About us

Before we sign a service agreement with you, we check your prospects of obtaining a residence permit. This involves two steps: a.) We conduct a due diligence interview with you. If possible via video call, otherwise in writing. b.) We fill out the forms of the securities distributor with whom you will make your investment and submit them to them. If both of these steps are successful, your prospects of obtaining a Hungarian residence permit are good and we will conclude a service contract with you. The two prechecks are free of charge. This completes the onboarding. After that, we collect all the documents you need to obtain the investor visa.

The procedure for obtaining a residence permit has three stages. 1) First, you need an investor visa. The visa is granted only to the investing person, not to the other family members. It serves only to enable the investor to travel to Hungary to carry out the investment. 2) Then you make the required investment (€250 000) or donation (€ 1 000 000) to a Hungarian university of your choice. In order to do this you will have to travel to Hungary. 3) Finally, you receive the residence permit. Together with you (the investor), the direct family members you have named will also receive their residence permits. At this occasion all involved family members have to travel once to Budapest in order to provide biometric data. The government has full authority to issue visas and residence permits. There is therefore no guarantee that the procedure will end successfully in every case. The government is, however, interested in attracting investors to the country.

Essentially, we need to prove the following with your application: a.) the lawful acquisition of the amount to be invested in Hungary (source of funds), b.) that you have this amount permanently at your disposal. c.) that you could support your family if you were to move to Hungary. There is no minimum stay requirement in Hungary. The procedure is purely document-based. All evidence must therefore be provided in writing. We will guide you through this bureaucratic process every step of the way. We will review all documents in advance so that your procedure can be completed as quickly as possible. The above requirements may sound daunting. Don't worry, we will guide you through this.

The investor (you) and the family members involved must submit a whole series of documents, which may vary from case to case. We will tell you exactly which documents you need after evaluating your individual situation. You will have to appear in person at least once at the Hungarian consulate in your country so that the biometric data can be recorded.

Here we are talking about the visa and not the residence permit. The visa is the first step towards a residence permit. You (the investor) then make the investment required by law. Finally, you receive the residence permit. The visa allows you to travel to Hungary and make your investment. One trip to Hungary (to do the investment or the donation and account opening with the fund distributor) can't be avoided. The visa allows you to travel to Hungary as often as you like within 90 days and to spend here as much time as you like. As soon as you receive the residence permit, the visa expires automatically. However, the rule is that we must notify the authorities of your investment no later than 90 days after your first entry into Hungary. This deadline is very important.

There are two ways to invest under the Golden Visa Program: a.) Investment in a Hungarian real estate fund of at least €250 000: These funds invest exclusively in real estate in Hungary and to a lesser extent abroad. Other investments are not possible, which significantly reduces the risk of a loss of assets. All funds are approved and monitored by the Hungarian National Bank. Strict requirements apply. Some of the fund management companies have been operating in the market for many years and have a significant track record. You invest directly in the fund, these funds never come to us. Funds can pay a dividend if they are successful. Your money is not spent, but invested. Do not expect that your investment in one of these funds will be the best of your life. The real result is your residence permit and not an extraordinarily high return. b.) Donation of €1 000 000: It is also possible to make a donation to a Hungarian university of your choice. However, unlike the investment funds, you will not get this amount back. This solution is open to those citizens who, for certain reasons, cannot invest in funds. This applies in some cases to Russian, Ukrainian and American citizens. If you are not sure whether you can participate in the program, please contact us and we will clarify your situation.

The investor visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days. Within this time, we must report the completion of the investment – with the corresponding evidence – to the relevant authority. If this is not done, your visa will expire. A new investor visa cannot be applied for under the current regulations.

In order to obtain a residence permit, we must first apply for an investor visa for you. After you have received the investor visa, you can make the necessary investment or donation. After that, we can apply for the residence permits for you and your family members. The effort required to apply for a residence permit is relatively low because most of the information was already verified during the visa application. The right to grant residence permits lies exclusively with the Hungarian government. Accordingly, there is no guarantee of success. However, if the documents are well compiled, the prospects are very good.

The application for the residence permit is the final step in the three-stage process for obtaining a residence permit (first you apply for a visa, then you invest and finally you get the residence permit). In addition to the application form, the effort involved here will be less than when applying for an investor visa because we can reuse some of the documents we needed for the visa application. We will inform you in good time and in detail which documents you would like to obtain. Essentially, on the one hand, you have to prove that you have made your investment. On the other hand, we have to prove that the other entitled persons are actually your relatives (marriage and birth certificates). If the authorities do not hear any new facts regarding your person after the investor visa has been issued and before the residence permit has been given, the risk of rejection is very low. However, the authorities always have the last word and they do not have to justify their decision.

