Attention! All applications for Hungarian citizenship have to be submitted in person at the Consulate after scheduling an appointment. We do not accept applications via mail or walk-in.
I. General information
Before going into details, you should take into consideration the following principles:
- The Hungarian citizenship law is based on the principles of jus sanguinis ("right of blood" in Latin), meaning that a person acquires Hungarian citizenship by birth from a parent who is a Hungarian citizen.
- Therefore, a Hungarian birth certificate proves only the fact of birth but NOT the Hungarian citizenship.
- As citizenship laws don't have retroactive effect (except in some very special cases), one always have to refer to the law which was in force at the date of his/her birth.
- Dual citizenship is permitted under Hungarian Law.
According to the present regulation in force - Act LV of 1993 - Hungarian citizenship can originate under two principles: the most significant one being the principle of origin : the child of every Hungarian citizen becomes a Hungarian citizen by birth (whether the mother or the father is a [or both are] Hungarian citizen [s]).
Prior to this date, rules for acquisition and loss of Hungarian citizenship may have been different. As a short - and by no means exhaustive - resumé concerning Hungarian citizenship, before applying, please consider the following:
Between October 1st , 1957– October 1st,1993:
If one of the parents was a Hungarian citizen at the moment of birth, the child became Hungarian citizen.
Before October 1st , 1957:
- A child became a Hungarian citizen only if his legitimate father was a Hungarian citizen. The child of a Hungarian mother and a non-Hungarian father didn’t become Hungarian citizen by birth.
- If the child was born out of wedlock (extramarital birth) and the mother had Hungarian citizenship, the child became Hungarian citizen. But if later on the child was recognized by a non-Hungarian father, he/she could have lost her/his citizenship.
- The non-Hungarian wife of a Hungarian citizen husband became automatically Hungarian citizen after the marriage.
- If a Hungarian citizen wife acquired by marriage the citizenship of her non-Hungarian husband, then she automatically lost her Hungarian citizenship.
- Those, who left Hungary before September 1st, 1929 could loose their citizenship by living continuously abroad for a period exceeding 10 years. This 10 year period began after the expiry date in the person's last Hungarian passport. Therefore, in this case, a Hungarian official document (e.g. a passport, a written declaration made in a Hungarian Consulate, etc.) must be produced which would prove that the person kept his/her citizenship.
- Effects of the Trianon treaty: in general those living outside of the present Hungarian borders lost their Hungarian citizenship and became citizens of the country which received the given territory (with some minor exceptions) after 1921.
- From those who left Hungary before February 1st, 1949, a Hungarian document (any Hungarian identity document, school certificate, work certificate, diploma, etc.) proving that they lived in Hungary after September 1st, 1929 - especially for those who left in the 1930s, early 1940s - is required.
- In some cases, the Acts of 1879 and 1939 entitled the Hungarian State to deprive Hungarians from their citizenship.
As you may see, the assessment of the citizenship of a person might be a very complicated task, due to the historical changes of borders and citizenships in Central Europe during the 20th century.
II. Procedure - Verification of citizenship
What is proof of Hungarian citizenship?
The following are the proofs of Hungarian citizenship:
1. A valid Hungarian ID card.
2. A valid Hungarian passport. If your Hungarian passport has expired, you may still use it as proof of Hungarian citizenship for one year following the date of its expiry.
3. A valid Hungarian citizenship certificate.
4. A certificate of naturalization, until proven otherwise.
5. The registry of personal data and addresses.
Your data is included in the registry if you have a so-called address card or if you previously had a Hungarian personal number.
Please note that Hungarian birth and marriage certificates are not proof of Hungarian citizenship.
If you do not have at least one of the above mentioned documents you need to submit a verification of Hungarian citizenship application.
Verification of citizenship
For the verification of citizenship you must apply in person and a prior appointment must be booked.
The forms and supporting documents will be checked at the time of your appointment. We are not able to review forms and supporting documents prior to the appointment.
A minor is a person under 18 years old. Minors must have their applications signed by their parents at the time of the appointment. If both parents have joint custody, both must sign.
Minors under the age of 12 do not have to be present. If you are applying for a passport too, you must provide one US passport size photo of the child with the application.
The application is free of charge except if you want to apply for a passport.
There is no form or photo needed for the passport application, biometrics will be taken when submitting the citizenship paperwork.
Please fill the forms out, but not signed with a computer or by a blue ink pen in block capitals. Please use full legal names in the Hungarian name order, e.g., Smith John Thomas instead of John Smith or John T. Smith. When referring to US cities, please also specify the state.
Please find the forms here:
https://losangeles.mfa.gov.hu/page/letoeltheto-formanyomtatvanyok
Which documents should I submit for the verification process?
Please fill out the following (main) forms and check the additional forms below that might be needed for your application (#8, #9, #11 ).
#1, #7 #16, #27 and #26 (only if you have ever resided in Hungary)
Usually it is sufficient to submit your own birth certificate and your parents' marriage certificate if:
• you were or one of your parents was born in Hungary, or
• you or at least one of your parents had a Hungarian passport or ID card (or booklet) before, or
• your Hungarian citizenship or the Hungarian citizenship of at least one of your parents has been verified before (e.g. if you received a citizenship certificate).
