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resdiency permit health cover

resdiency permit health cover

Old Mar 15th 2018, 12:00 pm
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Default resdiency permit health cover

Hi Everyone,

we are retiring to Hungary this May, but neither my wife or myself are eligible for UK state pension yet.

We are shortly going to be applying for a temporary residence permit (taj card?), and I have a query re health cover. I understand that when you have had a taj card for 9 months you are then eligible to pay monthly contributions to the hungarian nhs at the same rate ad hungarian nationals, and that is what we intend to do.

My question is regarding health cover when we initially apply for the taj card. I have read elsewhere that you can effectively sign a declaration at that point stating that you will provide your own health arrangements.

Frankly, our intention is to wing it for 9 months, then start paying the contributions as above. My question is regarding the declaration - is there a specific document/form we need to sign and take with us when applying for the taj card, or do they produce the document at the interview which we can sign at that point?
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Old Mar 15th 2018, 1:12 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

I think you are slightly confused with the residence permit and the taj card:

You get the residence permit first (i.e. apply now and get it same day). The application form requires you to either have your own medical insurance (i.e. EHIC) or you will pay for it on a payg basis. So simply answer YES - I Have Health Insurance. You are making out you need a residence permit on the basis of you working in hungary or living (i.e. owning a property) in Hungary.

Once you have the residence permit, nine months later you visit the taj office for a taj card to bring your monthly medical insurance contributions down to around 7,000 HUF. If you apply for a taj card soon after getting a residence permit, you will be paying hundreds of pounds each month (i.e. £300+) until the nine months have happened. Only then do you drop to 7,000 HUF per month.

In other words: Do not state to the Hungarian immigration office you are retiring in Hungary. Just say you are taking a year or so off from the UK to spend time sightseeing Hungary (use brexit as an excuse!) whereby your Hungarian address is your base. Then prove you can support yourself during that time by stuffing a few thousand bank into your uk bank account (show money for the hungarian immigration office only).
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Old Mar 15th 2018, 1:17 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

BTW. You will still need to pay the base TAJ insurance even if you have a private insurance. Whether or not that private insurance covers your base taj insurance or not is between you, your insurance company and your insurance plan.
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Old Mar 16th 2018, 3:43 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Thanks for the advice, Szeged, I think that is exactly what we are going to do.
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Old Apr 4th 2018, 6:12 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Hi Szeged,

just one more question, If we go the route you suggest will immigration be knocking on our door after six months to see why we are still in the country? In other words, if we say that we are initially only staying for that period will we need to reapply to stay longer afterwards?
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 12:49 am
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

To be perfectly honest, I do not think they would even issue you a residence permit for six months unless you had a job in Hungary that was time limited in that way (i.e. a six month work contract).

As said: DO NOT mention you are retiring, staying 6 months only, etc otherwise they probably would not issue you a residence permit. And even if you did get a 6 month residence permit, it would expire whereby YES you would need to apply again. Remember, the idea behind the residence permit is that you are resident in that country, and perhaps another (I.e. England) whereby you need to be permitted to come and go as you please (i.e. you need permission to multiple re-entry); hence 'residence permit'.

I, like many on this forum, come back and fourth between England and Hungary when it pleases me. Why? Because I have a residence permit. I am not obliged to be in one country or the other for a set period of time.
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 9:44 am
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Hi Szeged,

sorry to keep on - I think I'm getting increasingly dense as each year goes bye!

If I have it correctly, we basically tell immigration that we will be frequently travelling to Hungary to our property, and spending more than 90 days per year there - hence the need for a residency permit.

Fine, but what will we need to prove that we are solvent? We have plenty of money in the bank, but no evidence of regular income until we start to rent out our uk property. What are immigration going to want to see?
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 11:09 am
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Originally Posted by clive bradbury
Hi Szeged,

Fine, but what will we need to prove that we are solvent? We have plenty of money in the bank, but no evidence of regular income until we start to rent out our uk property. What are immigration going to want to see?
When I applied for my residency, I just showed my previous three months bank statements up to that date. When asked about my income, I said that I get paid in cash often due to the type of work I do… they were fine with that !
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 11:27 am
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

We were also asked for 3 months bank statements. We were also asked for individual written statements as to why we were coming to Hungary & confirmed in these that we were retiring here. No problems with any of this. Received our registration immediately and address card 2 weeks later. Signed up for tax number also. 12 months on we signed up for & received our TAJ cards.
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 11:47 am
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Originally Posted by clive bradbury
If I have it correctly, we basically tell immigration that we will be frequently travelling to Hungary to our property, and spending more than 90 days per year there - hence the need for a residency permit.
Correct. As is Hobgoblin's and Expatrick's advice. If you really want to be sure of your case/circumstances, there would only be one other thing to do and that would be to get a letter from your letting agent in the uk to say something like:

Dear mr smith, having looked at the property you are considering renting out in September 2018, I can tell you it would command a monthly rental income of between £500-£700.

