Sign up

Two cards for indefinite residence

Three years or five? The EU residence card, next to the national one

Hungary issues two cards for indefinite residence, and they are close cousins. One is the national residence card, the other the EU residence card. The second is Hungary’s version of the Union-wide long-term resident status, and the conditions to get it are very similar to the national one. In Hungarian it is the EU tartózkodási kártya.

Where they differ

  • How long you have to live in Hungary before you can apply
  • Which kinds of stay count towards those years
  • What your years as a student are worth
  • How long you can be away while the years add up
  • Whether family can shorten the wait
  • Which permits shut you out
  • Whether your permit and passport must stay valid until the decision
  • What the card is worth elsewhere in the EU
  • How long you can be away once you hold it

Identical on both cards

  • The documents you attach
  • The Hungarian Cultural Knowledge exam
  • The submission procedure
  • Biometrics within 15 days
  • A fee of 26,000 forints
  • 70 days for the decision
  • Valid up to ten years, renewed ten at a time
  • 15 days to appeal

This is general guidance, not legal advice, and your own case may differ. Always check the official page before you act.

Source: The EU residence card — official page

Reviewed by the SmartMigrate team on .