The Naturalization Process

The first and most important step: proving that one of your ancestors was a Hungarian citizen. This requires the Hungarian civil registry certificate (birth, marriage or death record). If the original document is not available, the Hungarian civil registry office (anyakonyv@gov.hu) or the consulate can help trace it. American documents are not sufficient — the Hungarian civil registry certificate is the base document.

The following documents must be prepared: a valid passport; the civil registry certificate of your Hungarian ancestor(s); your own birth certificate; marriage documents (if any); proof of common-law partnership (if any); proof of address; a registered Hungarian address (accommodation registration); a police clearance certificate (from the USA and every other country where you lived longer than 3 months); a civil registry registration application (to be entered into the Hungarian registry). Every foreign document must have a certified translation and an apostille.

Naturalization requires knowledge of Hungarian, which must be demonstrated at the interview. There is no mandatory exam, but at the consular interview you must show that you can communicate in Hungarian. The minimum level corresponds to a B1 (intermediate) command of the language. The language section of this course builds towards it: greetings, introducing yourself, dates, family, occupation and the most important phrases for a consular setting.

The naturalization application must be submitted in person at a Hungarian consular office (if you live abroad), or in Budapest at the office belonging to the Ministry of the Interior. The application form (honosítási kérelem) is filled out in Hungarian. The consulate sees you by prior appointment. When you submit the application, all the documents are presented, and the interview may take place as well.

The consular officer asks questions in Hungarian about your personal data, your family, your Hungarian ancestor, your emigration, your occupation, your marital status, and why you wish to become a Hungarian citizen. A detailed list of interview questions can be found in the Interview section. The interview is conducted in Hungarian — it is also a test of your language knowledge.

Processing the application takes months — usually 6–12 months, but it can be longer. The consulate communicates the decision. If it is positive, you need a Hungarian address (this can be a relative's), and you must take the citizenship oath. After taking the oath you receive your Hungarian documents: an identity card, a passport, and the decision confirming your Hungarian citizenship.