Hungary is stopping issuing worker visas to citizens of Georgia, Armenia, and the Philippines as part of efforts to regulate “inflow of guest workers,” Hungarian government spokeswoman Vanda Szondi announced, according to Reuters June 5 report. The measure was set to take effect on Friday, June 5.
Citing Szondi, Reuters reports that the new government led by Peter Magyar of the Tisza party is tightening work opportunities for guest workers over what she said were “concerns they are pushing down local salaries.” For this end, the government is amending a decree that previously allowed employment agencies to import workers from the three countries through a simplified procedure.
The report does not specify whether the workers from the three identified countries will still have employment opportunities in Hungary under any other procedure.
According to Reuters, foreign workers already residing in Hungary will still be able to apply for extensions of their existing permits, while applications submitted before the change of the rule will continue to be processed.
Hungary’s move follows a similar policy change adopted by Poland. Since December 1, 2025, Georgian citizens have no longer been eligible for Poland’s simplified employment procedure and must instead use the standard process, including obtaining a national D-type visa.
Polish authorities said at the time that the decision was influenced by several factors, including developments in Georgia’s political environment, ongoing works within the European Union regarding potential restrictions on visa-free travel, and a decline in the number of declarations of employment and seasonal work permits issued compared with 2024.
The move also comes as Georgia itself is curbing opportunities for guest workers to seek employment in Georgia, largely banning foreigners from working in courier and taxi services while complicating procedures for local companies that seek to employ foreigners, openly prioritizing the employment of the local workforce.
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