THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Staying in Hungary during the study period

The scholarship holder is required to stay habitually in Hungary during the study period. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you cannot leave Hungary but your travel outside the country should not exceed 10 working days per semester (national holidays and breaks are not counted).

If you have to leave the country for more than 10 days but less than 30, you need the authorization of the university in advance. Please keep in mind that you need to give a proper explanation (of a valid emergency) and we will ask you to provide proof as well of the reasons of your travel.

Staying outside of Hungary for more than 30 days during the study period is only allowed in case of emergency (such as childbirth, illness etc.) and the authorization of the university is required in advance.

There might be exciting academic opportunities during your studies which you don’t have to ignore: during the study period, you are allowed to attend foreign conferences, internships or join shorter research programmes. In all cases the written approval of your Faculty is needed. Please keep in mind that you have to inform the university about any such event in advance.

Collecting credits during your studies

During your time at the university, you should pay attention to fulfilling the study and examination obligations by earning at least 36 credits during the last two (continuous) semesters. (For example, if you could only collect 15 credits during a semester, you should collect at least 21 in the next one.) If you do not meet this requirement, according to the regulations we have to terminate your scholarship status. Although you can submit a leniency request, this will only be considered in case of emergencies (such as illness, family tragedies etc.). Additionally, the student must inform the university of such a circumstance not only when submitting the request but at the time of its occurrence as well. No situation will be considered if the leniency request is the first time the student informs the university about it.

Please keep in mind that this is the minimum credit requirement, meaning that you should – if possible – collect more than 36 credits in two semesters so you can finish your studies in time. The normal credit load for one semester is 30 credits. (PhD students are exempt from this requirement.) If any circumstance arises during the semester which can prevent you from completing enough credits, reach out to the university immediately. Please also remember that credits accepted as part of a credit transfer (from previous studies) DO NOT count when checking whether you fulfilled this requirement.

Learning Hungarian

Except for PhD students, all scholarship holders are required to attend the “Hungarian as a foreign language and culture” course provided by the university in the first year of their studies. This is usually provided in two parts, Course 1 and 2 in your first and second semester. Should you fail to fulfil this obligation, the amount of your stipend will be reduced.

Obligatory medical examination for freshmen

New students joining the university have to undergo a compulsory medical examination after their arrival to Hungary.

Once the examination is completed, your doctor will provide a certificate with the results of your examination, which you must upload to your application profile to a new TASK within 8 days after receiving the document.

Further information about the examination will be provided later on.

Extending your scholarship status

Scholarship holders may extend their scholarship period by a total of two semesters. You have to submit a request during your last semester to the university. Although the university decides whether we can support your request or not, the final decision is made by Tempus Public Foundation. Usually, the request is submitted via Neptun, before it becomes available for students, we send out a message as a reminder.

The university will only consider valid emergencies or situations which couldn’t have been avoided by the student. The student must inform the university of such a circumstance not only during the extension request but at the time of its occurrence as well. No situation will be considered if the extension request is the first time the student informs the university about it.

If your request is approved by Tempus, they will update you directly by sending a decision to your email address.

It’s very important to keep in mind that during the period of extension you cannot receive a stipend. (Students who joined the university from or after the academic year 2020/2021.)
Students joining the university for PhD or partial studies cannot submit an extension request.

Informing the university about issues affecting studies

The scholarship holder is obliged to continue and successfully complete their higher education studies to the best of their knowledge and ability. The scholarship holder must cooperate with the host institution and the Public Foundation for the success of their higher education studies and scholarship, and in particular, shall notify the Public Foundation and the SH coordinator of the host institution of any material circumstance affecting the fulfilment of this Operational Regulations and the student agreement without delay, but no later than 8 days after its occurrence.

