VISA questions

Think twice before you decide...I became a re-patriate in 2006 after 35 years. Not total but almost total failure and getting worse. Avoiding EU alltogether is a healthy, safe bet. Within EU - Hungary is the sickest cow now with the biggest mouth. But good luck - I warned you.

sicsok wrote:

Think twice before you decide...I became a re-patriate in 2006 after 35 years. Not total but almost total failure and getting worse. Avoiding EU alltogether is a healthy, safe bet. Within EU - Hungary is the sickest cow now with the biggest mouth. But good luck - I warned you.

I agree. Unless you have a special reason to come here, don't bother.

Hi divambb,

Welcome to Expat.com

Please note that a new discussion was created from your post on the Hungary forum for better visibility.

If you want to buy a house, I suggest you to post an advert in the section properties for sale in Hungary.

Thank you and good luck

Hasnaa
Expat.com Team

You should apply for the residence visa before you plan to move to Hungary. The process can take months to complete.

Hungary has a lot of problems, but so do many parts of the world. To me it is more a mind set that simply requires having your eyes wide open so you know what you are getting into and adjusting expectations accordingly. If that is done, then in many ways one can be as happy or miserable as one chooses to be.

However, one thing to seriously consider is the health system in Hungary has been beaten apart in the past few years. For anyone with persistent health issues, I honestly can not, at this time, recommend Hungary.

klsallee wrote:

........

Hungary has a lot of problems, but so do many parts of the world. To me it is more a mind set that simply requires having your eyes wide open so you know what you are getting into and adjusting expectations accordingly. If that is done, then in many ways one can be as happy or miserable as one chooses to be.

However, one thing to seriously consider is the health system in Hungary has been beaten apart in the past few years. For anyone with persistent health issues, I honestly can not, at this time, recommend Hungary.

I'd echo that.

Anyone coming here should not burn their bridges back in the old country - for example, rent your house/property out and do not sell it.  The situation in Hungary changes as much as the weather does currently. If you come from a country with house price inflation, you could find yourself priced out of the market back home and stuck in a foreign country with no way out.  This is a real issue where one partner dies and the other is left isolated. Spain has 1000s of expats, stuck there when one dies and the other cannot repatriate because there's no housing affordable back in the home country.

It's no surprise that Hungarians, an innovative as they are, only seem to manage real success outside. There's something strange about this actual country that limits anyone's ability to improve themselves. The big success is always away from here. I have no idea why, other than the political climate punishes people and being a small place, opportunities are limited.

On the health service, now that Obamacare is coming around in the USA, then perhaps being in the state health sector in Europe is not as attractive as it could be. But then again I know nothing much about the universality of Obamacare.

There are easier places to live that speak English and are in the EU - UK, Ireland, Malta or Cyprus. I would not put Hungary at the top of my list.

fluffy2560 wrote:

There's something strange about this actual country that limits anyone's ability to improve themselves. The big success is always away from here. I have no idea why

Cronyism is endemic and rife. Then add the social perception that the group is more important than the individual, and often the only way the youth can become upwardly mobile is to move horizontally to another country.

Hi,

I can't answer your original question, but I strongly advise against buying immediately. (and this is coming from from someone with a lovely little cottage to sell!)
Rent for a year or so, go see different parts of Budapest and the country, see what lifestyle your budget gets you each place. It's like completely different countries!

While you are at it, shop around in nearby countries: Life gets cheaper and more relaxed as you go south, better organized towards the north-west. There's so much to see, so much variety packed so close! Heck, if I were you, I'd get an RV instead.

The aforementioned healthcare situation is strongly dependent on your budget. Free, state-run healthcare will probably not meet your expectations. Or only for checkups and small things. But  depending on the area (Szentendre or upscale Buda districts for example), it might.
Alternatively if you can afford private healthcare, or an insurance that covers it, you'll be treated like royalty.

The same goes for most aspects of life:
Life in Hungary sucks if you have an average Hungarian income (which is roughly $1000 before taxes)
You'll have to go see how your budget compares.