Getting ready

(1) Visa  ||  (2) Residence permit  ||   (3) Student ID  ||  (4) Bank account  ||  (5) Tax card  ||  (6) TAJ card  ||  (7) Accommodation
 

BEFORE ARRIVAL

VISA

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

Before you start your studies at the BME, you need to arrange your residence in Hungary. Depending on which part of the world you are coming to Hungary from, you should choose the right way to make your stay legal.

    • Non-EU and non-EEA citizens must apply for a Residence Visa for the Purpose of Study (D-visa), at the nearest Hungarian Embassy or Consulate and also a residence permit visa (D-visa), before you come to Hungary.

      For this you must present:
      • Letter of Acceptance from BME,
      • Letter of Award from TPF (for scholarship holders)
      • proof of payment of the tuition fee,
      • proof of your accommodation in Budapest
      • passport valid at least until 30 days.

The process takes two weeks or more. The visa will be valid for 30 days only, and after your arrival in Budapest you will have another 30 days to apply for a residence permit (after registration at the university). The decision on residence permit with study purposes is usually made within 30 days but before the start of the semester, the waiting time can exceed 30 days.

With the residence permit visa (D-visa), you can enter Hungary only once and you are allowed to stay with this document in Hungary only for 30 days (during this period you have to register your accommodation in Hungary and receive your residence permit card).

For further information contact the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing  or visit on of the following website.

For further information, please visit: http://www.bmbah.hu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=70&Itemid=824&lang=en

 

AFTER ARRIVAL

ADMINISTRATION

After your arrival in Hungary, you will have to complete a variety of administrative tasks, and please make sure to bring all the original copies of all documents required by the higher education institution for registration and enrolment.

You can expect the following administrative tasks:

 

RESIDENCE PERMIT

Getting a residence permit is a key step, as you can only stay and study in Hungary if you have one. There is a strict deadline: you must obtain it within 30 days of crossing the Schengen area borders, otherwise you may be expelled from the Schengen area. The residence permit is also required for many other official procedures, such as applying for a social security card.

To apply for Residence Permit, you either contact the International Mentor Team of BME or you will need to visit the Immigration Office (address: Szegedi út 35-37, Budapest) in person and submit your documents there. You will need to present your passport and entry visa, the completed application form, an ID photo, a document confirming your student status, and the accommodation reporting form.

You can read more about it here: https://www.imt.bme.hu/immigration/application/

 

STUDENT CARD

This card certifies that you are a student of BME and provides student discounts in several areas (e.g. monthly public transport passes, museum tickets, etc.). It is highly recommended that you ask for a student card when you arrive in Hungary. Remember, you must first enrol in the faculty, only then you will be eligible for a student card from the first day of the academic term!

For students studying at BME for less than 12 months:

Temporary Student Certificate

The Temporary Student Certificate is valid for 60 days and you need to renew it a few days before its expiry date. Enter your temporary address (in Hungary) into Neptun under My data/Contact information/Addresses/Add new Submit an „E066 Request for temporary student certificate” at Administration/Requests/Available request forms and click Submit request at the bottom. You can download them from the Attachment of your E066 request. The certificate is valid for 60 days and you have to submit a new request for a new one!

 For students studying at BME for more than 12 months:

Plastic Student Card

If you are a student staying at BME for more than 12 months (e.g. full-time students), you need to request a permanent student card (a plastic one).

 

Arrangement of Student Card (the main steps)

Step 1: please make sure to have exactly the same personal data in Neptun as in your passport (your first name, family name, your mother’s first name and family name, the city of birth, date of birth)!

Step 2: you need visit one of the offices of the Government Customer Service (in Hungarian “Kormanyablak”). Since staff members are not required to speak English in these offices, you need to ask the help of your mentor for help at this step.

At the Customer Service Office you will need to take your passport to identify yourself and it is also important, that you have a permanent (home) address in Neptun!  The officer of the Integrated Government Customer Service will ask you to register in the system there and will take your photo for your Student Identity Card.

After registration you will receive a personal ID (in Hungarian “NEK azonosito”)
Address: Budapest, 11th district, Bocskai str. 39-41,
Office hours: M:8am-6 pm, Tu:8 am-4 pm, W:11am-7pm, Th:9am-4 pm, F:8 am – 2 pm

Step 3: Please login your Neptun account and under “Administration” choose “Student Card request”. Among the “Actions” click “Add new”. In the opening window, please enter your NEK identifier (you received in the Customer Service Office) the numbers and letters without dashes, in capital letters of the barcode on the upper right corner on your data sheet, select your proper “Demand type” and your permanent address at home for “Street address”. After completing the “Student Card request” window, please close it by clicking the “Save” button.

