Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship: Study in Hungary Fully Funded

The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship is the Hungarian government’s flagship programme for international students who want a fully funded degree in Europe. With the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, your tuition is fully covered, you receive a monthly stipend, housing support, and medical insurance while you study at a Hungarian university.

But this programme works differently from most European scholarships. You cannot win it by applying to Hungary alone. Your own country must nominate you first, through an official partner organisation.

In this guide, you will learn exactly how the system works: who can apply, what the scholarship pays for, which documents you need, and how to apply step by step. Every fact here comes from the official programme rules, with no agent stories and no invented numbers.

What Is the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship?

The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme was launched by the Hungarian government in 2013. It is run by the Tempus Public Foundation on behalf of Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The programme is built on bilateral agreements. Hungary signs education agreements with partner countries around the world, and students from those countries can apply for funded places at Hungarian universities.

Today, around 30 Hungarian universities take part, offering hundreds of study programmes in foreign languages, most of them taught in English. Well-known hosts include Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, the University of Debrecen, Semmelweis University for medicine, the University of Szeged, and the University of Pécs.

The goal is two-sided. Hungary builds long-term ties with partner countries, and students receive a European degree without paying tuition fees.

What the Scholarship Covers

According to the official Call for Applications, the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship provides four main benefits:

• Tuition-free education. You are fully exempt from tuition fees for the whole programme.
• Monthly stipend. Bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier master’s, and non-degree students receive HUF 43,700 per month, paid for 12 months a year. Doctoral students receive more: HUF 140,000 per month in the first phase of their studies and HUF 180,000 per month in the second phase.
• Accommodation support. You receive either a free dormitory place or a contribution of HUF 40,000 per month toward your rent.
• Medical insurance. Health care services under Hungarian law, plus supplementary medical insurance of up to HUF 65,000 per year.

Now one honest warning, because the official call itself states it clearly. These benefits are a contribution to your living costs, not a promise that every cost is covered.

The HUF 40,000 housing contribution, for example, may not pay the full rent in Budapest, where prices are higher than in smaller university cities like Debrecen or Szeged. Food, local transport, and your flight to Hungary are also your own responsibility.

So plan realistically. The scholarship removes your biggest costs — tuition and most of your housing — but you should still budget some money of your own.

Study Levels and Fields You Can Choose

The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship is not only for master’s students. It covers several levels:

• Bachelor’s degrees (usually 2–4 years)
• Master’s degrees (usually 1–2 years)
• One-tier master’s degrees (5–6 years) — single long programmes in fields like general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, architecture, and law
• Doctoral (PhD) programmes (4 years, in two phases)
• Non-degree programmes, such as a one-year preparatory course in the Hungarian language, and postgraduate specialist training courses

The available fields depend on your country. Each bilateral agreement lists which study fields citizens of that country can choose, so the menu for Pakistan is not identical to the menu for Nigeria or Kazakhstan.

Popular fields include medicine and health sciences, engineering and IT, agriculture, natural sciences, economics and business, humanities, and the arts. Programmes differ by partner country, so always check the official programme list for your own country before you fall in love with a course.

You may choose up to two study programmes, in order of preference, in one application.

Who Can Apply? Eligibility and the Sending Partner System

This is the part most applicants get wrong, so read it carefully.

You can only apply for the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship if you are a citizen of a partner country that has a bilateral agreement with Hungary. The official website keeps the full list of eligible countries, and it changes as new agreements are signed.

Every partner country has a Sending Partner — the official body that manages applications at home. For Pakistan, that body is the Higher Education Commission (HEC). In other countries it may be the ministry of education or a national scholarship board.

Here is what that means for you in practice:

• Two steps are mandatory. You must apply in the Hungarian online system and follow your Sending Partner’s own application process. For Pakistani applicants, HEC has stated clearly that applications on both portals are required. An application on only one side is not considered.
• Only nominated students can win. Your Sending Partner checks and ranks applications from your country, then sends a nomination list to Hungary. If your name is not on that list, Hungarian universities cannot select you, no matter how strong your grades are.
• Basic conditions apply. You generally must be at least 18 years old by 31 August of the year your studies begin, hold the previous degree needed for your chosen level, and meet the language requirements of the programme.

