Digital Nomad
Who it is for
The White Card is a residence permit for digital nomads. The official page (last edited in March 2026, as the page shows) says it is granted to a third-country national who has a verified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary, or who owns a share in a company with a verified profit in a country other than Hungary, and who performs the work or manages the company from Hungary using an advanced digital technology solution. It adds that the person must not pursue any gainful activity in Hungary or hold a share in a Hungarian company. Third-country nationals are non-Hungarians who are not EEA nationals or family members of an EEA national, plus stateless persons.
oif.gov.hu: White Card – residency for digital nomads njt.jog.gov.hu: Act XC of 2023 (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár)
Income
The legal rule is in Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.), section 52(4), in the version in force since 7 October 2026: to have a White Card issued or extended, your legal net income must reach at least €3,000 in every month of at least the 6 months before you submit the application, and you must have that income in every month of your stay in Hungary. The decree's wording was set by Government Decree 88/2025 (IV. 24.). The immigration authority's information page still words the 6 months as 'prior to entry'; where the two differ, the decree is the legal text. As proof, the information page names a bank statement for the previous 6 months, or a certificate of regular income from the employer or the tax authority.
oif.gov.hu: White Card – residency for digital nomads njt.jog.gov.hu: Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.) (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár)
Documents
To show the purpose of the stay, the page lists a certified statement from your employer that includes the scope of the employer's activities, the provision on remote, electronic work and its authorised duration, and your duties and position; the employer's real and actual operation must be certified. For a company, it lists a document on the company's real and actual operation, your job title and position, the scope of the company's activities, and your shares. As proof of accommodation in Hungary, it accepts one of: a residential lease, a document on accommodation provided by courtesy, proof of ownership, or proof of a paid reservation. For health cover it accepts social-security insurance, Hungarian insurance under an international treaty or agreement, or documented means of subsistence in Hungary to cover the costs. It asks for a valid passport, a valid ticket or money for the journey, and 1 facial photograph.
Where and how to apply
If you have no residence permit and your entry is not visa-exempt, the page says to apply outside Hungary, at a diplomatic or consular mission of Hungary in the country of your nationality or habitual place of residence. A separate visa application is not required, because the permit application comprises an application for the visa that entitles the holder to collect the permit. A citizen of a visa-free country without a residence permit can apply in Hungary during legal residence, either through the Enter Hungary platform or in person at the competent regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing. An extension can only be submitted in Hungary, via Enter Hungary. If an application is refused, the decision may be appealed within 8 days of notification, at the authority of first instance or at the Hungarian mission where the application was submitted.
Fees and decision time
The White Card page points to the fees page, last edited in March 2026 as that page shows. Its fee list does not name the White Card. Under residence permits it lists €110 for issuing a residence permit and an entry visa to receive it; for an application submitted in Hungary, HUF 39,000 in person or HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary; HUF 26,000 for extending a permit; and €160 for an appeal against a refusal lodged at a diplomatic mission or consular post. Under other fees it lists HUF 47,000 for lodging an appeal. The White Card page gives a 21-day procedural administration period, excluding time to remedy deficiencies, and says the authority decides on the merits within 30 days of submission. Government Decree 35/2024 lets the authority extend that deadline once, by 30 days, in exceptional, duly justified circumstances linked to the complexity of the application. These are deadlines stated on the official pages, not measured processing times.
oif.gov.hu: White Card – residency for digital nomads oif.gov.hu: Procedural fees njt.jog.gov.hu: Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.) (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár)
How long it lasts and renewal
The page says the permit is valid for at most 1 year and may be extended once for another year; the Act sets the same limits. An extension needs a valid permit when applying and at least 90 days resided in Hungary with it within any 180-day period before submitting. The application may be submitted no more than 90 days before expiry and no later than thirty days before it. Expiry is set so that your travel document stays valid for at least another 3 months. For an application approved at a mission, the single-entry type D visa to collect the permit allows a stay of not more than 30 days and is valid for 3 months; if you do not enter within 3 months of approval, the approved permit becomes invalid.
