Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship: How to Apply
Free tuition, a monthly stipend and housing support in Hungary, if your country nominates you. Here is how the process works and where it falls short.
Stipendium Hungaricum is a Hungarian government scholarship that pays your tuition, gives you a monthly stipend and helps with housing. You can only apply if your home country has signed up to the program and nominates you. Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Egypt and Bangladesh are all on the list.
Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade runs the program, and the Tempus Public Foundation (TPF) coordinates it. The scholarship exists only through bilateral agreements with more than 100 "Sending Partners," the countries allowed to nominate students. In the latest round, 30 universities offered about 900 programs taught in foreign languages. These included one-tier programs in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
TPF has not yet published the official call for the next round. In past years the round opened in November and closed in mid-January, so expect a deadline around mid-January. All amounts and dates on this page come from the latest completed round unless we say otherwise.
Who can apply for Stipendium Hungaricum
Your citizenship decides whether you can apply, not where you live. You apply through your own country, and your application is only valid if that country's Sending Partner nominates you. The Sending Partner is usually the education ministry or a national scholarship agency.
| Country | On the latest list (full degree programs) | Who nominates you |
|---|---|---|
Pakistan | Yes | Higher Education Commission (HEC) |
India | Yes | University Grants Commission (UGC) |
Nigeria | Yes | Federal Scholarship Board |
Egypt | Yes | Cultural and Missions Sector |
Bangladesh | Yes | Secondary and Higher Education Division |
UAE, Oman, Bahrain | Yes | Your country's partner body (see the official partners list) |
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait | No | Not eligible |
A few rules catch people out:
- If you live in the Gulf with a Pakistani, Indian or Egyptian passport, you apply through your country of citizenship, not your country of residence.
- Hungarian dual citizens, refugees and holders of permanent residence in Hungary cannot apply.
- You must be at least 18 by 31 August of the year your studies start. Dance programs are the only exception.
The scholarship covers bachelor's, master's and one-tier master's programs (such as medicine), as well as doctoral programs.
What the scholarship covers
The package is broad, but the stipend is small. TPF has not announced the amounts for the next round yet. The figures below are for the latest round.
| Item | Latest round |
|---|---|
Tuition | Free |
Monthly stipend (bachelor's, master's, one-tier master's) | 43,700 HUF (about €110), 12 months a year |
Monthly stipend (PhD) | 140,000 HUF in phase 1 (4 semesters), 180,000 HUF in phase 2 (4 semesters) |
Housing | A dormitory place or 40,000 HUF a month toward rent |
Health care | Care under Hungarian law, plus extra insurance of up to 65,000 HUF a year |
Student residence permit fee | Waived, for both the first permit and extensions |
TPF itself calls this partial support. It says 40,000 HUF does not cover rent in large cities, especially Budapest. As a rough guide, a student in Budapest needs about €800–1,300 a month. Regional cities such as Debrecen cost roughly 15–25% less, from about €650 a month. Before you apply, plan how your family will cover the gap. Our cost of studying in Hungary guide has the breakdown.
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How to apply: steps and timeline
The application itself is free. TPF recommends applying directly, without an agency. You submit the application yourself. We help you choose programs, prepare documents and check everything before you send it.
The application process (last round's dates as a guide)
Check your Sending Partner's rules. Your ministry or agency sets its own nomination conditions and may ask for extra documents or its own form.
Choose up to two programs, in order of priority. After the deadline you cannot change the programs or their order.
Prepare your documents. Pakistan, India and Bangladesh issue apostilles. Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE and Qatar do not, so your certificates go through consular legalization: education ministry, then foreign ministry, then the Hungarian embassy or consulate. Translate documents into English or Hungarian.
Submit your application to TPF and your Sending Partner by the deadline. In the last round, that was 15 January at 14:00 CET. For the next round, expect a deadline around mid-January.
Wait for nomination. In the last round, countries had to send their nominations by 28 February.
Take the university's entrance exam or interview, held between mid-March and late May. Universities score candidates out of 100.
Get your result, expected between late June and mid-July. TPF makes the final allocation. A good university score does not guarantee a scholarship.
Apply for your visa and residence permit in July–August. Start as soon as you get a positive result, because the official process can take up to 30 days. In the last round, scholarship holders had to arrive by 30 September.
You apply for the student residence permit at the Hungarian embassy or consulate in your home country. Being a scholarship holder does not guarantee a visa. For the documents and the process, see our Hungary student visa guide.
The Stipendium Hungaricum year, month by month
Last round's dates as a guide for the next one
November
Round opens
In past years the application round opened in November.
Mid-January
Application deadline
Last round: 15 January, 14:00 CET. For the next round, expect a deadline around mid-January.
By 28 February
Nomination by your country
In the last round, Sending Partners had to send their nominations by 28 February.
Mid-March – late May
University exams and interviews
Universities test candidates and score them out of 100.
Late June – mid-July
Results
TPF makes the final allocation; a good university score does not guarantee a scholarship.
July–August
Visa and arrival
Visas were processed in July–August, and scholarship holders had to arrive by 30 September.
