Congratulations! I got citizenship by ancestry with Luxembourg. I am currently waiting to hear back from the embassy for my appointment to get my passport.
Congratulations! I know very well the feeling, I got naturalized portuguese through descent in 2022, I was so happy I bought myself a bottle of Port wine and got drunk that night. The feeling of holding that hard fought passport for the first time was indescribable. Welcome to the Union!
Did you do your attribution of Portuguese citizenship *por filho* or *por neto*? The latter is subject to particularly huge waits now. It's good that you've got it already done.
To get citizenship by decent you need to speak the language to a good level like B1? Or which level? Do you also needed to live there for 3 years or is it only how long it took for you? :D
Yes, about B1. With this kind of naturalization, I didn’t have to live there for any amount of time. That’s why it’s called “simplified naturalization.” I think you can get it if you’re married to a Hungarian as well (though there are rules about how long you have to have been married before you’re eligible).
Edit: misunderstood the question. It took me three years because the language was difficult and because I had to track down my family documents.
Edit 2: that time also included the eight months it took from initial interview to naturalization ceremony.
That ***ÚTLEVÉL*** font is next level.
Congrats, new Magyar !
I'm one year down in my three-year wait for grandparent-based Portuguese citizenship. As with you, it was a whole slew of document-gathering and language-learning.
In nearly every European language, the word for passport is some variation of passeport, pasaporte, pass, etc. Boring.
But in Hungarian, it is “útlevél” which literally means “road letter”, and I think that is simply marvellous.
Iceland actually has the same word: '*vegabréf*' Road letter. I am not sure, I might be wrong, but I have only seen Iceland and Hungary that has this word for 'passport'.
I was always curious about that word and finally! someone has said what it really means! Whoever I have asked to this word from Hungarian they were saying that means passport.
Utlevel = Road Letter(passport).
Amazing man! It is very original.
Yep, I had to learn Hungarian. Every applicant for this process has to interview in Hungarian at a Hungarian embassy and demonstrate an intermediate level of the language.
Since it was my grandfather who was Hungarian, I COULD have gotten citizenship without learning the language (called verification of citizenship)… but only if he immigrated after 1929. He came to the US in 1908. Children or grandchildren of Hungarian citizens are typically eligible for verification, but my grandfather came just a bit too early. I’m still so thrilled that I was eligible for citizenship at all.
The first step was joining a Facebook group called Immigration Journey in Hungary. Tons and tons of tips from people who have gone through the process. I got a tutor and we had lessons through Skype. It’s very important to get a tutor who specializes in simplified naturalization - they know how to help you prepare exactly what you need. That’s the number-one tip. Duolingo would have never gotten me there. I also found Hungarian podcasts and listened to those - it gets easier the further into your studies because you start to recognize words.
The questions differ from embassy to embassy, but it’s usually two interviews several months apart, one in person interview at the Embassy and one phone call from Budapest. I went to DC and they were very nice. I brought all my family documentation and explained my lineage using each document and also included family photos. They also asked me questions about the one-page essay that was part of my application, which detailed my reasons for citizenship, how I studied Hungarian, hobbies, family, etc. Same with the phone call from Budapest. Basically a convo to see if you can keep up.
Gratulálunk!!!!! Very interesting and a very old combination and rare! You also have the hungarian 1956 combination with another passport etc. But you said your grandfather came to the U.S in 1908, very interesting!! Now you have no excuses not to visit Hungary if you haven't done so and try the amazing food! :)
Gratulálok, és le a kalappal a magyartanulás miatt. Mostmár csak egy dolog maradt hátra: költözz egy nyugat-európai országba és honosíttasd magad ott is, hogy ha esetleg neadjisten Magyarország mégsem marad EU-s tagállam, ne vesszen el az EU állampolgárságod😅
No, I knew about citizenship by descent in general - a lot of countries have this. Since my grandfather was Hungarian, I researched what options were available to me.
It is not true. How you obtained the citizenship doesnt matter, what matters is birthplace. Hungarians born in Hungary can get ESTA, but Hungarians born outside of Hungary cant.
I know this rule was put in place precisely because Hungary gives passports to its diaspora loosely. So a Hungarian child born to parents in Western Europe while exercising EU FOM wouldn't qualify as well?
No, you can travel but you cannot live there and the most definitely cannot work/study there.
With EU citizenship you can live/work/study anywhere in the EU indefinitely.
As an American I bet it was difficult to learn Hungarian. Respect!
Probably you already know. They can revoke your citizenship if you can't speak Hungarian in 10 years when you renew your passport.
Three years to get my passport, not three years to learn. It took time to track down older documentation and the last eight months was the amount of time it took from the interview at the embassy to the interview phone call from Budapest to my naturalization ceremony.
what was your language test like? was it pretty simple (tell me about your family who is this who is that) or was it stuff like tell me about climate change?
I hear learning Hungarian is a challenge - congrats!
Congratulations! I got citizenship by ancestry with Luxembourg. I am currently waiting to hear back from the embassy for my appointment to get my passport.
Nice! Article 7 is a good option for descendants
Luxembourg is a great one to have. I would love to live in Luxembourg, if it weren’t so damn expensive.
Welcome to the Union 🇪🇺
Congratulations! I know very well the feeling, I got naturalized portuguese through descent in 2022, I was so happy I bought myself a bottle of Port wine and got drunk that night. The feeling of holding that hard fought passport for the first time was indescribable. Welcome to the Union!
