BREAKING: US limits visa exemptions for Hungarians

As of Tuesday, the United States has significantly restricted visa-free travel from Hungary due to security concerns over Hungarian passports issued between 2011 and 2020. Of the 40 countries participating in the US programme, Hungary is the only one to be affected by the unprecedented restrictions.

Under the American Visa Waiver Program, citizens of participating countries can travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without a visa, using only the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

From Tuesday, the validity of ESTA for holders of Hungarian passports will be reduced from two years to one year, and an ESTA will be valid for one-time use only, Politico reports.

David Pressman, the US Ambassador in Budapest, told Politico that “there are hundreds of thousands of passports that have been issued by the government of Hungary as part of the simplified naturalisation program without stringent identity verification mechanisms in place.”

According to Pressman, the US government has been trying to deal with this “security gap” with the Hungarian government for years and through several administrations. However, “the government of Hungary has opted not to close” it.

According to Pressman, “this is a really unfortunate day. This is not the outcome the United States sought or is seeking.” Hungary is the only one of the 40 countries participating in the programme to be affected by the restrictions.

Featured image: illustration (Pixabay)

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