Henley Passport Index 2023: Hungary still in Top 10

Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport index is published quarterly by Henley & Partners, one of the world’s most well-known providers in investment based residency and citizenship solutions. They maintain an excellent database for providing their clients and anyone curious with information about passport strength. In their online tool, you can select any country and you will instantly see where a passport holder of that country can travel without a visa.

The database currently shows information about visa-free access with 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations.

Top 10 passports in 2023

In the latest publication of Q1 2023, the Hungarian passport was listed as the 9^th strongest in the world, with visa-free access to 185 countries. For comparison, here are the top 10 contenders of the Henley Passport Index. The number before each country list indicates how many countries you can enter without a visa, only with a passport.

1. 193: Japan, Singapore
2. 192: South Korea
3. 191: Germany, Spain
4. 190: Finland, Italy, Luxembourg
5. 189: Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden
6. 188: France, Ireland, Portugal, UK
7. 187: Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, US
8. 186: Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta
9. 185: Hungary, Poland
10. 184: Slovakia, Lithuania

Freedom to travel and live where you want

With a Hungarian passport, you can enter no less than 185 countries without a visa (although some require registration before entry or upon arrival). These include:

• Every member state of EU and the Schengen zone
• U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia
• most countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas
• most countries in Oceania and the Caribbean

Moreover, as the owner of a Hungarian passport not only can you travel freely within the EU, but you can also live and work in whichever member state you prefer, without any special permits.

How to get a Hungarian passport?

Only Hungarian citizens can hold a Hungarian passport. If you are not a Hungarian citizen already, you can become one through naturalization. Simplified naturalization is possible in a year or so, but only if you have Hungarian ancestors. Otherwise, regular naturalization requires at least 8 years of residency in Hungary. Currently, there is no fast-track citizenship scheme available in Hungary.

At the same time, you can easily become a resident of Hungary. With a Hungarian residence permit, you can travel visa-free to any country of the European Union and the Schengen zone (see a full list here). Moreover, owning a Hungarian residence permit can support your visa application to other countries as well.

How to get Hungarian residency?

The immigration law of Hungary is among the most lenient within the EU. You can get Hungarian residency in just a few months, you just have to demonstrate that you have a legitimate purpose to stay in Hungary. The most popular options are:

• Business immigration: Set up a Hungarian business and get residency as the managing director. In line with this, you can also base your application on property investment: set up a company, purchase property, rent it, and apply for residency. Easy.
• White card: Digital nomads who have their own business and provide their services online can apply for a special kind of permit, and enjoy the privileges of Hungarian residency.

Of course, you can also become a resident of Hungary based on your employment, your studies, family unification, or “other” purposes.

Work with the seasoned experts of the Helpers Team

The Team of Helpers Hungary provides assistance with administrative tasks to people who want to live, work, or study in Hungary since 2005. You can count on us whether you need help with company formation, accounting, or residency application: we will do our best to provide a solution that is tailored exactly to your situation. 

Fill in the form below and contact us today.

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