Hungary Guest Investor Program — The Migration Route

Two routes — fund units or real estate

Units in an accredited real estate fund are the main, more flexible option. A direct property purchase costs more but gives a physical asset instead of a fund share.

ROUTE

AMOUNT

WHAT TO KNOW

Units in an accredited real estate fund

AMOUNTfrom €250,000

Two funds are currently accredited for the programme — the choice is limited.

Direct residential property purchase

AMOUNTfrom €500,000

A physical asset instead of a fund share, twice the price.

Donation

AMOUNTfrom €1,000,000

No possibility of return, the costliest route.

What the full cost consists of

Government fees are modest relative to the investment amount — the investment itself is the main budget line, not side fees.

COST ITEM

RATE

APPLIES TO

Investment in the fund or property

RATEfrom €250,000

per applicant, see the route table above

Government fees and related costs

RATEmarket rate

per family

How the process runs

Choosing a route and investing

Fund units, real estate, or a donation.

Filing the visa application

One of the fastest Golden Visas in the world — applications filed from abroad take about 6 months.

Entry and completing the investment

The investment condition must be fulfilled within 93 calendar days of the first entry on the guest investor visa.

Filing for the residence permit

Within 30 days of first entry — the residence card application.

The long road ahead

Eligibility for permanent residence arrives after 3 years. Citizenship by naturalisation is not available before 8 years of holding the status, plus a Hungarian-language constitutional-basics exam. Total from visa to passport: around 12 years.

A good fit if

You want EU status as fast as possible — Hungary is one of the fastest Golden Visas in the world.

There is no stay requirement — the status can be maintained without physically relocating.

Your goal is the 10-year residence permit itself, not fast citizenship.

You accept a long horizon if citizenship is the goal: realistically about 12 years.

A poor fit if

You expect citizenship in 10 years, as marketing sometimes implies — the real path has several stages and stretches to about 12 years from visa to passport.

Your budget caps out below €260,000 once related costs are included.

You want direct control over a physical asset — fund units do not give direct property ownership.

You need citizenship on a medium-term timeline — this is one of the longest naturalisation chains among the European programmes in this index.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

Henley & Partners

Лондон, Великобритания · since 1997

The largest advisory firm in the industry — over 70 offices worldwide; also advises governments on designing migration programmes.

NTL Trust

Карибский регион (офисы в Латинской Америке, Европе, на Ближнем Востоке и в Азии) · since 1994

30+ years in citizenship and residence by investment, officially accredited by several Caribbean governments; also trust and corporate services.

Arton Capital

Монреаль, Канада · since 2006

Global financial advisory firm specialising in residence and citizenship by investment.

Astons

Дубай, ОАЭ (основана в Лондоне) · since 1989

One of the oldest firms in the market, over 9,000 clients from 100+ countries; Golden Visa, citizenship and RBI worldwide.

La Vida Golden Visas

Лондон, Великобритания · since 2002

Over 20 years of experience, clients from 160+ countries; specialises in Portugal’s Golden Visa and other EU programmes.

Savory & Partners

Дубай, ОАЭ · since 2009

Over 70 specialists across 8 offices on three continents, 20+ jurisdictions, over 11,000 clients.

Global Citizen Solutions

Лондон, Великобритания / Лиссабон, Португалия · since 2016

Global mobility consultancy with a Lisbon office; specialises in Portugal’s Golden Visa and Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Is it true that citizenship comes after 10 years?

No, that is a common inaccuracy. The residence permit is issued for 10 years, but eligibility for permanent residence only arrives after 3 years, and citizenship not before 8 years of holding the residence status. Total from visa to passport is realistically about 12 years.

Why is the process called one of the fastest in the world?

That refers specifically to processing the VISA itself — applications from abroad take about 6 months, genuinely fast compared to other EU Golden Visa programmes. It does not apply to the path to citizenship.

How much time is there to complete the investment after entry?

93 calendar days from the first entry on the guest investor visa — after that, the residence card application must be filed within 30 days.

Do you need to live in Hungary continuously?

No, there is no minimum-stay requirement, either to keep the status or to renew the visa.

Which funds are accredited for the programme?

Currently a limited list of accredited real estate funds — the list can change, confirm the current options with the appointed firm.

Is an exam required for citizenship?

Yes, at the final stage (no earlier than 8 years) a Hungarian-language exam on basic constitutional knowledge is required.

Sources

International Bar Association — updates to the Guest Investor Programme for 2026↗Immigrant Hungary — detailed breakdown of the path to citizenship after the Golden Visa↗

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 26 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.