OBJECTIVES: The number of citizens from third countries (outside of European Union or stateless) permanently living in Hungary is 205 000, and annually ca. 23000 people get permit to settle. Current study aims at exploring what group of foreigners, when and for what type of service use publicly financed health care. METHODS: Data was retrieved from National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary (NHIFA) and Central Statistical Office. Current study’s base was processing the last five years’ statistical data (2007-2012), concerning health care of third country citizens permanently living in Hungary. We analyzed the volume, place and medical specialty of these services. RESULTS: In the last 5 years third country citizens required inpatient care 9414 times (61% in Budapest), emergency care 11776 times (63% in Budapest), out-patient care 72306 times (57% in Budapest). Patient accessed health care providers due to medical problems in the following medical fields: obstetrics (19%), surgery (18%), laboratory (18%), pediatrics (7%), and ophthalmology (6%). Most of the patients are from Ukraine (42 %), China (22 %), Vietnam (11 %), ex-Yugoslavia (6 %) and Russia (6 %). Analysis by nationalities shows that Chinese population requires health care relatively few times (for instance, 2011: 5%, in 2012: 6%) and even these are almost exclusively done in Budapest. In contrast USA citizens see doctors relatively often (2011: 8%, 2012: 8%), mainly in relation to diagnostics and curative surgery. From the neighboring non-EU states (23095 people, 31%) Ukrainian and (5709 people, 7%) ex-Yugoslavian citizens needed health care in the investigated period. Despite previous expectations, need for health care is not the characteristics of border regions but the capital city. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of the Hungarian publicly financed health care system is significant by third country citizens. When planning health care capacity, this crucial fact must be taken into consideration.