The Hungarian nationality law is based on the principles of jus sanguinis. Hungarian citizenship can be acquired by descent from a Hungarian parent, or by naturalisation. A person born in Hungary to foreign parents does not generally acquire Hungarian citizenship.
Guest Investors
The Guest Investor Program does not provide any special or fast track pathway to acquire citizenship in Hungary. Hungarian citizens are also EU citizens.
Dual Citizenship
Dual citizenship is permitted under Hungarian Law
Naturalization Pathways
Hungary offers two paths to becoming a citizen via naturalization.
- Regular Naturalization
- Simplified Naturalization
Regular Naturalization
The general conditions for regular naturalisation are: proper accommodation and income in Hungary; clear criminal record; naturalisation is without prejudice to public security and national security; the applicant is obliged to pass an examination on the Hungarian constitution in Hungarian language (unless he or she is exempt by law).
Persons may apply to be naturalized as a Hungarian citizen after 8 years continuous residence with permanent resident status in Hungary if they:
- have no criminal past at all,
- have a stable livelihood,
- are of good character, and
- pass a test in basic constitutional studies.
Persons may apply to be naturalized after 5 years residence in Hungary if they were:
- born in Hungary, or
- established residence in Hungary before age 18, or
- are stateless.
Persons may apply to be naturalized after 3 years residence in Hungary if they are:
- spouses of Hungarian citizens who have been married for three years (or who are widows or widowers),
- parents of Hungarian citizen minor children,
- persons adopted by Hungarian citizens, or
- recognised refugees.
Persons may apply to be naturalized if they are:
- spouses of Hungarian citizens who have been married for at least ten years, or
- spouses of Hungarian citizens who have been married for at least five years and they have a child together counting the 5 years from when the child was born, and
- able to provide proof of proficiency in the Hungarian language.
Applicants aged 60 or over, those of diminished capacity, and persons holding a Hungarian language diploma (from a Hungarian institution) may be exempted the constitutional studies requirement.
Simplified Naturalization
The simplified naturalization procedure is the process of acquiring Hungarian citizenship on the basis of a Hungarian ancestor or a marriage to a Hungarian citizen, if, among other things, the applicant possesses at least an intermediate level Hungarian language knowledge
It is possible to submit a simplified application for naturalization if
- Ancestor was a Hungarian citizen or is likely to be of Hungarian origin;
OR - Has been married to a Hungarian citizen for at least ten years, or has been married to a Hungarian citizen for five years and they have children;
AND - Certifies his / her knowledge of Hungarian language (this is checked by the authority receiving the application);
- Under Hungarian law, she/he has no criminal record and no criminal proceedings pending against the applicant;
- Naturalization does not violate the public security and national security of Hungary.
Process
application for naturalisation can be submitted to the registrar of the local government, the territorial authorities of the Office of Immigration and Nationality, the integrated helpdesks of the Government and – abroad – to Hungarian consuls. The Office of Immigration and Nationality examines whether the conditions specified by law exist, and prepares a proposal for decision. The President of the Republic decides about conventional application for naturalisation, on the basis of a proposal by the Minister of the Interior. The applicant acquires Hungarian nationality in the course of a ceremony in front of the mayor of his or her place of residence, in the form of an oath.
The applicant acquires Hungarian citizenship on the day of the oath. The applicant will be registered in the national address registry and will be issued an address card (lakcímkártya) with his / her personal identification number and, since February 2020, a permanent identity card.
Hungarian Language Skills
All applicants who have reached the age of 14, as well as applicants who turn 14 at the age of 14 in the next six months, will have their knowledge of the Hungarian language checked by the body receiving the application and certified on the application form. The required level of language proficiency presupposes intermediate level communication skills in Hungarian minimum B2 level , which includes both comprehension and verbal expression. Language skills do not have to be proven with a language exam, communication in Hungarian is the expectation; communication should be two-way, i.e., both comprehension and expressiveness should be intermediate. Communication in non-Hungarian literary language, dialect, or broken communication is not a problem when examining Hungarian language skills. If the client has lost his / her hearing or speech ability, he / she must attach a medical certificate to this request, together with an authentic Hungarian translation; in this case, your knowledge of the Hungarian language will be tested in writing.