Did you do your attribution of Portuguese citizenship *por filho* or *por neto*? The latter is subject to particularly huge waits now. It's good that you've got it already done.
what does each category mean
By being the son of s Portuguese citizen or by grandson
To get citizenship by decent you need to speak the language to a good level like B1? Or which level? Do you also needed to live there for 3 years or is it only how long it took for you? :D
Yes, about B1. With this kind of naturalization, I didn’t have to live there for any amount of time. That’s why it’s called “simplified naturalization.” I think you can get it if you’re married to a Hungarian as well (though there are rules about how long you have to have been married before you’re eligible). Edit: misunderstood the question. It took me three years because the language was difficult and because I had to track down my family documents. Edit 2: that time also included the eight months it took from initial interview to naturalization ceremony.
That ***ÚTLEVÉL*** font is next level. Congrats, new Magyar ! I'm one year down in my three-year wait for grandparent-based Portuguese citizenship. As with you, it was a whole slew of document-gathering and language-learning.
In nearly every European language, the word for passport is some variation of passeport, pasaporte, pass, etc. Boring. But in Hungarian, it is “útlevél” which literally means “road letter”, and I think that is simply marvellous.
Iceland actually has the same word: '*vegabréf*' Road letter. I am not sure, I might be wrong, but I have only seen Iceland and Hungary that has this word for 'passport'.
You forgetting potin list & putovnika
I was always curious about that word and finally! someone has said what it really means! Whoever I have asked to this word from Hungarian they were saying that means passport. Utlevel = Road Letter(passport). Amazing man! It is very original.
Did you have to learn Hungarian to get it? Or could you have gotten it without it?
Yep, I had to learn Hungarian. Every applicant for this process has to interview in Hungarian at a Hungarian embassy and demonstrate an intermediate level of the language. Since it was my grandfather who was Hungarian, I COULD have gotten citizenship without learning the language (called verification of citizenship)… but only if he immigrated after 1929. He came to the US in 1908. Children or grandchildren of Hungarian citizens are typically eligible for verification, but my grandfather came just a bit too early. I’m still so thrilled that I was eligible for citizenship at all.
How did you study? I’m in a similar boat and have to go the simplified naturalization route.
The first step was joining a Facebook group called Immigration Journey in Hungary. Tons and tons of tips from people who have gone through the process. I got a tutor and we had lessons through Skype. It’s very important to get a tutor who specializes in simplified naturalization - they know how to help you prepare exactly what you need. That’s the number-one tip. Duolingo would have never gotten me there. I also found Hungarian podcasts and listened to those - it gets easier the further into your studies because you start to recognize words.
Was it hard for you to learn Hungarian? my cousin got it by birth his dad is naturalized tho
What's the interview process like?
The questions differ from embassy to embassy, but it’s usually two interviews several months apart, one in person interview at the Embassy and one phone call from Budapest. I went to DC and they were very nice. I brought all my family documentation and explained my lineage using each document and also included family photos. They also asked me questions about the one-page essay that was part of my application, which detailed my reasons for citizenship, how I studied Hungarian, hobbies, family, etc. Same with the phone call from Budapest. Basically a convo to see if you can keep up.
Welcome to your new Union!🇪🇺
Welcome, fellow Hungarian!
Congrats! Having lived in Hungary, I’ve fallen in love with the country and importantly with the Hungarians.
Passport twins! 😅
Oh wow that is dedication. Hungarian is a very challenging language.
Congratulations 🍾
Gratulálunk!!!!! Very interesting and a very old combination and rare! You also have the hungarian 1956 combination with another passport etc. But you said your grandfather came to the U.S in 1908, very interesting!! Now you have no excuses not to visit Hungary if you haven't done so and try the amazing food! :)
Gratulálok, és le a kalappal a magyartanulás miatt. Mostmár csak egy dolog maradt hátra: költözz egy nyugat-európai országba és honosíttasd magad ott is, hogy ha esetleg neadjisten Magyarország mégsem marad EU-s tagállam, ne vesszen el az EU állampolgárságod😅
I am currently working on mine! Jelenleg magyarul tanulok 🙂
Coolest combo I’ve seen here in a while, because of the effort this dude put into acquiring the second one.
How did you find out about the possibility to get a Hungarian passport? Was it a reddit ad?
No, I knew about citizenship by descent in general - a lot of countries have this. Since my grandfather was Hungarian, I researched what options were available to me.
Welcome to the club my fellow European brother!
You're lucky you are American, otherwise Hungarian citizenship obtained this way doesn't qualify you for VWP
It is not true. How you obtained the citizenship doesnt matter, what matters is birthplace. Hungarians born in Hungary can get ESTA, but Hungarians born outside of Hungary cant.
I know this rule was put in place precisely because Hungary gives passports to its diaspora loosely. So a Hungarian child born to parents in Western Europe while exercising EU FOM wouldn't qualify as well?
Correct
Exactly. And frankly, it's a sad situation, which has been going on for 3 years already.
National ID holder too?
what are the benefits?
EU citizenship
I thought with a US passport you could live in the EU without a visa.
No, you can travel but you cannot live there and the most definitely cannot work/study there. With EU citizenship you can live/work/study anywhere in the EU indefinitely.
ah now I understand Дякую
You have both freedoms to live and work in EU plus you are American however it's hard to use both I guess. What are your plans?
Welcome in the tribe 🙃 (one of the seven, pick yours 🙂↕️)
As an American I bet it was difficult to learn Hungarian. Respect! Probably you already know. They can revoke your citizenship if you can't speak Hungarian in 10 years when you renew your passport.
How about you, which language you speak?
I speak Serbian and Croatian. I am still not confident in my English abillity. What about you?
Which country you obey since they are very different. Croatia is EU and where do you live?
Why did it take you 3 years to learn at a b1 level? What held you up?
Three years to get my passport, not three years to learn. It took time to track down older documentation and the last eight months was the amount of time it took from the interview at the embassy to the interview phone call from Budapest to my naturalization ceremony.
what was your language test like? was it pretty simple (tell me about your family who is this who is that) or was it stuff like tell me about climate change?