This year again, Hungary ranks in the Top 10 of the Henley Passport Index, making it one of the most desired passports around the world. Read on to learn what that means and how you can take advantage of it.
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.
In the latest publication of Q1 2023, the Hungarian passport was listed as the 9th 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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
Of course, you can also become a resident of Hungary based on your employment, your studies, family unification, or “other” purposes.
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.
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If you are a U.S. citizen, you can easily move to the EU and gain visa-free access to the Schengen zone. Become a resident or a citizen of Hungary, which is a member of the European Union, and take advantage of your new privileges.
Read MoreWhile this is a residency option available in several European countries, there is no such program in Hungary. However, you can still choose from several options; get an overview here.
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