Who can apply for a Hungarian passport and where can the application be submitted?
All Hungarian citizens are entitled to apply for a Hungarian passport. Applications must be submitted in person. At the Embassy of Hungary in Pretoria, applicants are required to appear personally, as fingerprints are collected on-site during the application process.
The average processing time for a passport is approximately 4–5 weeks. If the applicant does not possess proof of Hungarian citizenship, the verification of citizenship must be completed before submitting a passport application. This procedure usually takes 8–10 months but may take even longer in certain cases.
Applicants are required to present one of the following documents proving Hungarian citizenship:
- Valid Hungarian passport or valid Hungarian ID card
- Hungarian passport expired within the last year
- Valid Hungarian certificate of citizenship
These documents only confirm Hungarian citizenship; therefore, applicants must also prove their identity by presenting a valid foreign photo identification document.
In addition, applicants must present the following documents:
- Hungarian address card, or
- Hungarian birth certificate and, if applicable, Hungarian marriage certificate (if the applicant uses a married name)
- Two passport-size colour photographs taken against a white background (no eyeglasses and no visible teeth)
If the applicant does not yet possess a Hungarian address card, birth certificate, or marriage certificate, the relevant vital events must first be registered in Hungary and the applicant’s data must be recorded as a Hungarian citizen living abroad. Please consult the relevant information on our website. Without completing these steps, the competent authority will not be able to issue a new passport.
If you intend to travel shortly after applying for a new passport, you may still use your current passport. However, the new passport will only be issued after the old passport has been submitted or sent by mail.
No additional forms need to be completed before the appointment.
Special rules for passport applications of minors:
Children under the age of 6:
In the case of a passport application for a child under the age of six, the Hungarian parent who is able to prove his or her Hungarian citizenship may sign a declaration on the basis of which the Hungarian citizenship of the child will be presumed.
The registration of the child’s birth must be initiated simultaneously with the passport application. The child may receive a Hungarian passport before the birth registration is completed. In such cases, the name in the passport will correspond to the name on the foreign birth certificate (for example, John instead of János). If this is not desired, the declaration regarding the child’s citizenship should not be submitted.
General rules for minors:
As a general rule, passport applications for children under the age of 18 must be submitted by both parents in person. If only one parent can appear, the other parent must provide a signed consent letter. The signature may need to be authenticated. Parents must identify themselves (preferably with a Hungarian passport, ID card, or Hungarian driver’s licence for the Hungarian parent and a valid passport for the foreign parent).
Consent letter of the absent parent.
A child under the age of 12 is not required to be present during the application process. In such cases, please bring a passport photograph of the child taken against a white background (no eyeglasses and no visible teeth).
If only one parent has custody of the child, proof of this must be presented (such as a court decision or a death certificate). Please always bring the child’s birth certificate.
Biometric data stored in the passport:
The passport contains the holder’s facial image and two fingerprints stored on an RFID chip. If the applicant consents to having their fingerprints stored in a database in Hungary as well, it will be possible to apply online for a replacement passport in case the passport is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Expedited passport processing is only available for applications submitted in Hungary.
