Croatia
Croatian digital nomad residence permit
18 months, family can be included
Onboard Living · Hungary
Two years in the heart of Europe, with your job abroad
The White Card is the residence permit for remote workers based in Hungary: 1 year, renewable once by 1 year. A Schengen country, a low official fee, a 21-day administrative time limit. We handle your case from proof of income to card delivery.
Hungary
The programme in brief
- Who it is for
- A non-EU national who works remotely for a foreign employer, or holds a share in a profitable foreign company and runs it from Hungary
- Income threshold
- EUR 3,000 net per month in each of the 6 months before submission, and continuously during the stay
- Validity
- 1 year
- Renewal
- Once, by up to 1 year – up to 2 years in total
- Family
- Cannot be included (exception: a child born in Hungary during the stay)
- spouse : no
- child under 18 : no
- parent : no
exception: a child born in Hungary during the stay
- Appearance in person
- Yes: at the consulate or, for visa-exempt applicants, in Hungary for biometric enrolment
- Processing time
- Administrative time limit of 21 days; a decision within 30 days at most
- Official fees
- EUR 110 at a consulate; in Hungary HUF 26,000 (online) or HUF 39,000 (in person)
- Route to settlement
- No – White Card time does not count towards settlement
Benefits
Why it works for you
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The heart of Europe, with Schengen freedom
Vienna, Bratislava and Zagreb are a few hours from Budapest; with the card you can travel freely in the Schengen area.
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A fast, low-cost procedure
A 21-day administrative time limit and a consular fee of EUR 110 – one of the simplest remote-work permits in Europe.
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Two years on one programme
After the first year the permit can be renewed once, so you can spend two years in Hungary in total.
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No Hungarian company, no Hungarian administration
The whole point is that your employer or company is foreign – Hungarian employment and company obligations do not apply to you.
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Clear rules
The requirements are precisely defined; if they are met, the process is predictable.
Who it is for
Who it is for – and who it is not for
Who it is for
- An employee of a foreign company working from Hungary with digital tools.
- The owner of a demonstrably profitable foreign business, running it from Hungary.
- Someone seeking a European base for 1–2 years, coming alone or with a spouse on a separate permit.
Who it is not for
- Anyone bringing their family: no family reunification permit is granted alongside a White Card.
- Anyone working for a Hungarian company or acquiring a share in one – this leads to withdrawal of the permit.
- Anyone planning to settle in Hungary: White Card time does not count, and holders cannot switch to another residence purpose within Hungary.
- Anyone leaving Hungary for more than 90 days – a ground for withdrawal.
Requirements
Requirements and documents
Requirements
- Third-country nationality.
- Proven employment abroad, or a share in a foreign business with proven profits.
- Lawful income of at least EUR 3,000 net per month in each of the 6 months before the application, maintained every month during the stay.
- Accommodation in Hungary, comprehensive health insurance, a valid passport, the means to leave the country.
- Excluded: holders of a residence permit for study, posted workers, and anyone who qualifies for another Hungarian residence permit (such as the Hungarian Card or the guest investor permit).
Documents required
- Application for a residence permit (form 9) and the White Card appendix (form 9.18)
- 1 passport photo
- Valid passport
- Certified employer's letter (field of activity, authorisation and duration of remote work, position) – or the company's registration certificate, proof of profit (public document or tax authority certificate) and proof of your share
- Proof that the employer or company genuinely operates
- 6 months of bank statements or an income certificate from the employer or tax authority
- Proof of accommodation (tenancy agreement, free-of-charge use of a home, title document or booking)
- Health insurance
- Proof that you can leave (a ticket or the means to buy one)
Reasons for refusal
Why applications are refused – and how we prevent it
The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) decides on White Card applications under Section 52 of Government Decree 35/2024 and Section 62 of Act XC of 2023 on the general rules for the entry and residence of third-country nationals (Btátv.). Under the Act, the application must be refused if any of the general requirements (passport, accommodation, means of subsistence, health insurance, a clean criminal record) is missing, or if the applicant gives false information.
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A single month short on income
For each of the 6 months before the application, lawful income of at least EUR 3,000 net must be proven – with bank statements or a certificate from the employer or the tax authority. Five good months and one weaker one do not qualify.
We: check month by month at pre-screening and, if necessary, wait before submitting.
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Incomplete employer's letter
The letter must state the company's field of activity, the authorisation of remote work and your position; the company's genuine operation must also be proven. For your own company, you need the company registration, the tax authority's confirmation of profit and your ownership share.
We: prepare the wording of the letter for signature.
