Hungary
Long-term residence in Hungary
After 3 years of legal residence in Hungary you can apply for a national residence card; after 5 years, for an EU residence card.
News · Hungary
OIF: 124,704 residence permit applications were received in 2025
On 13 March 2026 the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) published its statistical booklet for January–December 2025. The largest group of applications was for studies; at the end of the year 154,536 valid residence permits and 34,344 national settlement permits were on record.
Summary
In brief
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In 2025, 124,704 residence permit applications were received: studies 33,073, employment 21,211, National Card 15,395, guest worker residence permit 15,307, family reunification 11,612, further residence purposes 28,106.
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Under the Act on third-country nationals (Btátv.), 6,018 applications were submitted for the national residence card and 646 for the EU residence card.
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On 31 December 2025, 154,536 residence permits, 34,344 national settlement permits, 2,267 EC settlement permits and 9,074 national residence cards were valid; 2,552 of the latter had been issued in the national interest.
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The total number of valid documents entitling the holder to reside was 403,551, of which 211,191 belonged to third-country nationals.
Background
What happened
Each year the OIF summarises its aliens policing and asylum statistics in a booklet. The 2025 booklet appeared on the directorate-general's website dated 13 March 2026.
Under Act XC of 2023 on the entry and residence of third-country nationals (Btátv.), a total of 124,704 residence permit applications were received in 2025. By main purpose, studies accounted for 33,073 applications, employment for 21,211, the National Card for 15,395, the guest worker residence permit for 15,307 and family reunification for 11,612; the further residence purposes together made up 28,106 applications. The booklet does not show the White Card or the guest investor residence permit on a separate line. Among the documents for long-term residence, 6,018 applications were submitted for the national residence card and 646 for the EU residence card.
As at 31 December 2025, 154,536 residence permits, 34,344 national settlement permits, 2,267 EC settlement permits and 9,074 national residence cards were valid. The number of valid documents held by third-country nationals was 211,191, and the total number of valid documents entitling the holder to reside was 403,551.
For you
What it means for you
- Family reunification: with 11,612 applications, family reunification is the fifth-largest group of applications. The authority handles family cases in the same system as applications for studies and employment.
- Long-term residence: 9,074 national residence cards, introduced in 2024, were valid at the end of the year, while 34,344 earlier national settlement permits also remained valid.
- White Card and guest investor: the booklet does not report these titles separately; they are included among the further residence purposes.
- Information: when you request a quote, we will brief you in detail on the residence title that fits your situation and on the expected processing time.
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