However, that would be on the basis I thougt (had a feeling) I needed extra power in my HU immigration application. As other have stated though, HU immigration is actually more relaxed and should not need that level of investigation.

I always take my HU Wife's advice. Quote "The HU immigration, TAJ office and taxman aren't going to want to speak English and communicate with the UK to that level".

And that is true. We have many hu and english friends who have done the taj office for example whereby the HU officials have gone all high and mighty with "the requirements" at first, but then backed down when they realised even they would need to contact the uk and hmrc. Its as if they get nervous of the English language!
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 11:52 am
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

I know things are often different in the Metropolis but we had absolutely no problems with OEP, they were extremely helpful & on the ball!
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 1:34 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

We were fortunate by the sound of it when we moved over here. We started the ball rolling before our actual move and became quite friendly with the young lady dealing with us. It was always the same woman each time we visited. In the end we didn't have to provide any bank statements and our income was very minimal.
That was 10 years ago in Eger.
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Old Apr 5th 2018, 1:35 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Thanks for the advice, everyone. We had planned on getting a letter re rental value from the agent just in case.
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Old Apr 22nd 2018, 5:55 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

Originally Posted by Szeged
I think you are slightly confused with the residence permit and the taj card:

You get the residence permit first (i.e. apply now and get it same day). The application form requires you to either have your own medical insurance (i.e. EHIC) or you will pay for it on a payg basis. So simply answer YES - I Have Health Insurance. You are making out you need a residence permit on the basis of you working in hungary or living (i.e. owning a property) in Hungary.

Once you have the residence permit, nine months later you visit the taj office for a taj card to bring your monthly medical insurance contributions down to around 7,000 HUF. If you apply for a taj card soon after getting a residence permit, you will be paying hundreds of pounds each month (i.e. £300+) until the nine months have happened. Only then do you drop to 7,000 HUF per month.

In other words: Do not state to the Hungarian immigration office you are retiring in Hungary. Just say you are taking a year or so off from the UK to spend time sightseeing Hungary (use brexit as an excuse!) whereby your Hungarian address is your base. Then prove you can support yourself during that time by stuffing a few thousand bank into your uk bank account (show money for the hungarian immigration office only).
Hi, my UK partner will move to Hungary to live with me soon. (Im a British/Hungarain citizen) Retiring, but not on state pension, so no prooved income.Iam confused about the heath cover... so my understanding is that he can apply for TAJ card after 9 months...until then...EHIC card ok or does he need health insurance as well? (what kind? normal health insurance at a hungarian health insurance company?)

Thanks , Szentgal
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Old Apr 22nd 2018, 6:41 pm
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Default Re: resdiency permit health cover

As said, if you are planning retirement go to HU nine months before retirement, as a property owner and/or worker, whereby you apply for a residence permit based on those facts. On the immigration interview form state YES I HAVE MY OWN INSURANCE (the EHIC Card). With a sucessful claim and therefore a residence permit and address card in hand, you wait out the nine months and therefore avoid paying £300 per month of proper insurance for those nine months.

The immigration office (application process) just want to know that in an emergency you are covered (which the EHIC Card does). I have used the EHIC twice in HU, both requiring hospital treatment (one in intensive care - I blamed the Dreher!!).

The alternative is that you pay the proper TAJ insurance because you register with the TAJ office straight away (i.e. soon after arriving in HU), but why pay £300 per month if you know you will not get seriously ill? As said, EHIC covers accidents and emergencies to a level of a "normal accident". Obviously, if you have an ongoing condition such as diabetes or illness that requires constant hospital review you would be wise to bite the bullett and pay TAJ straight away.

Helpers can recommend a good health insurance policy/plan for a reasonable monthly fee. And I am sure others on this forum can suggest other insurance companies. With you being Hungarian you should have the advantage of knowing the language of course.
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