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An excluding residence purpose
Anyone who meets the requirements of another Hungarian permit – for example because they have a Hungarian employer or qualify for the Hungarian Card – cannot receive a White Card; a share in a Hungarian company and work done in Hungary are also grounds for exclusion.
We: choose the residence purpose at pre-screening, rather than finding out after submission.
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Accommodation and insurance
You need a land registry extract, a tenancy agreement or paid accommodation, with at least 6 m² of living space per person, and comprehensive health insurance for the whole period.
We: check the tenancy agreement and the policy in advance.
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Translation and legalisation
Documents not in Hungarian or English need a certified translation and legalisation.
We: arrange both.
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Mistakes after the permit
An uninterrupted absence of more than 90 days, work in Hungary or a share in a Hungarian company leads to withdrawal of the permit; for renewal, the EUR 3,000 must be maintained continuously, and at least 90 of the 180 days before renewal must be spent in Hungary.
We: give you these rules in writing when you collect the permit, and remind you before renewal.
Legal basis: Act XC of 2023 (Btátv.), Section 17(1), Section 19(3), Section 62, Section 226(1), Section 238; Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.), Sections 9 and 52.
Process
How the process works
In total typically 6–9 weeks
- Pre-screening and checklist duration: 1–2 working days
- Preparing the documents duration: 1–3 weeks
- Submission and processing duration: 21–30 days
- Card delivery duration: 1–2 weeks
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1. step: Pre-screening and checklist
we check the 6 months of income and the employer's letter.
Duration: 1–2 working days
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2. step: Preparing the documents
we draft the employer's letter for signature and arrange accommodation and insurance.
Duration: Typically 1–3 weeks
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3. step: Submission
from abroad at the Hungarian consulate; visa-exempt nationals in Hungary, via Enter Hungary or in person. Biometric enrolment.
Duration: 1 day
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4. step: Processing
administrative time limit of 21 days; time spent on a request for missing documents does not count. After approval, applicants abroad enter on a visa issued for collecting the card.
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5. step: Card
the authority delivers the document by post to your address in Hungary.
Who does what
What we handle – what you need to do
We
- pre-screening
- preparing the employer's letter or company documents
- arranging proof of accommodation and health insurance
- completing the application and appendix
- online submission and fees
- contact and requests for missing documents
- renewal at least 30 days before expiry
You
- 6 months of bank statements
- having the employer's letter signed
- appearing in person at the consulate or for biometric enrolment in Hungary
- reporting within 5 days if your employment or business abroad ends
Afterwards
After the permit
- at the start White Card for 1 year (permit)
- year 1 Renewal by up to 1 year (renewal)
- year 2 The permit expires (end of the permit)
Does not lead to settlement – White Card time does not count; it cannot be switched within Hungary, but a similar programme in another country can be started 2–3 months before expiry.
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Renewal
once, by up to 1 year, online, at least 30 days before expiry.
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Requirements to maintain
EUR 3,000 income per month throughout; an absence of over 90 days is a ground for withdrawal.
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After two years
when the White Card expires, you cannot switch to another residence purpose within Hungary. For a longer stay, it is worth choosing the right programme now: the Hungarian Card (with an employer), the guest investor programme or a family-based permit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my spouse?
No family reunification permit can be granted alongside a White Card. If your spouse also works remotely for a foreign company, they can apply for a White Card in their own right. If staying together matters, we start an application for another country's programme that admits family (for example the Spanish or Croatian digital nomad permit) at least 2–3 months before the White Card expires – within Hungary, the White Card cannot be switched to another Hungarian residence purpose.
Why EUR 3,000, when I read 2,000 elsewhere?
The threshold was raised to EUR 3,000 in 2024, and since April 2025 it has applied to each of the 6 months before the application. Some older websites still show the previous amount.
How long does it take?
The administrative time limit is 21 days; the decision comes within 30 days at most. Time spent on a request for missing documents does not count – hence the value of a complete application.
Does this lead to settlement?
No. Time spent in Hungary on a White Card does not count towards the 3 years required for a national residence card.
Do I have to pay tax in Hungary?
That depends on your tax residence and on double taxation treaties; the White Card alone does not decide it. Discuss this with a tax adviser.
News
Related news
Sources
Sources and updates
Last checked:
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing – White Card (opens in a new tab)
- Act XC of 2023 (Btátv.), Section 62 – National Legislation Database (opens in a new tab)
- Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.), Section 52 (opens in a new tab)
- OIF – administrative service fees (opens in a new tab)
- Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.), Section 9 – proof of housing, subsistence and health insurance (opens in a new tab)