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Last modified: 2026-09-28

# Stipendium Hungaricum: how to win a scholarship to study in Hungary

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Stipendium Hungaricum is the Hungarian government's scholarship for international students. It waives tuition, provides a dormitory place or a housing allowance, covers medical insurance and pays a monthly stipend of $135 (HUF 43,700) at bachelor's and master's level. More than 100 sending partners take part, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and most other post-Soviet states. You apply once a year, to two places at the same time: the programme's online system and the national sending partner of your country. In the 2026/27 cycle the online deadline was 15 January 2026, 2 pm CET. As of 28 September 2026 the call for 2027/28 has not been published yet; in previous cycles it came out in the autumn.

| At a glance | 2026/27 cycle |
| --- | --- |
| Funded by | Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; run by Tempus Public Foundation |
| What it covers | tuition, a dormitory place or $125 (HUF 40,000) a month towards rent, insurance, a monthly stipend |
| Monthly stipend | $135 (HUF 43,700) for bachelor's, master's and one-tier master's; doctoral students $435 (HUF 140,000), rising to $560 (HUF 180,000) from semester five |
| Programme choice | up to two programmes in order of preference; about 900 programmes at 30 institutions |
| Age | at least 18 by 31 August of the starting year |
| Deadline | 15 January 2026, 2 pm CET in the 2026/27 cycle; the 2027/28 date is not published yet, and your sending partner may close earlier |
| Entrance exams | held by universities from mid-March to the end of May; minimum 56 out of 100 points |
| Results | end of June or early July; arrival in Hungary by 30 September |

The main building of the University of Szeged on Dugonics Square, Szeged, Hungary. Photo: Fred Romero from Paris, France / [source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Szeged_-_Szegedi_Tudom%C3%A1nyegyetem_Konfuciusz_Int%C3%A9zet_(44675219521).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0).

## What the scholarship actually pays for {#section-1}

The programme itself describes the money as a contribution to living costs, not full support. For full-degree programmes (bachelor's, master's, one-tier master's such as medicine, and one-year preparatory courses) the 2026/27 package was:

| Item | Amount | In US dollars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tuition | full waiver | — |
| Monthly stipend | $135 (HUF 43,700), 12 months a year until graduation | about $136 |
| Housing | free dormitory place where available, or $125 (HUF 40,000) a month | about $124 |
| Healthcare | public healthcare plus supplementary insurance up to $200 (HUF 65,000) a year | up to $202 |
| Doctoral level | $435 (HUF 140,000) a month in semesters 1–4, $560 (HUF 180,000) in semesters 5–8 | $435 and $559 |

The call for applications says openly that the housing allowance will not cover a rented room in Budapest. Bachelor's and master's scholarship holders therefore need their own money for food, transport and the weeks before the first payment, and for the rent gap if they live outside a dormitory. City-by-city living costs are in our guide to the [cost of studying in Hungary](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-cost-of-studying-in-hungary). Flights, translations and the funds you show for your residence permit are not covered.

## Who can apply from Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus {#section-2}

Only citizens of a country with a bilateral education agreement with Hungary can apply, and only through their own country's partner: a Kazakh citizen through the Kazakh partner, a Russian citizen through the Russian one. Hungarian citizens, including dual citizens, are not eligible. Each agreement defines the levels and fields available:

| Country | Full-degree study | Nominating body |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Russia | bachelor's, master's, one-tier master's and doctoral, any field | Ministry of Science and Higher Education via FSBI Interobrazovanie |
| Kazakhstan | all levels, any field | Bolashak Center for International Programs |
| Uzbekistan | all levels; law, sport and arts excluded at bachelor's level | Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education |
| Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia | all levels, any field | national ministries and agencies |
| Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan | all levels; no partial (exchange) study | national ministries and agencies |
| Tajikistan, Moldova | all levels, restricted list of fields | ministries of education |
| Belarus | no bachelor's; master's in a restricted list of fields, doctoral | Ministry of Education |

Other conditions: you must be 18 by 31 August of the year you start (for 2026/27, born on or before 31 August 2008), except for dance programmes. Long-term residents of Hungary, refugees and stateless persons cannot apply. If you already study in Hungary as a fee-paying student, you may apply for the same level only with your university's recommendation and a grade average above your programme's average, and you cannot apply for a lower level.

