The Big Scam – Residency Programs in Hungary

Many foreign and Hungarian agencies propose and sell different options of immigration programs, for example: 1. Residence in Hungary is guaranteed in case of purchase of a real estate for a given amount (e.g. investment of 155,000 Euros) 2. Residence in Hungary is guaranteed in case of the purchase of several properties 3. After investment in a Hungarian company, temporary residence in Hungary is guaranteed first, followed by a permanent residence permit after 3 or 5 years. etc. … What these “programs” have in common is that they don’t exist. The so-called immigration and visa agencies – primarily those operating abroad – often sell non-existent Hungarian immigration programs. In addition, what is often sold for an administration fee of tens of thousands of euros are simple, normal, average, every day residence permit procedures.

There indeed used to be a so-called settlement bond, or “golden” settlement program (long ago ended), when in fact an investment of 300,000 Euros immediately and automatically meant not just a temporary, but a permanent residence permit for a whole family, and there was not even an obligation to live in Hungary in possession of this permit. But now there isn’t even a similar program to this one. There is not any kind of special “program” at all that automatically grants a foreigner a residence permit if certain conditions are met, and there is especially no program based on which a permanent residence card can be obtained immediately. In addition, the main rule is that if someone receives a Hungarian residence permit, they must also live and reside in Hungary. If the immigration authorities realize that the foreigner only wanted to obtain the plastic card to be able to travel freely within the EU, but did not intend to live in Hungary, then there is a chance that not only will the residence permit be revoked, but also the foreigner will be banned from the entire European Union for a specified period (years).

Therefore, when someone decides whether to sign up for a non-existent immigration program for an “agency fee” of tens of thousands of euros, first of all, in addition to the colorful propaganda materials, they should ask for the exact legislation and which part of the legislation the program is based on. There will be no such legal material. Agencies can show only the provisions of general law, the Act on Third-country foreign nationals, also called Harm. tv, and even there you will find only parts relating to residence permits that do not belong to any program but can be applied for by anyone: residence permit for business purposes, residence permit for gainful activity, residence permit for other purposes, etc.

Another problem is that the various immigration agencies often ask for an advance payment of tens of thousands of euros at the time of signing the service contract, pretending that the client will automatically receive a residence card in the end. If the foreigner does not receive a residence permit for some reason, the deposit of tens of thousands of euros is often lost. We have already represented foreign victims in several such criminal cases.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? The solution is for the foreign citizen not to contract with an immigration agency or company, but directly with a Hungarian law firm specialized in immigration law. An agency may disappear, be liquidated, etc., but the activities of the law firm are regulated by laws and strict bar association rules. In the end, most immigration agencies and companies entrust anyway a law firm with the processing of the foreigner’s residence procedure, since only an attorney is authorized to provide legal representation before the immigration authorities. The difference is that the immigration agency or company keeps most of the ‘agency fee’ and pays only a small part to the law firm it has commissioned. Much easier than this is to hire directly a law firm and an attorney-at-law who specializes in immigration matters and who is in daily contact with the immigration authorities. Better to handle the process of obtaining a residence permit directly with a law firm – without the involvement of any agency – at a significantly cheaper price than paying the exorbitant price of an immigration agency or company.

Our law firm has more than a decade of experience in the legal administration of temporary residence, permanent residence permits, and citizenship matters for foreign citizens. We work in Russian, French, and English. Contact us directly, bypassing all kinds of intermediary agencies, and we provide a full range of legal services: from the preparation of the application for a residence permit to legal representation during the immigration police procedure, up to a possible appeal or court proceedings.