Can you recommend a Hungarian immigration lawyer who speaks English?

November 11, 2016 3:08 AM

I believe I might be able to get Hungarian citizenship based on ancestry (my grandparents were citizens), but I don't have copies of all the necessary birth/marriage certificates (or really, much clue about this works). I'm looking for a lawyer who can help me navigate the process and dig up the documents I need and file all the legal paperwork, etc. Who can I hire to help figure this out and make it happen?
posted by anonymous to Law & Government (5 answers total)

The process is described in detail here on the Hungarian embassy in Washington's homepage. You may not need a lawyer but you might need a translator to complete the form, which is only in Hungarian [pdf].
posted by mdonley at 4:02 AM on November 11, 2016

"Grandparents" is not quite enough. I am not sure how it works now but ten years ago it had to be a parent and they had to be born within the post 1921 borders of Hungary. If it was your father it would be granted automatically, but I was held up for years because it was my mother. Also: the local lawyer doesn't dig up the "anyakönyvi "documents you need. You have to do that. And those documents are probably located in various archives all around Hungary. In this country, you can't really just pay a fee and expect somebody who knows the ropes to make a task easy.
posted by zaelic at 6:32 AM on November 11, 2016

I am pursuing the same thing, though my bloodline is my mother. I communicated with a lawyer in Budapest who is very willing to assist, but stressed, several times, the necessity of learning the language and being conversant. Do you know the language?

DM for more info.
posted by wocka wocka wocka at 8:04 AM on November 11, 2016

zaelic is not quite right; as of 2010 you may establish Hungarian citizenship with any Hungarian ancestor. [PDF] (Source: Hungarian Office of Immigration and Nationality -- see "Simplified Naturalization" under the "Hungarian Citizenship" menu)

There are agencies in Hungary that do relocation services for foreigners; some of them may be willing to handle much of this for you, for an appropriate fee.
posted by leticia at 9:56 AM on November 11, 2016

On the other hand, if you have €300,000 to spare, you can also get a permanent residency card through Hungary's residency bond program. :D
posted by leticia at 10:00 AM on November 11, 2016