Moving to Hungary has two phases: the visa you sort from home, and the stack of offices you visit during your first month in the country. Neither is hard. Both are a lot more annoying if you show up without the right folder of documents. This is the folder.
Step one
Pick the right visa or permit
Four categories cover almost every expat. Figure out which one applies before you book a flight.
EU / EEA citizens
Non-EU citizens
Fehér Kártya · White Card
Student visa
On arrival
Five steps that unlock everything
These run in roughly the order below. Each step unblocks the next — the address card unlocks banking, banking unlocks utilities, and so on.
- 1
Register your address
Within 3 days of moving in, go to the Kormányablak (Government Window) with your passport, rental contract, and landlord declaration. You walk out with a lakcímkártya — the address card every other office will ask for.
- 2
Get a TAJ number
This is your Hungarian social-security number. If you're employed, your HR handles it. Otherwise, apply at the Kormányablak. Processing takes 2–3 weeks and unlocks the public healthcare system.
- 3
Open a Hungarian bank account
OTP Bank and Erste have English-speaking staff in Debrecen. Bring passport, address card, and residence permit. Wise and Revolut are great supplements, but a Hungarian IBAN is still required for utilities and payroll.
- 4
Get a tax number
Apply via NAV (the tax authority) or through your employer. Hungary runs a flat 15% personal income tax plus social contributions. Annual returns are due by 20 May.
- 5
Get a Hungarian phone number
Telekom, Vodafone, and Yettel are the three carriers. Prepaid SIMs are at every phone shop. Monthly plans start around 3,000–5,000 HUF (€8–13). A Hungarian number is mandatory for banks, couriers, and most booking flows.
Healthcare
Public coverage is real. Private is cheap.
Hungary runs a public healthcare system funded through social-insurance contributions. If you're employed, your employer pays in and you're automatically covered. Self-employed and unemployed residents pay a voluntary contribution — about €60/month — or hold private insurance.
In Debrecen, the University of Debrecen Clinical Center is the main hospital and one of the best in eastern Hungary. For routine care, you'll be assigned a háziorvos (GP) based on your registered address.
Many expats run a hybrid: public for specialists and emergencies, private for GP visits. A private GP visit costs 15,000–25,000 HUF (~€38–63). Wait times in the public system can be long for non-urgent care.
Key offices
Where the paperwork actually happens
Immigration Office (OIF)
Kormányablak
NAV · tax authority
OTP / Erste · banks
Keep going
