The short answer is no, tourists in general cannot work while in Hungary. However, if a tourist comes from a specific country and they have a specific permit for going on a working holiday in Hungary, they can work for you for a limited time.
Working as a tourist in Hungary
A tourist is someone who travels for pleasure. Whether they need a visa or not to enter Hungary, they will not have the documents that will allow them to work in Hungary, such as a Hungarian tax number or social security number.
- If they are EEA nationals, they can get registered and start working for you within a few days.
- If they are third-country nationals, they will need a residence permit. Application requires special expertise, and it normally takes a few months.
At the same time, Hungary has special agreements with a handful of third countries that let tourists coming from these countries work in Hungary without a work permit.
Working holiday schemes
A working holiday scheme is an agreement between two countries that lets tourists from each work while on holiday under limited circumstances. To be able to work in Hungary, the tourist should ask for a special working holiday visa either before their trip or not much after arriving in Hungary.
Right now, Hungary has a working holiday scheme with 10 countries: Argentina, Australia, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. The working holiday visas are valid for 12 months. They can be granted only once, and they cannot be extended. Since they are available to people who do not come to Hungary with the intention to work, they do not normally allow work during the entire stay. There is also an age limit: they are available to adults who are not older than 30 or 35 years at the time of the application. The application usually requires a clean criminal record too.
Country | Age limit | Allowed work |
18-35 | Up to 6 months total | |
18-30 | Up to 6 months at the same employer | |
18-35 | No limit | |
18-30 | Up to 3 months at the same employer | |
18-30 | Up to 6 months total | |
18-30 | Up to 6 months at the same employer | |
18-30 | No limit | |
18-35 | Up to 3 months at the same employer | |
18-30 | 12 months | |
18-35 | Up to 3 months at the same employer |
Employing a tourist on a working holiday
Just like any other employee, a tourist will need a Hungarian tax number and a social security number to work for your Hungarian company. With their working holiday permit, they will be able to apply for it. However, it might make sense to consult a tax advisor to see how they will need to pay taxes after their work.
Helpers Hungary at your service
The Helpers Team provides advisory and assistance throughout the entire range of employing foreigners at your Hungarian company. Whether you need help with work permit application, obtaining a tax number or a social security number, payroll and HR compliance, or tax advisory, you can get it all from one reliable partner.