CARE AND BENEFITS PROVIDED FOR BENEFICIARIES OF TEMPORARY PROTECTION
Care and benefits beneficiaries of temporary protection are entitled to
Beneficiary of temporary protection means a person who has been granted protection pursuant to Section 19(a) of Act LXXX of 2007 on Asylum,
a) a Ukrainian citizen residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022,
b) a stateless person or a non- Ukrainian third-country national who was granted international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, or
c) a family member of a person as per Point a) and b).
If the asylum authority grants the application in the procedure for recognition as a beneficiary of temporary protection, the fact that the applicant is recognised as a beneficiary of temporary protection shall be recorded in the asylum register.
A person recognised as a beneficiary of temporary protection by Hungary enjoys the right of asylum. Right of asylum is a right to reside within the territory of Hungary, furthermore, it is protection against refoulement, expulsion and extradition.
The beneficiary of temporary protection has the right to return to Hungary from abroad, for this purpose, Hungarian diplomatic missions or consular posts issue a single re-entry travel document.
1. Residence document of beneficiaries of temporary protection
A beneficiary of temporary protection is issued a residence permit document (a plastic card) containing biometric data in a specific form and with specific data content, certifying his/her identity, the lawfulness of his/her stay in Hungary, as well as his/her entitlement to care and benefits.
Pursuant to Section 2 and 3 of Government Decree No. 30/2024 (of 22 February), amending Government Decree No. 86/2022 (of 7 March) on the emergency rules relating to persons recognised as eligible for temporary protection, as well as on the divergent application of the rules of Act CVI of 2011 on public employment and the amendment of acts related to public employment, and other acts, the date of expiry of the document (residence permit) certifying the identity and right of residence of foreign nationals fleeing from the Russian-Ukrainian war and recognised as beneficiaries of temporary protection automatically changed to 4 March 2025.
Pursuant to the abovementioned legal provision, residence permit documents issued to beneficiaries of temporary protection before 4 March 2024 are valid up until 4 March 2025 under the legislation, regardless that the date of expiry is being indicated as ‘4 March 2023’ or ’4 March 2024’ on the documents.
Concerning these documents no further actions are required to be taken either by the clients with status of beneficiary of temporary protection or by the asylum authority.
A document is issued for to a foreign national recognised as a beneficiary of temporary protection certifying his/her residence in Hungary, which in itself does not entitle the beneficiary of temporary protection to cross any of the borders of the European Union or its internal borders.
However, its holder – after crossing the border in accordance with the applicable rules – is entitled to a stay within the territory of other Member States of the European Union – other than Hungary – for a period not exceeding 90 days within the 180-day period from the time of his/her entry.
With regards to the entry of the beneficiary of temporary protection into a Member State of the European Union other than Hungary and later to the stay of the beneficiary of temporary protection in a Member State of the European Union other than Hungary, we recommend to contact the aliens policing/border police authority of the foreign country of destination, as the Hungarian asylum authority does not have jurisdiction in this matter.
The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing shall send the residence document certifying the status of beneficiary of temporary protection by post to the address in Hungary provided by the applicant. Please read the information sheet enclosed with the document certifying the status of beneficiary of temporary protection.
For the successful delivery of official consignments (document certifying the status of beneficiary of temporary protection, regular subsistence allowance, etc.), it is essential that you notify the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of your new address in the event of a changing your place of accommodation.
We recommend that you indicate your name on the mailbox of the property where you and your relatives are living, in a way that is clearly visible to the delivery personnel, and that you check the contents of the mailbox regularly (several times a week).
Subject to the Act on the Registration of Personal Data and Residential Addresses of Citizens, the beneficiaries of temporary protection shall not be issued an official document certifying their residential address (i.e. ‘lakcímkártya’).
The asylum authority shall issue an official certificate on the place of accommodation designated to him/her (i.e. ‘hatósági bizonyítvány a nyilvántartott szállsáhelyről’) at the request of the respective beneficiary of temporary protection. (See Section 6 (1) of Government Decree No. 86/2022 (of 7 March).)
When dealing with/acting on official business, as well as when availing of services and care/benefits to which the beneficiary of temporary protection is entitled, the beneficiary of temporary protection must take with him/her his/her residence document and an official certificate stating the address of his/her accommodation in Hungary and present it before the acting authority or service provider concerned.
2. Regular subsistence allowance
Pursuant to current legal provisions in force (See Government Decree No. 106/2022 (of 12 March), only recognised beneficiaries of temporary protection are entitled to a regular subsistence allowance.
