Hungary White Card: A Comprehensive Guide
What is digital nomad visa?
“Digital nomads” represent a lifestyle trend that has gained prominence in the 21st century. With the advancement of information technology, an increasing number of professionals—such as IT workers, media personnel, language teachers, and freelancers—have broken free from traditional office settings. They now have the ability to work remotely from any location worldwide with internet access. This concept of remote work gained significant traction, especially before and during the pandemic.
Once liberated from office constraints, some remote workers choose to embrace a unique lifestyle: they carry their bags and travel to various destinations while continuing to work remotely. These individuals, known as “digital nomads,” experience a blend of exploring new cultures and working from different corners of the world.
To attract digital nomads and promote tourism and emerging industries, governments in at least 65 countries and regions worldwide have introduced specialized digital nomad visas. These visas typically have the following characteristics:
1. Applicants must be remote workers with stable monthly income and cannot be employed locally.
2. Digital nomad visas are essentially extended travel visas, often valid for one year and allowing residence for up to two to four years in the destination country without the option for permanent immigration.
However, in some Latin American and Southern European countries—such as Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, and Ecuador—digital nomads can eventually obtain local permanent residency or even naturalization after accumulating a certain length of stay.
For more information on digital nomad visa programs, explore the details in our “Global Digital Nomad Visas | An Incomplete Handbook” on this websites.
Hungary White Card: An Overview
Starting in 2021, the Hungarian government introduced a digital nomad visa program called the White Card to attract global freelancers and digital nomads who work remotely.
The core mechanism of this visa is straightforward: as long as you can prove you work remotely and have a monthly income of at least 3,000 euros, you’re eligible to apply for the White Card. This visa allows you to live in Hungary for up to two years.
In addition to the income requirement, applicants must also meet basic conditions, including being from a non-EU country, being at least 18 years old, being in good health, having no criminal record, and not being employed by any Hungarian employer.
Application Process:
The Hungarian White Card application process has two main steps.
Step 1: Submitting Your Application
The first step is submitting your visa application. If you’re from a country with visa-free access to Hungary, you can apply online.
However, if you need a visa to enter the country, you must schedule an appointment at the nearest Hungarian embassy or consulate. There, you’ll submit your application form and required documents, pay a €110 visa fee, and attend a short interview.
Required Documents for this program include:
Identification: A passport valid for at least one year and two passport-sized photos.
Application Form: A completed application form.
Proof of Remote Work: A remote work contract with your employer or details about your self-employed remote work.
Hungarian Address: A valid Hungarian address, which can be a hotel booking or the address of a local friend or agent.
Proof of Income: Bank statements proving a stable income of at least €3,000 per month for the last six months, with a clear expectation of this income continuing.
Proof of Funds (Optional but Recommended): It’s highly recommended to provide proof of assets and a bank statement showing at least €10,000 in savings.
Health Insurance: Proof of a valid health insurance policy for the Schengen area. A policy with coverage of at least 46,000 Hungarian Forints is generally sufficient for the White Card application.
All documents from outside of Hungary must be notarized. Documents not in English or Hungarian must be translated into one of these two languages. The entire application process takes approximately 30 working days. If approved, you will receive a three-month D-type Schengen entry visa.
Step 2: Converting to a Residency Card
Once you have your Schengen visa, you must enter Hungary within 30 days.
After arriving, you’ll need to visit a local police station (the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing) to convert your visa into a White Card. The cost to create the physical card is an additional €110.
Dependents:
The Hungarian White Card program does not support family reunification, so you must apply for the visa alone, without a spouse or dependents. However, in practice, family members of a White Card holder can apply for a separate ‘Other Purpose’ Resident Permit to live in Hungary.
Visa Validity:
The Hungarian White Card is valid for up to one year and can be renewed once.
It is a non-immigrant visa, so holding white card does not make you eligible to apply for permanent residency or Hungarian citizenship.
Taxation:
If a White Card holder spends more than 183 days in Hungary within a single calendar year, they automatically become a Hungarian tax resident.
Hungary has some of the lowest tax rates in Europe. The main taxes include:
Personal Income Tax: A flat rate of 15%.
Social Security: 13% for the employer and 18.5% for the employee.
Corporate Tax: 9%.
Property Tax: Up to 4%.