INSURANCE IN HUNGARY FOR THIRD COUNTRY DEPENDENTS
Based on the current immigration regulations, any third-country national may stay in Hungary for more than 90 days within any 180-day period, provided, among other conditions, that they are either covered for the full range of health care services or are capable of covering all costs related to their medical care.
The above condition will be satisfied by third-country nationals if, during the whole stay in Hungary, they fulfill at least one of the following requirements:
1. In line with the special legislation on social security services the person
a. must be considered insured (i.e. is possessing a valid SS Card /TAJ/) or,
b. has the right to use the services of the Hungarian health care system, based on an
individual agreement,
c. is entitled to use health care services on some other basis.
2. The person is allowed to use health care services similarly to those within the scope of the special
legislation, based on any business/corporate insurance outside the social security system,
providing coverage for accidents or health care issues.
3. The person is allowed to use services under conditions similarly to Hungarian insurance policy
holders, based on an international treaty or contract.
4. The person can cover the costs of the health care services he needs, evidenced by documents on
his livelihood.
1. THE INDIVIDUAL HEALTH CARE AGREEMENT
Any third-country employee, in case he is on local Hungarian payroll, is considered insured.
Dependents of a third-country employee are not considered insured based on the insured status
of such employee. Minor and adult dependents of a third-country employee may take an
individual insurance. (TAJ card)
Based on such insurance the insured shall pay a monthly premium with the understanding that
the coverage offered by such individual insurance is narrower than the medical services covered
by other health care insurance policies.
An authorized counselor of ARC can initiate the preparation of such insurance with the
government office, but after that the contracting person shall undergo a health assessment. The
location thereof is the country hospital, in the capital city it is the Szent Imre University Teaching
Hospital for adults, while it is the Heim Pal National Pediatric Institute for minors.
Prior to the health assessment exercise, a health status survey questionnaire shall be filled in and
signed. Based on the health assessment, diseases not covered in the insurance, as those excluded
from the social security coverage, will be determined.
For concluding an individual insurance, the availability of the residence permit and the address
registration will be verified.
In case the person to be insured is:
- Adult, the monthly contribution payable is 50% based on the minimum wages in force on
the day of taking the insurance, the minimum wage is HUF 290.800 as of the 1st of
January 2025, that is HUF 145.400 contribution per month for the TAJ card. - Younger than 18 years, the monthly contribution payable is 30% based on the minimum
wages in force on the day of taking the insurance, that is HUF 87.240 contribution per
month for the TAJ card. - A foreign national is a full-time student in Hungary at an academic institute,
the monthly contribution payable is 30% of the minimum wages in force on the day of
taking the insurance, that is HUF 87.240 contribution per month for the TAJ card.
The contribution due for the first month shall be payable upon taking the insurance, while any further
premium shall be due in advance, by the 12th day of the month preceding any further month of eligibility.
The coverage shall be in force as of the first day of the month following the conclusion of the insurance
policy, however using the full range of health care services will be allowed only from the first day of the
24th month following the start of the coverage, with three exceptions. The insurance can be used for
emergency services only from the first day of its start to the 24th month of its signing.
Eligibility for emergency care based on the individual agreement will be evidenced by a special certificate,
while the so-called TAJ Card will only be issued by the competent government office after the payment of
the 24 monthly premiums.
The 24-month period of reduced services may be redeemed through a one-time payment of the full 24-month premium.
Should the insured person redeem the “grace period” (i.e. will pay the premiums for 24 + 1 months), then
he will be eligible for using the health care services as of the first day of the month following taking the
insurance, subject to three exceptions regarding medical services.
Based on the individual insurance the person eligible for health care services can only claim emergency
care regarding dental care services.
The insured person is not eligible for using health services in an EEA state or in any Contracting State at
the expense of the Hungarian health care insurer, thus cannot claim the reimbursement of his expenses
paid for health services eventually used there either, as well as he cannot be accepted to a transplant
waiting list.
The insured person cannot use healing procedures unavailable in Hungary in another country at the
expense of the Hungarian health insurance system.
The insurance will be terminated if the contribution not paid as due, as well as it can be terminated by a
notice anytime.
It should also be noted that this insurance does not guarantee easy access to an English-speaking family doctor or specialist in urgent cases; therefore, it is advisable to check availabilities well in advance.
2. INSURANCE PRODUCTS OFFERED BY PRIVATE INSURERS IN HUNGARY
In Hungary, currently just two insurers offer insurance for foreign nationals. The annual premium for such insurance policies is considered attractive compared to the individual agreement described above, with an average yearly premium ranging from approximately HUF 150.000 to 300.000. The yearly premium depends on the number
of insured persons, their age, gender, and their health status too.
The health status of the person to be insured must be described on the phone, but the insurer may require
a preliminary health check too.
Minors cannot be insured alone, they can only be insured with at least one of their parents.
An advantage of this insurance is that the agency operates an English-speaking customer service to assist callers and refers them to private medical offices where both the staff and doctors typically speak English.
The main limitation of such insurance policies is that coverage is not comprehensive; certain services, such as hospital care, surgeries, and rehabilitation, are not included. The insured must accept the risks associated with these limitations. However, the insurance is recognized and accepted for immigration purposes.
3. PRODUCTS OFFERED BY INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE INSURERS
Several international insurers offer international insurance plans. (E.g. AETNA, MARSH,
CIGNA, Blue Shield) Any third-country national may take such insurance before entering Hungary. Those
insurances are accepted for the immigration procedure, however, they also have limits, thus coverage is not comprehensive.
Typically, the insured does not pay for the service using an insurance card, but rather pre-finances the cost with their own funds and subsequently seeks reimbursement from the insurer.
4. PRODUCTS OF PRIVATE CLINICS IN HUNGARY
Most private clinics in Hungary offer services for a yearly fixed fee. There are different packages, the yearly
fees vary between HUF 150.000 and 500.000
Those service providers have English-speaking customer service and personnel; however, they do not offer
emergency hospital and in-patient services. Their services can only be used at their clinics, including certain
“smaller surgeries”, but their fees do not cover hospitalization in state-run establishments.
Such providers are e.g. Swiss Clinic, Medicover, Rózsakert Medical, Waberers Medical or Doktor24.
5. COVERAGE OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES PROVEN BY DOCUMENTS ON LIVELIHOOD
In case a third-country national is not considered insured, he can prove that he can cover the costs of any
necessary health care service. Such proof can be a bank account statement on savings first of all. There is
no minimum amount specified in any legal regulation in this regard, as a rule, some EUR 50.000 to
100.000 are accepted.
The above information is not comprehensive, and for any specific case, we recommend a thorough review of the PES. This summary is intended to provide an overview of available options; for individual cases, consulting with an insurance professional is strongly advised.