Admission

Visa application

How to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studies?

In order to begin your education in Budapest, Hungary, you will need a special student visa that entitles you to a Hungarian residence permit. The visa allows a single entry and gives you 30 days after arriving in Hungary to pick up your residence permit. It is crucial to obtain it on time. The residence permit card will be sent to the university, so you will not need to visit the authorities.

If your request has been approved, you have 3 months to enter Hungary. These 3 months are not counted from the moment you receive your visa but from the moment the decision is made. It may happen that the period shown on the visa will be shorter than 3 months, since those days between the decision and the issuance of the visa will be deducted. Always check your visa to see what the last date is when you can enter Hungary and make your travel arrangements accordingly.

The e-certificate of accommodation (the document confirming your Hungarian address) should be provided to you when you pick up your passport/visa at the Embassy or sent to you via email within a few days. If you do not receive this certificate by the time of your arrival, please contact the authorities at bp2@oif.gov.hu.

You can apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studies at the nearest Hungarian Embassy or Consulate. Please check in advance where you should submit your application to ensure you can prepare accordingly. You can find information about this here: https://konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu/en/embassies#hungarian-embassies-abroad

Before submitting your documents, you must book an appointment with the Embassy/Consulate. Please do this well in advance, as it can sometimes take a few weeks to receive an appointment date. Be prepared to pay an administrative service fee of EUR 110 at the diplomatic or consular mission in EUR or another convertible currency.

You will need the following documents to apply for the residence permit:

  • the completed form and appendix
  • passport-sized photo (no older than 3 months)
  • other supporting documents (see the details later)
  • proof of payment of the procedural fee

The application shall be submitted with the form “Application for Residence Permit” and Appendix 13 completed and printed. Both documents can be downloaded from the official website of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing.

You will need to submit the following supporting documents:

  • Documents verifying the purpose of your stay
  • Proof of language proficiency
  • Proof of tuition fee payment
  • Proof for sufficient finances
  • CV and motivation letter
  • Notification of genuine Hungarian address
  • Health Insurance
  • Documents evidencing the conditions for exit

DOCUMENTS VERIFYING THE PURPOSE OF YOUR STAY:

In your case the purpose will be studying, the proof for this will be the Admission Letter issued by HUSS. Please keep in mind that your Conditional Acceptance Letter is NOT a valid document to submit. In case you have already enrolled to the university, you can submit a student status certificate.

PROOF OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY:

You can either submit a language certificate (as proof of a language exam) or an official diploma/confirmation from your previous school that you have completed your studies in English.

PROOF OF TUITION FEE PAYMENT:

You need a document proving that you paid the tuition fee. This is written in your final admission letter, so this should be accepted by the authorities. In case other proof is needed, let us know.

PROOF FOR SUFFICIENT FINANCES:

You need to prove that you have enough funds to finance your studies and cover your living expenses, accommodation, travel costs, and healthcare, if necessary. You must also have sufficient money to purchase a plane ticket for your return journey home. These documents are particularly important, so be sure to pay special attention when gathering them.

1. A notarized bank statement of the last 6 months

You may submit your own bank statement if you have enough savings. If you don’t have enough savings, you need to have sponsors who will support you during your studies in Hungary. Please note that only your parents or grandparents can be your sponsors. Other family members are only accepted under very special circumstances which require additional proof. In most cases, no other sponsor is accepted and the application is rejected.

The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Immigration Office) examines the continuous availability of funds. This means that fluctuation or a recently deposited/transferred unusually big amount of money will be considered problematic. Only submit statements which show stable income/savings (with only small or no fluctuation) and avoid depositing a huge amount of money 5-6 months before the date of the visa application. If moving a bigger amount of money between accounts is unavoidable, make sure you have proper proof where the money came from.

2. If you have a sponsor

A notarized commitment (sponsorship) letter from your sponsor has to be submitted that he or she will support you during your studies in Hungary. (Of course, both your parents can be sponsors.) In this case, their bank statement has to be submitted as proof of sufficient funds. The guarantor must have a regular income. You must provide evidence of relationship with the sponsor by submitting a notarized birth certificate.

