Working in Hungary could become considerably easier for some non-EU professionals under a new European Commission proposal designed to speed up the recognition of qualifications obtained outside the European Union. The planned rules could cut procedures that currently take more than a year to around four months.
The European Commission unveiled the measures on 15 September 2026 as part of its new Fair Labour Mobility package, a broader set of proposals aimed at making it easier for workers to move across the EU while reducing administrative burdens for employers.
According to the European Commission, recognition procedures for qualifications obtained outside the EU currently take an average of around 14 months. Under the proposed common standards, that could fall to approximately four months. The Commission says the changes could also cut employers’ administrative costs related to recruiting qualified workers from abroad by as much as half.
What could change for non-EU professionals working in Hungary?
At present, third-country nationals who want to work in a regulated profession in an EU member state generally have to have their professional qualifications recognised under the national rules of the country where they intend to work.
That means someone planning on working in Hungary may face a different procedure from a professional with the same qualification applying in Austria, Germany or another EU country.
The Commission now wants to introduce common EU standards for recognising qualifications obtained outside the bloc. The planned system would cover both EU citizens who obtained their qualifications in a non-EU country and third-country nationals who are already in the Single Market or are applying from abroad.
The objective is not to remove professional requirements, but to make the assessment process quicker and more predictable across member states.
For foreigners considering working in Hungary, this could therefore mean less uncertainty about how long recognition will take and what documents and procedures they will face.
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Seven professions could receive special treatment
The proposal goes particularly far for seven regulated professions for which EU-wide minimum training requirements already exist.
These are doctors, general care nurses, dentists, midwives, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons and architects.
Under the Commission’s plan, qualifications awarded by accredited institutions outside the EU could be recognised automatically if the institutions and programmes concerned have undergone the required European quality-assurance assessment.
The seven professions already benefit from an automatic recognition system for qualifying EU credentials under existing European rules. The new proposal could extend a comparable route to certain qualifications obtained outside the bloc.
This could be especially significant in professions where European countries are struggling to recruit sufficiently qualified staff.
Recognition would not automatically give the right to work in Hungary
There is, however, an important distinction for non-EU citizens.
Having a professional qualification recognised would not in itself grant someone the right to enter Hungary, live in the country or take up employment.
The European Commission explicitly states that EU member states would retain control over who is admitted to their territory and over the standards professionals must meet before they can practise a regulated profession.
In practice, a third-country national interested in working in Hungary could therefore still need the appropriate residence and employment authorisation even if recognition of their professional qualification becomes faster.
The proposal is consequently aimed at removing one major administrative obstacle rather than replacing national immigration rules.
When could the new rules take effect?
Nothing will change immediately. The measures presented by the Commission are legislative proposals and still need to be considered and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
If approved, the changes would be introduced gradually. The Commission says simpler recognition of non-EU qualifications should become available within two years of the legislation being adopted. Other elements of the wider package, including digital qualifications and changes affecting regulated professions, are expected to follow within three years.
The wider package would also introduce digital tools for qualifications and social security documents, while strengthening EU-level cooperation against abuses involving mobile and third-country workers.
For non-EU professionals considering working in Hungary, the proposal is therefore worth following closely. It would not remove immigration requirements or guarantee that every foreign qualification is accepted, but it could make one of the most complicated parts of entering a regulated European profession substantially faster and more transparent.
As we wrote earlier: what is the fate of guest workers in Hungary? Serious dilemma amid labour shortage
Read here more news about guest workers in Hungary.