2.1. Amount of the regular subsistence allowance: amount of subsidy for adults: HUF 22,800/capita/month, amount of subsidy for minors: HUF 13,700/capita/month.
2.2. Conditions of payment of the regular subsistence allowance
2.2.1. As a condition of payment of the regular subsistence allowance, beneficiaries of temporary protection – those eligible for employment as well as those not eligible for employment above the age of 6 – are required to fulfil his/her obligation to appear every month, i.e. during the month preceding the payment –, before the district office (i.e. ‘járási hivatal/kerületi hivatal’, hereinafter referred to as district office) as per the place of accommodation or the place of residence designated to him/her. The legal representative of a beneficiary of temporary protection who is over 6 but under 18 years of age can fulfil the obligation to appear instead of him/her.
The asylum authority pays the regular subsistence allowance to beneficiaries of temporary protection under the age of 6 as well; however, they are not obliged to appear before the district office.
If the beneficiary of temporary protection does not comply with the obligation to appear before the competent district office of his/her place of accommodation or designated place of residence, he/she cannot claim a subsequent payment of the subsistence allowance for the given month. (See Section 4 (4d) a) of Government Decree No. 106/2022 (of 12 March).)
The district office shall inform the asylum authority about the fact of fulfilment of the obligation to appear.
2.2.2. The beneficiary of temporary protection of adult age who is eligible for employment and the minor beneficiary of temporary protection who has reached the age of 16 are obliged to register as applicants for services before the district office as per their place of accommodation in Hungary and cooperate with the district office before receiving the first regular subsistence allowance.
The person who is eligible for employment is obliged to accept the suitable job offered to him/her, including an offer of public employment, within 45 days of receiving the first regular subsistence allowance, in cooperation with the district office.
The rules of Act IV of 1991 on the promotion of employment and unemployment benefits and Act CVI of 2011 on public employment and the amendment of acts related to public employment, and other acts shall apply with regards to suitable employment.
A person eligible for employment is not obliged to accept the job offered to him/her if
a) at the time of the offer of employment, he/she is in an employment relationship with an employer in Hungary and the Hungarian employer certifies it,
b) is obliged to provide care for a minor under the age of three, or
c) is a student in full-time regular school education system and has not reached the age of 18.
2.3. Payment of the regular subsistence allowance
Please note that the regular subsistence allowance is neither paid at the Client Service Offices of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing nor at the district office!
The regular subsistence allowance is paid in arrears, i.e. for the first time during the month following the month in which the person is recognised as a beneficiary of temporary protection, via post or by bank transfer to a Hungarian bank account indicated when registering as an applicant for services. For this reason, it is essential that the person recognised as a beneficiary of temporary protection notifies the district office or the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of the new address in the event of a change of his/her place of accommodation.
Please note that if the beneficiary of temporary protection will not accept/receive the subsistence allowance paid via post, he/she cannot claim a subsequent payment for that month. (See Section 4 (4d) b) of Government Decree No. 106/2022 (of 12 March).)
The asylum authority will not pay the regular subsistence allowance for the month during which the beneficiary of temporary protection
a) earns an income from employment under a public employment relationship or in an employment relationship with an employer in Hungary,
b) receives an old-age pension from the Hungarian pension scheme, or
c) receives an old-age pension from abroad and is able to collect it in Hungary.
Termination of the payment of the regular subsistence allowance
If a suitable job is offered to a beneficiary of temporary protection who is eligible for employment and the beneficiary of temporary protection will not accept it despite being obliged to do so, the asylum authority shall terminate the payment of the regular subsistence allowance. The district office shall inform the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of the fact of refusal of the job offered within 5 days from the refusal.
3. Employment
A person recognised as beneficiary of temporary protection is entitled to undertake a job within the territory of Hungary, including jobs undertaken through a temporary-work agency.
A person recognised as beneficiary of temporary protection can undertake public employment.
4. Business activities
A beneficiary of temporary protection is not allowed to be self-employed and to establish a business organisation.
5. Education, care and training of a beneficiary of temporary protection of minor age
Beneficiaries of temporary protection who are responsible for the care of minors are entitled to receive day-care centre services and care, kindergarden careprovision, education and services, as well as services of the “Sure Start Children’s Home” (i.e. ‘Biztos Kezdet Gyerekház’) for the minor(s) concerned under the same conditions as Hungarian citizens pursuant to Section 3 of Government Decree No. 106/2022 (of 12 March).
