Hungarian citizenship interview questions
When you apply for Hungary’s simplified naturalization (egyszerűsített honosítás), the official who takes your application checks your Hungarian in conversation. Below are 26 questions you may be asked, grouped by topic, each with audio, a pronunciation guide and a sample answer you can adapt to your own life.
What level of Hungarian do you need?
There is no separate language exam and no certificate to submit. The official who receives your application checks your Hungarian and records on the form whether you understand and speak it. [Decree 125/1993, § 2(1)] The official guidance asks for intermediate-level communication in both directions: understanding and expressing yourself. An accent, a dialect or imperfect grammar is not a problem in itself. [official information sheet, section 2]
The check applies from age 14, and your Hungarian can be checked at any stage of the procedure, not only at the appointment. [same section] No official list of questions is published. The questions here are our selection of the topics the conversation usually covers: you, your family, your Hungarian ancestor and why you’re applying.
Greetings
The conversation starts the moment you sit down, and it’s in the formal Ön form.
Jó napot kívánok! Foglaljon helyet, kérem.
Say it: yoh NAW-pot KEE-vaa-nok FOG-lawl-yon HE-yet KAY-rem
Good day! Please take a seat.
Jó napot! Köszönöm.
Good day! Thank you.
Hogy van?
Say it: hody vawn
How are you?
Köszönöm, jól. És ön?
Thank you, well. And you?
About you
Expect your name, age, date and place of birth, address and how long you’ve lived there.
Mi a neve, és hány éves?
Say it: mi aw NE-ve aysh HAANY AY-vesh
What is your name, and how old are you?
Kovács Anna vagyok, negyvenkét éves.
I am Anna Kovács, forty-two years old.
Mikor született?
Say it: MI-kor SEW-le-tett
When were you born?
1978-ban születtem.
I was born in 1978.
Hol született, és hol nőtt fel?
Say it: hol SEW-le-tett aysh hol nurtt fel
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
Chicagóban születtem, és ott nőttem fel.
I was born in Chicago, and I grew up there.
Mi a lakcíme?
Say it: mi aw LAWK-tsee-me
What is your address?
A házszámom 12, az irányítószámom 60614.
My house number is 12, my zip code is 60614.
Mennyi ideje él itt?
Say it: MEN-nyi I-de-ye ayl itt
How long have you lived here?
2015 óta itt élek.
I've lived here since 2015.
Milyen ott, ahol él?
Say it: MI-yen ott AW-hol ayl
What's it like where you live?
Nagyvárosban élek. Sok park van a városomban.
I live in a big city. There are a lot of parks in my city.
Meséljen magáról!
Say it: ME-shayl-yen MAW-gaa-rohl
Tell me about yourself.
Egyetemre jártam, és tanárként dolgozom.
I went to university, and I work as a teacher.
Your family
Your spouse, your children and their ages.
Házas, vagy egyedülálló?
Say it: HAA-zawsh vawdy E-dye-dewl-aal-loh
Are you married or single?
Házas vagyok. Két gyermekem van.
I am married. I have two children.
Van felesége?
Say it: vawn FE-le-shay-ge
Do you have a wife?
Igen, a feleségem neve Anna. Tanárként dolgozik.
Yes, my wife's name is Anna. She works as a teacher.
Vannak gyermekei?
Say it: VAWN-nawk DYER-me-ke-i
Do you have children?
Igen, egy fiam és egy lányom van.
Yes, I have one son and one daughter.
Hány évesek?
Say it: HAANY AY-ve-shek
How old are they?
A lányom nyolc éves, a fiam pedig tizenkét éves.
My daughter is eight years old, and my son is twelve.
Your Hungarian ancestor
The heart of a descent application: who your ancestor was, where and when they were born, and when they left.
Meséljen a magyar felmenőjéről!
Say it: ME-shayl-yen aw MAW-dyawr FEL-me-nur-yay-rurl
Tell me about your Hungarian ancestor.
A dédnagyapám Debrecenben született, és 1930-ban Amerikába költözött.
My great-grandfather was born in Debrecen, and in 1930 he moved to America.
Mikor költözött el?
Say it: MI-kor KURL-tur-zurtt el
When did he move away?
Ezerkilencszázharmincban, Amerikába.
