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. Please keep in mind that you need to give a proper explanation and we might 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 case distance learning is approved, the scholarship holder may not receive their stipend during the period, starting from the month which follows their travel. (For example if you leave Hungary on 25th September, you will not receive your stipend starting from October.)
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 especially those related to the curriculum development 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 are able to submit a leniency request, this will only be considered in case of emergencies (such as illness, family tragedies etc.). Please keep in mind that this is the minimum credit requirement, meaning that you should – if possible – collect more credits during a semester 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.)

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

Students joining the university this semester 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. 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 joining the university for PhD or partial studies cannot submit an extension request.

Changing institution, programme or study language

The scholarship holder is able to 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.

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 enrolment is 15th October 2022, 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 registration (which is the first step of enrolment) is 9th September 2022.

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.

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 need to have a valid residence permit to be able to stay in Hungary and to be able to travel to and from the country. You can pick up your permit at the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Address: 1135 Budapest XIII., Szegedi út 35-37., ground floor (Twin Office Center Irodaház)
The Directorate can be easily accessed by the following buses from Keleti Pályaudvar: 20E, 30, 30A, 32, 230. You have to get off at “Szegedi út” stop.

Office hours:

Monday: 8.00 – 14.00
Tuesday: 8.00 – 14.00
Wednesday: 8.00 – 14.00
Thursday: 8.00 – 14.00
Friday: 8.00 – 12.00

We recommend you to book an appointment in advance, click here.

You should take with you the following documents:

• filled application form (Adatlap a tartózkodási engedély kiadásához, find it attached)
• passport and its full copy
• passport-sized photo
• visa and its copy
• enrolment certificate
• Letter of Award
• dormitory contract (signed and stamped) OR lease contract (signed by the landlord)
• accommodation reporting form signed by the owner of the dormitory/hostel/apartment
• health insurance

Please keep in mind that you have 30 days from the date of your entry to pick up your permit. Your visa only allows you to enter Hungary, it is not the legal document which allows you to stay in the country for a longer period.

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, if you click here.

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. Getting familiar with the rules and regulations of the scholarship programme

During your studies there will be certain rules to follow and requirements to meet. Please get familiar with these as soon as possible. You can learn about these if you visit the official page of the scholarship programme by clicking here.

Here, look for the latest version of the Operational Regulations which also includes your rights and should give a comprehensive understanding about the programme.
It’s a good idea to read through the FAQ section of the same page which answers the most common questions about the programme.

The final deadline to submit the arrival form is 15th October, 12:00 (CET), however, we encourage you to submit the form as soon as possible so we can process the answers in due time BUT ONLY AFTER YOU ENTERED HUNGARY.

The online arrival form can be reached, if you click here.

How to fill out the form:

• On the arrival form, upload a photo of the page from your passport where you got a stamp upon entering Hungary.
• If you entered in another Schengen country and you don’t have a Hungarian stamp, you can upload that stamp as well. The main thing is to have proof of your arrival.
• It is important that you can only fill out the form after you have arrived at Hungary.
• Those students who provide false data cannot receive their stipends as long as their case is not resolved.