The new immigration law was announced on the evening of 21.12.2023 by the government, it is effective from 01.01.2024.
Permit applications submitted before 01.01.2024. are still evaluated based on the current laws, while applications submitted on or after the first of January are already evaluated by the office based on the new immigration law.
The related regulations and procedural practices required in connection with the law are still being developed, for this reason the submission of permit applications between 01.01.2024. and 29.02.2024 will not be possible. During this time, the decision making is also paused in relation to previously submitted but not yet closed applications.
Permits expiring between 01.01.2024. and 29.02.2024. are automatically extended until 30.04.2024. However, neither a certificate nor a new permit card will be issued for these, so we recommend that you consider foreign trips. Although Hungary considers these permits to be valid, other countries may refuse a travel in direction the Schengen zone on the basis of an expired document.
As expected, the new immigration law significantly changes the types of permits available, we will soon publish more information.
In regards of the new immigration law you can read the published information from the National Directorate-General of Aliens Policing below:
“We would like to inform you that, based on the Act on the General Rules for the Entry and Residence of Third-Country Citizens – in the absence of a different provision – between January 1, 2024 and February 29, 2024, it is not possible to submit a residence permit or a temporary/national/EU residence card (formerly a temporary/national/EC residence permit) application.
With regard to applications for residence and settlement permits submitted before January 1, 2024, the procedure will be suspended between January 1, 2024 and February 29, 2024, in view of this, the National Directorate-General of Aliens Policing cannot make a decision on these applications. If you wish to attach a supporting document to your ongoing procedure, you have the option to do so. In the case of applications duly submitted by December 31, 2023, after the end of the suspension deadline, February 29, 2024, the immigration authority will continue the procedure without submitting a separate application, and will make a decision in accordance with the legislation in force at the time of submitting the application.
The validity of residence permits and settlement permits expiring between January 1, 2024 and February 29, 2024 will be extended until April 30, 2024. In order to do this, the persons concerned do not have to do anything, they do not have to appear at the Client Offices, nor do they have to submit a request. A separate certificate for extending the validity period will not be issued. The provision regarding the extension of documents ensures legal residence in Hungary.
At the same time, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that they should consider their trip abroad with regard to the expiration date on the document, because permission to enter Hungary (and thus the Schengen area) in other member states is uncertain.
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that in the period between January 1 and February 29, 2024, it is only possible to deal with the following types of cases:
- in the case of electronic applications submitted by December 31, 2023, biometric photo recording;
- document exchange and replacement requests;
- extension of an expiring temporary residence certificate;
- extension of the validity of the immigration permit document;
- EEA citizens’ application for the issuance of a registration certificate and a permanent residence card;
- Requests for the issuance and extension of residence cards and long-term residence cards for family members of EEA citizens.”