Employing refugees

ON THIS PAGE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT
• Employment of recognized refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection
• Employing family members of recognized refugees, subsidiary protection holders and temporary protection holders
• Employing beneficiaries of temporary protection
• Requesting Social Insurance Number (TAJ) for the employee

Employment of recognized refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

Under the Hungarian legislation persons with recognized refugee and subsidiary protection status have the same rights and obligations as Hungarian citizens regarding their employment rights. Accordingly, no special authorization is required for their employment. However, the employer is required to report about the employment of these status-holders to the government office acting as the state employment agency competent for the place of employment.

On the reporting requirements

Failure to comply with the reporting obligation is punishable by an administrative fine of up to HUF 500,000.

The starting date of employment must be reported at the latest on the starting date of employment, and the termination of the employment must be reported at the latest on the following day.

The report is required to contain the followings in a non-identifiable manner:

  • the number and age of employees,
  • educational qualifications, nationality,
  • the FEOR number of the job title,
  • type of employment relationship,
  • in the case of the employment of a relative, the status of the relative, and the statistical reference number of the employer,
  • whether the employment relationship has been established or has ended.

The government office will confirm that the report has been submitted and will keep a record of the data reported. The employer is obliged to keep the document and certificate on the establishment and termination of the employment for three years after the termination of the employment.

Employing family members of recognized refugees, subsidiary protection holders and temporary protection holders

Special authorization is not required for the employment of a family member of a recognized refugee, or subsidiary protection holder. The same preferential treatment applies to the parent or in the absence of a parent, the guardian of a minor, who is a recognized refugee or subsidiary protection holder, provided that the family member or the parent / guardian has a valid residence permit issued for the purpose of family reunification.

However, the reporting requirement applies to their employment, as well.

Furthermore, if you employ (1) the spouse of a recognized refugee, subsidiary protection holder or beneficiary of temporary protection, who has been living in Hungary for at least one year, or (2) the widow of a recognized refugee, subsidiary protection holder or beneficiary of temporary protection, who lived with the deceased in Hungary for one year before the death refugee, the authority will issue the authorization without examining the labor market situation.

For more information on your obligations as an employer please visit the webpage of the National Employment Service.

For the relevant legislation please check Government Decree 445/2013 of November 28.

Employing beneficiaries of temporary protection

Beneficiaries of temporary protection and applicants for temporary protection status have the right to work on the territory of Hungary without a permit, including through hiring out workers.

However, it is worth noting that beneficiaries of these statuses are still not allowed to work in positions that are linked to Hungarian citizenship.

The government has also opened the possibility of employing persons from Ukraine in the health sector. A person with a health professional qualification issued in Ukraine and attested by a state-recognized diploma or academic degree is entitled to work in the health sector without having to naturalize his or her professional qualifications in Hungary. However, the employed person is obliged to start the procedure for the naturalization of his or her qualifications.

(For the relevant legislation, please follow this link.)

Still, if you employ temporary protection status holders, you are obliged to report on their employment to the government office acting as the state employment agency competent for the place of employment.

The employer can also arrange childcare for the children of the temporary protection holders it employs. For this childcare the followings are applicable:

  • available for children up to the age of 14;
  • may be provided during the period requested by the parent, but no longer than between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays;
  • should be organized in small groups;
  • the county or metropolitan defense committee and the local government office (járási hivatal) responsible for public health must be notified about the establishment of such a childcare center no later than the day before the childcare center is to be opened.

For the legislative background of the childcare option, please follow this link.)

Requesting Social Insurance Number (TAJ) for the employee

For recognized refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

As recognized refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are considered residents under the relevant legislation, it is not the employer's responsibility to apply for a social security number.

For beneficiaries of temporary protection and applicants for the status

If you employ a beneficiary of temporary protection or temporary protection applicant, please note that they do not have a TAJ number, as they will only become entitled to it once they start working.

As an employer, you are obliged to submit the application for the TAJ to the health insurance body of the local government office (járási hivatal) where you are based. Alternatively, you can request its issuance online, on e-paper form (epapir.gov.hu).

If the application is complete, it will be processed within 8 days. If the application is missing some elements, a full procedure will be followed within 60 days, following a procedure to correct the incomplete application.

For a complete application you need to enclose the following documents:

  • a request form issued by the employer,
  • application form for the official certificate of the Social Insurance Number,
  • the employee's authorization,
  • a copy of the identity document of the person to be employed issued by the NDGAP,
  • proof of residence, which in case of temporary protection beneficiaries is issued by NDGAP,
  • employment contract.

For the relevant legislation, please follow this link (Article 12/A (8)) or seek out the relevant local government office (járási hivatal).