Guest Investor
Guest Investor (Hungary)
Guest Investor — the Hungarian golden visa (residence) by investment, granting the right to live in Hungary and travel across Schengen.
- What it is
- Guest Investor — Hungary’s golden visa (residence permit) by investment
- What it gives
- The right to live in Hungary and travel in the Schengen area
- Form
- An investment in an investment fund or real estate
- Advantage
- A long-term residence permit of an EU country
- Can you prepare
- Yes: choose the form of investment for your goal
In plain words
Guest Investor is Hungary’s residence by investment programme, a kind of Hungarian “golden visa”. It allows you to obtain a residence permit of a European Union country by investing in an approved investment fund or real estate, and gives the right to live in Hungary and move freely within the Schengen area.
It is an attractive route into the EU for those who want not to buy citizenship straight away but to have legal EU resident status with prospects. The residence permit is issued for a long term, extends to the family and opens up living, doing business and visa-free travel within Schengen. The main form of investment is a stake in an accredited investment fund.
Like any route into the EU, the programme requires transparency: the source of funds is checked, and the conditions on timelines and amounts are periodically updated. It is important to choose the right form of investment and prepare the documents in advance. We help set up the status so that it serves a long-term goal — up to permanent residence and naturalisation in the future.
Where Guest Investor applies
What matters about Guest Investor
- A stake in an investment fund
- Or real estate
- Approved options
- An EU country residence permit
- Schengen freedom
- For a long term
- EU status with prospects
- For the family
- Path to permanent residence
- Funds check
- Conditions are updated
- Transparency
How to get a residence permit
- 01Choosing the form of investment
- 02Preparing documents
- 03Investment and filing
- 04Review
- 05Hungarian residence permit
What you need to know
- Guest Investor — Hungary’s golden visa (residence permit) by investment
- The form is an investment in a fund or real estate
- It gives an EU country residence permit and Schengen freedom
- The status is long-term and extends to the family
- It opens the prospect of PR and naturalisation
Common mistakes
- Confusing residence by investment with instant citizenship
- Failing to evidence the source of funds
- Choosing the form of investment without regard to the goal
- Ignoring updates to the conditions and timelines
- Not planning the steps to PR in advance
What this means for a BRIDGES client
We handle Hungary’s Guest Investor programme end to end: we help choose the form of investment and prepare the documents and evidence of funds. We obtain an EU country residence permit with Schengen freedom for the whole family and set up the status as a step towards PR and naturalisation.
Frequently asked questions
01 /What is Guest Investor?
Hungary’s residence by investment programme — a “golden visa”. It gives an EU country residence permit and the right to travel freely in the Schengen area for an investment in a fund or real estate.
02 /Is it citizenship or a residence permit?
It is a residence permit of an EU country. Citizenship is not granted straight away, but the status can be built into a path to PR and naturalisation in the future.
03 /What must you invest in?
An approved investment fund or real estate. The main form is a stake in an accredited investment fund; the specific conditions are updated periodically.
04 /Does it extend to the family?
Yes, the residence permit is usually issued to the principal applicant and their family members. We include the family in the application from the start.
05 /What does a Hungarian residence permit give?
The right to live in Hungary and move freely in the Schengen area, do business and plan the move to EU permanent residence.
06 /Do you need to evidence the source of funds?
Yes, the origin of the money is checked. We prepare transparent evidence in advance so that the application goes through without delays.
See also
Read next


This material has undergone editorial review by BRIDGES.
EU residence through Hungary?
We will choose the form of investment for your goal and obtain a residence permit with Schengen freedom — as a step to PR and citizenship.