Scholarships in Hungary for International Students 2026/2027

Hungary is one of Europe’s best-value study destinations, and its scholarship system is the main reason why. At the centre of that system sits one very large programme: Stipendium Hungaricum, the Hungarian Government’s flagship scholarship, launched in 2013, supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and managed by the Tempus Public Foundation. Around it sit smaller but useful layers of funding — university scholarships, the Stipendium Hungaricum sub-programmes and partner schemes, the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship for applicants with Hungarian heritage, Erasmus+ mobility for students already enrolled elsewhere, and a small number of bilateral and institutional awards. This guide explains all of them honestly for the 2026/2027 cycle: what they pay in Hungarian forint, who can apply, how the unusual “Sending Partner” nomination system works, and where students still need their own money.

The most important fact about scholarships in Hungary is also the one applicants most often miss: the main programme is not a simple “apply to the university and wait” scholarship. Stipendium Hungaricum is built on bilateral educational cooperation agreements between Hungary and partner countries. You apply through the official online system, but you must also be nominated by the designated Sending Partner in your own country — usually a ministry of education or a national scholarship authority — and many Sending Partners run their own parallel application, with their own deadline that can be earlier than Hungary’s. If your country is not a partner country for your level and field, or your Sending Partner does not nominate you, there is no Stipendium Hungaricum award, however strong your grades are. Everything in this guide flows from understanding that two-key system: Hungary holds one key, your home country holds the other.

The second fact worth knowing early is what the scholarship is worth in real terms. For students starting in 2026/27, the official provisions are: tuition-free education; a monthly stipend of HUF 43,700 at non-degree, bachelor’s, master’s and one-tier master’s level, and HUF 140,000 per month in the first phase of doctoral studies rising to HUF 180,000 per month in the second phase; a free dormitory place or an accommodation contribution of HUF 40,000 per month; and medical insurance. Tempus itself describes the stipend as a contribution to living costs, not a full salary — Budapest in particular costs more than HUF 43,700 a month to live in — and this guide will show you how students realistically close that gap. Compare destinations and programmes as you read using our scholarships directory, universities directory and study abroad guides.

Scholarships in Hungary at a Glance

Notice the pattern: if you want a full degree in Hungary funded from day one, Stipendium Hungaricum is almost always the answer, and the Diaspora Scholarship is the answer for eligible heritage applicants. Everything else is either partial funding for self-funded students or short-term mobility. That focus is good news: it means one application system, one set of official documents, and one deadline rhythm to master. Our dedicated deep-dive, Fully Funded Scholarships in Hungary: Stipendium Hungaricum Guide, walks through that programme on its own; this article gives you the whole Hungarian funding landscape around it.

Why Study in Hungary?

Hungary offers established, English-taught degrees in the middle of Europe at living costs well below Western European capitals. Its best-known universities include Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, the University of Debrecen, Semmelweis University for medicine and health sciences, the University of Pécs — one of the country’s oldest universities — the University of Szeged, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and Corvinus University of Budapest for business and social sciences. Hungarian medical, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering and veterinary programmes have recruited internationally for decades, and the scholarship programme has widened that intake to almost every field. More than 90 sending partners are engaged in Stipendium Hungaricum according to Semmelweis University’s programme summary, and ELTE notes the scholarship can be awarded to citizens from almost 80 countries and sending partners for full-degree or partial studies — the exact partner list for your level is defined in the annual call, which is why checking your own country’s entry in the call matters more than any headline number.

For scholarship holders there are practical extras that rarely make the brochures. Semmelweis and ELTE both describe free visa and residence permit administration support for scholarship holders, free use of university library services, and — for students on programmes not taught in Hungarian — Hungarian language and culture courses built into the first year of many bachelor’s and master’s degrees, because the programme wants you to leave with some Hungarian, not just a degree. Budapest is a major European student city; Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs are smaller, cheaper and built around their universities. Where you study changes your monthly budget as much as your stipend does, a point we return to under benefits.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply for Scholarships in Hungary?

Stipendium Hungaricum core eligibility

• Citizenship of a partner country. You must be a citizen of a country (or territory) that has a valid bilateral educational cooperation agreement and an engaged Sending Partner for the cycle. The lists of eligible countries differ by study level — a country may send bachelor’s and master’s students but not doctoral students, or vice versa — so check the annex for your level in the call for applications.
• Nomination by your Sending Partner. Your application only proceeds if the responsible authority in your home country nominates you. Many Sending Partners require a separate application on their own system, sometimes with their own tests, interviews or earlier deadlines.
• Academic entry requirements. For bachelor’s programmes you need a secondary school leaving certificate giving access to higher education; for master’s programmes a bachelor’s degree; for doctoral programmes a master’s degree, plus — at doctoral level — a supervisor’s statement of acceptance and two letters of recommendation, as set out in the doctoral call.
• Language requirements. Most scholarship programmes are taught in English (some are offered in other languages, including Hungarian, French or German for certain fields). You must meet the language level your chosen programme sets — commonly evidenced by an accepted English certificate at the level the university specifies, or by the alternative proof the call allows. Preparatory Hungarian-language courses exist as non-degree options for students who will later study in Hungarian.
• Age and prior-study limits in the call. Recent calls have set conditions such as a minimum age (applicants typically must be at least 18 by the enrolment date specified in the call) and restrictions on applying again for the same level if you already hold a Stipendium Hungaricum-funded degree at that level, or if you previously withdrew. Read the eligibility chapter of your cycle’s call word for word; these details are exactly where applications quietly die.
• No Hungarian dual citizenship bar. Applicants who also hold Hungarian citizenship are generally excluded from the programme; the call states the precise rule.

Other schemes

The Diaspora Scholarship requires proof of Hungarian heritage and residence outside Hungary, under its own call. University scholarships for self-funded students are normally based on admission merit or later academic performance and exclude students already holding a full government scholarship for the same studies. Erasmus+ and CEEPUS require you to be enrolled at a partner institution abroad and selected by your home university — they fund a visit to Hungary, not a Hungarian degree.

If Hungary is one of several destinations you are weighing, use the university rankings and our study guides to compare total cost and post-study options across countries before the January deadline forces a decision.

Benefits and Coverage in Detail — and the Honest Budget Gap

For scholarship holders starting in 2026/27, the official Stipendium Hungaricum provisions published by Tempus Public Foundation are:

• Tuition-free education for the duration of the scholarship, at the host institution and programme named in your award. In money terms this is the largest component: self-funded international tuition at Hungarian universities runs to several thousand euro per year in many fields, and far more in medicine and dentistry.
• Monthly stipend: HUF 43,700 at non-degree, bachelor’s, master’s and one-tier master’s level; at doctoral level HUF 140,000 per month during the first phase (training and research, normally the first four semesters / two years) and HUF 180,000 per month during the second phase (research and dissertation). Doctoral calls in recent cycles have also described a one-off supplementary grant connected with starting the dissertation phase — confirm whether it appears in your cycle’s call before counting it.
• Accommodation: a free dormitory place (subject to the host institution’s dormitory capacity) or an accommodation contribution of HUF 40,000 per month for 12 months of the year across full-time programmes, as ELTE’s summary of the provisions confirms.
• Medical insurance: access to Hungarian health care services under the applicable legislation, plus supplementary medical insurance (described in current programme summaries as up to HUF 65,000 per year) for services the state system does not cover for scholarship holders.
• Administration support: free visa and residence permit administration and free library use are listed among holder benefits by participating universities.

