HUNGARIAN CITIZENSHIP: GENERAL INFORMATION

 

What documents prove Hungarian citizenship?

Documents that prove Hungarian citizenship are:

- valid Hungarian ID card

- valid Hungarian passport or a Hungarian passport that has expired within the last year

- valid certificate of citizenship (usually valid for only three years)

- certificate of naturalization

- active record in the Hungarian Civil Registry  

Hungarian birth and marriage certificates are not proof of Hungarian citizenship.

I am a Hungarian citizen and would like my underage child to get Hungarian citizenship.

If you have proof of your Hungarian citizenship, you do not have to apply for the verification of the citizenship of your child under the age of 18; simply initiate the registration of his or her birth.

 

How do I become a Hungarian citizen if...

a) I immigrated to the US as a Hungarian citizen?

If you do not have proof of citizenship (see above), then you can apply for the verification of your Hungarian citizenship.

Many Hungarian citizens immigrated to the USA after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Their Hungarian citizenships are still intact, with some rare exceptions.

b) my parents or grandparents immigrated to the USA as Hungarian citizens, but I myself was born in the US?

Hungarian citizenship law is based on the principles of jus sanguinis (right of blood). Descendants of Hungarian citizens are eligible to request Hungarian citizenship verification, regardless of the country of birth.

There are some notable exceptions from this general rule.

c) I lost my Hungarian citizenship, or my parents/grandparents lost theirs?

You can become a Hungarian citizen through the simplified naturalization procedure. This situation usually arises as a ramification of the peace treaties that followed the First and Second World Wars. If you or your ancestors originate from the present-day territory of Hungary, it is more likely that either point a) or b) applies to you.

If you have lost your Hungarian citizenship for any of the reasons listed below, you may reacquire it by means of a statement, and your children and grandchildren may apply for naturalization (if they speak Hungarian):

  • you were deprived of your Hungarian citizenship by virtue of Act X of 1947 and Act XXVI of 1948, of Act LX of 1948 on Hungarian Citizenship or of Act V of 1957 on Citizenship;
  • your Hungarian citizenship ceased by expatriation between September 15, 1947 and May 2, 1990;
  • you were a person obliged to resettle in Germany.

d) my spouse is a Hungarian citizen?

You can apply for Hungarian citizenship by basing your claim on your marriage, through the simplified naturalization procedure. The following conditions must be met:

  • you speak and understand Hungarian at an intermediate level, and
    • you have been married for at least 10 years, or
    • you have been married for at least 5 years and you have a child together.

e) none of the above applies to my case?

The examples above are common cases our office encounters, and therefore the provided information is incomplete. If you are interested in Hungarian citizenship and would like to obtain specific information relevant to your case, please email us at info.ny@mfa.gov.hu.

How does Hungarian citizenship affect my US citizenship?

Both Hungary and the United States accept dual nationality.

Dual nationals owe allegiance to both Hungary and the United States. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws.