The United States on Tuesday said it will fully restore Hungary’s status in its visa waiver programme, saying the central European country took steps to improve its security measures.
Washington has repeatedly criticised Hungary’s fast-track passport system brought in by nationalist leader Viktor Orban — which has seen about a million people becoming naturalised Hungarians since 2011 — for being prone to “security breaches”.
Most are from countries neighbouring Hungary, where around two million ethnic Hungarians live, a legacy of a post-World War I treaty that shrank the country’s borders.
The US tightened conditions for Hungarian passport holders in 2023 and excluded those born outside of Hungary from its visa waiver scheme in 2021, years after it uncovered a fraud scheme that had allowed non-Hungarians to allegedly enter the US under false identities.
“Now that the government of Hungary has taken action requested by the US government to address security vulnerabilities, the restrictions imposed by the previous administration have been lifted”, the US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
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Starting September 30, Hungarian passport holders will be able to apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) with a two-year validity period, which can be used for multiple entries.
“Visa-free travel to the U.S. is back. Truly fitting for two friendly nations. Let no one say that friendship makes no difference,” tweeted Orban, who has ruled the NATO member since returning to power in 2010 and who has cultivated warm ties with “dear friend” US President Donald Trump.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also hailed the move as proof that US-Hungarian relations have turned a page since Trump was re-elected.
“We have been experiencing a golden age in Hungarian-American relations,” he said in a Facebook video.
In April, Washington lifted sanctions against Antal Rogan — a minister who oversees Hungary’s intelligence services and government communications and heads Orban’s cabinet — claiming the “continued designation was inconsistent with US foreign policy interests”.
Rogan was sanctioned in January by the outgoing US administration for alleged involvement in corruption.
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