# Hungary Self-Employment Permit: A Fast 1-to-3-Year Entry Canonical URL: https://relovisa.co/self-employed-visa-hungary [Book with Relovisa on Tobira](https://tobira.ai/@relovisa) For freelancers and consultants from outside the EU, from Nigeria and South Africa to India, Turkey, the UAE and Latin America. Register in Hungary as self-employed (egyéni vállalkozó) and apply for a residence permit for self-employment. The first card runs for 1 year and can be renewed up to 3 years in total. It is a fast, low-cost way into the EU with no share capital, but it is not a path to permanent residence. We show every limit up front, before any payment. ## Who this is for - No share capital and no company of your own - Legal residence in Hungary for 1 to 3 years - This route has no path to permanent residence A route for people who need EU status for 1 to 3 years This is a first read. Before any payment we check your income, clients, family and how much time you are ready to spend in Hungary. ### Worth checking if - You need legal EU status for 1 to 3 years, quickly and without share capital - Your clients are private individuals, or you are ready to pay tax without a preferential regime - Your income is steadily above the threshold and can be proved with documents - You are ready to actually live in Hungary for at least half of the time - You want to get to know Hungary before a company, or prepare your next residence from Budapest ### Downsides you should know about - A 3-year cap: after that there is nothing to renew, and you cannot change category inside Hungary - No path to permanent residence: the category is excluded from the permanent card - Income above 24 minimum wages has to be held for the whole permit and proved at renewal with a tax-authority certificate - Renewal requires living in Hungary for at least 90 of 180 days - Family members cannot be added to the application: the route is for the applicant alone ## Prices and packages ### Applicant (self-employed) From EUR 2,490 paid in stages 50/50, government fees separate For people who register in Hungary as self-employed and apply for the self-employment permit. - Income and profile check before any payment - Choice of structure: register as self-employed before filing, or a declaration of planned activity - Consultation with a Hungarian accountant: KATA, átalányadó or the general rules, with the real monthly amount - Full file: activity plan, proof of income, translations, insurance, housing - Consulate appointment, filing preparation and case management to the card - A post-arrival checklist (address, tax number, self-employed registration, first report) and a renewal calendar On top of the government fees, budget for OFFI translations, apostilles, health insurance, rent and a Hungarian accountant. Family members cannot be added to an application in this category; the route is for the applicant alone. ## Steps and timing A personal manager runs your case from the income check to the card. From start to card usually takes 2 to 4 months, a planning range and not a promise. You attend the consulate in person for filing and biometrics, and you have to be in Hungary for the registrations and the bank. ### 1. Review the case and check income First call We look at income, clients, family and any plans for permanent residence. If the route does not suit you, we say so before any payment. ### 2. Choose the structure and tax regime Before assembling the file We register self-employed status before filing or prepare a declaration of planned activity. With a Hungarian accountant we compare KATA, átalányadó (the flat-rate regime) and the general rules, so you see the real monthly amount. ### 3. Assemble the file and book the consulate Before the consulate appointment An activity plan, proof of income, certified translations, insurance and proof of housing. We check the complete set twice. ### 4. File at the consulate Statutory 21 days, we plan from 2 months You file in person at the Hungarian embassy or consulate that serves your country of citizenship or lawful residence, and give biometrics there. The result is a type D visa. ### 5. Arrive, register and receive the card First weeks in Hungary Address, tax number, self-employed registration, chamber of commerce fee and bank account. We walk you through a checklist so nothing is missed. ### 6. Afterwards: income, reporting and renewal For the life of the card Regular reporting, income above the threshold, a renewal calendar and a decision on the next step: the National Card through a company, or another country. ## FAQ ### Can everything be arranged from my home country? Only up to the visa. You hand in the documents and biometrics in person at the Hungarian embassy or consulate that serves your country of citizenship or lawful residence. If you live lawfully in a third country, for example in the UAE, you file there. After approval you have to enter the country: the address, tax number, self-employed registration and bank account are arranged in person in Hungary. Renewal needs at least 90 of 180 days in the country, so living elsewhere and keeping Hungary "on paper" does not work. ### Does this permit lead to permanent residence or citizenship? No. The law expressly does not issue the permanent residence card to holders of this category. EU long-term residence needs 5 years and the category is capped at 3. So self-employment is a temporary status for 1 to 3 years, not a first step toward permanent residence. If permanent residence is in your plans, look at the National Card through your own company. ### Is the route open to my nationality? Yes. Unlike the National Card, which is limited to eight nationalities, this category has no list of eligible nationalities. Citizens of Nigeria, South Africa, India, Turkey, the UAE, Latin American countries and other non-EU states apply on the same rules: what counts is your income, a real activity and the filing place. You file directly with the consular section of the Hungarian mission that serves your country of citizenship or lawful residence, not through a visa centre. We recheck the rules before each case. ### What income is needed and how is it proved? Income from your activity has to be above 24 minimum wages a year: in 2026 that is HUF 7,747,200, about EUR 1,800 a month. It is income after costs, not turnover. At first filing a bank statement or an income certificate is enough. At renewal you need a Hungarian tax-authority certificate of actual income, and a balance on the account is no longer enough. The threshold has to be held for the whole life of the card and shown in regular reports. ### Should I choose the KATA tax regime? Only if your clients are private individuals and self-employment is your main occupation. KATA is HUF 50,000 a month, about EUR 130, but any invoice to a company takes you out of the regime. Revenue above HUF 18 million a year, about EUR 46,000, carries an extra 40%. One important point: for the migration threshold, KATA income counts as 60% of revenue, so HUF 7,747,200 of income needs about HUF 12,900,000 of revenue. ### What if some of my clients are companies? Then KATA is not for you, and tax is calculated under átalányadó (the flat-rate regime) with a 45% deemed cost ratio, or under the general rules. In both cases there are minimum contributions: 13% and 18.5% of the minimum wage, about HUF 101,700 a month, and they are paid even in a month with no revenue. That is noticeably more expensive than KATA, so we show you the real monthly amount with a Hungarian accountant before filing. ### How long does it take? The statutory decision period for the permit is 21 days, but in practice we plan from 2 months. With the consulate appointment, the type D visa and the registrations after arrival, the whole path usually takes 2 to 4 months. This is a planning range, not a promise of timing from the authority. ### What about my family? Family members cannot be added to a self-employment application: the route is for the applicant alone, and we do not offer a family filing on it. If you are moving with your family, look at the National Card through your own company, where the family goes in the same filing. ### Can I move to the National Card later? You can, but not from inside Hungary. The law does not allow changing category on the spot: you have to leave and file again through the consulate. The National Card through your own company gives a 2-year card, renewals of 3 years and eligibility to apply for permanent residence after 3 years, with a service from EUR 6,900 plus share capital. If you plan such a move, we build it in from day one. More detail is on the National Card page. ### Do you guarantee approval? No, and honestly nobody can: the Hungarian immigration authority decides. Promises of "100% approval" on the market are marketing. Our model is different: an honest assessment of your profile and income before you pay, and staged 50/50 payments. ## Booking [Book a consultation or contact Relovisa](https://tobira.ai/@relovisa). Booking requires your explicit agreement. Contact sharing requires separate consent.