for example, by being recognized as a refugee or by an EC residence permit).

The White Card can only be applied to third-country nationals, and citizens of the EEA (EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are subject to different entry and residence rules.

The period of stay in Hungary as a White Card holder does not count towards the residence period required for the issuance of the residence permit.

Differences Between a Residence Permit and a White Card

According to the general rules regarding residence permits under the Law on Entry and Residence of Third Country Nationals, the permit can be valid for two years and can be renewed for another two years. In contrast, the validity period of the White Card is one year at the most, and it can be extended once for a maximum of one year. The reason for the difference is that the essence of the “digital” nomadic lifestyle is non-geographic residence, its followers are constantly on the move, so the legislator assumes that a longer term leave will not be more attractive to them, increasing the risk of abuse.

It differs from residence permits for other purposes because the White Card does not have the right to family reunification, ie family members of the White Card holder cannot obtain residence rights for the card holder.

Complies with EU law as Member States may require two years of legal residence before family reunification can be accepted and the White Card cannot require a longer stay.

Who Can Apply For Such a Card?

A white card can be obtained by a third-country national who:

Has a certified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary and conducts its work with an advanced digital technology solution from Hungary, or has an ownership interest in a company with certified profits in a country outside Hungary and manages its business or business with an advanced digital technology solution from Hungary,

The general conditions of staying in Hungary for more than 90 days within 180 days and has no exclusion grounds provided by law; and

Does not work in a lucrative business in Hungary and does not have a ownership stake in a Hungarian company.

Required Documents and Important Information Are As Follows

The condition for issuing a White Card is: the completed form, a face photograph not older than 3 months, submission of mandatory attachments and payment of the processing fee.

The administrative service fee for the residence permit issuance procedure is 110 Euros.

In case of domestic submission (in customer service), the administrative service fee of the transaction is HUF 39,000.

The administrative fee for the appeal is 160 Euros.

If the foreigner is unable to come due to his health condition at the time of application, the applicant must personally appear before the authority.

During the submission of the application, a face image and fingerprint will be taken for the purpose of issuing the residence document containing biometric data that the third country national will tolerate.

The application for the issuance of a White Card must be made, outside the law, to the consular officer or any other place authorized to receive the residence permit application in the country of the applicant’s permanent or habitual residence or nationality. A third-country national can apply for a residence permit before entering, without making a special application in this regard.

A D visa, which entitles its holder to a residence permit, grants a third-country national the right to a single entry and stay for 30 days. As soon as possible after their entry into Hungary, they should come to the competent regional office of the National Directorate of Immigration for their future stay to obtain a residence permit and report their stay in Hungary.