The Next Passport
How to Apply: Hungarian Simplified Naturalization
Step-by-step guide to claiming Hungarian citizenship by descent — from the consular appointment to the fogadalom oath.
Last verified: September 6, 2026 · Maintained by The Next Passport (Warner Creates LLC).
The Next Passport is not affiliated with the Hungarian government or any Hungarian consulate. Content is informational only and is not legal advice.
Gov fee
Free
No application fee
US career posts
4
DC, NYC, LA, Chicago
Who may certify a translation
Who may certify a translation, and for which documents, is set out on our Hungarian cost calculator page, under “Who May Certify the Translation — and What That Costs”. There is no US-based OFFI-certified translator credential to look for. Confirm the current consular fee with your post before paying for translations.
Step-by-step application process
- 1
Evaluate your ancestry chain
Trace your lineage back to the Hungarian qualifying ancestor. Identify each generation (you, parent, grandparent, etc.) and note any potential chain-breaker situations: an emigrant ancestor, a female ancestor who married a non-Hungarian before 1 October 1957, an ancestor whose commune of pertinence (illetőség) lay in territory ceded when the Treaty of Trianon took effect on 26 July 1921, or citizenship deprivation between 1946 and 1990. None of them is a condition of the application: §4(3) asks whether an ascendant WAS a Hungarian citizen, not whether the citizenship survived down the chain to you. What they change is which records prove that ancestor’s citizenship as it stood before the loss — so note them now, because they tell you what to go and find.
- 2
Gather vital records for each ancestor in the chain
Collect certified birth, marriage, and death certificates for every link from yourself back to the qualifying ancestor. Which office issues each one follows the country whose registry holds the register for that event, not the ancestor's nationality. For US-registered events: order certified copies from the issuing state or county. For events registered in Hungary: the anyakönyvi kivonat comes from the anyakönyvi hivatal (civil registry office) of the relevant Hungarian municipality, and needs no apostille. For an event registered in territory the Kingdom of Hungary ceded after 1920, the register went with the territory, so the extract comes from the registry of the country that holds that place now. What has to be attached then turns on two separate tests, neither of which is the document type: §14(5) a) attaches authentication to a foreign document, §14(5) b) attaches a certified Hungarian translation to a document issued other than in Hungarian, and both limbs yield to a directly applicable EU act. One is in play: Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 art. 4 exempts a civil-status document issued by an EU Member State from “all forms of legalisation and similar formality” — art. 3(4) makes “similar formality” the apostille — and among the states holding former Kingdom of Hungary territory, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria are EU Member States, while Ukraine and Serbia are not. The narrowings on translation are set out under “Do I need to bring original documents or certified copies?” below, and they are not a closed list. Confirm with the post, naming the issuing country, before paying for either.
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Apostille all US-issued documents
Each US-issued vital record must be apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state that issued it (or the US Department of State for federal documents like FBI background checks). The apostille authenticates the document for international use. Allow 2–6 weeks per state — some states offer expedited processing.
- 4
Obtain certified Hungarian translations
Most US-issued documents must be translated into Hungarian — but ask which ones before you pay. §14(5) b) of Act LV of 1993 itself carves out what a directly applicable EU act provides, and the narrowings are not a closed list. Since 1 January 2024, §14(5a) of the same Act removes the translation requirement for civil-status extracts issued in English, German or French; the implementing decree (125/1993 Korm. r. §2/B) confines that to registering a birth, marriage, registered partnership or death, and only where the certificate was personalised by electronic means and carries no annotation or endorsement, so an older handwritten or amended certificate is outside it. §14(5b) separately lets a career consular officer accept an official extract translation of the parts material to the case instead of a full certified translation — which matters, because the fee is per page. Where a translation is required, who may certify it, and for which documents, is set out on our Hungarian cost calculator page, under “Who May Certify the Translation — and What That Costs”. A plain photocopy is not accepted, so if you are filing a copy rather than an original, ask where the copy has to come from as well. There is no US-based OFFI-certified translator credential. The New York Consulate General says that for an English-language document it can certify a translation you prepared yourself, for a consular fee. Ask the post serving your district which route it accepts and what the current consular fee is. The fee is per page, not per document, and it is quoted by direction: under the schedule effective 1 August 2026, New York lists USD 23 per page to certify an into-Hungarian translation you supply and USD 40 per page for the post to translate the document into Hungarian. Translating out of Hungarian is USD 35 and USD 52, which is not what this application needs. Only New York publishes a retrievable schedule.
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Ask your post whether it wants a criminal background check — do not order one first
An FBI Identity History Summary is not on Hungary's mandatory-attachments (kötelező mellékletek) list for simplified naturalization, and no US post publishes it as a requirement. The condition it appears to answer — §4(1)(b) of Act LV of 1993, incorporated by §4(3) — is about Hungarian criminal records and pending proceedings before Hungarian courts, which the Hungarian authority verifies itself. Posts do sometimes request supplementary documents, so ask the post serving your consular district before you spend money or time. If your post does want one: order at fbi.gov/identify-me (allow 10–14 weeks), and ask the post in the same message what issue date it will accept and whether it wants any state-level reports. We publish no validity window and no state-check rule, because no Hungarian source states either. If a federal apostille (US Department of State, not your state Secretary of State) and a certified Hungarian translation are needed, the post will say so.
