Citizenship of Hungary or Slovakia by origin: what to choose in 2026

Short

Hungary gives citizenship by roots through simplified naturalization: you need to confirm your Hungarian origin and pass an oral interview in Hungarian; you do not need to live in the country. Slovakia, with a 2026 reform, issues citizenship to the descendants of Czechoslovak citizens born on its territory, and for those living abroad it has removed the language test and the requirement for a residence permit. The Hungarian path is easier for those who have the language; Slovak - for those who have a pure documentary line of ancestors.

Briefly about each path

Both paths lead to the same result - an EU passport with the right to live, work and study in any of the 27 EU countries. But their logic is different.

Hungary - simplified naturalization (egyszerűsített honosítás). This is not a "restoration" in the strict sense, but an expedited procedure for those of Hungarian descent. The applicant proves that among his ancestors there was a Hungarian citizen or a person who lived in the historical territory of the Hungarian state, and undergoes an oral interview in Hungarian. Residence in the country is not required; the application can be submitted through the consulate. At the end - the oath of allegiance (állampolgársági eskü). We discussed this in more detail in the material about Hungarian citizenship by descent.

Slovakia - citizenship by descent. Here the basis is purely ancestry: at least one of the parents, grandparents or great-grandparents was a Czechoslovak citizen born in what is now Slovakia. The reform of the citizenship law, which is planned to come into force in mid-2026, removed the Slovak language exam and knowledge of the country's realities for those living abroad, and also removed the requirement to obtain a residence permit before obtaining a passport.

Comparison table

Let's summarize the key parameters of both paths into one table. The terms and fees here are approximate - they depend on the specific case and can be specified individually.

As you can see, the result is identical - EU citizenship. The difference is in the “entrance ticket”: Hungary checks the language and connection with culture, Slovakia after the reform - primarily the documentary line of ancestors.

Where is it easier to take the Hungarian route?

The Hungarian path wins when the applicant has a living connection with the language and culture, but the documentary base on ancestors is incomplete.

• Language at the everyday level. The interview is oral and does not require a B2 diploma. If your family spoke Hungarian or you learned the language, we can overcome the barrier.
• Flexible interpretation of origin. Not only the direct ancestor-citizen is taken into account, but also the residence of the ancestors in the historical territories of the Hungarian state - and this is a significant part of modern Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Ukraine.
• There is no requirement for a residence permit or residency. The entire process can be completed from abroad through the consulate.
• Dual citizenship. Hungary allows it; you do not need to give up your previous passport.

There is one minus and a significant one: language. You can’t pass an interview without Hungarian, and learning it from scratch for a specific task is a serious investment of time.

Where is it easier to get Slovak

The Slovak path becomes more attractive after the 2026 reform - especially for those who do not speak the language but have a well-documented ancestry.

• No language required (for those living abroad). The reform removed the Slovak exam and the country's knowledge test for applicants permanently living abroad.
• No residence permit required. Previously, it was necessary to obtain permanent residence in Slovakia before receiving a passport - now this step has been removed for descendants abroad.
• The depth of the line is up to the great-grandfather. One Czechoslovak ancestor three generations up is enough.
• Dual citizenship. Slovakia allows the acquisition of second citizenship on this basis.

The main difficulty is the evidence base. A birth certificate in itself does not confirm citizenship: separate documents are needed to prove the Czechoslovak citizenship of the ancestor (old passports, military records, census forms), and confirmation that the place of birth is on the territory of modern Slovakia. If an ancestor was born in lands that were then part of Czechoslovakia, but today are not Slovakia, such a place of birth is not counted.

What suits whom?

The choice almost always comes down to two questions: whether there is a language and how strong the documentary line of ancestors is.

Hungary is suitable if:

• you speak Hungarian or are ready to learn the language to the level of an oral interview;
• the family has Hungarian roots, but documents on the citizenship of their ancestors are fragmentary - a flexible interpretation of origin helps;
• ancestors lived in historical Hungarian territories outside of present-day Hungary.

Slovakia is suitable if:

• you don’t want to learn the language, but you live outside of Slovakia;
• there are documents proving the Czechoslovak citizenship of the ancestor and his birth on Slovak territory;
• An ancestor is placed three generations up - parent, grandparent or great-grandparent.

If you have both reasons, it’s worth comparing the risks and timing for each. Sometimes it makes more sense to take two paths in parallel. For a general understanding of the mechanics of returning a passport by roots, our Hungarian citizenship hub.

