Hungarian Citizenship May Be Within Reach for More Israelis Than They Think

More Israelis are exploring Hungarian passports, but the process is more complicated than many expect. Attorney Shosha Schoner, whose firm specializes in Hungarian citizenship, says the key question is usually family lineage, especially whether a grandparent was born and lived in Hungary. She says that, in broad terms, having one Hungarian grandfather or grandmother may be enough to begin checking eligibility, but the case still has to be proven with documents.

According to Schoner, the process often starts with locating records in Hungary, since many families do not know the exact birthplace or original Hungarian spelling of a relative’s name. She says the paperwork usually involves requests to authorities and archives, and that most people do not already have all the needed documents at home.

A common concern is language. Schoner says most applicants do not need to know Hungarian, but there is an important exception for those whose grandparents were born in what she called “Greater Hungary,” before 1921, when borders changed. For that route, she says the 2011 law allows a claim, but Hungarian language knowledge is required.

Schoner also stresses the practical value of Hungarian citizenship. She calls it the world’s sixth-strongest passport, noting access to more than 170 countries, plus advantages in study, work, banking, and living in Europe. She says spouses can benefit too, gaining full resident rights, including the ability to live indefinitely, work, and receive local health insurance if the couple moves to Europe for a period.

Her main warning is against trying to handle the process alone. She says the first eligibility check is free, and her office can then handle documents, translations, apostilles, and any correspondence with Hungarian authorities until the client receives the passport. Her advice to anyone unsure is simple: start the check and see whether the claim is real.