“Határon túli magyarok”: Hungarian people living outside Hungary

Who does the phrase “határon túli magyarok” refer to?

Literally, the phrase “határon túli magyarok” translates to Hungarian people living outside the borders (of Hungary). If you look at the Wikipedia article on the topic, the English version will say “Hungarian diaspora”, encompassing everyone who is Hungarian but does not live in present-day Hungary. However, the phrase has a narrower meaning too, referring to Hungarian people living in the neighboring countries, mostly Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia.

The double meaning is created by the two main ways Hungarian people ended up living outside Hungary. Over the last 150 years or so, many simply emigrated, sometimes in waves, e.g. at the end of the 19^th century, or after the revolution of 1956. At the same time, many Hungarians ended up living in neighboring countries without moving away from their ancestral homes as a result of the Trianon Treaty of 1920 which redrew the borders of Hungary.

Currently, around 2.5 million Hungarians live in neighboring countries, while another 1.3 million only in the U.S. Another 1.5 Hungarians are estimated to live in Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Israel, and several other countries around the globe. Estimates vary.

Are all these people Hungarian citizens?

No, they aren’t. When we talk about Hungarian people living outside Hungary, citizenship is not the main criteria. As Gyula Illés, one of the great poets and ethnographers of the 20^th century phrased it, “You are Hungarian if you say you are Hungarian”. This infers cultural and familial ties to Hungary, but it can be a very subjective experience.

At the same time, thanks to the 2010 update to the Hungarian Citizenship Act, anyone can apply for Hungarian citizenship based on their heritage. If even one of your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or even further ancestors were Hungarian citizens, you can apply for citizenship through the simplified procedure and obtain Hungarian citizenship in about a year. In line with this, many Hungarians living in the neighboring countries have already obtained Hungarian citizenship, and many more are eligible around the world.

How to obtain citizenship as a Hungarian living outside Hungary?

While being Hungarian can be a subjective experience, obtaining Hungarian citizenship must be based on objective criteria. The main requirement is that the ancestor on who you base your application was not only ethnic Hungarian, but also a citizen of Hungary.

In line with this, when you decide to obtain Hungarian citizenship based on your heritage, you will need to comb through your family tree and find at least one person based on who you will be considered eligible. Depending on where and when this person lived and what kind of citizenship they possessed, the procedure you need to go through can be determined.

Verification is the procedure for which we check eligibility first. It is the most favorable procedure, mainly because it does not require you to learn Hungarian. However, its availability is quite limited. The regulation has several complicated details, but mostly it is available to you only if you were born in Hungary before your parents emigrated, or abroad shortly after.

If verification is not available to you, you may still be eligible for simplified naturalization. If your relevant ancestor is not your parent, or if they were ethnic Hungarian who did not live in present-day Hungary, you will most probably need this procedure to obtain Hungarian citizenship.

How to proceed?

If you want to make the most of your Hungarian heritage and obtain Hungarian citizenship, it is easiest to book a consultation with one of our experts. You will be asked to tell us in detail about your family, and we will tell you about your options. If you decide to let us handle your entire case, the price of the consultation is deductible from the package price. We also offer family tree research and language courses as necessary.

Can we help you? Reach out to us today, and get started on your Hungarian citizenship journey.