The Blue Card was created to be a more or less uniform work permit option across the EU. It targets highly skilled workers who would occupy well-paying positions, and it comes with additional benefits compared to other work permit types.
Blue Card work permit in the European Union
The concept of the Blue Card is Europe was inspired by the green card of the United States. Unlike the green card, however, it does not provide permanent residency; rather, it functions as a work permit with better benefits than regular work permits, intended to attract high-skilled professionals to Europe. One important advantage is that it offers easier transfer between EU member states – although Ireland and Denmark are not part of the scheme.
Main benefits for the employee:
- Longer validity than regular work permits – in Hungary, the EU Blue Card may be valid for up to 4 years, after which it may be extended for another 4 years.
- Easier family unification – while in Hungary not all work permits allow family unification, the EU Blue Card does.
- Better transfer options – if you an employee finds work in another EU member state, they can more easily transfer there by switching to the Blue Card of that country.
- Better unemployment protection – if a Blue Card holder loses their job within 2 years, they will have 3 months to find a new job; if they lose their job after 2 years of employment, they will have 6 months. This is in stark contrast with most other work permits in Hungary, which are more strictly tied to employment, and require people to leave Hungary if they are no longer employed.
- Easier to change jobs – whether at the same employer or a different one, changing jobs normally requires a new application. With the EU Blue Card, after 12 months of employment, changing jobs should require only reporting (in fact, in Hungary this still requires a new application, an oversight that we hope to be remedied in the near future).
- Eligibility for permanent residency – with an EU Blue Card, your employee will qualify for EU permanent residency, which allows employees access to unemployment and other benefits that come with owning a Hungarian address card as well as increased mobility within the EU.
EU Blue Card requirements
The EU Blue Card was created to attract high value employees to Europe. In line with this, the two most important requirements for hiring an employee with a Blue Card are the high qualifications or expertise they are supposed to have, and the high salary they are supposed to get.
- Salary: In Hungary, such an employee is supposed to receive 5 times the average salary of the year before the last (in 2026, this means HUF 1,001,048, or ca. EUR 2,800 monthly). Certain healthcare related professions, however, are allowed to offer a somewhat lower salary (in 2026, that is HUF 800,838, or ca. 2,500 monthly). Please note that the salary should be increased every year to match current requirements.
- Qualifications: Either a tertiary degree (university or college diploma) or significant professional experience in a field relevant to the position.
EU Blue Card application with Helpers
If the position and the candidate are eligible for the EU Blue Card, this work permit is an excellent option for attracting talent to your Hungarian business –based on not only the high salary, but also the privileges offered by the card itself, such as option for family unification or visa-free access to the entire Schengen zone. If, for any reason, the EU Blue Card is not available to your business, there are several other options you can choose from.
Our team has 20+ years of experience supporting people living, working, and doing business in Hungary, which includes assistance with residency and work permit applications for employees and managing directors alike. We provide support throughout the entire life cycle of business operation, from registration through accountancy to work permit applications for employees. We will be happy to help you navigate Hungarian bureaucracy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, it isn’t. Core features are the same, such as availability of family unification, longer than standard validity, better unemployment protection, and easier transfer between jobs and member states, but the details may differ by country, such as the required minimum salary.
The Hungarian EU Blue Card may be valid for up to 4 years, depending on the employment contract and the validity of the employee’s travel document.
In Hungary, no jobs are exempt from a high salary requirement. However, the requirement is lower for certain healthcare-related jobs:
- General practitioner
- Pharmacist, specialized pharmacist
- Optometrist
- Dietician and nutrition adviser
- Physiotherapist
- District nurse
- Ambulance officer
- (Tertiary education based) Nursing professional
- (Tertiary education based) Midwifery professional
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