Many AHF members and their families hold Hungarian passports, so this change matters for travel to the United States.
What changed in 2023
On August 1, 2023, the US Department of Homeland Security shortened the validity of ESTA travel authorizations for citizens of Hungary traveling under the Visa Waiver Program. Authorizations dropped from two years to one, and were limited to a single entry. The State Department linked the change to concerns about identity checks in Hungary’s 2011–2020 simplified-naturalization program, which granted citizenship to nearly one million people. Hungary’s government disputed that assessment.
Restored in 2025
In a Federal Register notice published September 18, 2025, DHS reversed the 2023 decision, saying Hungary had addressed the concerns. For applications received from September 30, 2025, ESTA authorizations for Hungarian citizens are again valid for two years and for multiple entries.
Tip: if you travel on a Hungarian passport and received a single-entry ESTA before September 30, 2025, you may want to apply for a new one before your next trip. Apply only through the official US government ESTA website.