In this article I will explain the main details about all types of visas or residence permits for Third-country nationals who come to study in Hungary. There are four types: first the general one, second the student mobilty type, third the traineeship permit and lastly the one for students to stay working after finishing studies. I will explain you the most important details such as who can apply, the documents required, its validity and I will also give you some advise. Here is the first one, make sure you are very clear with all conditions and requirements and seek expert advise before submitting the application. Many universities have written guides about the whole process, make sure you ask about it.
Important: this guide is for third-country nationals. If you are an EU citizen or an EEA national and you are coming to study in Hungary, I have a guide specific for you here: How EU citizens get the registration card.
The four types of permits related to studies
As I mentioned in the introduction, there are four types of visas or permits related to studies and I will briefly explain them here.
1 General Student Visa or Residence permit
This one is for an individual to come and live in Hungary to study in a university or institute of higher education. The studies are required to be face to face and during the day in a institution of education officially recognised by Hungary.
2 Student Mobility Visa or Residence permit
This is specific for students mobility programs such as ERASMUS, AIESEC, USAC, CIEE, AIFS or the Turing Scheme. These are just examples, in case you are interested in this type of programs, you need to ask the options from your university in your home country.
3 Student Internship or Apprenticeship Residence permit
This one is for students who finished their studies in their home countries or in the country where they studied, but they want to complete their internship (or first on-the-job experience) abroad, in this case in Hungary.
4 Student Job-search Residence permit
This permit is for students who have finished their studies in Hungary (with a General student permit), but would like to stay in the country to work.
Eligibility for student residence permits
There is a variety of conditions to comply with, but I will explain the main ones. For the general student residence permit the main condition is the admission by the higher education institution, plus to provide evidence that you speak the language to study that specific course. The most common ones are obviously Hungarian, then English and I think in some cases also German. In the case of the student mobility residence permit, you will need to provide the residence permit of the other EU member state where you studied, plus the agreement between the university of that country and the university here in Hungary. For the internship residence permit, you will need to provide the training agreement and also a document where the entity that you will work at, commits to be your host. Lastly, for the student job-search residence permit, you will need to provide your general student residence permit, plus evidence that you completed your studies.
Third-country nationals
As this term is the one used officially in the Hungarian inmigration´s office´s website, I need to explain what it means in this context. Third-country national refers to an individual who is moving to a foreign country and is processing his or her papers to legally live and/or study or work in that foreign country. Another way of calling an individual on that particular situation is foreign national. In the European Union (and in Hungary as a member state) you are a third-country national. Individuals from any EU member state or from the Economic European Area (EEA national) are referred in the official website as EEA national. I am explaining all this to you because it will be helpful when you will be submitting your application. One thing though, the United Kingdom is no longer a member state of the European Union, neither of the EEA, thus UK citizens in this context are third-country nationals.
By the way, the Hungarian inmigration office is not called like that, I use that term to simplify the guide. Their official name is National Directorate for Aliens Policing.
Documents required
Apart from everything that I mentioned in the eligibility section, additionally you will also need to submit other documents. Documents which prove that you will be financially self-sufficient in Hungary. Documents which prove you have housing or accomodation and documents which prove you have health insurance coverage. The passport as well of course.
Application process and processing period
The process starts after submitting the completed forms, the documents, a recent photograph and the administrative fee. The application can be submitted in any consulate or embassy of Hungary in your country, and that is the general rule. In case your application gets approved, you will be provided with a visa to enter Hungary and receive your permit. That temporary visa will be valid for only 30 days. There is also the option of submitting your application online while you are in Hungary but that is only if you are from a visa-free country. If you do that, you will need to go personally to the inmigration office 2 weeks after submitting the application for them to check your documents. In case you are applying in an embassy or consulate, make sure you contact them before submitting anything, because they might have country specific requirements.
The only exception to the rule in terms of where to apply is the student job-search residence permit. You can only submit it electronically.
They suppose to take no more than 30 days to process the application in all of the above mentioned permit types, but I have seen it is not always the case. They can take much more time if you do not submit the correct documents or if the documents you submit do not comply with their standards, or in case they ask for additional documents.
Student residence permit validity period
- General student permit validity: 1 year with opportunity for extension
- Student mobility permit validity: maximum 360 days
- Apprenticeship Residence permit validity: maximum 6 months
- Student job-search Residence permit validity: maximum 9 months
Do you need help?
I can assist you in different ways!
Have a good day,
Renato
Immigration´s office website: Residence in Hungary (bmbah.hu)
