Hungarian Jobs Come First, Guest Workers to Face Strict Rules

MTI-Hungary Today 2025.03.28.

The government clearly stipulates in Law XC of 2023 on the general rules for the entry and residence of third-country nationals that guest workers may only stay in Hungary for a period of time agreed by the state, for a specific purpose, under a specific title, and if conditions are met. They can only be employed if Hungarian workers are not available to fill the job in question, the Ministry for National Economy told MTI on Thursday.

According to the information, a draft government decree, which will be subject to public consultation, will allow the employment of guest workers in Hungary for the purpose of commissioning investments, provided that their employment is subject to prior group approval.

Such employment may only take place until the investment is commissioned, but for a maximum period of one year. In order to protect the Hungarian workforce, the number of such workers will also be included in the number of guest workers who may be employed in Hungary at the same time. Under the current legislation, a guest worker may only be granted a residence permit for the purpose of carrying out investments in Hungary if his employer has concluded an agreement with the government and has prior group work permit approval.

This guarantee ensures that the presence of guest workers is limited to the extent and duration necessary for the preparation and commissioning of the investment,”

the statement emphasized.

It was stressed that the draft government decree also provides for the possibility of extending the residence permit, known as the National Card, to cross-border commuters. This will allow nationals of neighboring third countries, Serbia or Ukraine, to work in Hungary, provided they meet the conditions set out in the legislation. The share of third-country workers in Hungary is the lowest among the Visegrád countries, the Ministry pointed out. The proportion of foreign workers in Hungary is only 2.8 percent of the total number of employed persons, compared with 4.3 percent in Slovakia, 6.8 percent in Poland, and 16 percent in the Czech Republic.

Fact

The question of guest workers recently became a subject of public debate in Hungary, after the European Union would speed up Ukraine’s accession. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signaled earlier that Hungary would not be able to take in the hundreds of thousands of guest workers that would come with Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

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Via MTI, Featured photo via Pixabay