Applying to Hungarian universities: requirements, documents and deadlines

International applicants to English-taught programmes in Hungary apply directly to each university through its online portal; there is no national application system for these programmes. A Russian school-leaving certificate (attestat) is enough for bachelor's degrees and medicine without a foundation year. You usually need translated certificates and transcripts for your last two school years, an English certificate (often B2, IELTS 5.5–6.5), a motivation letter, an application fee of $115–225 (€100–200) and an entrance exam or interview, often online. The main intake is September; for 2027/28 universities accept applications from about October 2026 until May–July 2027, with different deadlines for each university and programme. After admission you apply for a residence permit for study, which can take up to two months.

Three routes in

Run your fee-paying and scholarship applications in parallel: scholarship results arrive at the end of June, when some fee-paying intakes have already closed. Fee-paying students already in Hungary can apply for a scholarship at the same level only with their university's recommendation and an above-average grade record.

Entry requirements

Bachelor's degrees

• A school-leaving certificate that gives access to university in your country. The Russian attestat qualifies, and a foundation year is optional. Final-year students apply with proof of student status and transcripts and add the certificate in the summer: by 21 August at Semmelweis, by 1 August at ELTE's Faculty of Economics.
• Transcripts for the last two school years with official English translations.
• English, set by the programme: ELTE International Relations IELTS 5.5, International Business Economics IELTS 6.0, Psychology IELTS 6.5; Corvinus IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72 or Duolingo 100; ELTE Computer Science BSc B1. Some programmes assess English in the interview if you have no certificate.
• Maths. Corvinus bachelor's programmes in applied economics, business and management, business informatics, data science in business, international business and PPE require proof of maths. The Russian attestat is not on its list of accepted qualifications, so Russian applicants take Corvinus's free online maths test: 26 questions, 60 minutes, calculator allowed, held monthly for fee-paying applicants.
• Motivation letter almost everywhere. ELTE's International Relations sets 1,500–4,000 characters, and ELTE's Faculty of Economics asks for original writing, not AI-generated text.
• References for some programmes, such as two for ELTE's International Business Economics.
• Age. Many universities expect you to be 18 at the start; Semmelweis by the end of May of your first year; ELTE's Faculty of Economics admits under-18s only exceptionally.
• Study gaps. Debrecen does not admit applicants whose last studies ended more than four years ago (non-medical bachelor's) or six years ago (medicine).

Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy

These are one-tier programmes entered straight from school and lasting five to six years. The university's own exam in biology, chemistry and English decides; standardised tests are not accepted instead, and Semmelweis has no minimum GPA. Exams run from February–March to the end of June, often online. See studying medicine in Hungary.

Master's degrees

• A relevant bachelor's degree; ELTE's MSc Artificial Intelligence, for example, requires a computer science bachelor's or at least 60 ECTS in informatics and maths.
• Transcripts with translations; final-year students submit two years of grades.
• English, usually B2.
• CV and motivation letter, sometimes references and an interview.

Doctoral studies

A master's degree, a research plan, and sometimes a supervisor's statement and references. Each doctoral school sets its own terms.

Preparing documents from Russia

1. Passport with plenty of validity: the residence permit cannot outlast it.
2. School certificate or diploma with transcript, scanned from the original.
3. English translations. Universities require official translations of documents not in English. For the residence permit, the Hungarian Consulate General in Kazan accepts translations certified by OFFI in Hungary or by the consulate; ask your university which translations it accepts at the application stage.
4. Language certificate, or proof that you studied in English (a medium-of-instruction letter).
5. CV and motivation letter in English.
6. Photo and, where required, a medical certificate: Debrecen wants it with the application, Semmelweis when you accept your place.
7. Proof of application fee payment. Many universities will not invite you to the exam without it.
8. For minors, parental consent on the university's form.

You will need the originals at enrolment in Hungary. Prepare translations and copies early; you will reuse them for the visa.

2027/28 deadlines: examples

Faculties may close intakes early once places are filled, so later periods are riskier and often more expensive.

February intake. It is smaller than September. Debrecen accepts February applications until 1 November, and some ELTE master's programmes in computer science and the natural sciences also start in February.

