I have known Brenda since 2022, and it took me far too long to learn that she is a qualified lawyer from Chile. This year she decided to start a business in Hungary, a Korean skincare shop called Areumi Lab. Her story answers a question I hear at almost every event:...
Last verified: 6 October 2026. PROPOSAL, NOT LAW. The government put this draft out for public consultation on 6 October 2026. Parliament has not voted on it. Today's KATA rules still apply until a law says otherwise. Freelancers keep asking me one thing: what if my...
Last verified: September 2026 Andrew and I spend a lot of time travelling between Budapest and our little place near Balaton, so we see very different versions of everyday Hungary. We eat in city restaurants, stop at small countryside places and grab coffees on the...
Updated August 2026. What changed this year: Hungary's 2024 immigration overhaul is now fully in force, so the newer permit names (guest worker, guest self-employment, White Card) sit alongside the older family reunification permit. That mix is why so many people miss...
The storks are back in Hungary. The hills still look muted, yet the grass is pushing through. Next week, Andrew and I will reopen our wine house for the season. It feels like stepping into a second life. But that house on the wine hill is not where we legally exist....
Chasing Winter and Tax Cards I can’t quite believe I’m typing this, but this is my 98th post on the HOW TO HUNGARY INSIDER blog. Writing about the inner workings of Budapest for nearly a hundred articles has taught me one thing: for every beautiful sunset over the...
Yesterday, Hungary officially confirmed the date of Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections 2026. While most of us are still slipping on icy pavements and wondering why winter feels personal this year, April has suddenly become very real. And, almost on cue, the questions...
As watch the bins being hauled out this morning - first chilly one of October - I realised our street in Budapest looked a little more alert than usual. Lids properly shut. No artful pyramids of recycling. It’s not paranoia: MOHU waste collection rules 2025 kicked in...
The shift is undeniable: autumn has arrived. The rain has broken the summer heat, and Budapest feels lighter, brighter, and a little more alive. Andrew and I are spending more time back in the city, and it’s already shaping up to be a busy September. September 17th...
Money doesn’t stay behind when you move countries. It follows you - in all its messy, complicated forms. Pensions. Taxes. Healthcare costs you didn’t think about until the first time you need a doctor. Even the exchange rate that suddenly makes your monthly budget...
I’m Anikó Woods, a Canadian-Hungarian who’s been knee-deep in life here since 2017 - bureaucracy, culture, and everything in between.
Hungary can be a maze of paperwork, surprises, and cultural oddities – but you don’t have to figure it all out the hard way. Join my exclusive newsletter, and you’ll get:
Get the real, unfiltered advice about living in Hungary you won’t find anywhere else. Join now and be part of the conversation!