If your country is not on the partner list, this scholarship is unfortunately not open to you, and no agent can change that.

Documents You Will Need

Prepare these documents early, because certified copies and translations take time:

• Online application form in the official system, with a recent photo
• Motivation letter — at least one page, explaining why you chose the programme and Hungary
• Proof of language proficiency — for example an English certificate at the level your chosen programme requires
• School certificates and transcripts — your secondary school certificate for bachelor’s applications, your bachelor’s degree for master’s applications, and your master’s degree for PhD applications, with English translations where required
• Copy of your passport — or, if you do not have one yet, your national ID plus the declaration in the system that you will submit a passport by 1 August of the start year
• Acceptance of the “Statement for Application” inside the online system

PhD applicants need extra documents: a research plan of at least two pages, at least one letter of recommendation, and a statement from a supervisor at the chosen Hungarian institution where the programme requires one.

One document confuses many people: the medical certificate. You do not upload it with your first application. Only nominated candidates must submit it later, on the official template, during the selection stage — in the last cycle, the deadline for it fell in mid-April. Wait for the instructions in the Call for Applications and follow them exactly.

Every document must be real and scannable. Files are uploaded in the online system, and each file must stay within the size limit shown there.

How to Apply for the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship: Step by Step

Step 1: Check that your country is a partner

Open the official Stipendium Hungaricum website and find your country in the partner list. Read which study fields and levels are open to citizens of your country.

Step 2: Contact your Sending Partner early

Find your Sending Partner’s own announcement and rules — for Pakistan, that is HEC. Note their deadline and document requirements, because they may close earlier than the Hungarian side.

Step 3: Choose up to two programmes

Use the Study Finder on the official website. Check each programme’s entry requirements, language rules, and whether it has an entrance exam or interview.

Step 4: Apply in the online system

Register and complete your application on the official application portal. Fill in your details, choose your programmes in order of preference, upload your documents, and submit before the deadline.

Step 5: Complete your Sending Partner application too

Submit everything your Sending Partner requires, in their own system and by their own deadline. Both applications must be complete. Missing either one ends your chances.

Step 6: Wait for nomination, then take the entrance exam

After the deadline, Tempus Public Foundation runs a technical check, and Sending Partners send their nomination lists — in the last cycle, nominations were due by the end of February. Hungarian universities then invite nominated students to entrance exams or interviews, held between March and May. You generally need at least 56 points out of 100 to pass.

Step 7: Medical certificate and final results

Nominated candidates submit the medical certificate on the official template during the spring stage. Final results are announced around June. If you are selected, you receive an award letter, apply for your student visa, and travel to Hungary before the end of September.

Stipendium Hungaricum at a Glance

Deadlines and the Selection Timeline

There is one application round per year, and its rhythm is stable. Applications usually open in November. In the last cycle, the online deadline was 15 January, at 2 p.m. Central European Time.

After that, the timeline runs like this: technical checks and Sending Partner nominations in January and February, university entrance exams and interviews from March to May, medical certificates for nominated candidates during the spring, and final results around June.

The next round is expected to follow the same pattern — opening in November and closing in mid-January. Treat those months as the expected pattern, not a confirmed date. The only date that counts is the one printed in the new Call for Applications on the official website, so check it when the call is published and set your own reminders early.

Also remember: your Sending Partner’s deadline may be different from Hungary’s. In Pakistan, for example, HEC set its own closing time on the same final day in the last cycle. Always meet the earlier of the two deadlines.

How It Compares With Other European Scholarships

Students often compare the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship with the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. The difference is structural. Erasmus Mundus lets you apply directly to university consortia and pays a higher monthly amount, while Stipendium Hungaricum works only through government nomination but covers full bachelor’s and one-tier degrees too, not just master’s and PhD study.