oif.gov.hu: White Card – residency for digital nomads njt.jog.gov.hu: Act XC of 2023 (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár)
Family, work and other limits
The page says family members of a holder or applicant shall not be granted a family reunification residence permit, except a third-country national child born in Hungary to a holder during the permit's validity. Holders may not be granted a national residence card, and, under Act XC of 2023, no residence permit on another ground may be applied for from within Hungary while the White Card is valid or after it expires. Time spent in Hungary on a White Card does not count towards the residence time needed for a national residence card. The authority will withdraw the permit if the holder works for or on behalf of an employer in Hungary or acquires a share in a company in Hungary. The Act provides for withdrawal if the holder left Hungary for longer than 90 days, and requires holders to report the end of their foreign job or business within five days.
oif.gov.hu: White Card – residency for digital nomads njt.jog.gov.hu: Act XC of 2023 (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár)
What this page does not cover
This page does not cover tax rules for income earned while living in Hungary, what counts as an advanced digital technology solution, which nationalities can enter Hungary without a visa, how to prove that a company really operates, or the steps that complete an application made through Enter Hungary. Check the official pages for them.
Questions before acting
How much income does the Hungary White Card require?
Under Government Decree 35/2024, your legal net income must reach at least €3,000 in every month of at least the 6 months before you submit the application to issue or extend the permit, and you must have that income in every month of your stay in Hungary. The immigration authority's information page words the 6 months differently, as 'prior to entry'; the decree is the legal text. The page names a bank statement for the previous 6 months, or a certificate of regular income from the employer or the tax authority, as proof.
Who cannot be granted a White Card?
The page says it shall not be granted to a person who meets the conditions for guest self-employment, guest investor, employment for the purpose of investment, employment or guest worker permits, or for a National Card, Hungarian Card or Corporate Card. It also excludes study permit holders and people on a short-term supervised traineeship as part of their studies, people on a posting in Hungary, people who applied for or were granted refugee status or temporary or subsidiary protection, people with tolerated status or a suspended expulsion, holders of an EC residence permit or an EU residence card, and people arriving for an intra-corporate transfer or as highly qualified workers.
How long does the White Card last, and can it be extended?
The page says the permit is valid for at most 1 year and may be extended once for another year. An extension is possible only if you hold a valid permit when applying and resided in Hungary at least 90 days within any 180-day period before the application.
Can family members join a White Card holder?
The page says family members of a holder or an applicant shall not be granted a residence permit for family reunification. The one exception it gives is a child born in Hungary to a holder during the permit's validity, who receives a family reunification residence permit after the birth is notified.
Corrections in this revision
The previous version included statements without sufficient direct support. This revision removes or corrects:
Review scope: legal and financial statements in this revised article. Recheck on a provider, professional, immigration or tax-rule change; reuse of dated figures requires a new check.
See recorded sources
- oif.gov.hu: White Card – residency for digital nomads — Hungary — national. Page read by whereTOemigrate on 2026-10-07; the page states 'Last edited: 2026.03.11. 13:18'
- oif.gov.hu: Procedural fees — Hungary — national. Page read by whereTOemigrate on 2026-10-07; the page states 'Last edited: 2026.03.03. 15:30'
- njt.jog.gov.hu: Act XC of 2023 (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár) — Hungary — national. Page read by whereTOemigrate on 2026-10-07; the portal shows the text as of 2026.10.01
- njt.jog.gov.hu: Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.) (Nemzeti Jogszabálytár) — Hungary — national. Page re-read by whereTOemigrate on 2026-10-29; the portal shows the text as of 2026.10.07
These primary references have the jurisdiction, product and scope stated above. A source link is not proof of personalised eligibility.
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About the author
António Mira is the founder of whereTOemigrate. For over a decade he has worked at the intersection of Portuguese real estate and overseas business, helping international clients navigate the cross-border decisions that come with relocating. He sits on the board of CCIAP (Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce), the Portuguese-Saudi Business Council, and the Portugal-Hong Kong Business Association — always with one focus: enabling overseas business and human mobility into and out of Portugal.
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