Henley Passport Index 2024: Hungarian passport 7th best in world

In 2024, Hungary ranks again among the Top 10 on the Henley Passport Index that lists the most desired passports around the world. Learn about the benefits of a Hungarian passport and see if you can obtain one.

About the Henley Passport Index

Henley & Partners are one of the world’s most prominent providers of investment based residency and citizenship solutions. They maintain an excellent online database listing all the countries each passport gives visa-free access to, and in their quarterly brochure, they publish a ranking of 200 countries around the globe. Both tools are easily accessible and give readers insight into global trends.

Top 10 passports in 2024

In the latest issue of Q1 2024, Hungary ranks 7^th with visa-free access to 188 countries. This is an improvement of two positions and three countries compared to last year. For comparison, see below the top 10 countries of the Henley Passport Index. The number at the front of each line indicates the number of countries the passport-holders of each country can enter without a visa.

1. 194: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain
2. 193: Finland, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden
3. 192: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, United Kingdom
4. 191: Belgium, Norway, Portugal
5. 190: Australia, Greece, Malta, New Zealand, Switzerland
6. 189: Canada, Czech Republic, Poland, United States
7. 188: Hungary, Lithuania
8. 187: Estonia
9. 186: Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia
10. 185: Iceland

Travel wherever you want with your Hungarian passport

The Hungarian passport gives visa-free entry to 188 countries, although some of them require registration in advance or upon arrival. These include the following:

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

Since Hungary is a member state of the European Union, not only can Hungarian passport holders freely enter any member state, they can also live and work wherever they want in the EU.

How to get a Hungarian passport?

Only Hungarian citizens can qualify for a Hungarian passport. Currently, there is no fast-track citizenship program available in Hungary (although there is a golden visa program). Foreign nationals can gain Hungarian citizenship if they live in Hungary for a prolonged time. The standard is 8 years holding a Hungarian address card, but that can be shortened if the applicant has a spouse and children in Hungary.

The shortest route to Hungarian citizenship is if you have Hungarian ancestors. If your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors were Hungarian, you can gain citizenship in about a year based on your connection to them.

Do you have any Hungarian relatives? Take our free eligibility test to see if you qualify for Hungarian citizenship. It only takes a few minutes, and you will instantly have a better idea of your options.

Hungarian residency grants visa-free access to the EU

While Hungarian citizenship might not be readily available to anyone everyone, Hungarian residency also grants visa-free access to the EU and the Schengen zone as well as to Hungary, and obtaining it is significantly easier. You have several options to choose from:

• Guest investor residency: In the new Hungarian golden visa program, investors can obtain residency for their whole family for ten years in exchange for a single investment or donation.
• Business immigration: Set up a Hungarian company and get residency for the whole family based on the steady operation of your business. If you are not sure what kind of business to start, property management is always a good option.
• White Card: Are you a digital nomad? You can move to Hungary and work remotely from here, taking advantage of all that Hungary offers without starting a business here.
• Work permit: Do you want to work in Hungary? As soon as you find a potential employer and agree with them, you can apply for a work permit with their help. “Work permit” is a broad category with various permit types, and we would be happy to help you select the one that best fits your conditions.

Besides these, several other options are available. However, the Hungarian immigration law has changed recently, and some details still need clarification. We are constantly updating our blog with new developments, so watch this space for more information.

Interested? Contact us now!

Even though the latest residency rules are not yet crystal clear, you may feel free to contact us and ask your questions about Hungarian residency and citizenship. Our team has been offering citizenship, residency, and business services in Hungary for twenty years, with ample experience and an extensive network of partners of providers.

Our mission is to provide assistance to foreigners interested in living, working, and doing business in Hungary. With the country ranking consistently high on the Henley Passport Index, Hungary is a really attractive destination for anyone interested in residency and citizenship, and we would be happy to support your endeavors too.

Can we help you? Fill in the form below to contact us.