05/06/2026
🔄 HUNGARY GUEST WORKER UPDATE — 5 June 2026
Hungary's government had set June 1 as a target for broader guest worker restrictions, but the full regulatory framework is not yet in place. Authorities acknowledged the complexity — workers have been arriving under 24 different legal categories, and a long-term solution is still being worked out.
What has been confirmed during todays press conference and legislation amendment:
🚫 Labour hire companies can no longer use expedited procedures to bring workers from the Philippines, Georgia, and Armenia
🚫 Restriction and limitation on NEW guest-worker permits
⚠️ General employment permits can still be issued to citizens of Philippines, Georgia, and Armenia
What hasn't changed:
✅ Workers already in Hungary may extend existing work permits
✅ Pending applications continue to be processed
✅ EU Blue Card, Hungarian Card, Family Reunification — all processing normally
✅ No changes to any other permit categories
The government has indicated this will not be resolved quickly, with a long-term legislative solution still under development.
🔑 Key takeaways:
➡️ The guest-worker residence permit (vendégmunkás) category has been effectively eliminated for new applicants – the Government no longer designates any country whose citizens may be employed under this permit type.
➡️For the general employment permit (foglalkoztatási célú), the substantive rules are unchanged: the same three countries remain eligible – Georgia, Armenia, and the Philippines. These three are now listed directly in Annex 1 of the decree, which is why the earlier KKM Communication 2/2025 (which named only the Philippines) was withdrawn. This is primarily a technical restructuring rather than a narrowing of eligibility.
➡️Transitional protection: Those holding a valid permit on 5 June 2026, and applications already in progress, are protected under the previous rules – extensions and re-issuances will be assessed under the former framework, provided the administrative service fee was paid by 5 June, or the consulate received the application by that date.
We are tracking this closely and will update as the situation develops.