 

BANK ACCOUNT

You will need to open a bank account to which the university will transfer your monthly scholarship. Please contact your mentor to help you go through this procedure.

To open a bank account, you must present:

      • your passport and another identification document (such as driver’s license, tax card, etc.)
      • student card, which is proof that you’re a student at the BME
      • address card
      • valid residence permit

Here are some Banks you can go to:

As some of you might know, there are third-nation countries with a high risk of money laundering. According to the regulations of the EU it is compulsory for Hungarian banks to strictly check the citizens of countries from the FATF list. Unfortunately, some Hungarian banks are trying to avoid opening bank accounts for students from third-nation countries with a high risk of money laundering. Here are the countries from which BME students faced issues opening their bank accounts: 

      • Iran
      • Syria
      • Iraq
      • Jordan

Recommended documents to bring with you for opening your bank account: 

      • Valid passport 
      • Residence permit 
      • Address card 
      • Student status certificate 
      • Letter of award 
      • Letter of acceptance 
      • Rental contract/agreement 

Besides these, in some cases, you will need two Hungarian witnesses to sign your papers. A Hungarian translator is also necessary, for which you can always request the help of the mentor team at imt.documents@bme.hu. 

 

TAX CARD

Tax cards must be applied for at the National Tax and Customs Administration ("National Tax and Customs Administration"). You will need to present your passport, residence permit, Hungarian address card and the completed application form. If you want to do this yourself, you will have to go to the central office of the NTCA. Address: 1097 Budapest, Vaskapu u. 33.

Business hours:

      • Monday 8:30 – 18:00
      • Tuesday 8:30 – 12:00
      • Wednesday 8:30 – 18:00
      • Thursday 8:30 – 12:00
      • Friday 8:30 – 11:30

 

TAJ CARD (Hungarian social security/national health insurance card)

You need to apply for a TAJ card, with which you are entitled to the benefits of the public healthcare system in Hungary. Please note that bilateral agreements in force between Hungary and the partner countries may influence the administrative process and issuance of TAJ cards.

If you are an EEA (EU member states, Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland, United Kingdom) student, please apply for a European Health Insurance Card from your health insurance provider in your home country before you leave home. The citizens of these countries are entitled to receive the same treatment under the same conditions as the residents of the above countries.

If you are a non-EEA fee-paying student please note that you have to take care of your own health insurance before leaving your country. After your arrival you have to arrange your health insurance at BME for the semesters you spend at the university.

If you are a student with a scholarship offered by the Minister of Education in Hungary, you are eligible for a social security card (in Hungarian "TAJ card'') with your social security number (''TAJ number'') on it that enables you to use public healthcare services.

 

FOR STIPENDIUM HUNGARICUM/YOUNG CHRISTIAN/DIASPORA SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS

They are entitled to health insurance during their studies.

To be entitled for free health care in Hungary, it is necessary to make these steps:

        • the mentor team who will assist you in the process who organize regular TAJ APPLICATION APPOINTMENTS in the Stipendium Hungaricum Student Office (Room 10 on the ground floor of building R). https://www.imt.bme.hu/taj/
        • Apply for TAJ Card by bringing the following documents – PRINTED & FILLED – with you to our appointments to apply for a TAJ card. 

The following documents are needed:

        • Application form
        • A copy of your passport (valid for at least 3 months),
        • A copy of your residence permit card (both sides, valid for at least 3 months),
        • A copy of your address card (both sides, stamped by the Immigration Office),
        • An original student status certificate with both signature and stamp, that you can get only by visiting the CAO personally. It has to be issued no longer than 30 days ago,
        • Your Letter of Award (a document that proves that you are receiving a monthly stipend),
        • Letter of authorization: You need to fill it out, print it and sign it. You will also need two witnesses to sign it, they can be anyone you know (“tanú” means witness).

Until you receive your TAJ card, make sure to sign the Groupama Insurance too! The additional GROUPAMA private health insurance is free of charge for every Stipendium Hungaricum and Young Christian Scholarship holder student.