Now the honest part, which official pages state and many agents hide: Tempus describes the stipend and accommodation contribution as a contribution to your living costs. HUF 43,700 plus HUF 40,000 is HUF 83,700 a month at bachelor’s and master’s level. In Debrecen, Szeged or Pécs, a careful student in a dormitory or shared flat can live close to a budget built around the award plus modest part-time or family support. In Budapest, market rents alone can exceed the accommodation contribution several times over if you rent privately instead of taking a dormitory place. Doctoral holders, on HUF 140,000–180,000 plus accommodation support, are in a genuinely comfortable position by local standards. At BA/MA level, plan on at least some supplementary funds — savings, family support, or lawful student work within your residence permit conditions — and never sign a private Budapest lease that assumes money you do not have. Use our student tools to build the monthly budget city by city before you rank your two programme choices, because your second-choice city may be the one you can actually afford to enjoy.

Programmes and Fields of Study

Stipendium Hungaricum covers full-degree programmes at bachelor’s (typically 6–8 semesters depending on field), master’s (typically 2–4 semesters), one-tier master’s level — the long integrated degrees used for fields such as general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, architecture and law (typically 10–12 semesters) — and doctoral programmes (8 semesters, split into two 4-semester phases). Non-degree options include Hungarian language preparatory courses and postgraduate specialist training courses. Partial (exchange) studies of one or two semesters are also possible under the programme for students enrolled at partner institutions.

The crucial subtlety is that the available fields differ by sending country. The bilateral agreement for your country defines which study levels and fields are open to you, and the online application system at apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu only shows you programmes you are eligible to choose. Fields commonly available across many partner countries include agriculture and environmental sciences, engineering and computer science, business and economics, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, health sciences and medicine, arts and music, and education. But “commonly available” is not “available to you”: log in, select your citizenship, and work only from the list the system shows you. Applicants may apply for up to two different study programmes, in order of preference — the official programme pages stress this two-choice structure, and ranking those two choices strategically (one ambitious, one realistic; ideally in cities you can afford) is one of the few genuine tactical decisions in the whole process.

Most programmes in the system are taught in English. If you choose a Hungarian-taught degree, the route normally runs through the one-year Hungarian preparatory course first. Some fields have special rules — the programme pages note, for example, that certain aviation programmes are excluded for particular sub-programmes — another reason the call for your level, not a summary, is the document to trust.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Check your country, level and fields. Read the Call for Applications for your level (BA/MA/one-tier/non-degree, or doctoral) on the official Stipendium Hungaricum website — the programme’s official pages host the current calls and guides — and confirm your citizenship is eligible for the programmes you want.
2. Find and obey your Sending Partner. Identify the Sending Partner for your country from the call’s partner list, visit its site or office, and register there too if it requires a parallel application. Note its deadline separately; missing your own country’s nomination step is the single most common fatal error.
3. Choose up to two programmes in the online system, in order of preference, checking each programme’s entry and language requirements on the host university’s own page (for example, the programme and scholarship information published by ELTE for its applicants).
4. Prepare and upload your documents (see the checklist below), including translations where the call requires them, well before the deadline.
5. Submit in the online application system by 15 January, 2 p.m. CET. For the 2026/27 cycle that deadline was 15 January 2026; expect the same mid-January rhythm for 2027/28 and confirm the exact date when the new call opens in autumn.
6. Nomination. Sending Partners review submitted applications and formally nominate candidates to Tempus, normally in late winter. Only nominated applications go forward to universities.
7. University entrance examinations and interviews. Host institutions assess nominated applicants — typically between March and May — which may involve online entrance exams, portfolio review (arts), or interviews, depending on the field. Health programmes such as those at Semmelweis University publish their own applicant guidance; follow it exactly.
8. Allocation and results. Tempus allocates scholarships taking university decisions and country quotas into account; results are normally communicated from late June into July.
9. Accept, visa, enrol. Accept the award in the system by the stated deadline, apply for your study residence permit / visa with the award documents, arrange travel, and enrol at your university for the September start.