In 1930, to America.
Miért költözött el?
Say it: MI-ayrt KURL-tur-zurtt el
Why did he/she move away?
Jobb életet keresett.
He/she was looking for a better life.
Megvan a dédnagyapja születési anyakönyvi kivonata?
Say it: MEG-vawn aw DAYD-nawdy-awp-yaw SEW-le-tay-shi AW-nyaw-kurny-vi KI-vo-naw-taw
Do you have your great-grandfather's birth certificate?
Igen, az egyházi anyakönyvből másoltuk ki.
Yes, we copied it from the church register.
Elhozta az eredeti iratokat?
Say it: EL-hoz-taw awz E-re-de-ti I-raw-to-kawt
Did you bring the original documents?
Igen, elhoztam az eredetit és a hiteles fordítást is.
Yes, I brought the original and the certified translation too.
Why you’re applying
Almost everyone is asked this. A short, sincere answer about your family is enough.
Miért szeretne magyar állampolgár lenni?
Say it: MI-ayrt SE-ret-ne MAW-dyawr AAL-lawm-pol-gaar LEN-ni
Why do you want to become a Hungarian citizen?
Büszke vagyok a magyar származásomra, és szeretném megőrizni a családom örökségét.
I am proud of my Hungarian heritage, and I want to preserve my family's legacy.
Work and education
What you do and where you studied.
Mivel foglalkozik?
Say it: MI-vel FOG-lawl-ko-zik
What do you do (for work)?
Mérnökként dolgozom. A cégemnél tíz éve dolgozom.
I work as an engineer. I've worked at my company for ten years.
Hol tanult?
Say it: hol TAW-noolt
Where did you study?
Mérnöki tudományokat tanultam az egyetemen.
I studied engineering at university.
Van diplomája?
Say it: vawn DIP-lo-maa-yaw
Do you have a degree?
Igen, egyetemi diplomám van.
Yes, I have a university degree.
Hungary and learning Hungarian
How you learned the language, and your own connection to Hungary.
Hogy tanult meg magyarul?
Say it: hody TAW-noolt meg MAW-dyaw-rool
How did you learn Hungarian?
Két éve tanulok. Duolingón kezdtem, most egy tanárral gyakorlok hetente.
I've been learning for two years. I started on Duolingo, and now I practice with a tutor every week.
Járt már Magyarországon?
Say it: yaart maar MAW-dyawr-or-saa-gon
Have you been to Hungary before?
Igen, tavaly nyáron voltam ott.
Yes, I was there last summer.
Hogy tetszett?
Say it: hody TET-sett
How did you like it?
Nagyon tetszett, szeretnék visszamenni.
I liked it a lot, I'd like to go back.
Mit csinál szívesen szabadidejében?
Say it: mit CHI-naal SEE-ve-shen SAW-bawd-i-de-yay-ben
What do you like doing in your free time?
Szeretek olvasni.
I like reading.
When you don’t catch something
Asking politely is fine and much better than guessing. These are for you to say.
Elnézést, tudná megismételni?
Say it: EL-nay-zaysht TOOD-naa MEG-ish-may-tel-ni
Sorry, could you repeat that?
Tudna lassabban beszélni, kérem?
Say it: TOOD-naw LAWSH-shawb-bawn BE-sayl-ni KAY-rem
Could you speak more slowly, please?
Hogy mondja?
Say it: hody MOND-yaw
Sorry, what did you say?
Elnézést, félreértettem.
Say it: EL-nay-zaysht FAYL-re-ayr-tet-tem
Sorry, I misunderstood.
Practise until you can answer without thinking
Reading answers isn’t the same as giving them out loud to an official. The Interview Prep track turns these topics into 19 lessons with dialogues, flashcards, quizzes and a full mock interview, and you can fill in your own name, family and ancestor so you practise your real answers.
Sources
- Government Decree 125/1993 implementing the Citizenship Act (official text, in Hungarian)
- Budapest Government Office — information sheet on simplified naturalization, July 2026 (PDF, in Hungarian)
- Act LV of 1993 on Hungarian Citizenship (official text, in Hungarian)
- Embassy of Hungary (Bern) — simplified naturalization, in English
This page is general information, not legal advice. Requirements can change; check with the consulate or government office handling your application.