Hungary: Everything About Life in the Country

Hungary is located in Central Europe and has no access to the sea. The country's own name is Magyarorszag. Its capital is the city of Budapest. Politically, it is a parliamentary republic. Hungary is part of the European Union. The countries it borders are:

• Slovakia - to the north;
• Austria - to the west;
• Slovenia and Croatia - to the southwest;
• Serbia - to the south;
• Romania - to the east;
• Ukraine - to the northeast.

Hungary is largely located on the plains of the Danube River. It is an industrial country with a dynamically developing economy. It has a rich history, with numerous architectural and natural landmarks that draw tourists here.

Hungary's population is about 9.6 million people. It is a largely mono-ethnic country - more than 92% of the population are Hungarian, and the most significant national minorities are Roma, Germans, Romanians and Slovaks. The country's area is 93,036 sq km, making Hungary the 108th-largest country in the world by this measure. Hungarian is spoken here, a language belonging to the Finno-Ugric group and unrelated to other European languages. The currency is the Hungarian forint.

Hungary's geography and nature

What do we know about Hungary from a geographical standpoint? It is a predominantly flat country, and most of its territory is taken up by fields, pastures, orchards and vineyards - winemaking is well developed in Hungary. Extensive forests remain in the northern part.

In the west lies the Alpokalja upland - the foothills of the Alps. Hungary's highest point is in the north, in the Western Carpathians. This is Mount Kekes (104 m above sea level).

The Danube River crosses the entire country from north to south. Hungary is also home to the largest lake in Central Europe - Lake Balaton, often called the "Hungarian sea." It offers plenty of opportunities for beach holidays and spa treatment.

Main regions:

• Central Hungary, where Budapest is located, is especially popular with tourists;
• the area around Lake Balaton attracts fans of balneological-oriented relaxation;
• Northern Hungary is a scenic area with forests and small towns;
• Transdanubia is a historic area to the west of the Danube;
• the Great Hungarian Plain is a region in the eastern part of the country, with distinctive traditions.

Hungary's climate

The climate is moderately continental. This means that summer in Hungary is relatively hot, and winter can be quite cold. The country often experiences droughts.

Tourists prefer to visit in spring or in the first half of autumn. In summer, the area around Lake Balaton, with its sanatoriums and resorts, is considered the best region for tourism.

For permanent residence, the southeast is often recommended. This region is warm, sunny and dry, although in summer the climate can seem even too dry. A rainier climate is found in the north and west of the country.

Hungary is one of the sunniest countries in Europe. The number of sunshine hours in Budapest is about 2,000 a year, most of which fall in the period from May to September.

The hottest month is July, and the coldest is January. But even in January, the temperature rarely drops below -10 °C.

History of Hungary

The state of Hungary emerged around the turn of the 900s and 1000s. Before that, the territory of what would become Hungary long belonged to the Roman Empire, then to the Avar Khaganate, and later fell within the sphere of influence of Great Moravia.

The nomadic Hungarians came to this territory from the Northern Black Sea region, having earlier migrated there from beyond the Urals. The period of wars during which they won themselves a new homeland is called in Hungarian history the "conquest of the homeland on the Danube." Soon after settling in Europe, the Hungarians adopted Catholicism. In 1001, Saint Stephen proclaimed himself king.

Hungary's subsequent history was extremely turbulent. The Hungarians fought with Bohemia and Rus, and the country suffered from internal conflicts. The national Arpad dynasty died out in the early 14th century, and the throne was later held by the Bohemian Premyslids, the Bavarian Wittelsbachs and representatives of the Angevin dynasty. In the 16th century, a significant part of the country fell under Ottoman rule, and it took more than 100 years to liberate these lands.

The new rulers were the Austrian Habsburgs. They were crowned in Budapest with the Hungarian crown, and Hungary itself, within the empire, held the status of a kingdom with broad autonomy. In 1848-49, the Hungarians rebelled in an attempt to gain independence, but the revolution ended in failure. The country gained independence only after World War I, with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, though it lost many lands it had historically considered its own in the process.

In 1941, Hungary entered World War II on Germany's side. After the defeat, under the name Hungarian People's Republic, it became part of the "Eastern bloc." In 1989, the country's name changed again, becoming the Republic of Hungary. Since 1999 Hungary has been a member of NATO, since 2004 of the European Union, and since 2007 part of the Schengen area.

Main cities of Hungary

Hungary's capital, the city of Budapest, stands on the Danube River. It was previously three separate cities - Buda, Obuda and Pest. They were merged in 1873. Budapest, with a population of about 1.7 million, is a modern metropolis with government buildings and a well-developed transport system. The city sees a lot of tourists.

But life in Hungary is not concentrated only in Budapest and its surroundings. The country's other cities include:

• Debrecen - the country's second-largest city, home to a university and an international airport;
• Szeged - the third-largest by population, bright, sunny, and known for its culinary traditions;
• Eger - a beautiful old city in the north of Hungary;
• Gyor - often called one of the country's most beautiful cities, especially known for its Baroque architecture;
• Pecs - one of the oldest Hungarian cities, home to a famous early Christian necropolis;
• Szekesfehervar - an ancient residence of the Hungarian kings, drawing tourists with its splendid historical architecture.