This option is a free private insurance, which can be lifesaving in case you need medical attention, but you are having issues with your TAJ card! We strongly suggest applying for the Groupama insurance as soon as it becomes available! 

Please check the details here: https://hszi.bme.hu/en/sh/insurance/ First aid and emergency medical care are free for foreigners.

 

FOR REGULAR/FEE-PAYING STUDENTS

Fee-paying students are not entitled to free health care in Hungary. NEAK, which is the governmental body responsible for issuing TAJ cards, cannot take your application without a payment for the healthcare services.

As of January 2023, the payment equals 30% of the Hungarian minimum wage for 24 months, that is currently equals 69,600 HUF/month, or 1,670,400 HUF altogether. You can set up payment schemes that fit as closely to your needs as possible (paying in one sum, or monthly instalments for a specific number of months, etc.). If you opt for paying monthly, you need to pay until the 12th of each month.

You must keep in mind, that you are only eligible for emergency treatment before paying the above-mentioned sum altogether! This means that as long as you haven’t paid the whole 1,670,400 HUF, you can only use the public healthcare in emergency cases! If, at the time of the contract, you pay the whole amount, you will be entitled to health care services with full coverage from the first day of the following month.

After paying the whole fee, using the TAJ card still comes with some restrictions:

        • You can only use emergency dental care.
        • Your TAJ card is only valid in Hungary, you cannot get free treatment in any other country with it (not even EEA member states).
        • You cannot sign up for transplantation and surgical waiting lists.
        • Any examinations or medications that are related to a medical condition that was present before the application for TAJ card are NOT covered.

Application

You can apply for a TAJ card in NEAK’s central office (address: 1139 Budapest, Teve Street, 1/a-c, Google Maps link: http://bit.ly/2vZHcWA). You need to present the following documents (they may ask for some more, depending on your country of origin):

You need to present the following documents (they may ask for some more, depending on your country of origin):

Be aware that at least the first part of the fee (69,600 HUF) needs to be paid when the application is submitted at the NEAK’s office.

Termination of contract

The agreement is terminated if the contribution is not paid and can also be terminated by giving notice. If the monthly fee is not paid by the 12th of the month, it will be terminated from the start of next month or can be cancelled by visiting the NEAK central office personally.

Be aware that within 3 days of termination the agreement, the physical card TAJ card (if you already received one) must be handed in at the government office.

 

ACCOMMODATION

DORMITORIES

BME offers free dormitory placement to a limited number of students. Each registration period, you have the opportunity to apply for it, senior students via Neptun (E005 request, under the Administration menu), and freshmen via KEFIR system submitting the dorm application form. The selection process for first year students depends on their admission points, while for returning students, it depends on their grades from last year (CGPA).

Please note that if you apply for a dorm place, you agree to stay there for the academic semester, which means that you reserve no right to ask for accommodation allowance once you get accepted, even if you want to move out during this time! Please note that PhD students are not eligible to receive dormitory accommodation
Please contact the Mentor Team for help: imt.accommodation@bme.hu OR visit their website.

Visit Hostel - Dormitory for Stipendium Hungaricum and Diaspora scholarship holders

Location: Visit Hostel is around 15 minutes to get to any building on campus on foot and even less if you use public transport. Near the hostel itself, there are numerous places you can eat. There is also a big mall called Allee, where you can find almost anything you need, including a large supermarket. It takes 5 minutes to get to the mall on foot.

Martos Flóra Kollégium - Dormitory for Scholarship For Christian Young People (SCYP) scholarship holders. 

Martos Flóra Kollégium is located in Budapest, Stoczek József u. 5, 1111, right next to campus.  It takes around 10 minutes to get to any building on campus. Near the dormitory, there are numerous places you can eat. There is also a big mall called Allee, where you can find almost anything you need, including a supermarket. It takes 10 minutes to get to the mall on foot. 

https://www.imt.bme.hu/accommodation/dormitories/

PRIVATE DORMITORIES

In addition to renting rooms or apartments, private dormitories can also provide a solution for housing. They may differ from one another in several ways: the number of beds, services included, and costs. All the dorms mentioned below provide long-term stay, which means a contract for 6 or 12 months.

 https://www.imt.bme.hu/accommodation/private-dormitories/

RENTALS

You can start looking for a place to rent in Budapest long before you arrive, but it's much more sensible to have a local help you look at the place, ask questions and negotiate the price.

https://www.imt.bme.hu/accommodation/rentals/