Entry of Korean Citizens into Hungary for Employment and Tourism Purposes

Employment in Hungary

A Korean citizen may obtain a residence permit for employment purposes if the purpose of their stay in Hungary is to perform actual work for, or under the direction of, another person for remuneration by establishing an employment relationship. This also includes an employment contract concluded with an executive officer or any other legal relationship aimed at employment.

For this purpose, a visa must first be applied for, which can be requested at the Hungarian Embassy in Seoul. At the same time, an application for a residence permit for employment purposes must also be submitted at the Hungarian Consulate in Seoul. It is therefore important to know that the process starts in Korea, at the Hungarian consulate there, including with regard to the authorisation of employment.

If the immigration authority approves the application for the issuance of the residence permit submitted in Seoul, it simultaneously authorises the issuance of the visa entitling the applicant to collect the residence permit and notifies the consular officer accordingly. The visa entitling the applicant to collect the residence permit in Hungary is issued by the consular officer in Seoul.

Thereafter, shortly after entering Hungary with the visa, and within a maximum of 30 days, the Korean citizen must appear in person before the immigration authority at least once. This has a dual purpose: personal identification is carried out, and the issued residence permit for employment purposes, i.e. the actual residence card, is handed over at that time.

The general rule, as follows from the above, is therefore that the procedure for settling in Hungary for employment purposes must in any event be initiated in Seoul, both for the visa and for the employment authorisation. Hungarian legislation provides only in a very limited range of cases for the possibility that, exceptionally, a Korean citizen may start the application for a residence permit for employment purposes in Hungary after entry. However, an entry visa is required in all cases.

The procedure partly differs from the above if the employer qualifies as a priority employer in Hungary. This includes, for example, companies that have concluded a strategic agreement with the Government or participate in an investment of major significance for the national economy. In such cases, it is also possible for the application to be submitted by the Hungarian employer or host organisation.

Entry into Hungary for Tourism Purposes

Korean citizens may stay in Hungary for tourism purposes without a visa for a maximum of 90 days. For entry, they must hold a passport that remains valid for at least six months after the planned end of their stay, have sufficient financial means for their stay in Hungary, and hold a valid return ticket.

Our Law Firm Is at Your Disposal

It is clear that travelling to Hungary for employment purposes is subject to rather bureaucratic regulation, in which it is easy to get lost. If you wish to avoid unexpected and unpleasant surprises and want to be certain that your stay in Hungary is lawful, please contact our law firm, which also serves Korean companies, with confidence at any of our contact details.