- 6
Book your appointment with the right post
Identify the Hungarian career post serving your consular district — the Embassy in Washington DC or the Consulates General in New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago — and confirm with that post that it schedules simplified naturalization intake. A vice-consulate in Miami also accepts citizenship cases; Houston expressly does not, and San Francisco does no consular work at all. Booking methods differ: Washington uses konzinfobooking.mfa.gov.hu, Los Angeles konzinfoidopont.mfa.gov.hu, while New York and Chicago both take simplified-naturalization appointments by email. Availability varies; book as early as possible. At the appointment you submit your documents, including the application form already filled in with your handwritten önéletrajz, and complete the conversational Hungarian interview.
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Attend your consulate appointment
Bring your complete document package: the Honosítási- visszahonosítási kérelem already filled in (New York turns away applicants who arrive with blank forms), your documents (birth certificate apostilled and translated, ID, 2 passport photos, plus a criminal-history report only if your post asked for one), and documents for each ancestor in the chain. The handwritten önéletrajz belongs on the form itself and must be written in advance, not composed at the appointment. The consular officer conducts the conversational Hungarian interview and captures your photo, signature and fingerprints.
- 8
Wait for Budapest review
Under §13(4) the consul forwards your file to the citizenship authority by the first diplomatic post after intake, and Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala, the citizenship authority in Budapest, conducts the review, requesting further documents through the consulate if it needs them. What Hungary and its posts publish about how long it takes is set out on our page “Hungarian Citizenship Processing Times”. Contact your consulate for status.
- 9
Fogadalom — citizenship oath ceremony
When the President grants the application, the certificate is issued and §16(1) requires the citizenship authority to send it within fifteen days — for a §4(3) case, to a Hungarian mayor or, by diplomatic courier, to the head of your mission. §16(2) then gives that mayor or head of mission thirty days from the certificate's arrival to notify you of the time and place of the fogadalom, the Hungarian citizenship oath or affirmation. What Hungary and its posts publish about how long it takes is set out on our page “Hungarian Citizenship Processing Times”. Under §7(1)(c) a §4(3) applicant chooses the venue — any Hungarian mayor or the head of any Hungarian mission — and §16(3) allows one change of venue, requested no later than the fifth day before the appointed date. Watch the deadline: under §16(10) the naturalization decision lapses if the oath is not taken within one year of the first notice being delivered and the failure is your own. Under §7(2) citizenship is acquired on the day of the oath, after which you can apply for a Hungarian passport. Hungary is an EU member, so Hungarian citizenship carries EU freedom of movement.
Hungarian career posts in the US
Honorary consulates cannot process citizenship applications
Hungary maintains four career posts in the US — the Embassy (Washington DC) and Consulates General in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — plus three vice-consulates, which are not interchangeable. Miami lists citizenship cases among the matters it accepts and has held full consular hours since 1 September 2021. Houston does not: its ordinary consular work — protection of interests, certification of signatures, translations and copies, and proof of life — is suspended, and it refers callers to Los Angeles. San Francisco does no consular work at all and also refers callers to Los Angeles. Honorary consulates cannot process citizenship applications, and cannot certify translations. Washington also runs travelling consular days in states it serves and says naturalization applications may be filed at those, though certification cannot. Confirm intake with the post serving your consular district before travelling.
Washington, DC
Embassy of Hungary — Confirm intake and booking method with the post
New York City
Consulate General — Books by email only (info.ny@mfa.gov.hu) — high demand
Los Angeles
Consulate General — Confirm intake and booking method with the post
Chicago
Consulate General — Career post covering an 11-state consular district
Miami
Vice Consulate — Lists citizenship cases among accepted matters (FL, PR, USVI)
There is no single nationwide booking page — konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu is the general consular information portal. Where a booking portal is used it is konzinfoidopont.mfa.gov.hu or konzinfobooking.mfa.gov.hu; other posts book by email. Confirm with the post serving your consular district that it schedules honosítás intake before making travel plans.
The conversational Hungarian interview
No exam and no certificate — the consular officer holds a conversation with you, starting from your Hungarian-language form and handwritten önéletrajz and moving on to everyday topics. The official standard is intermediate-level, two-way Hungarian: you should understand and answer in full sentences without help. Dialect, or somewhat broken Hungarian, is expressly not a bar. The önéletrajz is written in advance on the prescribed application form, not composed at the appointment.
