Information for non-EU students
Your residence permit is one of the most important documents during your stay in Hungary. Please always check the latest and authentic information about residence permit issues. Valid source of information can be reached on the website of the National Directorate - General for Aliens Policing
As you are all aware of it by now, a new immigration law has been introduced at the beginning of 2024. The law brought several changes which affected the whole system. It is crucial to get familiar with these changes as previous deadlines, rules and steps might not be applicable anymore. Not knowing about the changes will not grant you any flexibility or leniency!
Below we have highlighted the most important changes and what you should pay attention to.
YOU ARE SUBMITTING A VISA APPLICATION ABROAD
When booking an appointment with the Embassy/Consulate choose a date which allows you to join your studies in time, but it is not too early. For example, submitting a visa application in April for the Fall semester would be considered ungrounded by the Directorate as from their perspective you cannot have a valid reason to arrive so much earlier before your studies begin.
If you need a visa before you can enter Hungary and your request has been approved, you have 3 months to enter Hungary. These 3 months are not counted from the moment you receive your visa but from the moment the decision is made. It may happen that the period shown on the visa will be shorter than 3 months, since those days between the decision and the issuance of the visa will be deducted. Always check your visa to see what the last date is when you can enter Hungary and make your travel arrangements accordingly.
The e-certificate of accommodation (the document confirming your Hungarian address) should be given to you when you pick up your passport/visa at the Embassy or should be sent to you via email in a couple of days. If you do not receive this certificate till your arrival, reach out to the Directorate (bp2@oif.gov.hu).
EXTENSION OF PERMIT AND RELATED PROCEDURES
If you have a valid residence permit, you must submit your application for an extension at least 30 days before your current residence permit expires. Please pay close attention to the expiry date of your permit and make sure to submit your application within the required deadline. If you submit your application less than 30 days before the expiry date, you must provide a document explaining the specific reason for the delay.
Students who held a valid residence permit on 1 January 2024 are subject to specific transitional rules.
If you fall under these transitional rules:
This screenshot is just an example, fee-paying students shouldn’t choose that the procedure is exempt of fee.
You must pay the applicable procedural fee through Enter Hungary, unless you are exempt from the fee. Please check the current fee information provided by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (NDGAP).
Under no circumstances should you wait till your permit expires before submitting an extension request. If there’s no way to obtain a mandatory document in time, submit an incomplete application rather than wait till your permit expires. Of course, it should be your priority to obtain all documents in time as the Directorate will check whether you could have collected everything before submitting the request.
Since the option for leniency has been erased if your permit expires and you haven’t submitted an extension request, you will automatically be expelled from Hungary and you will need to leave the country till the deadline given by the Directorate. Do not wait until your residence permit expires. If your permit has expired, you can no longer submit an application for its extension. Please make sure to submit your application within the required deadline.
If you must leave Hungary, do that before the deadline to avoid very serious consequences. Those who fail to leave the country in time will face legal action, deportation and their data will be shared with EU member states as well.
Third-country nationals, who submitted their application at a Hungarian Consulate abroad and hold a type D visa, must do the following.
Those students who are nationals of a visa-exempt country (non-EU) can either submit a residence permit application in their home country or can enter Hungary and start the procedure online here, via the EnterHungary website.
Third-country nationals, who already stay in Hungary and want to extend their residence permit
If you move to a new accommodation, you must report the change via EnterHungary within 3 days’ time. More info here.
To renew the residence permit, please follow the steps here which are shared below as well. Keep in mind that you must submit an extension request at least 30 days before your permit expires. If you miss this “deadline” make sure to include an explanation as well, detailing the reasons for the delay.
Message of the NATIONAL DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ALIENS POLICING.
What makes a perfect application as told by the Directorate:
Act like Perfect Know How!
If you move to a new accommodation, you must report the change via EnterHungary within 3 days’ time.
More info here.
Substitution of residence permit: If one of your personal data (e.g. in surname because of marriage/divorce) has been changed, or it is misspelled on the residence permit, you have to apply for a substitution.
Replacement of the residence permit card: If your permit was lost, destroyed, stolen or damaged, you have to apply for a replacement. Always report a stolen permit to the police as well.
Latest rules, regulations and more info about Substitution or Replacement of the permit can be found here.