Will U.S. Citizens Be Able to Have Dual Citizenship in 2026?

Current Law: Dual Citizenship Is Legal for U.S. Citizens

Under current U.S. law, dual (and even multiple) citizenship is fully legal. Millions of Americans hold more than one passport without losing their U.S. citizenship. The U.S. government generally presumes that when an American acquires another citizenship, they intend to keep their U.S. citizenship unless they clearly state otherwise.

This position rests on decades of Supreme Court decisions, especially Afroyim v. Rusk (1967), which held that Congress cannot strip a person of U.S. citizenship without a voluntary, intentional renunciation.

As of December 2025, no law has been passed that changes this. Dual citizenship remains allowed.

What Is the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025?

In December 2025, Senator Bernie Moreno introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025. The bill would:

• End dual citizenship for U.S. citizens going forward.
• Require current dual citizens to renounce either their U.S. citizenship or their foreign citizenship within one year after the law takes effect.
• Treat anyone who does nothing in that year as having “voluntarily” given up U.S. citizenship.
• Automatically strip U.S. citizenship from anyone who acquires a new foreign citizenship after the law is in force.

These proposals are described in Moreno’s own press release and in early media coverage.

Why This Bill Is Unlikely to Become Law

Headlines about “ending dual citizenship” can sound dramatic, but for a bill to become enforceable law, it has to survive a series of legal, political, and practical hurdles.

1. Major constitutional conflicts

The bill’s central mechanism is that a person would lose U.S. citizenship automatically if they do not act within a deadline or if they acquire another citizenship. This clashes directly with multiple Supreme Court precedents:

• Afroyim v. Rusk (1967): Congress has no power to take away citizenship unless the individual voluntarily relinquishes it.
• Vance v. Terrazas (1980): The government must prove a person intended to give up citizenship; a foreign act alone is not enough.
• Trop v. Dulles (1958): The Court called stripping citizenship “more primitive than torture” and incompatible with U.S. principles.

The Exclusive Citizenship Act is structured in a way that would almost certainly trigger immediate constitutional challenges in federal court, with a very high likelihood that key provisions would be blocked or struck down.

2. Severe practical and administrative barriers

The U.S. typically handles only a few thousand renunciations each year. This bill would force potentially millions of dual citizens to choose within a year or be stripped of U.S. citizenship. No realistic plan exists for consulates and embassies to process that volume, and there is no existing infrastructure to manage those cases fairly or safely.

3. Limited political support and low enactment odds

Independent legal and policy analyses note that the bill currently has:

• No broad bipartisan support.
• Obvious conflicts with long-standing Supreme Court rulings.
• Significant negative impact on Americans abroad, investors, and families with cross-border ties.

Forecasting models and expert commentary place the bill’s chance of becoming law in the single digits, often around three percent.

So, Can U.S. Citizens Still Have Dual Citizenship in 2026?

We cannot predict the future with absolute certainty, but we can look at the actual forces that change U.S. law:

• Supreme Court precedent firmly protecting against involuntary loss of citizenship.
• Decades of practice recognizing dual citizenship as a normal and accepted reality for Americans.
• Very low political appetite for forcing millions of people to choose between passports and homes.
• Real-world logistical limits on processing mass renunciations.

Given all of this, the realistic answer is:

Yes. All available legal and political indicators point to U.S. citizens being able to continue holding dual citizenship in 2026, just as they do now.

There is no enacted law requiring you to give up your foreign citizenship or your U.S. citizenship, and no deadline has been imposed on dual citizens.

What This Means If You Are Applying for Hungarian Citizenship by Descent

If you are a U.S. citizen considering or already pursuing Hungarian citizenship by descent:

• You may legally apply for and hold Hungarian citizenship without automatically losing your U.S. citizenship under current law.
• The U.S. government presumes you intend to keep your U.S. citizenship unless you explicitly renounce it at a U.S. consulate or embassy.
• The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 is a proposal only; it has not changed any rules for your application or status.

In other words, your Hungarian citizenship journey remains fully compatible with your U.S. citizenship as things stand.

Frequently Asked Questions for 2025–2026

Is dual citizenship still legal for U.S. citizens right now?

Yes. Dual citizenship is still legal. The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 has not been enacted and does not change existing law.

Do I need to rush to renounce another citizenship or avoid applying for Hungarian citizenship?

No. There is nothing in force that requires renunciation, and no law has been passed that penalizes you simply for applying for or holding Hungarian citizenship.

Could the law change in the future?

In theory, any law can change. In practice, ending dual citizenship would require Congress, the President, and the courts to agree on a measure that overturns or sidesteps deeply rooted constitutional doctrine. Current expert analysis suggests this is extremely unlikely.

Does getting Hungarian citizenship mean I am giving up my U.S. citizenship?

No. Under current rules and Supreme Court decisions, you do not lose U.S. citizenship simply by becoming a citizen of another country. Loss of citizenship requires a clear, voluntary act of renunciation and intent to relinquish U.S. nationality.

Key Takeaways for 2026

• Dual citizenship remains legal for U.S. citizens.
• The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 is a proposal, not a law.
• The bill faces strong constitutional, political, and practical barriers.
• All realistic signals point to U.S. citizens still being able to hold dual citizenship in 2026.
• If you are pursuing Hungarian citizenship by descent, you can continue the process under current U.S. law.

For prospective students and applicants at Learn Hungarian Anywhere, nothing in U.S. law today prevents you from exploring or securing a second citizenship alongside your U.S. one.

If you have any questions or want to get started on a second passport, Contact Learn Hungarian Anywhere.