Hungary is one of the most stable European countries with long-term traditions and rich history, bright local flavor, rich nature, comfortable climate and a fairly high standard of living. Many Russians dream of becoming its citizens. But getting a Hungarian passport is not the easiest undertaking. To do this, you need to comply with the law.
Law on the Grant of Citizenship
The basic principle of acquiring Hungarian citizenship is the right to blood. Basically (with some exceptions) citizens are or become those who have Hungarian parents.
Important! If the applicant was born on Hungarian territory, but has foreign parents, he can become a citizen only on the same rights as foreigners not born on Hungarian soil.
Who Can't Become a Citizen
The mere fact of birth in Hungary does not give the right to citizenship.
By the way. There is only one exception - a child born in Hungary from foreigners can become its citizen, if otherwise he remains a stateless person.
Also, a foreigner who in the past has repeatedly violated the migration order adopted in Hungary will not become a citizen.
It is not possible to obtain a passport of this country for persons under investigation or serving a sentence for a criminal offense.
Legal ways to become a citizen
Despite the fact that Hungary's migration policy is not considered the toughest in Europe, there are only three ways to obtain a passport of this state:
- Repatriation;
- Naturalization;
- Investments.
Repatriation procedure
You May Also Like
The state program was opened in 2011 and continues to operate. It is aimed at ethnic Hungarians who, as a result of wars and the division of Hungarian territories, have lost their citizenship.
All those who lived and were born (as well as their direct descendants) in the following areas are subject to the law:
- Transylvania;
- Transcarpathia;
- Southern Slovakia.
It is necessary that the applicant or his parents lived in the designated areas until 1920 or in the period from 1938 to 1945. You will need to find and submit evidence in the form of archival extracts, birth and marriage certificates.
You will also have to take an exam on knowledge of the Constitution and the language if:
- No documents on Hungarian education;
- Person under 65 years of age.
All, without exception, need to swear an oath of allegiance. Relatives of repatriates can obtain citizenship in a simplified manner.
Naturalization
One of the most common ways to become a Hungarian citizen, especially for Russian citizens. The naturalization process can take from one to eight years, depending on the applicant's status and the reason for naturalization.
Main reasons:
- Marriage to a citizen / citizen of the country;
- Family ties (family reunification), as well as guardianship, if the guardians are citizens of the country;
- Compliance with the residency requirement - residence in the country for eight years, provided that the applicant does not leave its limits for more than 45 days in each year.
By the way. The easiest and fastest way to obtain Hungarian citizenship is by birth, if the applicant was born from a citizen or citizen of Hungary, and the place of geographical birth does not matter.
You May Also Like
In addition to continuous residence, you will need:
- No previous convictions;
- Livelihood;
- Passing a language and constitutional test.
The residence permit can be up to a year if the applicant is a Hungarian by birth or a former citizen of this country.
If a minor child was adopted by a Hungarian citizen, he / she will acquire citizenship within three years.
Also during this period, citizens become:
- Spouses of Hungarians;
- Foreign parents of a minor Hungarian child;
- Officially recognized refugees.
In five years, the procedure will be carried out for those born in Hungary, or those who have received a residence permit here until the age of 18, as well as for persons who do not have any other citizenship.
Investments
Investing in Hungarian real estate does not give a 100% guarantee of obtaining citizenship, even if you buy it into property. They can only guarantee life-long permanent residence, but not a passport. But the presence of investments in the Hungarian economy in the amount of a quarter of a million euros (plus another 50,000 on the account for a six-month residence) provided the status of a citizen, but only until 2017.
The investment program, which has been in operation for six years, has been closed. And today it is not so easy for investors to obtain citizenship in an accelerated and simplified mode. To do this, you need to have special economic services to the country.
Double citizenship
Hungary is one of the countries that recognize the right of citizens to have another citizenship. Russia too. But there is no agreement on resolving state issues between the countries. Therefore, we will focus on the second citizenship, and not on dual citizenship.
You will not have to renounce Russian citizenship. But it is imperative to warn the migration services of both countries about this fact. With the Hungarian side, everything is simple - a petition to preserve the Russian is attached to the documents for Hungarian citizenship.
Advice. The migration services of the Russian Federation will have to be notified personally, no later than two months after the fact of receipt. If this is not done, you will have to pay a fine equal to the average annual income, or work 400 hours of community service as a punishment.
How is the procedure
Since Hungary is in the EU, the grounds for moving to it and obtaining Hungarian citizenship are confirmed by the presentation of strictly defined documents.
By the way. All documents are submitted at a time. If at least one is missing, the whole process is interrupted indefinitely.
Package of documents
Table. Documents for an adult and a child.
| For an adult | For a child |
Copies of all named documents - translated into Hungarian, duly certified by a notary and legalized. |
All documents are also photocopied, translated, certified. |
Where to go with documents
You need to send with ready-made documents for citizenship to the Ministry of Justice or one of its local divisions. If the applicant is not located in Hungary, citizenship can be applied for at the consulate or Hungarian embassy in your home country.
Step-by-step instructions for submitting documents:
- It is necessary to collect all documents, make copies, translate, certify;
- Make an appointment with your local government office or consulate;
- Pay the prescribed fee;
- Arrive on time with documents and a paid receipt in person;
- Submit and expect a decision from six months;
- After receiving a positive decision, swear allegiance to the new homeland to the mayor or consul.
Prices and terms
The amount of the state fee for the examination of documents - 500 euros (for 2021). Naturally, all translations and assurances, as well as postage are paid by the applicant separately and are not included in the total cost.
The terms can be six months or a year. This does not depend on a particular person and his situation, but only on the authorities that issue citizenship. They send a request to the president for each applicant.
By the way. During the waiting period, the applicant can be invited for an interview, of course, in Hungarian.
If the decision is positive, the newly minted citizen swears by Hungary and the Constitution. He is given a passport.
If refused
You can only intentionally lose your Hungarian citizenship (not unintentionally). This only happens if a fake statement or other document is found in the package.
The refusal can only be appealed if outdated data was submitted. In this situation, the documentation is updated and provided again.
In other episodes, especially when falsification or concealment of information that prevents the acquisition of Hungarian citizenship, the applicant is deprived of the right to re-apply and is expelled from the country.
It cannot be said that it is easy to become a citizen of Hungary, especially after its accession to the European Union. But getting a passport comes with a host of benefits that are well worth the effort.
