A new immigration law took effect in Hungary on January 1, 2024, but it has no bearing on Hungarian citizenship applications, which are governed by a different law. Therefore, individuals contemplating Hungarian citizenship can proceed with their planned processes.
The Hungarian Citizenship Act updated in 2010
Hungarian citizenship applications are governed by the Hungarian Citizenship Act. Its last biggest amendment happened in 2010. Since then, every person with a Hungarian ancestor is eligible for Hungarian citizenship. So far the law granted citizenship to more than a million people, and many more are still eligible.
If your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or any other ancestors were Hungarian citizens, you are eligible too. You just need to prove that you are related, which is normally done through a chain of marriage and birth certificates. Moreover, if you are eligible, your children may apply for Hungarian citizenship too.
EU passport through Hungarian ancestry
Becoming a Hungarian citizen based on your ancestry is a relatively brief and straightforward process compared to what you see in other European countries. Once you submitted all your supporting documents, you can become a citizen in about a year, and you can apply for a Hungarian passport that gives you visa-free access to 185 countries around the world, including the Schengen member states, the UK, the USA, Canada, and many other countries.
For those pursuing citizenship based on ancestry, two procedures exist: verification and simplified naturalization, differentiated primarily by the language requirement.
- Simplified naturalization: you need at least conversational Hungarian to discuss your case with an administrator.
- Verification: No Hungarian language skills are required.
Test your eligibility now
Unsure about eligibility? Take our free eligibility test! It takes only a few minutes, but you will be able to determine which procedure is most relevant to you, what kind of language skills you are expected to demonstrate, and what kinds of documents should present as proof.
If you are eligible, we would be happy to assist you on your journey to Hungarian citizenship. We offer not only consultation (the price of which can later be deducted from the comprehensive application package), but also additional services, such as family tree research if you need to recover documents from Hungarian archives, and Hungarian language lessons.
The consultation is an about 1 hour long session with one of our experts, where you can ask your questions, and together you can review where you are and what you need to do in order to proceed.
Let our experts help you become a Hungarian citizen
With 20 years of experience, The Helpers Team provides support for individuals interested in living, working, and conducting business in Hungary. Assistance with citizenship applications is one our most popular services, and we would be happy to share our expertise with you too.
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