Simplified Hungarian Naturalization
Amendment of Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian Citizenship
Under Article 6(3) of the Hungarian Constitution, “The Republic of Hungary bears a sense of responsibility for the fate of Hungarians living outside its borders and shall promote and foster their relations with Hungary.”
On 26 May 2010 the Hungarian National Assembly approved with an overwhelming majority the amendment of Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian citizenship and introduced a simplified naturalization procedure. ____________________________________________________________________________
The application can only be submitted in person. Applicants who are adults and 14 years of age or older must provide proof of identity during the administration, so please bring a valid ID (passport or passport).
Legal representatives (parent, guardian, guardian) may submit an application on behalf of minors (under the age of 18) or incapacitated adults. However, personal appearance is mandatory for minors over the age of 14! Biometric data collection is required from all applicants in order to prepare a Hungarian electronic identity card. In practice, this means taking fingerprints and signatures, as well as taking photographs for adults and those aged 12 and over (or in the year of application), and only taking photographs for persons under 12 years of age.
Both parents must consent to the naturalization of a minor child.
Our clients are kindly requested to bring their Hungarian address card and / or, if available, their EGT registration card proving their stay in Hungary, with them if they have a registered address in Hungary.
Every non-Hungarian citizen is eligible for preferential naturalization if:
- Option 1
- He or she or any of their ancestors was a Hungarian citizen or if he or she serves reason to believe his or her origin is from Hungary,
- He or she proves their knowledge of the Hungarian language, has no criminal record and is not under prosecution, and naturalization does not violate the public and national security of Hungary.
- Option 2
- Your spouse is a Hungarian citizen and you have been married for at least 10 years;
- or you have been married for at least 5 years and have a common child
- You prove your knowledge of the Hungarian language, have no criminal record and are not under prosecution, and naturalization does not violate the public and national security of Hungary.
Necessary documents:
- Completed naturalization application form (spouses and their parents and their minor children / incapacitated adult children may submit a joint application on 1 joint form)
- Photo : Unlike the practice before March 1, 2020, it is not necessary to attach a photo to submit the application. Currently, all applicants are required to appear in person at the time of application when the recipient of the application takes a photograph and takes a fingerprint.
- Completed form required for registration of births and marriages in Hungary (birth, marriage)
- The applicant's own birth / marriage certificate with a translation by an official registered translator; in the case of divorced persons, a divorce decree with a translation, in the case of a widow's marital status, a death certificate of the deceased spouse with a translation.
- Hungarian citizenship of an ancestor, if the applicant has never been a Hungarian citizen. These can be: birth certificate, military book, maid's book, school certificate, church certificate, work book - from which the time and place of birth of the ancestor can be clearly established. If this document is in a foreign language, a certified translation must also be provided.
Attention! All original documents must be presented at the time of application, but are not required to be submitted.
The application takes about 6-12 months to process. If the application is accepted, the President of the Republic shall issue a naturalization certificate. The document is sent to the foreign mission / Hungarian mayor's office indicated by the client as the place of the citizenship oath in the naturalization application. It is possible to change the venue up to once. After the arrival of the naturalization document at the foreign mission, we notify our clients and provide a date for taking the oath, as in order to acquire Hungarian citizenship.
According to the Citizenship Act, the oath must be taken within one year of the summons. If the oath or pledge of citizenship is not filed within one year, due to the fault of the applicant, the naturalization or re-naturalization decision becomes invalid, so the applicant does not acquire Hungarian citizenship.
You can read more about the procedure at this web address or even on the Embassy of Ottawa's website, which can be found at this link.
Required forms:
Naturalization / re - naturalization application form
Hungarian birth registration form for EHON application