Understanding the Hungarian Investment Immigration Program
A booming economic hub centrally located in Europe’s Schengen Zone, Hungary has become one of the most-visited locations on the planet. With a rich and highly diverse cultural scene, universal healthcare, and easy connections to the rest of Europe, Hungary also offers numerous benefits to business owners.
These include a corporate tax rate of just 9%, a dividend tax of only 16%, a friendly and easy to understand business environment, and a cost of living that is significantly below the average for Europe. If you want to take advantage of a streamlined, lightning quick path to Hungarian residency, the Hungarian Investment Immigration Program might be right for you.
Investment Requirement
To take advantage of the Hungarian Investment Immigration Program, you must invest 300,000 Euros into the Hungarian state. This is a fully-guaranteed 5-year investment, not a purchase, and you will receive your money back at the end of the 5-year term. In exchange, you will receive expedited permanent Hungarian residency for yourself and your entire family, including your adult children and parents over 60 years of age.
We also charge a one-time processing fee of 60,000 Euros. This includes all of the Hungarian processing fees for you and your family, as well as our exclusive benefits. These include, but are not limited to:
- VIP service
- Legal advice on immigration
- Personal assistance
- Application meeting in a location near you
- Single processing visit to Budapest
Processing Steps
- Contracting: We will perform a speedy background and eligibility check on you, with a 24-hour turnaround time. Assuming this is clear, we will then have you sign some paperwork and pay your processing fee.
- Investment: When your investment application is approved by the Hungarian government, we will direct you to wire your investment to a state-licensed investment fund in Hungary. The Hungarian government will issue some documents for you to sign.
- Permanent Residency: We will arrange for you and your family to visit the nearest Hungarian Embassy to submit your residency paperwork. Or, if you already have a visa, you can submit your application in Budapest. Thanks to changes in the law that took effect in July 2016, you and your family can visit Budapest to apply for permanent residency just 30 days after submission. If you are not living in Hungary at that time, we can help you arrange a trip. Please note that all of your relatives who desire permanent residency must accompany you on this trip.
Hungarian Citizenship
The Hungarian Investment Immigration Program does not provide an expedited path to Hungarian citizenship. If you wish to become a citizen, you must undergo the full 8-year Hungarian naturalization process. However, you might qualify for expedited naturalization on other grounds. For example, if you are an immediate family member of a Hungarian citizen, or an ethnic Hungarian who is already proficient in the Hungarian language, you might be able to go through the expedited naturalization process.
There are some indicators that the laws might change in the near future, and that the Hungarian Investment Immigration Program might soon provide an expedited path to Hungarian citizenship. Even without citizenship, though, you and your family will be entitled to all of the benefits of Hungarian residency, from unrestricted travel throughout the Schengen zone to universal healthcare. Yet under this program, there is no requirement for you to demonstrate a permanent address in Hungary. You are free to come and go as you like.
The Hungarian Investment Immigration Program does have a steep cost of entry, and it is not right for everyone. For those interested in making an investment in exchange for a quick path to entry, however, it can be the ideal solution. At HELPERS Hungary, we will help you sort through your options and choose the one that is right for you.
Since 2004, HELPERS Hungary has proudly provided business and immigration services to clients relocating to Hungary from all over the world. With a flexible, customized approach and intricate knowledge of all of the issues surrounding immigration to Hungary, we will help you through all stages of the process. For more information, or to start your journey toward Hungarian residency, we invite you to call us at +36-1-317-8570 or email us at info@helpers.hu today.
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