To get a Hungarian passport, you first need Hungarian citizenship, then you apply in person at either a Kormányablak (government window) office in Hungary or a Hungarian consulate abroad, bringing proof of citizenship and sitting for biometric capture. Nearly everyone searching how to get a Hungarian passport is really tackling two steps: proving or acquiring citizenship, and then filing the passport application itself. The citizenship half is usually the longer road.
Step 1: Establish Your Hungarian Citizenship
Hungary does not issue passports to non-citizens. Hungarian nationality law, set out in Act LV of 1993, follows jus sanguinis: citizenship passes through family lines, not place of birth. There are three routes most applicants use.
By Birth to a Hungarian Parent
If at least one of your parents was a Hungarian citizen when you were born, you are already a Hungarian citizen by operation of law, regardless of where you were born, and no application is needed to acquire the status.1National Legislation Repository of Hungary. Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian Citizenship If parentage was established later through acknowledgment, subsequent marriage, or a court ruling, citizenship applies retroactively to your date of birth. You’ll still need to document the link on paper before a passport is issued.
Simplified Naturalization Through Ancestry
This is the route most diaspora applicants take. If you can trace your line back to a Hungarian ancestor, or otherwise show you are likely of Hungarian origin, you can apply for simplified naturalization without ever having lived in Hungary.2Embassy of Hungary. Simplified Naturalization (Citizenship)
Two things make or break the application. First, an unbroken paper chain: birth, marriage, and where applicable death certificates for every generation between you and the Hungarian ancestor. If a relative has already been naturalized through this process, you can reference their file rather than rebuilding the chain. Second, an in-person interview, usually at a consulate, conducted in Hungarian. Expect questions on your family history, your reasons for applying, and general conversation. Functional Hungarian is required.
Through Marriage to a Hungarian Citizen
If your spouse is Hungarian, you can pursue simplified naturalization without living in Hungary, but the marriage has to have lasted at least five years if you have children together or at least ten years if you do not.3Embassy of Hungary. About Hungarian Citizenship You’ll also need Hungarian language proficiency, a clean criminal record, and no national security concerns. A shorter, three-year track exists for spouses who actually live in Hungary.
Don’t Skip the Oath
An approval letter does not make you a citizen. Every newly naturalized person must take a citizenship oath or a secular pledge of allegiance, and citizenship legally begins the day you take it. You have two months from receiving the naturalization notice to schedule the ceremony, with extensions possible. If a year passes without you taking the oath through your own fault, the naturalization decision expires and you start over.4National Database on the Legal Status of Citizenship. Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian Citizenship The oath is taken before the mayor of your district in Hungary or, if you’re abroad, before a consular official. Only after the oath can you apply for a passport.
Step 2: Gather Your Documents
If you’re claiming citizenship through ancestry, plan to collect:
- Certified birth, marriage, and (where relevant) death certificates for every generation between you and your Hungarian ancestor.
- Your own birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, and a valid photo ID.
- Certified translations of foreign-language documents. Inside Hungary, the Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation (OFFI) handles official translations; consulates abroad may accept translations from other certified translators.5Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation Ltd. Home
- Apostilles for documents from countries party to the Hague Convention, generally $10 to $26 per document depending on jurisdiction.
Two details trip people up. Hungarian names run family-name first, given-name second, and your registry entry must follow that order. Ancestral place names should be given in their historical Hungarian form, even when the town now sits in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, or Ukraine and goes by a different name.
If you already hold Hungarian citizenship and only need the passport, the document list is much shorter: proof of citizenship (a valid Hungarian ID card, a current or recently expired Hungarian passport within one year, or a certificate of naturalization). Any foreign life events, meaning births, marriages, and divorces that happened outside Hungary, must be registered with Hungarian authorities before a passport will be issued.6Consulate General of Hungary. Passport Applications Handle those registrations early; they can add weeks to the timeline.
Step 3: Apply in Person
Every passport application is filed in person. Inside Hungary, that means a Kormányablak office. Abroad, it means the nearest Hungarian consulate. Mailed applications are returned automatically.
At the appointment, staff take your digital photograph, fingerprints, and digital signature, all of which are encoded onto the passport’s electronic chip. Bring a valid photo ID and, if you have them, your Hungarian birth certificate and address card (lakcímkártya).6Consulate General of Hungary. Passport Applications
For minors, both parents generally need to consent. Either both appear at the consulate together, or the absent parent provides notarized consent.
Fees
Applying inside Hungary is significantly cheaper than applying at a consulate, because consulates add a consular service surcharge on top of the issuance fee. At Hungarian consulates in the United States, combined fees run roughly:
- Adults 18 and over: about $93 to $104.
- Minors 12 to 17: about $81 to $91.
- Children under 12: about $71 to $79.
The ranges reflect differences between individual consulates; New York and Los Angeles publish slightly different schedules.7Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Consular Fees8Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Consular Fees Consulates elsewhere set fees in local currency. Temporary passports for emergency travel run roughly $77 to $87 at U.S. consulates.
How Long It Takes and How Long It Lasts
Passports are physically produced in Hungary, even when you file the application abroad. The Hungarian consulate in New York advises applicants that delivery can take up to five to six weeks, and warns against booking travel until the passport is in hand.6Consulate General of Hungary. Passport Applications Applications filed inside Hungary may move faster, but there is no guaranteed expedite option.
Validity depends on the holder’s age at issuance:
- Adults 18 and over: five or ten years, depending on which option you choose.
- Children 6 to 17: five years.
- Children under 6: three years, to allow for changes in appearance.
You can apply for a new passport before your current one expires. Get any pending foreign-event registrations done first, since a passport won’t be issued until they’re on file.
What the Passport Gets You
A Hungarian passport gives you visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 119 destinations, placing it among the top-ranked travel documents in the world. As an EU citizen, you have the right to live, work, and study in all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, and border checks are effectively eliminated within the Schengen Area. For U.S. travel, Hungarian citizens qualify for the Visa Waiver Program, allowing tourist or business stays of up to 90 days with an approved ESTA rather than a full visa.
If Your Passport Is Lost or Stolen Abroad
Report the loss to local police right away and get a police report. Then contact the nearest Hungarian embassy or consulate to apply for a temporary passport, valid up to six months and issued for the purpose of returning to Hungary. You’ll need a valid photo ID, your Hungarian birth certificate if available, and the police report.
Once back in Hungary with a temporary passport, surrender it to the district notary’s Official Document Office within five business days. A temporary passport is not usable for further international travel after you return.
You Can Keep Your Current Citizenship
Hungary permits dual citizenship. Hungarian citizens who naturalize elsewhere don’t lose their Hungarian status, and foreign nationals who become Hungarian citizens are not required to renounce their original nationality. The U.S. Embassy in Budapest confirms that Hungarians who naturalize as U.S. citizens keep their Hungarian citizenship under Hungarian law.9U.S. Embassy in Hungary. Frequently Asked Questions About U.S. Citizenship and Passports
One practical point for dual citizens: while you’re on Hungarian soil, Hungarian authorities treat you as Hungarian first, and a foreign embassy’s ability to provide consular assistance to you there may be limited.