Required Documents

• Completed online application form in the Tempus system.
• Motivation letter (at least one page, written for your first-choice programme and field).
• Proof of language proficiency for the language of your programme, as specified by the programme and the call.
• School certificates and transcripts: secondary leaving certificate for bachelor’s applicants; degree certificate(s) and transcripts for master’s and doctoral applicants — with official translations into the language specified in the call where the originals are in another language.
• Copy of a valid passport (or national ID where the call permits it for the application stage, with a passport to follow).
• Signed “Statement for Application”, submitted electronically in the system.
• Medical certificate on the prescribed form, issued within the period the call specifies.
• Doctoral applicants additionally: a research plan, two letters of recommendation, and a statement from the prospective supervisor at the Hungarian institution accepting supervision if the application succeeds.
• Arts and music applicants: a portfolio or audition material as the host institution requires.
• Any additional documents your Sending Partner demands for its national selection (several countries require attested copies, national exam results, or a separate printed dossier — Sending Partner rules are additional, never a substitute for the online application).

Deadlines and Timeline

For 2027/28, plan on the same skeleton — autumn opening, 15 January deadline, spring examinations, early-summer results — but the dates that bind you are those in the new call and in your Sending Partner’s notice. Put both sets of dates in one calendar the week the call opens. If you are weighing Hungary against other January-deadline destinations, our study guides will help you sequence the applications so the essays and attestations do not collide.

Selection: How Decisions Are Actually Made

Selection is a three-filter process. First, the system and Tempus check formal eligibility — citizenship, level, documents, statement, medical certificate, language proof. Second, your Sending Partner ranks and nominates: partners have country quotas and their own priorities, and some run competitive national examinations or interviews at this stage. Third, the host universities assess nominated applicants against programme entry standards, through entrance exams, portfolio review or interview. Tempus then allocates the awards, respecting university decisions, programme capacities and the bilateral framework.

What improves your chances, concretely? A motivation letter that names the programme, the university and specific Hungarian strengths in your field — and then explains what you will do with the degree at home; grades that meet or exceed the programme’s real entry level, evidenced cleanly with translations; language proof at or above the required level submitted on time, not promised for later; programme choices that are both eligible for your country and realistically matched to your record; and a Sending Partner file that is complete before its deadline, not merely before Hungary’s. At doctoral level, the supervisor statement is decisive in practice: contact prospective supervisors in autumn with a focused research plan summary, and only list a supervisor who has genuinely agreed.

One more honest point: because quotas sit behind bilateral agreements, the same profile can succeed from one country and fail from another in the same year. That is not corruption or error; it is the design of the programme. Apply well, and also keep a plan B — a second destination or a self-funded application with a university scholarship — so one quota decision does not cost you a whole year.

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring the Sending Partner. Submitting only in the Hungarian system, or only to your ministry, completes half an application. Both halves are required where your partner runs a parallel process.
• Assuming every field is open to every country. Fields and levels are defined per partner country in the call and enforced by the application system.
• Ranking two programmes carelessly. You get a maximum of two choices. Two identical long-shot programmes, or a first choice you cannot afford to live in, are wasted choices.
• Treating HUF 43,700 as a full living budget for Budapest. It is a contribution. Dormitory housing, a cheaper city, savings or lawful part-time work must close the gap.
• Late or wrong-format documents: untranslated certificates where translations are required, an out-of-date medical certificate, a missing signed statement, or language proof uploaded after the deadline.
• Doctoral applications without a supervisor statement, or with a supervisor named without their knowledge.
• Missing the January deadline by timezone. The deadline is 2 p.m. Central European Time. Convert it to your local time the day you start, not the day you submit.
• Believing agents who promise allocation. No agent can allocate a Stipendium Hungaricum award; allocation follows nomination, university assessment and Tempus’s decision under the bilateral quotas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stipendium Hungaricum fully funded?

It covers tuition in full, pays a monthly stipend (HUF 43,700 at BA/MA level; HUF 140,000/180,000 at PhD level), provides a free dormitory place or HUF 40,000 per month towards accommodation, and includes medical insurance. It does not cover your travel to Hungary, visa-related personal costs beyond the administrative support described, or all of your food and personal spending — Tempus itself presents the stipend as a contribution to living expenses, so budget a supplement, especially in Budapest.

My country is not a Stipendium Hungaricum partner. What can I do?