Our recommendation and how we choose the path

At BRIDGES GLOBAL, we don't start with promises, we start with documents. Before recommending a country, we conduct due diligence on the pedigree and legal purity of the case.

• Pedigree audit. We build a line of ancestors, look for and check supporting documents - certificates, censuses, passports, military records. For Slovakia, we separately confirm Czechoslovak citizenship and place of birth in the territory of the current country.
• Assessing the language barrier. For the Hungarian route, we predict your readiness for an oral interview and your preparation plan.
• Checking the relevance of standards. The reform of the Slovak law of 2026 is still unfolding in practice, so we check individual details with official sources at the time of submission.
• Risk scenario. We calculate deadlines, fees, the likelihood of requesting additional documents - and only then make a recommendation.

Official information on simplified naturalization in Hungary can be checked on the website state register of Hungary, and for Hungarian citizenship in general - on the portal Hungarian government. If you are considering the investment route instead of roots, we have a separate analysis Hungarian residence permit for investment (golden visa).

Hungary: procedure details

Simplified naturalization by roots is not a one-time formality, but a structured process. The application is submitted to the Hungarian consulate or directly to the authorized body. The case is being handled by the specialized unit for simplified naturalization (Egyszerűsített Honosítási Osztály).

The actual time frame should not be underestimated: consideration after submission takes approximately 5-9 months, then a presidential decree is required - about another 2 months. In total, in practice, it takes approximately 14-18 months before the oath. The final step is the oath of allegiance (állampolgársági eskü), after which the citizen’s documents are drawn up.

Important: residence in Hungary is not required for this route, but an oral interview in Hungarian is mandatory. This is a key difference from ordinary naturalization, where you need 8 years of residence (abbreviated to 3 years for marriage of 3 years or more or a common child, 5 years at birth in Hungary and in a number of other cases) and a constitutional examination in Hungarian. Read more about the transition from resident status to a passport in our material about the path from residence permit to Hungarian citizenship.

Slovakia: procedure details

Citizenship by ancestors in Slovakia after the 2026 reform is carried out directly by the Ministry of Internal Affairs: preliminary checks through the police in cases of foreigners are abolished, cases are immediately assessed by the relevant authority. This simplifies the route, but increases the requirements for the quality of the evidence base.

The law sets a deadline for review of 24 months, but in practice, specialized specialists report completion faster. The administrative fee for the procedure is small - about 30 euros; The main cost consists of legal support and collection of documents in the archives of several countries.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the usual naturalization of Slovakia - in case the line of ancestors is not confirmed. It requires about 8 years of permanent residence in the country and proficiency in the Slovak language (approximately level B1), which is tested during the procedure. This route is fundamentally different in complexity and timing, and for a post-Soviet applicant without roots it is rarely justified.

Common mistakes made by applicants

Most of the refusals and delays are not due to the “strictness” of the authorities, but because of predictable mistakes at the start.

• Confusion between birth certificate and proof of citizenship. For Slovakia this is critical: a certificate alone does not confirm the Czechoslovak citizenship of an ancestor.
• They do not check the place of birth of an ancestor. If today it is outside the borders of Slovakia, the foundation along the Slovak path disappears - even if it was once Czechoslovakia.
• The Hungarian language is underestimated. The interview is oral, but real; “I’ll learn it in a month” almost never works.
• They rely on outdated rules. The reform of the Slovak law in 2026 changes the requirements - some of the old guides on the Internet are no longer relevant.
• They do not legalize documents. Papers in a foreign language often require an apostille and sworn translation.
• They wait “a couple of months.” Real terms are calculated in many months; Inflated expectations lead to mistakes in planning moves and transactions.

Bottom line

Hungary and Slovakia lead to the same thing - a full EU passport with the right to live and work in 27 countries and the ability to retain your previous citizenship. The difference is the entry point. The Hungarian Roots Path does not require residence, but does require speaking Hungarian at the interview. The Slovak path after the 2026 reform for those living abroad removed the language and residence permit, but is strictly tied to the documentary line of ancestors born on Slovak territory.

If you have a language, look towards Hungary. If you have a strong pedigree and documents, head towards Slovakia. And if there is both, it makes sense to evaluate both routes and choose according to timing and risks. We begin our work at BRIDGES GLOBAL with this audit.