Hungarian passport ranked among the world’s strongest in 2026

Hungary has secured a place among the world’s most powerful passports in the 2026 global rankings, with Hungarian passport holders enjoying visa-free access to 184 countries and territories. This result places Hungary in 5th position worldwide.

The ranking was published by the Henley Passport Index, which measures how many destinations citizens of each country can enter without a visa, based exclusively on official data, including information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Passport index: What does this mean in practice for Hungarians?

A 5th-place ranking means that the Hungarian passport is among the strongest in the world, offering exceptionally high global mobility. Hungarian citizens can travel visa-free to more destinations than passport holders from several major Western European and North American countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Hungary shares 5th place with Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Passport index: Which countries rank ahead of Hungary?

The 2026 ranking is led primarily by Asian and European countries:

Singapore – 192 visa-free destinations (1st place)
Japan and South Korea – 188 destinations (2nd place)
Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland – 186 destinations (3rd place)
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway – 185 destinations (4th place)

Hungary follows immediately after, in the top global tier.

A widening global mobility gap

The index also highlights a sharp divide in global mobility:

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking, with visa-free access to just 24 destinations
Syria (26) and Iraq (29) are also near the bottom
The gap between the top-ranked and lowest-ranked passports now stands at 168 destinations

According to Henley’s analysis, passport strength reflects political stability, diplomatic credibility, and international integration.

Western decline, Central European stability

While Hungary has remained firmly in the global elite, several Western countries have seen notable declines:

The United Kingdom has dropped to 7th place, with access to 182 destinations
The United States has returned to the top 10 but ranks only 10th, with 179 destinations, marking one of the steepest long-term declines over the past two decades

By contrast, Hungary and several Central European countries have maintained strong and stable passport power.

Why does passport strength matter?

According to Henley & Partners, a passport is more than a travel document. It represents:

access to economic opportunities
international mobility and flexibility
a higher level of personal and legal security

In 2026, the Hungarian passport continues to rank among the world’s elite, offering long-term advantages to its holders.

What does this mean for dual citizenship?

Globally, interest in dual or multiple citizenship is rising, particularly among those seeking greater travel freedom, legal certainty, or economic flexibility. Henley & Partners reports that demand for second citizenship reached near-record levels in 2025, especially among citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom.

From a Hungarian perspective, however, the situation is different. With visa-free access to 184 destinations, the Hungarian passport already provides exceptional global mobility, reducing the practical need for a second passport in many cases.

Hungary and dual citizenship

Hungary allows dual citizenship, and over the past 15 years hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians living abroad have obtained Hungarian citizenship through a simplified naturalisation process. This has significantly expanded the international presence of the Hungarian passport, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

At the same time, several European countries have recently tightened citizenship rules, including:

stricter requirements for citizenship by descent
reduced or abolished so-called “golden passport” (investment-for-citizenship) programmes

Do Hungarians need a second passport?

Experts generally agree that for Hungarian citizens, dual citizenship is more of a strategic option than a necessity.

A second passport may be useful for:

long-term residence abroad
tax or inheritance planning
managing geopolitical risk

However, for travel freedom alone, the Hungarian passport is already among the strongest worldwide.

Passport fees in Hungary: how much does it cost?

In international comparison, the cost of a Hungarian passport is relatively low, especially considering its global strength.

10-year passport: HUF 17,000 (EUR 44)
5-year passport: HUF 7,500 (EUR 20)
Fees are even lower for children and young people

While expedited processing is more expensive, the standard fee remains well below that of many Western European countries.

Free passports for seniors and young children

Hungarian citizens aged 65 and over are entitled to a free passport under normal processing
Children under the age of six also receive a free passport, valid for three years

This means that one of the world’s strongest passports is accessible at little or no cost for many Hungarian citizens.

Another passport index: How Hungary’s passport became one of the strongest in the EU in 2026

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