You cannot apply for Stipendium Hungaricum — partner-country citizenship and Sending Partner nomination are eligibility conditions. Your alternatives are self-funded admission with a university scholarship or tuition discount, the Diaspora Scholarship if you have Hungarian heritage, or mobility schemes (Erasmus+/CEEPUS) if you are enrolled at a partner university elsewhere. Partner lists also change between cycles, so re-check next year’s call.

How much is the Stipendium Hungaricum stipend in 2026/27?

For holders starting in 2026/27 the official provisions are HUF 43,700 per month at non-degree, bachelor’s, master’s and one-tier master’s level, and at doctoral level HUF 140,000 per month in the first phase and HUF 180,000 per month in the second phase, plus a dormitory place or HUF 40,000 per month accommodation contribution, tuition-free education and medical insurance.

Can I apply for two programmes?

Yes — up to two different study programmes, ranked in order of preference, from among those open to citizens of your country at your level. Choose deliberately: the system will not let you add a third safety option later.

Do I need IELTS to study in Hungary on a scholarship?

You need the language proof your programme specifies. Most English-taught programmes require evidence of English at the level set by the university — often an accepted test certificate, in some cases with the alternatives the call and university allow. Hungarian-taught study normally routes through the preparatory Hungarian course. Check the exact requirement on the programme page in the application system and on the university’s site, and prepare with our test preparation guides if a test score is required.

When is the Stipendium Hungaricum deadline?

The online application deadline for the 2026/27 cycle was 15 January 2026 at 2 p.m. CET, and recent cycles have used the same mid-January date and time. Your Sending Partner may set an earlier national deadline. For 2027/28, confirm the date in the new call when it opens in autumn — do not rely on this or any other summary page.

Can scholarship holders work part-time in Hungary?

Third-country students in Hungary can generally take student work within the limits attached to their residence permit for study (Hungarian rules have allowed up to 30 hours per week during term time for student employment in recent years, with more in breaks — confirm the current rule before relying on it). Your scholarship requires full-time study progress, and failing exams to protect a work schedule is the fastest way to lose both the award and the permit.

What happens if I fail subjects or drop out?

The scholarship is conditional on active student status and satisfactory progress under the programme’s operational rules. Holders who lose student status, exceed the funded duration, or breach the scholarship contract can lose funding and may face repayment obligations described in the call and contract. Read those documents before you sign, not after a problem occurs.

Sources and Verification

• Stipendium Hungaricum official website (Tempus Public Foundation) — programme pages and Calls for Applications 2026/27: deadline 15 January 2026, 2 p.m. CET; provisions for holders starting 2026/27 (tuition-free education; HUF 43,700/month BA/MA/one-tier/non-degree; HUF 140,000/180,000 doctoral; HUF 40,000/month accommodation contribution or free dormitory place; medical insurance); up to two programme choices; application via apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu.
• Semmelweis University — Stipendium Hungaricum programme page: programme supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and co-ordinated by Tempus Public Foundation; bilateral agreements; more than 90 sending partners; 2026/27 deadline 15 January 2026, 2 p.m. CET; eligibility via valid nomination.
• Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) — Stipendium Hungaricum holder guidance: 2026/27 application deadline 15 January, 14:00 CET; stipend HUF 43,700 (preparatory, bachelor’s, master’s) and HUF 140,000/180,000 across doctoral phases; dormitory place or HUF 40,000/month accommodation allowance for 12 months; health care and supplementary insurance; free visa and residence permit administration.
• University of Pécs programme summaries — Stipendium Hungaricum provisions and selection rhythm (applications by 15 January, university evaluation by end of May, results by mid-July) consistent with the official call.

Disclaimer: Scholarship amounts, partner-country lists, eligible fields and deadlines change every cycle. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency, university or government body, and nothing on this page promises or guarantees selection, nomination, admission or a visa. Always confirm the current rules on stipendiumhungaricum.hu, in the Call for Applications for your level, with your Sending Partner, and on your host university’s website before applying or spending money.