Moving to the UK from Hungary: Guide
A guide for Hungarian nationals moving to the UK after Brexit, covering the electronic travel authorisation for visits, EU Settlement Scheme status, the visa routes and the published fees.
- Section
- Moving to the UK From...
- Reading time
- 6 min
- Last checked
- 3 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Free movement ended on 31 December 2020. New Hungarian arrivals need a visa.
- Short visits of up to 6 months need a £20 electronic travel authorisation, not a visa.
- No tuberculosis test: Hungary is not on the Home Office list.
- An English language test is required for most routes: B2 for a new Skilled Worker application.
- A criminal record certificate is only required for some Skilled Worker jobs, not for every application.
Hungary joined the EU in 2004, and Hungarian citizens could live and work freely in the UK until Brexit. Since 1 January 2021, a Hungarian national moving to the UK needs a visa, chosen from the same routes as any other non-UK national. A short visit is different: Hungary is not a visa national country, so a visit of up to 6 months needs a £20 electronic travel authorisation instead. This guide covers both.
Brexit and Hungarian Citizens
Before Brexit, Hungarian citizens could live and work freely in the UK. Since 1 January 2021, a new arrival must apply for a visa. Hungarian citizens who were living in the UK before 31 December 2020 could apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. A late application can still be accepted where there are reasonable grounds for missing the deadline. The scheme is not open to someone arriving now.
Visiting Rather Than Moving
Hungary is not on the UK's visa national list, so a Hungarian citizen does not need a visa for a visit of up to 6 months. What is needed instead is an electronic travel authorisation, which costs £20. Everyone travelling needs their own, including babies and children. It is also needed to pass through UK border control on the way to somewhere else; staying airside in the airport does not need one.
Visa Routes After Brexit
- Skilled Worker visa. Requires a job offer from a licensed sponsor at the minimum salary of £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation code if that is higher. Since 22 July 2025 a new applicant's job must sit at degree level (RQF 6), unless the occupation code is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. A job on the Immigration Salary List has a lower salary floor of £33,400 and a lower visa fee, but the full going rate still applies.
- Health and Care Worker visa. For eligible health and care roles with a licensed sponsor. The fee is £324 per person for up to 3 years or £628 for more than 3 years, and no healthcare surcharge is payable.
- Family visa. See the spouse visa guide. The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year for a new application.
- Student visa. £558. Hungarian students pay international tuition fees at UK universities. See the student visa guide.
- Graduate route. 2 years after a UK degree, or 3 years after a PhD. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027 the 2-year period shortens to 18 months. See the Graduate route guide.
The Youth Mobility Scheme is not open to Hungarian nationals: Hungary is not one of the countries or territories listed on it.
Document Requirements
- Valid Hungarian passport. A national identity card is no longer accepted for travel to the UK.
- No tuberculosis test. Hungary is not on the Home Office list.
- English language test. Hungary is not on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, so an approved secure English language test is needed on most routes. A new Skilled Worker application has needed level B2 since 8 January 2026; a first partner visa is A1.
- Criminal record certificate. Not needed for most applications. GOV.UK asks for one from a Skilled Worker applying from outside the UK whose job is in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. The Hungarian document is an erkölcsi bizonyítvány.
- Certified translation. Hungarian documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
What It Costs
The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds. It does not publish a forint price, and the exchange rate it applies is the rate on the day you pay, so this guide gives no conversion.
- Skilled Worker visa, applying from outside the UK: £819 for 3 years or less, £1,618 for more than 3 years
- Health and Care Worker visa: £324 for up to 3 years, £628 for more than 3 years, with no healthcare surcharge
- Healthcare surcharge: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year for students, their dependants and anyone under 18
- Student visa: £558
- Electronic travel authorisation for a visit: £20
- Settlement: £3,226 for each person
GOV.UK publishes no price for an English language test; the test providers set their own. See our UK visa fees guide.
Healthcare
Paying the healthcare surcharge does not make the National Health Service free. It buys care on the same basis as a UK resident, so you then pay what a resident pays. In England that is £9.90 for a prescription and dental charges of £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10 depending on the band of treatment. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Hungarian Community in the UK
Hungarian communities in the UK are concentrated in London and Manchester, with Hungarian shops, cultural events and associations in several cities. The Home Office does not publish a count of Hungarian nationals resident in the UK, so this guide gives none.
After Arrival
- Set up or sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and check your online immigration status. There is no card to collect: biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024
- Apply for a National Insurance number
- Register with a doctor (GP surgery)
- Open a UK bank account
Path to Settlement
After 5 years on a qualifying visa, apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain), which costs £3,226. Twelve months after receiving settlement, apply for British citizenship, which costs £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony fee. The UK does not require you to give up another nationality.
Next Steps
For official information, visit the GOV.UK EU Settlement Scheme page and the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page.
Questions and answers
Do Hungarian citizens need a visa to work in the UK?
Yes. Since 1 January 2021, a Hungarian citizen who wants to move to the UK must apply for a visa. Someone who was living in the UK before 31 December 2020 may have EU Settlement Scheme status instead.
Do Hungarian citizens need a visa to visit the UK?
No. Hungary is not on the UK's visa national list, so a visit of up to 6 months needs a £20 electronic travel authorisation rather than a visa. Everyone travelling needs their own, including babies and children. You also need one to pass through UK border control on the way somewhere else; staying airside in the airport does not need one.
Do Hungarian citizens need a tuberculosis test?
No. Hungary is not on the Home Office list of countries where a tuberculosis test is needed.
How do I get a Hungarian police certificate?
Most applications do not need one. GOV.UK asks for a criminal record certificate from a Skilled Worker applying from outside the UK whose job is in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. Where it is needed, the Hungarian document is an erkölcsi bizonyítvány, a certificate of good conduct, issued by the criminal records service of the Hungarian interior ministry and available online or in person. Neither the Home Office nor the Hungarian authorities publish a processing time on GOV.UK, so this guide gives none.
Does the UK make you give up Hungarian citizenship?
No. The UK does not require you to give up another nationality when you naturalise as a British citizen. Whether Hungary lets you keep Hungarian nationality is a matter of Hungarian law, which this guide does not cover.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.