We have outlined the advantages of a Hungarian residence permit on our website. Please read this page: https://www.bentleygoldenvisa.com/ .

Your residence permit is initially valid for 10 years. It can be extended for a further 10 years provided that you have an investment at the time of the extension, i.e. after the first 10 years. You can withdraw your investment after five years at the earliest. Even then, your residence permit remains valid until the end of the tenth year. If you sell your investment before the first 10 years have expired and wish to extend for the second 10 years, you must reinvest before the end of the 10th year. It is therefore possible for you to sell your investment after 5 years and then reinvest before the end of the tenth year in order to meet the requirements for the extension. We advise against this approach, as the government may increase the investment amount, which could have a negative impact on you. We recommend that you hold the investment until shortly after the extension and then sell it in the eleventh year if necessary. These rules on extensions also apply to your family members.

There are two ways to invest under the Golden Visa Program: a.) Investment in a Hungarian real estate fund of at least €250 000: These funds invest exclusively in real estate in Hungary and to a lesser extent abroad. Other investments are not possible, which significantly reduces the risk of a loss of assets. All funds are approved and monitored by the Hungarian National Bank. Strict requirements apply. Some of the fund management companies have been operating in the market for many years and have a significant track record. You invest directly in the fund, these funds never come to us. Funds can pay a dividend if they are successful. Your money is not spent, but invested. Do not expect that your investment in one of these funds will be the best of your life. The real result is your residence permit and not an extraordinarily high return. b.) Donation of €1 000 000: It is also possible to make a donation to a Hungarian university of your choice. However, unlike the investment funds, you will not get this amount back. This solution is open to those citizens who, for certain reasons, cannot invest in funds. This applies in some cases to Russian, Ukrainian and American citizens. If you are not sure whether you can participate in the program, please contact us and we will clarify your situation.

We work primarily with funds that have a long track record. Real estate investment funds have been around in Hungary for many years without any scandals or bankruptcies. Real estate funds may only invest in real estate. Historically, this has been associated with lower risks than other asset categories. We work with several funds. You are free to decide which ones you want to invest in. Your money goes directly from you to the funds, never to us. Only investments in Hungarian real estate funds that are authorized and supervised by the Hungarian National Bank are permitted. You will receive your fund units in the form of dematerialized units. Since the dematerialized units are assigned directly to the investor and the fund is secured by an independent custodian bank and depository, this form is considered one of the safest forms of investment. In addition, the units are securely protected in the event of a bank insolvency, so that they remain available to the investor. The funds we recommend meet the requirements of the AIFM Directive (Alternative Investment Fund Managers). This is a legal framework created by the European Union to supervise the management and distribution of alternative investment funds (AIF) in the EU. The directive applies to various types of AIF, including real estate funds.

The law on investor residence permits stipulates that 40% of the funds of real estate funds must be invested in residential real estate. This is new in Hungary. Previously, real estate funds had only invested in commercial real estate, as these historically promised higher returns. Accordingly, there are no empirical yield values for these new funds, which will also own residential real estate. The fund managers estimate that the return could be between 2% and 3% (in euros). However, there is of course no guarantee that a return of this magnitude can be achieved. What is certain, however, is that there is a shortage of rental apartments in Budapest, so demand clearly exists.

Whether you have to pay tax on the fund income earned in Hungary depends on a number of factors, such as whether there is a double taxation agreement between your country of origin and Hungary. Therefore, we cannot make a general statement here. If you are liable to tax in your country of origin, you may be subject to tax on capital gains and dividends there. As this is not within our jurisdiction, we suggest you seek advice from a tax professional in your country. If you make Hungary your primary residence, you will fall under the jurisdiction of the local tax code. Consequently, your fund income will be subject to a 15% tax rate. You will also be required to pay a health insurance contribution, which is capped at an annual maximum of approximately $1400 USD. Please note that the nuances of each individual case require separate consideration. We offer you our services to carefully review your specific situation. However, please consider the information provided here as non-binding and not as tax advice.

The law stipulates that you must hold your investment for at least 5 years. After that, you can sell it at any time. Even if you sell it, your residence permit remains valid for 10 years. In order to obtain an extension for a further 10 years, you must again have an investment in accordance with the law. However, this does not have to be the same as the one you used to obtain your original residence permit. It is therefore possible for you to sell your investment after 5 years and then reinvest before the end of the tenth year in order to meet the requirements for the extension. We advise against this approach, as the government may increase the investment amount, which could have a negative impact on you. We recommend that you hold the investment until shortly after the extension and then sell it in the eleventh year if necessary. These rules on extensions also apply to your family members.

The real estate funds can only accept payments in euros. If you want to exchange larger amounts of a foreign currency into EUR, we strongly recommend that you ask the bank for special conditions. There are also online banks (such as Wise or Revolut) that exchange currencies mostly free of charge at the mid-market rate. If the exchange is to take place at a Hungarian bank, we will be happy to assist you.

