Obtaining a residence permit does not bring all immigration-related obligations to an end. A change of accommodation in Hungary must be reported to the immigration authority within the statutory deadline. It is important that the authority’s records always contain the foreign national’s current place of accommodation throughout their stay in Hungary.
In our experience, many people are unaware that when they move, they must separately report their new place of accommodation to the immigration authority. This article applies to third-country nationals holding a residence permit who prove their Hungarian place of accommodation with an accommodation certificate issued by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF).
The accommodation certificate is not the same as the plastic address card. The latter is used, among others, to certify the address of EEA nationals and their family members, as well as third-country nationals holding long-term residence status, such as a National Residence Card or an EU Residence Card.
Change of accommodation in Hungary: what is the reporting deadline?
If the foreign national moves to a different rented property, the employer provides different accommodation, or the foreign national otherwise moves to a new address, the new place of accommodation must be reported within 3 days to the regional immigration directorate responsible for the new place of accommodation.
The notification can be submitted electronically via the Enter Hungary platform. Following the notification, the OIF issues a new accommodation certificate. The third-country national must keep and carry the QR-coded document.
Why is it important to comply with this reporting obligation?
The immigration authority may verify whether the reported place of accommodation is genuine and whether the third-country national is entitled to use it:
- during an on-site inspection;
- when applying for an extension of the residence permit;
- in other immigration proceedings.
During an on-site inspection, the authority may establish that the third-country national no longer lives — and may not have lived for some time — at the place of accommodation recorded in its register. It may also cause problems if the person concerned cannot provide appropriate documentation proving their right to use the reported accommodation.
Such a failure may have serious immigration consequences. In addition to causing problems when applying for an extension of the residence permit, a long-standing and unresolved situation may result in the authority initiating separate proceedings concerning the breach. In extreme cases, the residence permit may even be withdrawn.
A practical example
We encountered a case in which a foreign national holding a residence permit for employment purposes moved out of the accommodation recorded in the authority’s register but did not inform us of the change or instruct us to handle the notification of the new accommodation. As the individual did not submit the notification independently either, the OIF withdrew the residence permit for employment purposes following an official inspection.
Risk of missing official notifications
A further risk may arise if notifications or correspondence from the immigration authority do not reach the third-country national in time because the authority’s register does not contain their actual address. As a result, the person concerned may not become aware of proceedings affecting them in time. This can make it more difficult to take the necessary action by the applicable deadline and increase the risk of missing procedural deadlines.
Who should pay particular attention to this requirement?
Based on our experience, several accommodation inspections conducted recently have involved third-country nationals holding residence permits for employment purposes, residence permits for guest self-employment or guest worker residence permits. Holders of these permits are therefore particularly advised to check whether their actual place of accommodation matches the address recorded by the OIF.
It is important to emphasise, however, that the obligation to report a change of accommodation is not limited to the permit categories mentioned above. It applies to all third-country nationals holding residence permits whose Hungarian place of accommodation is recorded by the OIF.
Moving into the new accommodation is therefore not sufficient in itself. The change must also be reported within the statutory deadline, and the immigration authority’s register must be updated to show the current place of accommodation.
Failure to report a change of accommodation is not merely an administrative oversight. Having genuine and up-to-date accommodation details recorded in the OIF’s register is an important condition of lawful residence in Hungary. The obligation to report a change of accommodation should therefore be taken just as seriously as any other deadline or obligation connected with a residence permit.
We recommend reporting any change of accommodation to the immigration authority without delay.