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Citizenship by Descent

Citizenship by descent refers to the automatic acquisition of citizenship at birth through a parent who is a citizen.

For historical generations, this mechanism determines whether citizenship could have been transmitted through the family line.

Basic Principle​

In most historical periods, Hungarian citizenship was transmitted primarily through the father, particularly in cases of children born within marriage.

The applicable rule depends on:

  • the year of birth;
  • whether the parents were legally married;
  • the citizenship status of the parent at that time.

Transmission Across Generations​

For a continuous line of citizenship, each generation must:

  • have acquired citizenship at birth; and
  • not have lost it before the birth of the next generation.

If citizenship was interrupted at any point, automatic transmission stops.

Relevance for Simplified Naturalization​

For simplified naturalization, it is not necessary to prove uninterrupted transmission.

However, understanding whether transmission occurred may affect the choice between simplified naturalization and verification.

Points to Verify​

  • Legal fatherhood and marital status.
  • Citizenship status of the parent at the time of birth.
  • Applicable citizenship law in force during the relevant period.

Citizenship by descent is determined strictly under the law applicable at the time of birth.