Citizenship / Naturalization in Hungary
One documented route of this kind in Hungary, with its conditions, documents, official government fees and process.
Ordinary Naturalization
Standard naturalization under Act LV of 1993 requiring 8 years of continuous lawful residence and a constitutional-knowledge exam.
- Language requirement
- Basic constitutional-knowledge exam passed in Hungarian (exemptions apply)
- Citizenship
- 8 years continuous lawful residence (reduced terms for spouses, refugees, stateless, Hungarian-born); decision typically 8–12 months
Requirements
- 8 years continuous lawful residence
- Clean criminal record / no pending prosecution
- Secured subsistence and residence
- No public-policy/security threat
- Passed the basic constitutional-knowledge exam in Hungarian
Required Documents
- Personal statement / application required
- Valid passport required
- Applicant's birth certificate required
- Marriage/divorce certificates
- Children's birth certificates
- Ancestors' birth/marriage/death certificates (for ancestry-based reductions)
- Two photographs 3.5×4.5 cm required
- Certificate of the constitutional/Hungarian-language exam (applicants over 14) required
Official fees
- No standard OIF service fee; document procurement/translation costs apply
Process Steps
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1
Prepare application
Prepare the application and supporting documents.
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2
Submit in person
Submit in person to a registrar at a Ministry of Internal Affairs regional office or the Budapest Government Customer Service Office (Kormányablak), or from abroad at a Hungarian consulate.
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3
Forwarding
Registrar/consul forwards the file to the Minister of the Interior within 8 days.
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4
Decision
Decision made by the President of the Republic; well-prepared cases typically resolve in about 8–12 months.
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5
Oath
On a grant, the applicant takes the oath/pledge of allegiance before a mayor/consul within 1 year, after which citizenship takes effect.