3. If you are your own sponsor

In this case you have to provide proof of a steady income and enough savings to support yourself. If you have been working, a letter from your employer should be submitted detailing the length of your employment, your position and your monthly salary. If available, your monthly salary slips should be submitted with other supporting documents.

CV AND MOTIVATION LETTER INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

  • short history of previous studies
  • motivation for studying in Europe, Hungary, Budapest
  • motivation for studying at HUSS
  • motivation for studying at the program you applied for
  • family background
  • previous trips / visits to foreign countries
  • current employment / studies

NOTIFICATION OF GENUINE HUNGARIAN ADDRESS:

You need to let the authorities know that you have a place to stay in Hungary. You need to indicate your address and show proof of it by submitting a rental contract (the contract preferably should be in English and in Hungarian; needs to be signed by both you and the owner and also by 2 witnesses). Hotel/Airbnb bookings are usually not accepted. The contract you submit should be valid for at least 6 months, but preferably for a year.

HEALTH INSURANCE

You need to show proof that you have comprehensive health insurance which is valid in Hungary for at least 5-6 months (the length of a semester) with a policy scheme covering at least 30,000 EUR of medical costs including emergency health services and transport home in the event of a medical emergency.

DOCUMENTS EVIDENCING THE CONDITIONS FOR EXIT:

Of course, you are not expected to already have a plane ticket booked for your return, however, you must have enough funds to be able to purchase one and a valid passport as well. If you indicate a different country as the destination where you would return to after your studies, you must have the permits necessary to enter that country.

Apart from the above-mentioned supporting documents, you have to provide an additional statement confirming the commitment of voluntary departure from the territory of the Member States of the EU if your application is refused.

While preparing for your visa application please consider that the following circumstances can be considered as a disadvantage:

  • Student is older than the generally accepted age for higher education studies (between age 18 and 35)
  • There is no regular income in the bank account, or the money constantly fluctuates, or it is evident that the savings were deposited just before the application and had not been in the account previously
  • The student wants to take a loan to cover the costs of living
  • The authenticity of the submitted documents is questionable (especially in the case of bank statements)
  • Previous infringement in an EU member state (especially illegal work, or terminated student enrollment status as the applicant did not participate in education)

What questions can you expect during the visa interview?

Please note that the following questions are intended to help you prepare for the visa interview. However, there is no guarantee that the same questions will be asked, so we advise you to be prepared for additional questions as well. The embassy’s goal is to assess whether you genuinely want to come to Hungary to study, so please prepare specific answers regarding your motivation and future plans. Different answers can be correct, so focus on providing confident and direct responses.

Personal questions:

  • Have you been to Hungary before?
  • What do your parents do?
  • How could your parents support your studies in Hungary? (financial background)
  • Do you have any relatives/friends living abroad?

Study-related questions:

  • Why would you like to study in Hungary?
  • Where did you hear about the university?
  • What do you know about the university and your chosen program?
  • How would you benefit from studying here? What are your future plans?
  • Why is this degree valuable for your future? What kind of job can you have after graduation?
  • Why is our university a better choice compared to other options?

Information about Budapest/Hungary:

Main things you know about Budapest and Hungary. Make sure you know the most important things (language, currency, location, weather, etc.) of the place where you are planning to stay for the next few years.

  • Where are you going to stay in Budapest?
  • Why is Hungary more attractive for you then e.g. Germany/Switzerland/the UK?
  • What can you do in Budapest (attractions, what is it famous for, forms of public transport, how will you get to your accommodation from the airport)?

Additional questions in specific cases:

  • You already have a bachelor/master’s degree, why do you need another one?
  • Do you have any work experience? If yes, you might be requested to talk about it and your responsibilities.
  • If you are working somewhere at the time of your application: What will happen with your current job? Would you be able to return?
  • With a study gap: Why do you want to continue your studies now? Why haven’t you considered studying abroad before?

Furthermore, you may be asked questions about the documents you are submitting. Make sure all documents meet the Embassy’s requirements, are clear and valid. Review them before your appointment and prepare for potential questions regarding any specific document.

Feel free to contact us with any questions and concerns at international@tf.hu.