## Two applications, not one {#section-3}

The most common failure is applying in only one place. The form at apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu does not replace the nomination by your sending partner, and a nomination does not replace the online form. Without your country's nomination, Hungary will not assess the application.

Russia. According to the programme's partner page, Russian candidates apply through Russian universities and research organisations to FSBI Interobrazovanie at mobility@ined.ru; in the 2026/27 cycle the window was 12–16 January 2026. School leavers who are not yet connected to a Russian university should ask Interobrazovanie well before the January window which organisation can forward their documents. The Hungarian Embassy in Moscow reported 200 places for Russian students for 2024/25; the quota for each new cycle is announced separately.

Kazakhstan. Nominations go through the Bolashak Center for International Programs (bolashak.gov.kz); check its procedure and deadline at the start of the cycle.

Other countries. Contacts, deadlines and extra requirements of every sending partner are listed on the Partners page of the programme website. Some ask for paper or notarised copies; others need nothing beyond the online application.

Tempus Public Foundation stresses that applying is free and advises against applying through agencies. You can get help preparing documents, but you submit them yourself.

## The cycle timeline, based on 2026/27 {#section-4}

| When | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| October–November 2025 | call for applications published, online system opens |
| November–December | choose programmes, gather documents, sit a language test, contact the sending partner |
| 15 January 2026, 2 pm CET | online deadline; Russia's Interobrazovanie window ran 12–16 January |
| By end of February | technical check and nomination by sending partners |
| 15 March | deadline for university recommendations (fee-paying students already in Hungary) |
| Mid-March to end of May | entrance exams and interviews at the chosen universities |
| End of June or early July | results announced by Tempus |
| July–August | residence permit application |
| By 30 September | arrival in Hungary |

There is only one deadline a year. If you miss it, you wait for the next cycle.

## Documents to upload {#section-5}

Everything goes into the online system as files of up to 4 MB. Any document not in the language of the programme or in Hungarian must be uploaded with a translation.

1. Online application form in English, with a photo taken within the last two years.
2. Motivation letter: at least one page, Times New Roman 12, in the language of the programme or in Hungarian.
3. Proof of language proficiency at the level set by the university; if your previous studies were in the programme's language, a document proving this may be accepted.
4. School or university certificate: school-leaving certificate for bachelor's and one-tier programmes, bachelor's diploma for master's.
5. Transcript of records for all years of your highest completed level.
6. Passport data page, or a national ID card if you have no passport yet.
7. Statement for Application, accepted by clicking in the system; do not upload scans.
8. Portfolio for art and music programmes.

Documents you do not have yet. A school leaver without the final certificate in January uploads a signed declaration by the deadline and then has until 1 August to add the certificate. The same rule applies to pending language test results and passports being issued. Without the declaration uploaded by 15 January, missing documents are not accepted later.

Medical certificate. Only scholarship holders need it. You do not upload it; you bring it to Hungary for the compulsory medical check. For 2026/27 it had to be issued no earlier than 1 November 2025, using the programme's form.

Doctoral applicants also submit a research plan and, where the doctoral school requires it, a statement from a supervisor.

## Choosing your two programmes {#section-6}

Order matters. Universities first assess the candidates who listed their programme as first choice, so your chances are higher there. After 15 January you cannot change the programmes, their order, the language or the study mode.

- Check entry requirements inside the system. Click the programme name to see the minimum requirements.
- Full degree versus partial study. Many programmes appear twice, as full-degree and as partial (exchange) study. The mode cannot be changed later.
- Hungarian-taught programmes. Without sufficient Hungarian, apply for the one-year Hungarian preparatory course rather than the degree itself; your Hungarian will be tested at the entrance exam.
- Use the second choice as insurance. The programme explicitly recommends using both slots. A second option with less competition or at another university makes sense.

For a comparison of Semmelweis, ELTE, Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs, BME and Corvinus, see our overview of [universities in Hungary](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-universities-in-hungary).

