Hungary plans to stop accepting new applications for its guest investor visa, its golden visa, from 1 January 2027, and to end extensions of guest investor residence permits. The proposal is in a draft bill published for consultation by the Ministry of Interior on 4 November 2026. It is not law.
The draft, a package amending several law-enforcement acts, is open for comments until 12 November 2026, according to the Hungarian government’s consultation page. The draft states that one aim is to phase the guest investor visa and the guest investor residence permit out of the legal system.
The draft legal text repeals the scheme’s provisions in Act XC of 2023 (section 182) and adds transitional rules (section 181):
- Applications not finally decided by 31 December 2026 follow the rules in force on that date. An application counts as submitted only if its administrative fee was paid by 31 December 2026.
- Visas and permits issued before 1 January 2027 remain valid until they expire, but a guest investor residence permit cannot be extended.
- Holders of a valid guest investor visa could still apply for the residence permit after 1 January 2027, under the rules in force on 31 December 2026, but that permit could not be extended.
- Family members’ linked residence permits would be valid for no more than 10 years and could not be extended beyond that.
- From 1 January 2027, nationals of visa-exempt countries staying in Hungary can no longer apply for the permit.
The bill still has to be finalised after the consultation and passed by Hungary’s Parliament, and its wording can change.
What it means for buyers
For investors comparing EU residence routes, the draft would remove one more option. Greece’s Golden Visa remains open. Under Article 100 of the Greek Migration Code (Law 5038/2023), the minimum property investment is €800,000 in Attica, the regional units of Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Thira (Santorini), and islands with more than 3,100 residents at the last census, €400,000 elsewhere, and €250,000 for conversions to residential use and listed-building restorations.
The Greek permit lasts five years and can be renewed for five years each time, as long as the investor still owns the property and meets the other conditions. Separately, a Greek bill tabled in Parliament would raise transfer tax to 15% for homes bought by people who are tax resident outside the EU and EEA, for final contracts from 1 July 2027; it is not yet law, as we reported. Our Golden Visa hub sets out the Greek rules.
Buyers should confirm how this applies to them with a Greek lawyer or accountant.
What happens next
Comments on the Hungarian draft close on 12 November 2026. The government then decides the final text it sends to Parliament.
