Basic rules for the issuance of long stay visas

You can apply for a long stay visa for Hungary at the Hungarian Embassy in Nairobi. Appointments can be booked via this link: https://konzinfobooking.mfa.gov.hu

Opening hours: The opening hours for visa applications are Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 12.30 pm.

During the summer we are also open on Wednesdays to handle the case of the students wishing to study in Hungary.

Since the visa procedure can take up 15 calendar days the on-line booking system will only allow bookings from the 15th day counted from the day of booking.

Regulations on a stay exceeding 90 days fall within the competence of national authorities, therefore there is no uniform routine among the Schengen Member States. Foreign nationals requesting entry to Hungary with a purpose of a long stay may submit a residence permit application. In case of successful application, s/he will get a visa authorizing him/her to a single entry for receiving a residence permit and to stay for maximum 30 days in Hungary. The decision on the residence permit falls within the competence of the regional directorates of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary.

Attention! As of 20 May 2011 applicants for residence permits are required to give fingerprints. Children under the age of 6 years are exempt from this requirement.

General requirements, documents that need to be presented when applying for a visa:

1. a wholly and legibly completed, signed “residence permit” application form together with the relevant appendix - please select and download the relvant Appendix by selecting the purpose of your stay in Hungary from the website of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.

2. valid passport (the validity of which has to exceed that of the requested visa by at least 3 months);

3. 1 passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months)!; [1]

4. supporting documents of the purpose of stay;

5. justification of the permit of return or further travel;

6. supporting documents of the accommodation;

7. the documents certifying subsistence in Hungary;

8. health insurance or equal financial means.

Depending on the purpose of entry, minimum the following additional documents are needed for the application for residence permit:

In the case of a residence permit for the purpose of paid activity:

1. a work permit,

2. a contract of employment,

3. a document certifying occupancy in Hungary, and

4. a certificate on how the person will make a living until he receives his first salary (bank account statement, employer’s certificate that he will pay an advance to the person, etc.)

or,

5. a certificate on the character of the gainful activity (the articles of association),

6. the resolution on the court registration of the enterprise,

7. a document certifying occupancy in Hungary,

8. a certificate on the acquisition of the qualification necessary for filling the position,

9. a declaration, certificate on the (expected) yearly income,

10. a certificate of the amount of money at the person’s disposal in Hungary,

11. the simplified balance sheet of the previous year (for a firm already operating),

12. a certificate that the firm has no public debt (for a firm already operating),

13. if the firm has Hungarian employees: their employment contracts,

14. in case of a new enterprise: a brief business plan.

In the case of a residence permit for educational purposes:

1. a certificate of school attendance,

2. a document certifying occupancy in Hungary (the document certifying accommodation in a student hostel or the tenancy contract with a duplicate of the title deed), and

3. the documents certifying subsistence in Hungary (bank account statement; or the declaration of the parents that they assume coverage of all costs of the stay in Hungary; or the document certifying the scholarship).

4. Attestation of the school that the applicant is exempt from the payment of school fees or that he/she has already paid the tuition fees.

In the case of a residence permit for family reunification:

1. a document certifying occupancy in Hungary,

2. a document certifying subsistence in Hungary,

3. a marriage certificate / birth certificate (duplicate)

4. a copy of the passport of the Hungarian relative.

In the case of a residence permit for visit:

1. an official letter of invitation countersigned by the OIN, or an invitation included in a notarial document,

2. a certificate of the average income of the inviting party,

3. a duplicate of the title deed, and

4. a copy of the passport or the personal identification document of the inviting party.

In the case of a residence permit for medical treatment:

1. the name and address of the health institution providing the treatment,

2. a certificate of the character and the expected duration of the medical treatment,

3. a certificate of the financial coverage for the medical treatment and the stay in Hungary,

4. the certification of occupancy in Hungary provided that the applicant does not stay in the medical institution,

5. in case of a minor child or a family member in need of help: the certification of the accommodation and the subsistence of the accompanying person.

In the case of a residence permit for research:

1. contract with an accredited research institute

2. if the researcher does not have sufficient financial means the research institute must assume an obligation, that in case of expulsion (due to the overstay of the researcher) all costs will be refund by the institute.

In the case of a residence permit for voluntary work:

1. contract with a Hungarian receiving institution, organization (church, library, town hall, etc.)

Attention! The consul may request further documents in addition to those listed above. The original documents shall be attached to the applications. If the applicant wishes to get it back, the copy of the original document also should be attached.

The consulate reserves the right to examine the authenticity of the presented data and the submitted documents. Presentation of false data will lead to the refusal of the visa application.

VISA FEE: The fee is 14,184 KES which can be paid by bank card ONLY on the day of application. In case the applicant doesn’t have a bank card, the Consular Section will direct him/her to the closest bank branch in order to deposit the fee on the day of application.

Non-Kenyan residents also have to pay the courier fee for sending the passports to their address which is 5185 KES.

As a general rule, the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary processes the application within 21 days.

Attention! Long-stay visa application are decided by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary and NOT by the Embassy/Consular Office in Nairobi. The applicant will be notified by the Chancery as soon as it receives the decision of theNational Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary. Therefore the Embassy cannot and will not reply to enquiries in relation to the status of the long-stay visa applications!

In case of refusal, the applicant may lodge an appeal within 8 days from the receipt of notification thereof. The appeal shall be submitted either to the regional directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing which processed the application or to the consular officer. Fee for the appeal is 20,630 KES. Appeals are decided by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing within 21 days.

Records of data, data protection

According to Article 96 (1) of the Act on entry and stay of third country nationals (Act II of 2007), the immigration authority shall process the following data of third-country nationals in connection with applications for residence permits and the residence permits issued:

a) natural identification data;

b) facial photograph;

c) travel document particulars;

d) the purpose of entry and the planned duration of stay, and the country of previous usual residence.

e) particulars of the documents provided in support of the conditions required for entry and stay;

f) the fact and reasons for the refusal of a new residence permit or for the extension of an existing one, and for the withdrawal of a residence permit;

g) the number, serial number and validity period of the residence permit issued (extended);

h) the date of first entry and final exit, and the country of next usual residence.

i) address of the place of accommodation.

j) facial images and fingerprint images taken in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002 laying down a uniform format for residence permits for third-country nationals and Council Regulation (EC) No. 380/2008 of 18 April 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002 laying down a uniform format for residence permits for third-country nationals.

The immigration authority may disclose data of the type of data specified by law from the immigration sub-registers to the following bodies to the extent required to discharge their duties conferred upon them by legal regulation: law enforcement agencies; investigation authorities; national security services; the refugee authority; tax authorities; the authorities participating in immigration proceedings; the customs authority; the authority handling citizenship-related duties; the body operating the register of personal data and address records of citizens; the employment and labor authority; the occupational safety authority; and the public health authority; the pension insurance administration agency; the bodies of municipal governments vested with regulatory capacity; and document bureaus.

The consulate may disclose data from its register to law enforcement and criminal investigation agencies, the national security agencies and the refugee authority, to agencies specified by law or international agreement within the type of specific information defined therein, furthermore to Schengen / EU consulates in the jurisdiction.

If requested by the applicant, the consulate and the Immigration and Asylum Office within its jurisdiction shall provide information regarding his/her data on record, unless the Aliens Act prohibits the disclosure of such data. If the consulate determines, whether by the initiative of the applicant or ex officio, that any particular data on record is incorrect or has changed, it takes prompt measures to have such incorrect data corrected or removed from the records, whichever is appropriate.