The Hungarian Passport: Benefits and How to Get One

A Hungarian passport is a European Union passport, and one of the most powerful travel documents in the world. It lets you live and work anywhere in the EU and travel visa-free to most of the world, with the same rights passing on to your children. You receive one by becoming a Hungarian citizen, which for many people with Hungarian roots is more accessible than they expect. Here is what the passport gives you and how to get one.

How strong is the Hungarian passport?

The Hungarian passport ranks among the strongest in the world. In the 2026 Henley Passport Index it sits around sixth place, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 180 destinations. That includes the entire Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Singapore, with a quick electronic authorisation rather than a full visa for countries such as the United States and Canada.

The benefits of holding a Hungarian passport

Because Hungary is a member of the European Union, a Hungarian passport carries the full rights of EU citizenship:

• The right to live, work, study, or retire in any EU or EEA country, plus Switzerland, with no visa or permit.
• Visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to around 180 destinations, including the Schengen Area.
• The right to pass Hungarian citizenship, and the passport, on to your children.
• Consular help from any EU member state’s embassy while you travel.
• The right to vote in Hungarian and European Parliament elections.

Who can hold a Hungarian passport?

Only Hungarian citizens can hold a Hungarian passport, so the real question is how you become a citizen. There are three common routes:

• By descent: if you have a Hungarian ancestor, you may qualify through simplified naturalisation, with no requirement to live in Hungary. Our guide to citizenship by descent covers who qualifies and the documents you need.
• By naturalisation: after eight years of legal residence in Hungary, with a shorter period in certain cases.
• By marriage: the spouse of a Hungarian citizen can apply after ten years of marriage, or five years if you have a child together.

You can hold a Hungarian passport alongside your current one, because Hungary allows dual citizenship. Our Hungarian citizenship service explains how the application works and how our partner lawyers can help.

How to get a Hungarian passport, step by step

1. Confirm or obtain citizenship. If a parent was Hungarian you may already be a citizen and simply need it verified. Otherwise you apply for citizenship through one of the routes above.
2. Gather your documents. Usually your birth certificate, proof of your Hungarian citizenship or ancestry, and identification, with official Hungarian translations where needed.
3. Apply for the passport. Once your citizenship is recognised, you apply at a Hungarian government office, or at a Hungarian consulate if you are abroad. Your photo and fingerprints are taken at the appointment.
4. Collect your passport. It is issued after processing, then collected in person or posted to you, depending on where you applied.

Keeping your current citizenship

You do not have to give up your current nationality to hold a Hungarian passport. Hungary permits dual and multiple citizenship, so the only point to check is whether your home country allows it too. We cover this in our guide to whether Hungary allows dual citizenship.

Frequently asked questions