Hungary is introducing the White Card, a new residence permit for non-EU digital nomads, investors, entrepreneurs and remote workers.
The Parliament of Hungary authorized the initiative following in the footsteps of other Euro nations such as Germany, Malta, Spain, Portugal, and a dozen more that already offer this possibility for digital nomads overseas.
According to the official website of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policy, a White Card will be granted to people who have “a verified employment relationship in a country other than Hungary and perform [their] work from Hungary using an advanced digital technology.”
Or “owns a share in a company with a verified profit in a country other than Hungary and performs [their] work or manages [their] company from Hungary.”
The White Card program is aimed at digital workers who want to live and work in Hungary for up to two years provided that they meet the following criteria.
First and foremost, only third-party country residents who can produce a contract with an overseas company can apply.
This includes people from the UK, the US, Latin America, Africa, and Asian countries including New Zealand and Australia. This is because European Economic Area (EEA) nationals are subject to different regulations.
Working for a Hungarian-based company is forbidden even if the applicant owns the business. This would fall under the “gainful activity” which is not permitted on this type of visa.
Applicants are expected to have a monthly income of at least EUR 2,000 and have earned this amount or more in the previous six months.
This new residence permit does not allow for family reunification. The primary applicant’s spouse and minor children are not eligible for Hungarian residency under the White Card permit. This is because, according to the government, the primary target audience is “singles under 40.”
This residence permit is valid for one year and can be renewed once for another one.
With this addition, now nearly 30 countries are offering visas for digital nomads.