- What to expect: Basic questions about yourself, your family, why you are applying — conducted by the consulate officer in Hungarian
- Önéletrajz: A short autobiographical statement in Hungarian, in your own handwriting, written in advance on the prescribed application form — name, date of birth, family history, why you are applying. Required of adult applicants; excusable on a medical certificate if you cannot write
- Preparation: Heritage Hungarian community programs, Duolingo Hungarian, private tutors, and YouTube immersion are commonly used
- Children:Minor children included in a parent's application are not exempt from the language check: it applies from age 14, posts may check an under-14 who will turn 14 before the procedure ends, and for a minor lacking capacity the legal representative's Hungarian is assessed. What minors do not have is a separate procedure
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a Hungarian consulate appointment for citizenship?
There is no nationwide booking system, and this is the most common mistake: konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu is the consular information portal, not a booking page. Washington books through konzinfobooking.mfa.gov.hu; Los Angeles and New York's general portal use konzinfoidopont.mfa.gov.hu — two separate deployments, not one. For simplified naturalization specifically, both New York and Chicago take appointments by email, and Chicago states outright that its online system does not cover egyszerűsített honosítás. New York says simplified-naturalization applications are accepted by prior appointment only, arranged by writing to the post. Konzinfo Ügysegéd (konzinfougyseged.mfa.gov.hu) is a third system again, for preparing the application electronically and attaching documents; Washington says it can also book. Applications under §4(3) are filed with a career consular officer — the Embassy in Washington DC and the Consulates General in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — with a vice-consulate in Miami that accepts citizenship cases, while Houston expressly does not and San Francisco does no consular work at all. Start from the page of the post serving your consular district, confirm it takes honosítás intake, and ask how it books. Book as early as possible. Neither the ministry nor any US post publishes how far ahead appointments run, so treat availability as unpredictable rather than as a wait you can plan around.
How long after I submit does it take to get an answer?
What Hungary and its posts publish about how long it takes is set out on our page “Hungarian Citizenship Processing Times”.
Do I need to bring original documents or certified copies?
Bring certified copies rather than photocopies — uncertified photocopies are not accepted — with the authentication that applies to the issuing country and, where one is needed, a certified Hungarian translation. Which authentication applies is not the same for every country. US vital records must be certified copies from the issuing authority, then apostilled by the Secretary of State of the issuing state; the Hague Apostille Convention has been in force between the United States and Hungary since 15 October 1981, which is what displaces the diplomatic legalisation §14(5) a) of Act LV of 1993 otherwise names. A record issued by an EU Member State needs neither: Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 art. 4 exempts it from “all forms of legalisation and similar formality”, art. 3(4) making “similar formality” the apostille, and §14(5) a) yields by name to a directly applicable EU act. Translation is the part worth checking before you pay, and the exceptions are not a closed list. §14(5) b) itself carves out what a directly applicable EU act provides — under arts. 6(1)(b) and 7(1) of the same Regulation a free multilingual standard form from the issuing registry can replace the translation of a birth or marriage record (not a divorce decree) where the receiving authority finds it sufficient. Separately, since 1 January 2024, §14(5a) removes the translation requirement for civil-status extracts issued in English, German or French, but the implementing decree (125/1993 Korm. r. §2/B) confines that to registering a birth, marriage, registered partnership or death and only where the certificate was personalised by electronic means and carries no annotation or endorsement — an older handwritten or amended certificate falls outside it. §14(5b) separately allows a career consular officer to accept an official extract translation of the material parts instead of a full certified one. Who may certify a translation, and for which documents, is set out on our Hungarian cost calculator page, under “Who May Certify the Translation — and What That Costs”. Requirements vary by post, so confirm with yours before you pay.
What happens if the citizenship authority requests additional documents?
Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala — the citizenship authority, not a ministry — may send a request for additional documents through the consulate during the review period. The consulate will contact you. Respond promptly with the requested documents — delays in responding hold up your application. Common requests include clarifying documents for historical chain-breaker situations or name discrepancies across documents.
Can I include my children in the same application?
Yes — §15(4) of Act LV of 1993 lets a parent file a joint application with a minor child living with them, and §15(3) requires both parents' consent to a minor's application unless there is an unavoidable obstacle. Do not assume the language check skips them, though: it applies to applicants who have turned 14, the Los Angeles Consulate General says posts may also check an under-14 who will turn 14 before the procedure ends, and for a minor who lacks capacity to act it is the legal representative's Hungarian that is assessed. Act LV of 1993, 4. § (8): «A magyar nyelvtudás igazolásától el lehet tekinteni cselekvőképtelen személyek esetében.» (Hungarian text; no English rendering published.) Check with your post for its current practice on dependents and what each child needs.
Check your eligibility first
Before gathering documents, confirm your likely eligibility with our free eligibility check. It covers the ancestry requirements, language commitment, and flags historical chain-breaker situations.
Check your eligibility →The Next Passport is not affiliated with the Hungarian government, Ministry of the Interior, or any Hungarian consulate or embassy. Content is informational only and is not legal advice. Verify all requirements with the Hungarian post serving your consular district, and at the consular information portal konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu, before submitting documents.