From the date of submission of the application for recognition as beneficiary of temporary protection, the minor is entitled to participate in public education under the same conditions as Hungarian citizens and is also subject to compulsory schooling. Public education obliged children of kindergarden age (from the age of 3) and children of compulsory school age may attend free kindergarden and school education, as well as receive kindergarden and school public education services at the competent public education establishment as per their place of accommodation. (See Section 92 (1) (a); Section 92 (3)-(4) of Act CXC of 2011 on national public education.)
In case the beneficiary of temporary protection is responsible for provision of care to a child or a student, at his or her request, the child or student – pursuant to Section 3/A (1) of Government Decree No. 106/2022 (of 12 March) – is entitled to receive free meals for children provided by the institutions and during holidays in accordance with Act XXXI of 1997 on the Protection of Children and Administration of Guardianship (hereinafter referred to as Act on Guardianship) for a period of 6 months after submitting the respective application. In case of social need, the child or student in the care of the applicant is entitled to meals for children provided by the institutions and during holidays after the end of the period indicated above in accordance with Act on Guardianship.
Enrolment: at the competent educational establishment with territorial responsibility as per the place of accommodation of the beneficiary of temporary protection.
Beneficiaries of temporary protection residing in the territory of Hungary are entitled to pursue studies in higher education institutions with full or partial scholarships of the Hungarian Government or in self-financed programmes in accordance with Act on National Higher Education. (See Section 39 (1) b) of Act CCIV of 2011)
When receiving the listed educational and care providing services, as well as education, the beneficiary of temporary protection must take with him/her his/her residence document and an official certificate stating the address of his/her accommodation in Hungary and present it before the service provider concerned.
6. Reimbursement of document translation costs
At the request of the beneficiary of temporary protection, the asylum authority – in order to facilitate social integration – takes over the cost of translation into Hungarian of documents issued before recognition, such as that of birth certificates and marriage certificates, as well as documents certifying schooling, education or vocational qualifications. This form of aid is not available for use in the naturalisation procedure.
An application for reimbursement of translation costs is required to be submitted to the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, the enclosures of the application are the following:
a) the original document to be translated, and
b) a certificate issued by the educational establishment attesting to the level of education required for the continuation or commencement of studies, or a certificate issued by the employer attesting to the specific professional qualification(s) required for the employment.
If the beneficiary of temporary protection does not have a certificate issued by the educational establishment or by the employer, the certificate shall be replaced by a declaration on the purpose of the translation of the document.
Reimbursement of document translation costs is possible only if the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, as the asylum authority, has approved the application for translation of the beneficiary of temporary protection. In such cases, the translation will be ordered by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.
Reimbursement of costs of translations ordered and already paid by the beneficiary of temporary protection before the approval of his/her application for translation may not be claimed subsequently.
7. Health care
A person recognised as beneficiary of temporary protection is entitled to the following health care services free of charge, if (s)he is not covered by social security:
· primary care;
· specialised medical care or hospital care in cases of urgent need (a person in need of special treatment, e.g.: an unaccompanied minor, an elderly person, a disabled person, or a pregnant woman is entitled to specialised medical care and hospital care not only in cases of urgent need)
· prenatal care, obstetric care;
· public health care services – medicines;
· oncology patient care and other types of care for chronic patients;
· emergency dental care and orthodontic (i.e. tooth-retaining) treatments.
Place of receiving care: competent health care institution with territorial responsibility. The beneficiary of temporary protection must take with him/her his/her residence document and an official certificate stating the address of his/her place of accommodation in Hungary and present it before the service provider concerned when using the listed healthcare services.
8. Payment of the costs of public health funerals
If the person obliged to arrange for the burial of the person applying for recognition as beneficiary of temporary protection does not exist or cannot be found, or if the person obliged to arrange for the burial of the person fails to fulfil his/her obligation, the mayor of the local government of the place of death shall, within thirty days of becoming aware of the death, arrange for the burial of the deceased person under municipal authority.
The costs of the public burial will be reimbursed to the local government by the asylum authority. The claim for reimbursement must be submitted to the asylum authority within two months of the date of the order for the public health funeral.
Accomodation
The committees on protection of the county government offices are responsible for the tasks of providing accommodation and care to persons applying for recognition as beneficiary of temporary protection or beneficiaries of temporary protection. Thus, the protection administration systems provide accommodation to those in need.
Please note that, under the current applicable legislation, a person who applies for recognition as a beneficiary of temporary protection is not entitled to receive regular subsistence allowance until he or she is effectively recognised.