If none of your parents is Hungarian you have to provide us with your Hungarian grandparent’s birth certificate, grandparents’ marriage certificate. Your parents' birth and marriage certificate have to be submitted, as well.
Please note that only detailed certificates (including date of birth on them) are acceptable!
If the marriage certificate does not have enough information on it you need to get a marriage license too. Some states do not have detailed versions of these documents, in that case you have to get a letter from the authority stating that they are not able to issue longer versions of the marriage certificate.
If you are unable to submit Hungarian birth or marriages certificates, the Hungarian authorities will retrieve them from the archives.
If that applies, as a first step of your citizenship application you should apply for the certificate(s) in a mail:
If you or your ancestors left Hungary before 1945, it is beneficial to provide other Hungarian documents, e.g., old Hungarian passports and ID booklets, certificates of domicile ("illetőségi bizonyítvány") or old citizenship certificates, other old Hungarian official documents like school records, labor booklets ("munkakönyv"), military booklets ("katonakönyv"), address registration sheets ("lakcímbejelentő nap"), legal name change certificates ("névváltoztatási okirat").
Please note that some certificates require Apostille certification!
If the certificates are not in Hungarian, English, French or German we ask for an official Hungarian translation with the documents submitted.
You can get the translation from the Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation LTD or any other official translators
Why is my marital status relevant?
Hungarian law stipulates that all vital statistics events of a Hungarian citizen (birth, marriage, divorce, death) are registered in Hungary. Without this registration your Hungarian citizenship cannot be verified and you cannot get a Hungarian passport.
- What should I do if my marital status is single (never married)? If you were born in Hungary or your birth has already been registered in Hungary, you must simply attach your Hungarian-issued birth certificate.
If you were not born in Hungary or you do not have a Hungarian-issued birth certificate:
• Please fill the form #7 out
• Please use full names in the Hungarian order, e.g., Smith John Thomas instead of John Smith or John T. Smith.
Attach the following documents:
• Your birth certificate. Only detailed („long-form”) certificates are acceptable!
• Your parents' marriage certificate. Only detailed ("long-form”) certificates are acceptable!
• If you were not born in wedlock (and you are over 6 years old), the acknowledgement of paternity will be necessary (form #15 attached filled out 4 times). The applicant’s parents need to be present as well.
Before you request an appointment we kindly ask you to check with us if you will need to have the acknowledgement of paternity.
• The copy of the document proving the citizenship of your non-Hungarian parent, e.g. a passport or a citizenship certificate.
- What should I do if my marital status is married?
Please refer to point a) to see whether your birth has to be registered in Hungary.
If you were married in Hungary or your marriage has already been registered in Hungary, you will just have to attach your Hungarian-issued marriage certificate.
If you were not married in Hungary or you do not have a Hungarian-issued marriage certificate:
• Please fill the form #8 out
Please make sure you put your preferred married name on this form!
• Please use full names in the Hungarian name order, e.g. Smith John Thomas instead of John Smith or John T. Smith.
Attach the following documents:
• Your marriage certificate. Only detailed ("long-form”) certificates are acceptable! If the certificate only includes the names of the parties, please attach a copy of your application to marry.
• The copy of the document proving the citizenship of your non-Hungarian parent, e.g. a passport or a citizenship certificate.
• If the bride's or the groom's family status at the time of the marriage was divorced or widow, submit the Hungarian-issued or certified copy of foreign death certificate or divorce decree (Even if the spouse is not Hungarian or applying for citizenship).
Only detailed ("long-form”) certificates are acceptable! The foreign divorce decree has to be submitted with a Hungarian translation.
Please note that your spouse needs to be present at the time of your appointment to sign the forms.
If you were married/divorced more than once you have to get those life events registered as well by filling out the forms (#8, #11) and attaching the supporting documents mentioned above.
- What should I do if my marital status is divorced?
Please refer to points a) and b) to see whether your birth and/or your dissolved marriage have to be first registered in Hungary.
If the divorce was pronounced by a Hungarian court, or if your Hungarian-issued certificate has a remark saying that the marriage was dissolved by a foreign court, just attach the marriage certificate.
If you do not have such marriage certificate, please fill the form #11.
Attach a certified copy of decree of divorce from the US court which dissolved the marriage specifying the exact date on which the divorce took effect and its Hungarian translation.
What should I do if my marital status is widow?
Please refer to points a) and b) to see whether your birth and/or your marriage, which was dissolved by the death of your spouse, have to be first registered in Hungary.
If your spouse was a Hungarian citizen, please submit his or her Hungarian-issued death certificate. If you do not have one, please fill the form for registering the death.
If your spouse was not a Hungarian citizen, please submit his or her original/certified copy of death certificate.
What Hungarian governmental agency is responsible and where can I find more information?
The Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala (Budapest Metropolitan Government Office) is responsible for the verification of citizenship and the vital statistics registration.
The nationality procedure takes an average of 8 -12 months. The Consulate is unable to speed up the proceedings.