## Entrance exams and the minimum score {#section-7}

After nomination, applications go to the chosen universities. Between mid-March and the end of May they contact candidates and hold interviews, written tests, subject exams or portfolio reviews. To make the final list you need at least 56 out of 100 points.

Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy exams test biology and chemistry; how the exams at Semmelweis and other medical schools work is explained in our guide to [studying medicine in Hungary](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-medicine-in-hungary). Competition for scholarship places in medicine is strong, so many applicants list medicine first and a related programme or another university second.

## After the award: visa, arrival and the first year {#section-8}

Results arrive at the end of June or early July. You accept the scholarship in the system and apply for a residence permit for study at the Hungarian consulate in your country. For scholarship holders the process is lighter:

- No consular fee. Scholarship holders are exempt from fees related to admission to Hungary under Interior Ministry Decree 10/2024 (II. 29.), cited in the call; the Consulate General in Kazan states this explicitly for Stipendium Hungaricum applicants. The award still does not guarantee a visa; the immigration authority decides.
- Shorter document list. Instead of bank statements you submit the Letter of Award from Tempus, the Letter of Acceptance from the university and dormitory confirmation, plus a separate annex if you rent privately.
- Where to apply in Russia. The Embassy in Moscow accepts D-visa applications for study, including Stipendium Hungaricum, through the VFS Global visa centre as well; the consulates in St Petersburg, Kazan and Yekaterinburg serve residents of their consular districts.

The call warns that issuing a visa can take up to 30 days, so apply as soon as you get the decision. Step-by-step details are in our guide to the [Hungary student visa](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-hungary-student-visa). You must arrive by 30 September and tell your host university's coordinator your arrival date 15–30 days in advance.

First-year obligations. All scholarship holders except those studying in Hungarian take the course "Hungarian as a foreign language" in the first year and sit an exam at the end of the second semester. Those who skip the course lose the monthly stipend; those who attend but fail receive a reduced stipend of $93 (HUF 30,000).

Changing programme. You can change your university, programme or language of study once per level. Requests go to Tempus by 1 December (for the spring semester) or 15 May (for the autumn semester); changes are possible only within the first year of studies and only at the end of a semester, according to the FAQ on the programme's Apply page.

## Common mistakes {#section-9}

- Applying only online. Without the sending partner's nomination the application never reaches universities.
- Planning around 15 January only. Russia's window in 2026/27 opened on 12 January and closed on the 16th; other partners can close earlier.
- Missing the declaration for a pending language test. Results can be added until 1 August only if the signed declaration was uploaded in January.
- Choosing two equally competitive programmes. Make the second choice realistic.
- Treating the stipend as full support. $135 (HUF 43,700) a month does not cover living costs even with a free dormitory.
- Selecting the wrong version of a programme. Full-degree and partial versions look alike in the list.

## If you are not selected: plan B {#section-10}

Not winning the scholarship does not rule out Hungary: English-taught programmes admit fee-paying students on their own schedules. Results come out at the end of June, while many fee-paying intakes close earlier: ELTE's Computer Science BSc on 30 April, Semmelweis medicine on 31 May, Debrecen medicine on 15 May. Apply as a fee-paying student in parallel instead of waiting. Fee-paying routes are covered in our guide on [applying to Hungarian universities](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-applying-to-hungarian-universities), and a private university with applied business, design and media programmes is profiled on our page about [Budapest Metropolitan University](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-budapest-metropolitan-university).

If you start as a fee-paying student, you can apply for the same level in a later cycle, but only with your university's recommendation and an above-average grade record.

## FAQ {#faq}

### When does the 2027/28 Stipendium Hungaricum application open?

As of 28 September 2026 the 2027/28 call has not been published; the website still shows the 2026/27 call. Last cycle the call appeared in October, the online system opened in November–December and the deadline was 15 January. Watch the Apply section of stipendiumhungaricum.hu and your sending partner's website.

### How many programmes can I choose?

Two, in order of preference, at one or two universities. Claims of "up to three programmes" refer to older cycles; the 2026/27 call says two.

