The United States has implemented additional travel restrictions on Hungarian citizens due to concerns regarding the verification of nearly 1 million foreigners who obtained Hungarian passports over a period of nine years. The restrictions specifically apply to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which permits passport holders from 40 countries to enter the United States for business or tourism purposes without a visa for up to 90 days.
Under the new regulations, Hungarian passport holders will now have a reduced validity period of one year instead of two when traveling under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Additionally, each traveler will only be allowed a single entry into the United States. These restrictions differ from those imposed on the other 40 participating states in the Visa Waiver Program.
The decision to impose these restrictions follows persistent failed attempts by the U.S. to address security concerns with the Hungarian government. According to an anonymous senior U.S. government official, these concerns arose because hundreds of thousands of Hungarian passports were issued without strict identity verification, potentially allowing criminals without any connection to Hungary to obtain them.
In 2011, Hungary’s government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, introduced a simplified naturalization procedure for individuals with claims to Hungarian ancestry, even if they did not reside in Hungary or plan to do so. This initiative resulted in hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians residing in neighboring countries (such as Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine) acquiring Hungarian citizenship through the simplified process.
Critics have raised concerns about this program, stating that it enables non-taxpaying ethnic Hungarians from other countries to participate in Hungarian elections, thus providing an electoral advantage to Orban’s ruling Fidesz party.
Due to these concerns, the United States previously placed Hungary as a provisional member of the Visa Waiver Program. This recent implementation of travel restrictions further underscores the ongoing importance of addressing the security issues related to the verification of Hungarian passports.
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