Do you need a visa?
Hungary is in the Schengen area. Your passport decides how you enter; for a student from outside the European Union, the basic route is a study residence permit, and the application for that permit contains the visa application.
| Your passport | To enter and to study |
|---|---|
| European Union or European Economic Area passport | No study residence permit: you have the right to stay in Hungary beyond three months if you are enrolled at an institution offering accredited programmes. You register at the regional directorate of the aliens policing authority within 93 days of entry, with your certificate of admission. The fees in this guide are for the other passports.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil; Study in Hungary — Visa and residence permit |
| Passport exempt from a visa for a short stay | You can enter without a visa and file your residence permit application in Hungary, during your lawful stay: online through Enter Hungary (26,000 HUF) or in person (39,000 HUF). Check with the consulate that your passport falls under this regime before you travel.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil; National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Administrative service fees; National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Electronic case uploading, student (Enter Hungary) |
| Any other passport | You file the residence permit application before you leave, at the Hungarian consulate in your country of nationality or habitual residence: €110. There is no separate visa application: it is part of the permit application.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil; National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Administrative service fees |
If you do not go to Hungary within 3 months of the approval, your residence authorisation becomes invalid. Book your trip as soon as the consulate notifies you.
National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil
Not verified
The list of nationalities exempt from a visa is not reproduced here: read it at the Hungarian consulate or on Enter Hungary. The official pages publish no amount of funds to show; proof of resources is made with a bank statement, a certificate of income or a scholarship. The Enter Hungary platform lists proof of accommodation as compulsory, while the aliens policing page says a declared address is enough: prepare a lease or a booking.
The residence permit
The study residence permit gives you the right to stay in Hungary to study full time at a recognised institution. It is sent by post to the address of your institution.
- Length
- 1 to 3 years
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil
- at least one year, or the length of the programme if it is shorter; never beyond the validity of your passport
- Renewal
- online, on Enter Hungary
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil
- no earlier than 90 days and no later than 30 days before expiry; 26,000 HUF
The permit can be refused at renewal, or withdrawn, if you do not graduate within 1.5 times the planned length of the programme.
National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil
Not verified
The actual waiting times for a consulate appointment are not published on any page read.
Getting a place
Each institution sets its own dates, fees and tests. What the residence permit asks of you comes down to three items: admission, language and payment.
| Your situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| The institution | Full-time study at a higher-education institution recognised by the state, or at a foreign institution authorised to operate in Hungary. A preparatory course run by an institution also gives the right to a permit.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil |
| Proof of admission | A certificate of admission from the institution, or a document that proves your student status.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil |
Not verified
Application dates and required language levels are read institution by institution: confirm them in writing with the institution before you pay.
From place to permit
- Choose the programme and receive your place
- Pay the tuition
- Gather your documents
- File the residence permit application
- Wait for the decision
- Enter Hungary
- Collect your residence permit
- Renew before it expires
Not verified
The time between the decision and delivery of the permit by post is not published on any page read.
Costs
Tuition is the main cost and it varies a great deal from one institution to another. The procedure fees are modest beside it.
- Residence permit at the consulate
- €110
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Administrative service fees
- includes the visa application
Not verified
The tuition fees of other institutions are not read, and amounts in forints convert at the rate on the day you pay.
The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship
The Hungarian government programme pays the tuition of students from partner countries and gives them an allowance.
- Monthly allowance
- 43,700 HUF
- Stipendium Hungaricum — Call for applications 2026/27, bachelor and master
- for bachelor’s and master’s
- Housing
- 40,000 HUF a month
- Stipendium Hungaricum — Call for applications 2026/27, bachelor and master
- or accommodation provided by the institution
- Health insurance
- up to 65,000 HUF a year
- Stipendium Hungaricum — Call for applications 2026/27, bachelor and master
- Call deadline
- 15 January
- Stipendium Hungaricum — Call for applications 2026/27, bachelor and master
- 2026/27 call
Not verified
The 2027/28 call is not published: the deadline and eligible countries are to be read again on the official page, and your country must be on the partner list.
Health
| Your situation | Cover |
|---|---|
| For the residence permit | You show full health cover, or that you can pay for care: through social security, an international agreement, or your own resources.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil |
Not verified
The NEAK pages give different contribution amounts from one page to another: confirm the amount and what is covered directly with NEAK before you pay.
Working while you study
- During your studies
- 30 hours a week
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil
Not verified
An old university page gives 24 hours a week: we follow the page of the immigration police and the official platform, which say 30.
Bringing your family
A student who holds or applies for a study residence permit does not receive a family reunification permit. The only exception: a child born in Hungary while the permit is valid.
Source: National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil
The companies and registers for your file
For each need of your file: the official rule, the register that lists the approved providers, and the companies that serve students.
After your degree
A graduate can stay to look for a job or start a business, if the position or the business matches the level of their studies.
| Your situation | What comes next |
|---|---|
| A residence permit to look for a job or start a business | 9 months, with no renewal. You apply in Hungary, through Enter Hungary, at least 15 days before your study permit expires.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence permit for seeking a job or starting a business |
| Passport exempt from a visa, study permit expired | You can stay 90 more days in the Schengen area, without reporting to the authorities. This period does not replace the permit to look for a job.National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing — Residence of the student, pupil |
Not verified
The conditions for long-term residence after the degree are not covered here: a study permit does not lead to the national residence card.