EU Blue Card Hungary
The threshold moves every January. So does your payroll.
The EU Blue Card is the permit for higher-education professionals whose salary clears a published minimum. That minimum is republished every autumn for the following year — and when it rises, it reaches the people who already hold the card, not only the ones you are about to hire.
What it takes in 2026
Three numbers decide whether this permit is open to someone
Per month, from 1 January 2026. Roughly EUR 2,600, depending on the rate on the day. Set under Section 3(1) of Decree 44/2011. (XII. 16.) NGM.
For the occupations listed in Annex 1 to Decree 44/2011. (XII. 16.) NGM — the multiplier there is 1.2 rather than 1.5. Whether a role qualifies is a judgement call, and it is worth making it before the offer goes out.
At least two years, renewable by up to four more. On a shorter contract, the contract term plus three months.
The part that reaches your payroll
A threshold increase is not only about new hires
The rules carry a salary tracking obligation. When the minimum rises on 1 January, it applies to third-country nationals who already hold an EU Blue Card and already work for you — not only to applications filed after that date.
of the employees we look after were reached by the 2026 increase. Not half of new applications — half of the people who were already here, already working, already holding a card.
- 2025: HUF 883,671. 2026: HUF 1,001,048. Someone who was comfortably above the line last year may not be above it this year.
- The figures are published by 31 October each year for the January that follows — that deadline is set by Section 3(4) of the same decree, and the 2026 amounts appeared in Hivatalos Értesítő No. 49 of 30 October 2025. That is the window in which a payroll review is cheap; after January it is a compliance problem.
- The check is a three-way match. The degree, the job title and the salary all have to agree with each other, and in practice they often do not.
“We check the job title against the minimum gross salary, and we provide the solution for unexpected situations.”
Henrietta Kígyósi — Founder and Head of Immigration · six years deciding these files inside the authority
At a glance
What the authority asks, and what it gives back
| Who it fits | Higher-education professionals in any field, where the salary clears the published minimum. |
|---|---|
| Labour market test | Required. Unlike the intra-corporate transfer and the National Card, where it is not. |
| Family | Available. Spouses and children can join — a spouse’s right to work here is a separate permit of its own. |
| Renewal window | Between 90 and 30 days before the card expires. We start the conversation five to six months out, because the internal approval has to happen first. |
| Moving on within the EU | After 18 months the holder can apply in another member state. No other Hungarian permit type carries this. |
| Decision time | Statutory 70–90 days. In practice we see 60–70 days. |
Where it gets stuck
Three things that move the date, and none of them is the decision
The apostille, with certified translation. It sits outside everyone’s control, and it usually decides the start date rather than the authority.
All three have to line up with each other before the file is worth submitting. When one of them does not, the fix is a conversation with the business, not with the authority.
An intra-corporate transfer cannot run past three years. The EU Blue Card is where those cases most often land, and that decision has to be made months before the card runs out.
What it costs
A fixed price per case, agreed before we start
The first call is free. If your case needs a decision on which permit applies before we can quote it, that is a EUR 100 consultation, deducted from your fee if you go ahead. All prices are net, excluding VAT and third-party costs.
Common questions
What HR teams ask about the Blue Card
What is the EU Blue Card minimum salary in Hungary in 2026?
HUF 1,001,048 gross per month from 1 January 2026, and HUF 800,838 for the occupations named in the government decree. The figures are republished every autumn for the following year.
Does an increase affect employees who already hold a Blue Card?
Yes. The rules carry a salary tracking obligation, so a threshold increase reaches your existing payroll, not only new applications.
How long does an EU Blue Card take?
The statutory decision time is 70 to 90 days. In practice we see 60 to 70. The apostille, which sits before all of it, is usually the longer item at two to three weeks.
Is a labour market test required?
Yes. For the EU Blue Card it is required, unlike the intra-corporate transfer and the National Card, where it is not.
Can the family come too?
Yes, family reunification is available. A spouse right to work here is not automatic, though. That is always a separate permit of its own.
Can someone on an ICT permit switch to a Blue Card?
It is the most common destination when the three-year intra-corporate transfer limit runs out. The decision has to be made months before the current permit expires, not after.
Can a Blue Card holder move to another EU country?
After eighteen months, yes. The holder can apply in another member state. It is the one Hungarian permit type that carries this, and it is worth knowing before you choose between the Blue Card and the Hungarian Card.
Where to go next
If the Blue Card is not the right fit
The table with authority deadlines against the times we actually see.
The date your approval round has to start, not the date the permit ends.
Both thresholds with the source, including cases filed in 2025 and decided in 2026.