Changing institution, programme or study language

The scholarship holder can change their institution, programme or study language during their first year of study. Requests have to be submitted directly to Tempus Public Foundation. Apart from the request itself, you need the approval of your institution and in case of changing your university, the acceptance letter from the university you would like to join. The deadline for submitting the request to Tempus Public Foundation is 1st December (for the Spring semester) and 15th May (for the Fall semester) in every school year.

We would like to provide some guidance and a reminder as well about the necessary tasks you need to complete after your arrival and enrolment.
Please keep in mind that the last date of in-person enrolment is 15th October 2024. After this date you won’t be able to join our university and start your studies this semester. We encourage you to complete your registration as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that the last date of online registration (which is the first step of enrolment) is 8th September 2024.

What do you need to do after your arrival?

1. NEK Identifier

Your NEK Identifier is a unique code which is generated when you get registered in the National Card System. This code is necessary for you to be able to get a student card. To obtain this code, you need to visit one of the government offices called either “Kormányablak” or “Okmányiroda”. There you can tell the officers that you wish to get a student card and they will know what to do. In the end you will get a document, in the upper right corner of this paper you will find your NEK Identifier. The personal and address details on the NEK form you receive must match the details in Neptun. If you find a discrepancy, please reach out to your Faculty’s Student Services Office.

2. Temporary Student Card

Once you get your NEK Identifier, you’ll be able to apply for a Temporary Student Card which is given to you while your permanent student card is getting ready. The card is valid for 60 days, so pay attention to the expiration date. You can ask for a new temporary card at the Student Services Office.

You need to submit your application via Neptun:

3. Residence permit

You are no longer supposed to visit the Immigration Office to pick up your residence permit, you can do that at the university. You will receive a confirmation email once the permit arrives at the university, please don’t turn up without any notification.

Detailed information about picking up the permit and other related issues is available on the university’s dedicated page.

4. Bank account

You need a Hungarian bank account to receive your scholarship but luckily opening one should be quite easy to do and is free of charge. We recommend you to choose OTP, which is the largest bank in Hungary, but other options (CIB, Erste, Raiffeisen etc.) are available as well. You will need your valid passport to open an account, but banks can also require an address card and a valid permit to process your request. (In certain cases they might request further documents as well.)
In case your bank account number changes, please update us by changing the relevant information in Neptun and sending a message to sh@uni-bge.hu. Make sure you have provided the correct data as any mistake means your stipend will be delayed.

5. Tax number/card

To receive your scholarship you will also need to provide your tax ID number. To obtain one you need to submit a request by filling out the form “T34” available to download, if you click here. A guide is available via the same link if you scroll to the bottom of the page.

Please carefully read the guide as the form is only available in Hungarian. After you printed it out, bring the completed form to the National Tax and Customs Administration (Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal – NAV) to the following address: 1096 Budapest, Vaskapu u. 33-35. Here, you will receive your Tax Identification Number on the spot (the card itself later). Please note that the first application for a Tax Card is free of charge.
You will need to register your Tax Identification Number in the Neptun system.

6. TAJ card (the card for Hungary’s national health insurance scheme)

With the “TAJ card” scholarship holders are publicly ensured, enabling access to public healthcare for free at the health care institutions in their district. Once you have your Hungarian residence permit, you can apply for a TAJ card.

You will receive further information about the exact steps in an upcoming message.

The following documents will be needed for the application:

• Passport (a copy of the page with your picture and personal data)
• Valid residence permit (copy of both sides)
• Accommodation confirmation or address card (copy of both sides)
• Letter of Award (download it from your application profile)
• Enrolment Certificate / Student Status Verification Form (not older than 30 days!)
• Application Form (will be shared with you later on)
• Power of Attorney (will be shared with you later on)

7. Signing the scholarship agreement

All scholarship holders must sign an agreement with the university which not only finalizes their scholarship status but is also required before they can receive their first stipend. The agreement along with the Letter of Award (issued by Tempus earlier in the procedure) should be saved for easy access throughout the studies. Information about how and when can you sign the agreement will be shared at the beginning of the semester.