The Hungarian government issued Government Decree 450/2024 (XII. 23.) on the employment of guest workers in Hungary, which amends the detailed rules on the issuance of certain residence permits set out in Act XC of 2023 on the General Rules for the Admission and Right of Residence of Third-Country Nationals. In addition, the Minister for National Economy issued Decree NGM 51/2024 (XII. 23.) on the total number of residence permits for employment purposes and guest worker residence permits that can be issued annually in Hungary.
These Decrees, which entered into force on 1 January 2025, include the following changes:
1. Government Decree 450/2024 (XII. 23.) on the employment of guest workers
According to Annex 1 of the Government Decree, from 1 January 2025, citizens of Georgia and Armenia may be employed in Hungary with a residence permit for employment purposes and a guest worker residence permit. In addition to the countries specified in the Annex, nationals of other third countries can also be employed in Hungary with a residence permit for employment purposes or a guest worker residence permit if the respective country has an organisation or office in Hungary (officially recognised by the country), which commits that its national will leave the territory of Hungary in case of noncompliance with the laws of Hungary and the EU on the admission and residence of third-country nationals. According to the Notice 2/2025 (I. 9.), issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 9 January 2025, the Republic of the Philippines meets these conditions, which means Filipino nationals can be employed with residence permits for employment purposes and guest worker residence permits.
2. Decree NGM 51/2024 (XII. 23.) of the Minister for National Economy on the total number of employment residence permits and guest worker residence permits that can be issued annually
Beginning 1 January 2025, the Decree of the Minister for National Economy sets the number of residence permits for employment purposes and guest worker residence permits that can be issued in Hungary at a maximum of 35,000 – within the framework of a combined application procedure – for 2025. Furthermore, according to the Decree of the Minister for National Economy, the number of these permits that can be issued in a given year may not exceed the average number of vacancies over the year preceding the publication of the Decree of the Minister for National Economy as measured by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office.
The above restrictions on nationality and headcount do not affect other legal grounds for residence in Hungary.
For more information on health and safety rules and the labour code in Hungary, contact your CMS client partner or these CMS experts: Andreas Köhler, Boglárka Peszeki and György Bálint.
This article was co-authored by Orsolya Kőnig and Viktor Kovács.
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