In February 2025, two real estate investment fund management companies were approved to accept Golden Visa investments. One fund management firm has no track record; it was only established in 2024, and the majority of ownership appears to be in Chinese hands. The other fund management firm, Hungarian owned, has been in existence since 2009 and has been successfully operating in the fund business since before the Golden Visa program began. Of course, the two funds are aware that competition between the funds is limited due to their small number. Accordingly, we expect conditions to improve over time. The decision in which funds you want to invest is yours.

Both nationalities are currently partially excluded from the program, but for different reasons. Russians: will not be allowed to purchase European securities after 2022, unless they are already holders of a European residence permit. Since investing in a real estate fund constitutes a purchase of securities, this is currently subject to sanctions and is not permitted. Americans: There are no legal obstacles here, but none of the currently approved funds (as of March 2025) want to get into trouble with the US tax authorities. That is why both funds categorically reject US citizens. For both nationalities, there is a way out, albeit an expensive one. In addition to investing in a real estate fund (€250,000), there is the option of making a donation to a Hungarian university (€1,000,000). The latter is not refundable, but it does not constitute a securities purchase and will therefore not cause any problems. Since the donor can choose the university, the university will do its best with the authorities to ensure that the residence permit is granted. We will inform you if this situation changes, for example, if other funds enter the market.

In order to obtain Hungarian citizenship, you must have resided in Hungary for at least 8 years. You will also have to pass a civics and a language test. Therefore there is no automatic transition from right of residence to citizenship. These are separate procedures. There are, even if unofficial, exceptions. If you invest significantly more than required, are important to Hungary for some reasons, the process can be much quicker. If you think that you have such reasons, we kindly make inquiries for you.

There is no minimum period of residence in Hungary for holders of a investor's residence permit. This means that you do not have to use your residence permit and there is no risk that it will expire as a result. Accordingly, you can regard it as security for a rainy day in your home country. However, you also have the right to move to Hungary with the family members involved in the process and spend an unlimited amount of time here.

Holders of an investor visa or an investor residence permit may stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days. Except Ireland and Cyprus all EU-countries are members of the Schengen-area, Romania and Bulgaria with limitations. For example, if you travel to Paris on January 1, you must leave France by April 1 at the latest. You can then return to France on July 1 at the earliest. You can enter and leave the Schengen area as often as you like. However, you may only take up residence in Hungary. You may work and establish companies in Hungary without restriction.

You can travel to any EU-country within 180 days for a maximum of 90 days. However, you may only take up residence in Hungary. After a 90-day stay in an EU country, you must leave it for 90 days. After that, you can travel there again for 90 days, etc. In Hungary, you can, of course, spend as much time as you like.

The investor (€250 000) or the donor (€1 000 000). The married spouse Common and not common children (including adopted and foster children) under 18, minor children, under 18, over whom they have parental authority, the holder's of a residence permit and the spouse's dependent parents the brother or sister of the holder of the residence permit and of the spouse, and their direct relatives, if they are unable to care for themselves because of ill health. Children must be under 18 years of age at the time of the issue of the residence permit. The residence permit does not expire if they exceed this age limit after receiving it. Grandparents are not included in the program. During the preliminary examination of your application, we will be happy to help you determine whether one of your relatives is eligible for a residence permit.

As things stand at present, the investor has to travel to Hungary twice. Once to open a securities account with the fund distributor and to conclude a securities custody agreement. The second visit is necessary when the investor's biometric data has to be submitted to the immigration authorities. The investor makes this second visit together with those family members who are also to receive a Golden Visa. Travel and accommodation costs are not included in our fee. However, we will pick you up at your hotel in Budapest and accompany you to the investment fund and the immigration office.

Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months if you apply for an investor visa. If your passport is newer than 3 months, please take the old passport with you when you apply. The residence permit is a plastic card that is independent of the passport.

We charge a one-off fee for our services, depending on the number of applicants. This includes our assistance throughout the entire official process from the investor visa to the residence permit for the investor and their family members. We are also at your side during the investment process. The above costs include official fees and other direct costs (for translation, certification, apostille, courier, etc.), provided they are incurred in Hungary. Costs incurred abroad are at your expense, as are travel and accommodation costs and the costs associated with purchasing and holding of fund units. Details are regulated in the contract. The initial consultation, during which we determine together with the potential investor whether you are eligible for the Hungarian Golden Visa Program, is free of charge. Please contact us to get a personal quotation. myquotation@bentleygoldenvisa.com

Children of holders of a residence permit are also entitled to receive a residence permit and can receive it immediately after reimbursement of minor costs.