Among other Hungarian cities, Miskolc, Sopron and Kecskemet are also worth noting.

The variety of cities, each with its own character, makes it possible to choose the place you like best to live. As in other countries, life in the capital is somewhat more expensive. Accordingly, living in the Hungarian provinces costs less money, but there may also be fewer opportunities for work, leisure, education and healthcare. That said, thanks to Hungary's relatively small size, it's easy to travel from one city to another.

Transport in Hungary

Public transport is well developed in the country. Budapest has a metro that has been operating since 1896. It consists of four lines with more than 50 stations.

Buses run between cities, and rail services are also available.

Hungary's international airports are in Budapest and Debrecen. You can travel to other European countries, or come to Hungary from other European countries, by train or bus. Transport links are well developed with Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany and Slovenia.

From Budapest, you can easily travel to Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, Munich, Berlin, Rome and Warsaw.

Living in Hungary

Life in Hungary is appealing both to tourists and to those planning to move here for a long stay. Main advantages:

• a favorable location in the center of Europe - from here, with a Schengen visa, you can reach many countries, such as Austria or the Czech Republic, in just a few hours;
• the possibility of obtaining a residence permit through various routes for different categories of applicants - for students, financially independent individuals, owners of new businesses, those taking up employment at Hungarian companies, spouses of citizens of the country, digital nomads, and those wanting a residence permit under "special circumstances." One such circumstance is buying property in Budapest worth from EUR 155,000. Each type of residence permit has its own features - for example, keep in mind that buying property grants a temporary residence permit for a term of 5 years, with one extension for the same term, rather than the right to permanent residence;
• relatively low prices for housing and food - according to statistics, life here is 1.5-2 times cheaper than in Austria or Germany, and 2-2.5 times cheaper than in Norway and Denmark, and the official subsistence minimum is 4 times lower than in Austria;
• a comfortable climate without sharp temperature swings or prolonged rain, although summer may feel too hot for some;
• good environmental conditions - although the country has developed industry, enterprises comply with European emissions standards, and nature conservation gets considerable attention at every level of government;
• a well-developed education system - public and private schools are available to the children of foreigners with a residence permit, and the country has universities whose diplomas are highly regarded abroad and recognized in the EU, the UK and the US;
• plenty of leisure opportunities - Hungary has nightclubs, museums and art galleries. Lake Balaton and Lake Heviz attract not only those who love swimming and sunbathing, but also those coming for medical reasons. They are centers of balneological treatment in Hungary and are renowned for their healing mineral waters and thermal springs.
• there are routes for hiking and cycling and sightseeing at numerous landmarks, and national parks have been established.

It's also important that the local population is fairly welcoming toward newcomers - both tourists and those planning to live in Hungary long-term or move here permanently.

Permanent-residency status in Hungary is ongoing, but the permanent-residency card must be renewed every 5 years, in accordance with the requirements of the country's immigration law.

There are also some downsides, and it's worth having at least a general idea of them to understand what problems you might run into.

The language barrier can be a serious challenge. Hungarian is unlike the English, German or French that many are used to, and it differs significantly from Russian. It's often called one of the hardest languages in the world. For example, Hungarian has 25 grammatical cases, but no grammatical genders. It's advisable to start learning it in advance, before moving to the country. Without knowledge of the language it will be difficult to find work, call a doctor, or enroll a child in a public school. Without it, you also won't be able to obtain citizenship of the country after living there for 8 years.

Hungary has relatively high taxes for the country's tax residents. The flat personal-income-tax rate is 15%, and another 18.5% of salary is withheld as employment tax and contributions to the pension fund and health insurance fund. Value-added tax is 27%, one of the highest VAT rates in Europe.

A foreign national with a Hungarian residence permit keeps their tax-resident status only if they spend at least 183 days a year in the country. Violating this rule can mean losing tax-resident status, and in some cases the residence permit as well. If for any reason you need to leave Hungary for a long time, you must file an application with the migration service explaining the reasons for the extended absence. But even in this case, the total time spent outside Hungary should not exceed two years.

The unemployment rate in the country is fairly high. It often exceeds 10%. So it's better to move to Hungary if you have already found a job or are planning to start your own business.

Budapest is considered the most expensive city to live in. While food prices here are roughly on par with the Russian average, housing costs are very high. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center will cost around EUR 800 a month. Budapest is also a noisy, crowded metropolis. Those who want to save money and prefer peace and quiet would do better to look for housing on the outskirts.

Debrecen suits those who love a calm, measured life. It's a large city with well-developed modern infrastructure, but not as noisy and lively as Budapest.

Those who speak German reasonably well might want to consider Sopron. It's located on the border with Austria, and even street signs and nameplates here are bilingual - in Hungarian and German.