Hungary Student Visa Requirements
Students from India and Pakistan need a residence permit for studies. This is a card that lets you live in Hungary. You apply at a Hungarian embassy before you travel. If it is approved, you get a type D visa (a long-stay entry stamp) to enter Hungary and collect the card.
Who Can Get a Hungary Study Permit
The immigration office (NDGAP) checks these conditions before it approves your permit.
- Full-time study at a state-recognised Hungarian university, or its preparatory course.
- Enough language skill for your course.
- Money for living costs, rent, the trip home and health care.
- Bank statements for the last 6 months.
- If family pays: a support declaration and proof of their income.
Health insurance that covers all care, or proof you can pay for care yourself.
Pakistan: a medical certificate with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C tests and a lung check.
Special Cases
- Under 18: both parents must agree in writing.
- Finish your degree in 1.5 times the normal course time (a 3-year degree in 4.5 years). If you take longer, the immigration office may refuse to extend your permit.
Documents for the Hungary Study Permit
Bring originals and one full set of copies. Papers marked India or Pakistan are only for students from that country.
Keep the papers in the same order as the embassy checklist.
Make one full set of copies before your appointment.
Check that names and dates match across all papers.
- 2 passport-size photos.
- Not older than 3 months.
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit form and the study form that goes with it (form 9.13) | From the forms page of the immigration office (NDGAP). Fill in and sign both. | Required |
| Passport and old passports | Issued in the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages. It must stay valid at least 3 months after your permit ends. Bring a copy of every page. | Required |
| 2 passport photos | Not older than 3 months. | Required |
| Signed motivation letter and CV in English | A signed letter on why you want to study (motivation letter) and your CV in English. Say why you chose this course and this university. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Admission letter | From your Hungarian university. | Required |
| Proof of tuition payment | The permit application must include it. | Required |
| Proof of English | A language test certificate, or a diploma from a course taught in English. | Required |
| School and college certificates | India: the latest ones with an apostille (an official stamp that proves a paper is real). Pakistan: your certificates must be stamped as real by the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) or the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor's bank statements | The last 6 months, counted back from your interview date. | Required |
| Sponsor's proof of income | Your sponsor's salary slips for 3 months and a job letter. Or business papers and tax returns for 2 years. Papers showing land they own do not count as money. | Required |
| Declaration of support | A signed promise from the family member who pays, with proof of how you are related. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of accommodation | A dorm place, a lease (rent contract) or a paid booking. | Required |
| Insurance | If your university gives you health insurance, bring travel insurance. If not, bring full health insurance. | Required |
| Flight ticket | A booked flight ticket to Hungary. It shows you can travel. | Required |
| Police certificate | From the police in your home country. It shows you have no crime record. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate in English | India: with an apostille. Pakistan: issued by NADRA (Pakistan's national ID office), with the NADRA family registration certificate. | Required |
| Aadhaar card (India only) | Students applying in New Delhi must bring it. | Required |
Important Document Guidelines
Which Permit Do You Need?
Nearly every student from India or Pakistan needs the residence permit for studies. The short-stay visa is only for short visits.
Key Features
For full-time study at a state-recognised Hungarian university, or its preparatory course.
You apply at the Hungarian embassy. You do not need a separate visa form.
If approved, you get a type D visa. You can enter Hungary once on it. You can stay up to 30 days to collect your card.
The card is posted to your university. You collect it there.
Eligibility Requirements
- An admission letter from a state-recognised Hungarian university.
- English (or Hungarian) good enough for your course.
- Money for living costs, a place to live, the trip home and health care.
- Health insurance, or money to pay for health care.
Restrictions
- Term time: you may work up to 30 hours a week.
- Outside term: you may work full time for up to 90 days a year.
- Enter Hungary in time, or the approval becomes invalid.
- You cannot bring family on this permit.
| Point | Residence permit for studies | Short-stay visa (type C) |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Degree and preparatory course students | Stays of 90 days or less |
| How long | 1 to 3 years, can be extended | Up to 90 days |
| Where to apply (India) | Embassy of Hungary in New Delhi or Consulate General in Mumbai | Hungarian embassy or consulate |
| Fee | EUR 110 (euros) | Fee not on this page |
| Can you work? | Yes, within the hour limits | No |
If your course is longer than 90 days, apply for the residence permit for studies. Start as soon as you get your admission letter, so you arrive in time.
Resources and Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers and useful links for your Hungary study permit.
Hungarian Embassies
Hungarian Immigration Office
Get your admission letter and pay the tuition fee. Book your embassy appointment by email (New Delhi) or through the visa centre Gerry's VFS (Islamabad).
Hand in your papers, give fingerprints and pay EUR 110. India: in New Delhi, the interview is the next working day. Pakistan: ask the Embassy of Hungary in Islamabad.
The immigration office (NDGAP) decides within 60 days. The embassy tells you the result.
Collect your type D visa and enter Hungary within 3 months of the day your permit is approved. Then collect your permit card at your university.
Need More Help?
For questions about your own case, write to the embassy where you applied. India: the New Delhi embassy does not answer emails about case status. It will tell you when the decision comes. Pakistan: ask the Embassy of Hungary in Islamabad.
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