### Can I apply straight after school?

Yes, if you turn 18 by 31 August of the starting year. A certificate issued in the summer can be added by 1 August, provided you uploaded a declaration by the January deadline. Russian school leavers should ask Interobrazovanie early which organisation can forward their nomination documents.

### Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?

You need proof of language at the level your chosen programme sets; the accepted tests and scores are in the programme description in the system. If your previous education was in the programme's language, a document proving this is sometimes enough.

### Does the scholarship cover medicine?

Yes. One-tier programmes in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy are included where the university offers them and the bilateral agreement allows the field; for Russia all fields are open. Competition is strong, and the university runs its own entrance exam.

### Can scholarship holders work?

The residence permit for study allows up to 30 hours a week during the study period and full-time work for up to 90 days a year outside it. Academic progress remains a condition, though: if you complete fewer than 18 credits on average over your last two active semesters (fewer than 36 in total), the scholarship is terminated. A normal load is 30 credits a semester.

### Can I stay in Hungary after graduating?

You can try. While your study permit is still valid (at the latest 15 days before it expires), you can apply via Enter Hungary for a residence permit to look for work or start a business. It is issued for up to 9 months and cannot be extended, and the job must match the level of your degree. The immigration authority (OIF) decides.

## Sources {#section-12}

- Stipendium Hungaricum, Call for Applications 2026/27 (bachelor's, master's, one-tier master's): [stipendiumhungaricum.hu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BA_MA_OTM_Call_for_Applications_2026_27.pdf](https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BA_MA_OTM_Call_for_Applications_2026_27.pdf)
- Stipendium Hungaricum, Call for Applications 2026/27 (doctoral): [stipendiumhungaricum.hu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PhD_Call_for_Applications_2026_27.pdf](https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PhD_Call_for_Applications_2026_27.pdf)
- Stipendium Hungaricum, Apply page and timeline: [stipendiumhungaricum.hu/apply/](https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/apply/)
- Stipendium Hungaricum, Partners (Russia, Kazakhstan and others): [stipendiumhungaricum.hu/partners/](https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/partners/)
- Consulate General of Hungary in Kazan, residence permits for scholarship holders: [kazan.mfa.gov.hu/ru/razreshenie-na-prebyvanie-SH](https://kazan.mfa.gov.hu/ru/razreshenie-na-prebyvanie-SH)
- Embassy of Hungary in Moscow, appointments and VFS Global: [moszkva.mfa.gov.hu/ru/zapis-v-konsulstvo_](https://moszkva.mfa.gov.hu/ru/zapis-v-konsulstvo_); scholarships: [moszkva.mfa.gov.hu/ru/obuchenie-v-vengrii](https://moszkva.mfa.gov.hu/ru/obuchenie-v-vengrii)
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF), study residence permit: [oif.gov.hu/tajekoztatok/a-hallgato-tanulo-tartozkodasa](https://oif.gov.hu/tajekoztatok/a-hallgato-tanulo-tartozkodasa); job-seeking permit: [oif.gov.hu/tajekoztatok/allaskereses-vagy-vallalkozas-inditasa](https://oif.gov.hu/tajekoztatok/allaskereses-vagy-vallalkozas-inditasa)

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026: €1 = HUF 366.38 = $1.1355. Information checked on 28 September 2026.

Help deciding which programmes to list for the scholarship and which fee-paying option to keep as a backup is provided under an agreement with StudyU; to discuss it, [send us a request](https://www.studyu.org/en/apply).

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.

## Next steps

- [Cost of studying in Hungary in 2026/27: tuition, housing and a student budget](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-cost-of-studying-in-hungary)
- [Universities in Hungary: which one to choose as an international student](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-universities-in-hungary)
- [Studying medicine in Hungary: English-taught programmes, entrance exams and costs](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-medicine-in-hungary)
- [Hungary student visa: the residence permit for study in 2026](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-hungary-student-visa)
- [Budapest Metropolitan University (METU)](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-budapest-metropolitan-university)
- [Applying to Hungarian universities: requirements, documents and deadlines](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-applying-to-hungarian-universities)

Updated: September 2026