Basic rules for the issuance of long stay visas

You can apply for a long stay visa to Hungary at the Hungarian Embassy in Nairobi.

Appointments can be booked online: https://konzinfobooking.mfa.gov.hu

Opening hours: 

Tuesdays by appointment only;

Thursdays by appointment only.

Please note:

• Regulations for 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, the applicant will get a visa allowing him/her a single entry (and 30-day stay) to Hungary to pick up the residence permit. The decision on the residence permit falls within the competence of the regional directorates of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary.

• The visa procedure can take up to 8 weeks.

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• Long-stay visa applications 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 Consular Section as soon as it receives the decision of the National 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!

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• The original documents shall be attached to the applications. If the applicant wishes to get them back, the copy of the original document also should be attached.

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• ​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.

General requirements:

• Completed and signed 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.
• Valid passport (the validity of which has to exceed that of the requested visa by at least 3 months);
• Copy of the data page of the passport;
• One passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months); [1]
• Supporting documents of the purpose of stay;
• Proof of accommodation in Hungary;
• Documents certifying subsistence in Hungary;
• Health insurance or equal financial means;
• Visa fee of KES 15.651 plus the courier service fee of KES 5692 for applicants residing outside Kenya to be payed by card! 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.

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Depending on the purpose of entry, at least the following additional documents need to be presented for the application:

Residence permit for the purpose of employment:

• Documents verifying the purpose of residence:
  • Work permit;
  • Contract of employment;
  • Certificate on the acquisition of the qualification necessary for filling the position;
  • Declaration or certificate on the (expected) yearly income;
• Documents in proof of means of subsistence in Hungary (documents demonstrating how the applicant will make a living until the first salary), e.g.:
  • a statement from a Hungarian or foreign financial institution concerning the applicant’s bank account;
  • an income certificate issued by the tax authority for the previous year;
  • an income certificate issued by the employer;
  • a certificate issued by the employer and/or tax authority as proof of regular income received from abroad;
  • other reliable means.
• Documents proving the existence of accommodation in Hungary, e.g.:
  • a residential lease contract in proof of rental of a residence;
  • a document on accommodation by courtesy;
  • documentary evidence to verify the reservation of accommodation and payment;
  • a statement on boarding (dormitory) services;
  • a document in proof of ownership of a residential property, by means of a certified copy of title deed issued within 30 days to date;
  • a real estate sales contract and a copy of the decision of the competent Budapest or county government agency granting permission for the acquisition of a real estate property;
  • other documents.
• Documents proving the existence of comprehensive health insurance;
• Documents evidencing the conditions of exit (a valid passport; and a valid ticket for departure, or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket).

Residence permit for family reunification:

• Documents verifying the purpose of residence:

  • birth certificate;

  • marriage certificate;

  • adoption document;

  • any other document attesting the existence of family relationship.

• Documents proving the existence of accommodation in Hungary, e.g.:
  • a residential lease contract in proof of rental of a residence;
  • a document on accommodation by courtesy;
  • a document in proof of ownership of a residential property, by means of a certified copy of title deed issued within 30 days to date; 
  • a valid letter of invitation with an official certificate affixed;
  • documentary evidence to verify the reservation of accommodation and payment;
  • a notarised statement made by a family member with the right of residence in Hungary (residence permit, immigrant or permanent resident status, residence card or a permanent residence card, refugee status, promising lodging to the applicant;
  • a real estate sales contract and a copy of the decision of the competent Budapest or county government agency granting permission for the acquisition of a real estate property;
  • other documents.
  Documents in proof of means of subsistence in Hungary, e.g.:

  • a notarised statement made by the receiving family member promising support to the applicant along with a document in proof of the family member’s ability to provide such support;

  • an income certificate issued by the tax authority for the family member’s or applicant’s previous year’s income;

  • an income certificate issued by the employer;

  • the family member’s or applicant’s bank statement of a Hungarian bank account;

  • a certificate issued by the employer and/or tax authority as proof of regular income received from abroad;

  • letter of invitation with official endorsement;

  • other documents.

• Copy of the passport of the relative.

Residence permit for medical treatment:

• Document certifying the name and address of the health institution providing the treatment,
• Certificate of the character and the expected duration of the medical treatment,
• Certificate of the financial coverage for the medical treatment and the stay in Hungary,
• Documents proving the existence of accommodation in Hungary unless the applicant stays in the medical institution,
• In case of children under 18 or a person in need of assistance: proof of accommodation and subsistence of the accompanying person.

The consul may request further documents in addition to those listed above.

Appeal procedure

If the visa is refused applicants have the right to appeal. Appeals can be submitted personally either by the applicant or by the person who has a power of attorney from the applicant at the Hungarian Consulate (that refused the visa application) 8 days within the date of receiving the decision on refusal. The decision will be made by the respective Hungarian authorities.

The appeal should be lodged in writing and it should be signed by the applicant or by the person who has power of attorney.

The fee of the appeal procedure is KES 22.765 which should be paid upon the submission of the appeal. The appeal fee will not be reimbursed in the outcome of a positive decision. There is no possibility for the reduction of the fee even for applicants who received a visa fee exemption in the first instance procedure.

The appeal must be submitted in Hungarian or in any other official language of the European Union. If the applicant lodges the appeal in another language he/she must submit an official translation with the appeal.

The applicant or the person with the power of attorney can submit further supporting documents during the appeal procedure, and the applicant can be summoned to the Consulate for a personal visa interview.

The appeal judgment may be subject to judicial review.

In case of refusal, a new application may be submitted at any time but the visa fee has to be paid again.

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.