I returned to Hungary to hand-deliver some documents, and work some magic outside the government offices Note: In March of 2023, I took my Hungarian Citizenship Oath. It was a lot of work and dedication to get there, and I know many others are on a similar journey through the Simplified Naturalization Procedure. I'm writing a 10-part series of posts with details of my citizenship process. I hope this will help and inspire others.   See Part 1  ; Part 2  ; Part 3 ; Part 4 ; Pa

How my negative reaction almost ruined it all Note: In March of 2023, I took my Hungarian Citizenship Oath. It was a lot of work and dedication to get there, and I know many others are on a similar journey through the Simplified Naturalization Procedure. I'm writing a 10-part series of posts with details of my citizenship process. I hope this will help and inspire others.   See Part 1  ; Part 2  ; Part 3 ; Part 4 ; Part 5  ; Part 6 and Part 7 . After my interview at the Hun

My Second Interview to become a Hungarian Citizen - this time in Washington, DC Note: In March of 2023, I took my Hungarian Citizenship Oath. It was a lot of work and dedication to get there, and I know many others are on a similar journey through the Simplified Naturalization Procedure. I'm writing a 10-part series of posts with details of my citizenship process. I hope this will help and inspire others.   See Part 1  ; Part 2  ; Part 3 ; Part 4 ; Part 5 and Part 6. It's

My First Official Interview to become a Hungarian Citizen Note: In March of 2023, I took my Hungarian Citizenship Oath. It was a lot of...

Going the extra mile (or kilometer): all the extra steps I took to maximize my chances of success in gaining my Hungarian...

The Hungarian flag outside the Consulate building in NYC Get help. Hire a teacher to guide you, and prepare you for the interview. This...

How I attempted (and failed) to submit perfect documents with my Hungarian citizenship application. Note: In March of 2023, I took my...

Episode 1: Hungarian with Sziszi In this series of video interviews, I will speak with some of the Hungarian language teachers who helped...

There's no "hack" or "easy fix" for learning to speak, read and write Hungarian. The only way to do it is to commit to spending the time...

I looked at a photo of an útlevél every day. Now I'm putting my new passport to good use! Yes, I'm one of those types who has a vision...

A Slow Start on the Simplified Naturalization Procedure that Lead to an Obession of Sorts. Note from Tara: At the time of writing this...

How I went from a memory of the word Magyar, to finding the documents that made me eligible for Hungarian Citizenship via the Simplified...

It's the most mythologized and often the most dreaded part of the citizenship process. But I believe you CAN find a way to enjoy the...

Things got emotional, the moment I found out I was successful in my Hungarian citizenship quest. I had let it go. After years of language...

Keeping the bigger picture in mind Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. Having a Hungarian passport is advantageous. It consistently ranks in the top 10 passports. (Yes, there is actually something called the Henley Passport Index. ) With a Hungarian passport, you can enter nearly 200 countries without a visa, and, most importantly, you can live and work in any other European Union country. Many people start their Hungarian citizenship journey with this goal in mind.

My goal with this blog is to share tips, advice and stories about the process of becoming a New Citizen of The Old Country.