Budapest delivers stunning architecture, thermal baths, incredible food and wine, and one of Europe's lowest costs for a major capital. The White Card makes it straightforward for remote workers.
Photo: Unsplash, free-to-use licence
Hungary in short
We cover 1 city in Hungary. A mid-range solo month in Budapest is about $1,450 (our planning estimate, method). The visa tracker has 1 record for Hungary, read on official pages and last checked 29 Sept 2026.
Immigration authority factsheet describes the application procedure
Income rule
Monthly legal income of at least 3,000 EUR net for at least 6 months before entry and throughout the stay
Stay
Maximum validity one year
Government fee
White Card factsheet refers to the procedural-fees page without giving an amount, and the White Card is not listed separately there. Residence-permit fees on that page: EUR 110 at a consulate (permit plus entry visa); HUF 39,000 if applied in person in Hungary; HUF 26,000 via Enter Hungary; HUF 26,000 to extend. Amount shown is the consulate figure and assumes the general residence-permit fee applies (not stated explicitly for White Card)
Processing
Procedural time 21 days; decision within 30 days of submission
Insurance
Proof of comprehensive health insurance or ability to cover costs
Tax
No White Card specific tax rule stated on the OIF factsheet. The tax authority NAV states that Hungarian-resident private persons are taxed on all income, whether earned in Hungary or abroad, at a personal income tax rate of 15%; the tax liability of foreign nationals is limited to Hungarian-source income. Which status a White Card holder has depends on tax residency, which was not tested on the pages read
How this page is built: visa rows are read from the audited tracker, which links each figure to an official page and dates the check; city figures are editorial planning estimates (method). Rules change, so confirm with the authority before you apply. Researched from official immigration pages and the site's cost dataset.
Earlier summary of the visa route
Scheme
White Card (Digital Nomad)
Maximum stay
1 year, renewable once (max 2 years)
Income or savings
€3,000/month net (6 months prior)
Difficulty
Easy
These summary figures were carried over from the earlier site and are not individually dated. Where they differ from the official-source records above, the records win.