A step-by-step plan for September 2027

After admission: payment, housing, visa

Acceptance letter. It arrives in the university's system. Confirm it and meet any conditions: certificate, language test, payment.

Deposits and prepayment. Semmelweis charges a non-refundable $2,000 deposit within 14 days of the decision, credited to first-semester tuition. Corvinus asks for the first semester or year in advance; $570 (€500) of it is a non-refundable registration fee, and prepaid tuition is refunded if a visa is refused for reasons beyond the student's control. Refund rules differ, so read them before paying.

Housing. Dormitory places for international students are scarce; apply right after admission. ELTE dormitories cost $155–215 (HUF 50,000–70,000) a month, and Semmelweis allocates dormitory places only in August.

Residence permit. For study longer than 90 days, citizens of Russia and most CIS countries apply for a residence permit for study at a Hungarian consulate before travelling. The fee is $125 (€110) and a decision can take up to 60 days. See Hungary student visa, and for legal payment routes from Russia, how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.

How applications are assessed

• Medicine: mainly the entrance exam. Semmelweis also weighs academic records and its diversity goals; Debrecen does not disclose scores and may offer a preparatory course instead of first-year entry.
• Corvinus: applications are scored out of 100, the dean sets a threshold for each programme, and applicants above it receive conditional admission.
• ELTE: the faculty committee decides on documents, the letter and an interview or exam; application periods are equal in weight, but late ones can be cancelled.
• Stipendium Hungaricum: national nomination first, then the university's entrance procedure, with a minimum of 56 out of 100 points.

Preparatory programmes

If your English or subject background falls short, universities offer preparation:

A preparatory programme does not guarantee a degree place: progression depends on your final results and the university's conditions. A permit issued for a preparatory course can be renewed only with admission to a degree programme.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for graduation to apply. You can apply in your final school year and upload the certificate in summer.
• Missing early periods. At ELTE they are cheaper, and Debrecen closed medicine early in 2026.
• Misjudging the English requirement. It varies within one university: ELTE psychology asks for IELTS 6.5, international relations 5.5.
• Ignoring Corvinus's maths requirement. Several programmes require it; prepare for the online test.
• Paying the application fee late. Without proof of payment you will not be invited to the exam.
• Leaving the visa to August. A decision can take up to 60 days.
• Confusing semester and annual fees. Most universities quote per semester.

FAQ

Sources

• ELTE: application steps, elte.hu/en/content/for-self-funded-applicants; programme pages at apply.elte.hu/courses (Computer Science BSc, International Relations BA, English and American Studies BA, International Business Economics BA, Psychology BA, English Foundation Course, MSc Artificial Intelligence)
• Semmelweis University: medicine, semmelweis.hu/admission/programs/medicine/; payments, semmelweis.hu/admission/process/faq-for-medicine-dentistry-and-pharmaceutical-sciences/; health sciences, semmelweis.hu/admission/programs/physiotherapy/
• University of Debrecen: admission and deadlines, edu.unideb.hu/p/application-and-admission; exams, edu.unideb.hu/p/entrance-examinationinterview
• University of Pécs Medical School: admissions.medschool.pte.hu/application-fee; admissions.medschool.pte.hu/news/article/17849/application-period-opens-1st-november
• Corvinus University of Budapest: requirements, uni-corvinus.hu/post/landing-page/application/admissions-requirements/; fees and prepayment, uni-corvinus.hu/post/landing-page/application/fees-and-costs/
• BME: xplore.bme.hu/tuition-fees/; bme.hu/en/application_and_admission
• Budapest Metropolitan University: metropolitan.hu/en/tuition-fees
• Stipendium Hungaricum, Call for Applications 2026/27: stipendiumhungaricum.hu/apply/
• OIF, residence permit for study: oif.gov.hu/tajekoztatok/a-hallgato-tanulo-tartozkodasa; Consulate General of Hungary in Kazan, kazan.mfa.gov.hu/ru/razreshenie-na-prebyvanie-viza-d

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026: €1 = $1.1355 = HUF 366.38. Information checked on 28 September 2026. Universities with English-taught programmes are compared in universities in Hungary; general information is on our study in Hungary page.

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