ON THIS PAGE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT
• Eligibility conditions
• Accommodation subsidies for employers
As of 21 August 2024, new regulations provide for the housing of refugees from Ukraine. Private accommodation providers are no longer able to conclude a contract directly with the government. In order to accommodate refugees, the Government enters into contract exclusively with the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta (Malta). Malta may decide to contract private accommodation providers for the provision of accommodation.
Municipalities are still eligible to conclude a contract with the Government for accommodating refugees.
After August 20 the government subsidizes the accommodation costs exclusively of those refugees from Ukraine – including Ukrainian–Hungarian dual nationals –, who arrive from the “war-affected territories” of Ukraine. The list of these territories is available on the Government’s website and will be updated on a monthly basis.
Eligibility conditions
Only those temporary protection applicants from Ukraine are eligible for subsidized housing, who arrive from the “war-affected territories” of Ukraine, given that they apply for the temporary protection within one month after their arrival.
- The subsidy can be claimed until the decision of the authorities.
- If the person was recognized as a beneficiary of temporary protection, the subsidy can be claimed until the last day of the month following the recognition.
- If the application for recognition has been rejected and the decision cannot be appealed against, no accommodation subsidy may be granted after the person who has made the same application during a repeated procedure.
After the recognition of their temporary protection status only those who arrive from the “war-affected territories” of Ukraine and fall under one of the following vulnerability criteria are eligible for subsidized accommodation:
- Pregnant women
- Persons under the age of 18 and one of their parents/guardian (if the parent/guardian lives in the same household)
- Persons with a disability and his or her caregiver
- Persons over the age of 65
Ukrainian – Hungarian dual nationals are eligible for subsidized accommodation only if they fall under one of the above listed vulnerability criteria and arrive from the “war-affected territories” of Ukraine.
Whether someone arrives from the war-affected areas of Ukraine can be assessed based on their Ukrainian ID cards or proof of residence registrations obtained from government databases (GYIJÁ/CNAP).
Accommodation subsidies for employers
The Government arranges for housing subsidy for employers if they provide accommodation for the employed beneficiaries of temporary protection or dual nationals, given that the following criteria are met:
- the employee is a beneficiary of temporary protection or a dual national
- the employment takes place in Hungary
- the contract for employment is for a fixed or indefinite period of at least 20 hours per week
Additionally, if a minor under the age of 16 is living in the same household as the employee, the minor must be enrolled in public education until end of primary school in order for the employee to qualify for the housing subsidy.
The accommodation provider and the employer have to conclude a contract for the accommodation of the employee. The employer is required to enclose this contract to the application for the subsidy. Under the contract, the employer needs to first settle the payment to the accommodation provider and only then is him or her entitled to claim the housing subsidy.
The application must be submitted electronically or at the competent Government Office by using the form published on the website of the National Employment Service (Nemzeti Foglalkoztatási Szolgálat). The subsidy is paid to the employer on a monthly basis. The amount is equal to the monthly accommodation fee under the accommodation contract, but
- if the accommodation is located in a so-called “preferred small settlement”, the maximum monthly amount is HUF 120 000,
- if the accommodation is located in any other type of settlement, the maximum monthly amount is HUF 80 000.
Employers are no longer entitled to the housing subsidy if any of the following conditions are met:
- the employment is terminated;
- the employer fails to fulfil an obligation in relation to the subsidy;
- the legal conditions of the subsidy had not been met;
- the accommodation contract is terminated;
- the enrolment of the minor under the age of 16 in public education terminates before completing primary school.
For more information, please visit the webpage of the National Employment Service.
Please find the relevant legislation here.