TPF has not yet published the official call for the next round.
Find your programme in 2 minutes
Choosing programs and writing your motivation letter
With only two choices, each one matters. We usually suggest pairing the program you want most with a second one where your grades and background fit comfortably. The program list changes each year, so check it again when the next call is published.
Medicine is the most competitive choice. For self-funding applicants, Semmelweis tests medical biology, medical chemistry, general English and biomedical English online, then holds an interview. Debrecen sets written tests in biology and in chemistry or physics, followed by an oral exam. Expect the same level of preparation for a scholarship place. Read more in our guide to medicine in Hungary.
A strong motivation letter answers three questions:
- Why this program? Name the courses or specializations that match your goals.
- Why Hungary, and why this university?
- What will you do after graduating, and how does it connect to your home country?
Keep it specific and honest. A reviewer reads hundreds of letters that call Hungary "a beautiful country with a rich history." A concrete plan stands out more than general praise.
Your chances and your obligations
Competition is high, and three parties assess you: your Sending Partner, the university and TPF. There is no official acceptance rate, so treat any figure you see online with caution. The safest approach is a strong application plus a backup plan.
Winning the scholarship comes with obligations. In your first year you must attend a Hungarian language course and pass an exam at the end of the second semester. If you do not attend, you lose the stipend. If you attend but fail, your stipend drops from 43,700 HUF to 30,000 HUF a month.
Your home country may add its own conditions, such as returning after graduation. Only your Sending Partner can confirm these, so ask before you accept the nomination.
What to know before you apply
We would rather you hear this from us now than find out in Budapest.
Honest points, with a way forward
- It is not guaranteed. You need a nomination from your country, a university score and final approval from TPF. Solution: apply for paid programs at the same time as your scholarship application (see plan B below).
- It does not cover everything. The stipend is about €110 a month, and the rent support does not cover a room in Budapest. Solution: budget €800–1,300 a month for Budapest, or consider a regional city.
- Medicine is demanding. English-taught medicine has entrance exams in the sciences and English, and the workload stays heavy for six years. Hungary's accreditation agency, MAB, is recognized by WFME until 31 March 2032. Before you choose, check what your home medical regulator requires to recognize the degree.
- University governance is changing. Since 2021, Semmelweis, Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs and Corvinus have been run by public trust foundations. Hungarian media report that this model is being reversed, with the foundations due to close on 1 August 2027. These remain state universities, and the same accredited university issues your degree.
- You will need some Hungarian. Scholarship holders must take the first-year language course and exam. It is part of the deal, not an optional extra.
- A scholarship is not a visa. Consulates assess your application separately. Solution: prepare your permit documents while you wait for your result.
Plan B: studying in Hungary without the scholarship
If you are not nominated or do not get a place, you can still study in Hungary as a fee-paying student. Paid deadlines fall later than the scholarship results. Semmelweis accepts medicine applications until 31 May, and Pécs until 30 June. That gives you time to run both routes side by side.
| Option | Approximate tuition | Price year |
|---|---|---|
English-taught bachelor's (non-medical), overall range | about €6,000–10,000 or $6,000–8,000 a year | Latest published price lists |
Budapest Metropolitan University (business, marketing, tourism) | €3,500 per semester | Current price list |
University of Debrecen, non-medical bachelor's | $6,000–7,500 a year | Latest published price list |
English-taught medicine at the four classic medical universities | €15,800–18,700 or $16,750–17,900 a year | Current published fees |
Semmelweis and Szeged charge in euros, while Debrecen and Pécs charge in US dollars. Always check the current price list on the university's website. For profiles, see Budapest Metropolitan University, the University of Debrecen and Semmelweis University, or start with our overview of studying in Hungary.
Motivation letter: template and a paragraph-by-paragraph guide
A ready skeleton in English with a note on what each paragraph has to do, plus the mistakes that make a letter useless.
- Where a letter is really required and where it is not
- A five-paragraph template with example wording
- How to strengthen it with specifics and numbers
- Seven mistakes and a checklist before you send
Other study destinations
The same budget buys a different outcome elsewhere — see the other destinations.
Polandfrom €1,500 a year at private universities; medicine from €12,000
Turkeyfrom $500 a year at public, from $4,000 at private universities
UAEabout AED 60,000–80,000 a year at branch campuses
Malaysiaabout RM 35,000–45,000 a year at private universities
Italyfrom €160 a year at public universities (income-based, ISEE)
Spainabout €1,200–8,200 a year at public universities; private cost more
GeorgiaMD in English: $5,900–6,500 at private, $8,000 at public universities
North Cyprus$4,450–6,400 a year at EMU (public); €2,800–4,500 at private universities after the standard discount
Cyprusabout €9,000–11,820 a year at private universities; medicine €23,000–24,000Not sure whether your country's nomination rules fit your plans, or which two programs to pick? Book a free consultation with AcademGo. We will check your eligibility, help you shortlist programs and prepare your documents, and build a self-funded plan B in parallel. Contact us through the contact form, WhatsApp or Telegram.