If your field is engineering or computing and Germany interests you, also read our guide to the DAAD EPOS scholarship, which funds development-related postgraduate courses.

None of these is simply “better.” Apply to every programme you are genuinely eligible for, and let the results decide.

Common Scams and Red Flags

A famous government scholarship attracts dishonest middlemen. Protect yourself:

• Agents who charge an “application fee.” Applying through the official portal and your Sending Partner does not require paying an agent. Anyone who asks for money to “submit” or “process” your Stipendium Hungaricum application is not part of the official system.
• “Guaranteed scholarship” promises. Selection depends on your Sending Partner’s nomination and a university entrance exam. Nobody can sell you either one.
• Fake award letters. Real results come through the official system and your Sending Partner, never as a random PDF from a stranger asking for a “confirmation payment.”
• People offering to skip the nomination step. There is no side door. Without your Sending Partner’s nomination, Hungary cannot select you.
• Fake documents for sale. Purchased certificates or language results are fraud. Universities verify documents, and discovery means rejection and a ban, not a shortcut.
• Unofficial application websites. Apply only through the official portal linked from stipendiumhungaricum.hu. Check the address carefully — one changed letter can mean a copycat site built to steal your data.

If an offer sounds easier than the official process described on the website, it is not the official process.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship fully funded?

It covers tuition completely, pays a monthly stipend, supports your housing, and includes medical insurance. However, the official call explains that these amounts are a contribution to your living costs. You will still need some of your own money for food, transport, and travel, especially in Budapest.

2. How much is the monthly stipend?

In the last published call, bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier, and non-degree students received HUF 43,700 per month, paid 12 months a year. PhD students received HUF 140,000 per month in the first phase and HUF 180,000 in the second phase. Amounts are confirmed again in each new Call for Applications.

3. Can I apply directly to Hungary without my country?

No. Nomination by your country’s Sending Partner is a core rule of the programme. You must complete both the Hungarian online application and your Sending Partner’s process. For Pakistan, that partner is the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

4. When is the deadline for the next round?

Applications usually open in November and close in mid-January. The last cycle closed on 15 January at 2 p.m. CET. The next Call for Applications will confirm the exact date on the official website, so prepare your documents in the autumn and do not wait for the final week.

5. Do I need IELTS to apply?

Each study programme sets its own language rules. Many programmes ask for an English certificate at a stated level, while some accept other proof of English ability. Check the requirements of your exact programme in the Study Finder before you apply.

6. How many programmes can I choose?

You can select up to two study programmes and rank them in order of preference. Choose both carefully — they should match your previous degree and your country’s approved field list.

7. Is there an entrance exam?

Yes, for nominated students. Hungarian universities hold their own entrance exams or interviews between March and May, and you generally need at least 56 points out of 100 to pass. The exact format depends on the university and the field.

8. Do I need a medical certificate with my application?

No. The medical certificate, on the official template, is required later and only from nominated candidates during the selection stage. Submitting it at the wrong stage is unnecessary; follow the timeline in the Call for Applications.

9. Can I apply if my country is not a partner country?

Unfortunately not. The programme is based on bilateral agreements, so only citizens of listed partner countries can apply. If your country joins later, you can apply in that future round — but no agent can add your country or bypass the rule.

Final Thoughts

The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship is one of the few programmes that fund a complete European degree — bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier, or PhD — with tuition, a stipend, housing support, and insurance in one package. Its one unusual rule is also its most important: your own country must nominate you.

So start with the two checks that decide everything. Confirm your country is a partner, and learn your Sending Partner’s requirements and deadline. Then prepare honest documents, apply on both sides before the deadlines, and get ready for the entrance exam.

Read the Next Guide: “Fulbright Scholarship: The Complete Guide to Studying in the USA” — our complete guide to America’s most famous fully funded exchange scholarship.