Hungary decides a study residence permit before you travel: citizens of Azerbaijan apply in Baku, receive a 30-day D visa to enter, and collect the permit card in Hungary. Cards work almost everywhere and transport is cheap once you hold a Hungarian student certificate, but a non-EU home-university card earns no discounts, and Hungarian is the language of every office outside the university.
Money
Hungarian forint (Ft, HUF)
Language
Hungarian
Time
UTC+1, UTC+2 from the last Sunday of March
Plugs
Type C and F; 230 V
Tipping
About 10% in restaurants, unless a service charge (szervizdíj) is already on the bill
112 is free and connects to police, ambulance and fire; English is usually available. For an urgent but not life-threatening illness on weekday evenings and nights (16:00–08:00), or at weekends and on public holidays, call 1830.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
For the spring semester your home university must nominate you by 25 October, and you then apply on DreamApply by 16 November; English at B2 is required.
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking3
Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; a Hungarian account is optional for one semester and needs your permit, address and a local number.
VO
Visa or Mastercard from homeEssential
Card payments and cash withdrawals in forints
Before departure
Why you need it: Shops, ticket machines and most cafés take cards, so a Visa or Mastercard from an Azerbaijani bank carries you through the first weeks without a Hungarian account.
Ask your bank in Baku to enable the card abroad and what it charges per payment and withdrawal
Choose to pay in forints (HUF) whenever a terminal or ATM offers your home currency
Carry a second card in case one is blocked
Before you rely on itA terminal or ATM that offers to charge in your home currency (dynamic currency conversion) uses its operator’s own rate, which Hungary’s central bank warns is often worse and carries extra costs. Paying in forints leaves the conversion to your bank.
Source: mnb.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
OB
OTP Bank
Hungary’s largest bank, with branches and ATMs everywhere
Optional
Why you need it: A forint account saves on card fees for rent and deposits, and OTP has the widest branch and ATM network in all three partner cities.
Paid · Account base fee around 800 Ft a month, plus card and opening fees (2026)Varies by residence status
Wait until you have the permit card and a Hungarian SIM
Take your passport, residence permit, rental contract, student certificate and Hungarian phone number to a branch
Compare the monthly and card fees of the packages before you choose
Before you rely on itErste, UniCredit, CIB, Raiffeisen and MagNet ask for much the same documents. For one semester, closing the account before you leave is one more errand, so weigh it against card fees.
Source: ibs-b.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Re
Revolut
App bank account with a card and transfers between friends
Optional
Why you need it: Widely used by students in Hungary to split bills and pay online; once you live in Hungary it can be a quicker alternative to a branch account.
Free, paid extrasVaries by nationalityVaries by residence status
Wait until you have a Hungarian address and your residence permit
Sign up in the app with your passport and a selfie
Upload proof of your right to reside if asked
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: Revolut does not open accounts for people living in Azerbaijan, so sign up only once you live in Hungary. Approval is not guaranteed; keep a card from home as well.
Source: revolut.com · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Essential apps4
One app for Budapest transport, one for trains and intercity buses across Hungary, and Bolt for taxis.
BG
BudapestGOEssential
Budapest journey planner, live departures and tickets
Before departure
Why you need it: BKK’s own app plans routes across metro, tram, bus and HÉV with live times, and sells digital tickets and passes on your phone.
Before boarding, validate a single ticket in the app by scanning the QR code by the vehicle door or at the metro entrance
Before you rely on itA bought single ticket is not valid until you validate it in the app; an inspector treats an unvalidated one as no ticket. Discounted student passes need a Hungarian student certificate.
Source: play.google.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
MV
MÁVPlusz
Train and intercity bus tickets and passes across Hungary
On arrival
Why you need it: It sells the student national and county passes, train and Volánbusz tickets, and city tickets in dozens of towns, Pécs included, in English.
Add your discount document (student certificate) in your profile
Pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
Before you rely on itThe older MÁV app is still available during the changeover, but MÁVPlusz is the one to install. Student discounts apply only with a Hungarian student document.
Source: mavcsoport.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Bo
Bolt
Book a taxi from your phone and pay by card
Optional
Why you need it: Uber does not operate in Hungary; Bolt is a common way to book a taxi in Budapest without explaining the address in Hungarian.
Before you rely on itSince 24 December 2025 the Hajdú-Bihar county pass and the national pass are valid on DKV lines, so with a student pass you need no DKV ticket. Tickets are also sold at dkvejegy.hu.
Source: mavcsoport.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Transport3
With a Hungarian student certificate, a 1,890 Ft national pass covers trains and city transport in Budapest and Debrecen; Pécs has its own buses.
ON
Országbérlet (national pass), student rate
All trains and intercity buses, plus Budapest and Debrecen
On arrival
Why you need it: With a Hungarian student certificate, one 30-day pass at 90% off covers trains across Hungary and the metro, trams and buses of Budapest and Debrecen.
Paid · Student pass 1,890 Ft a month; full price 18,900 Ft. Student county pass 945 Ft (2026)Varies by cityVaries by residence status
Get your temporary student certificate from the host university first
Buy the student pass in the MÁVPlusz app or at a ticket office
At a ticket office, give your passport number as the ID number for the pass
Carry your passport and the student certificate on every journey
Before you rely on itOnly a valid Hungarian-issued student document with full-time (nappali) or evening status gives the discount; a foreign student card pays full price. City transport is included only in Budapest, Debrecen and a few other towns, not in Pécs. A county pass covers one county and is enough if you stay around Debrecen; since 1 October 2026 it is sold as megyebérlet, the new name for vármegyebérlet.
Source: ujtarifa.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
BB
BKK (Budapest public transport)Essential
Budapest metro, trams, buses and the 100E airport bus
On arrival
Why you need it: Every Budapest partner is a metro or tram ride from the centre, and a monthly pass is far cheaper than single tickets for daily trips.
Paid · 500 Ft a single ticket, 8,950 Ft the monthly pass, 3,450 Ft the student monthly pass; 100E airport bus 2,500 Ft, or 1,000 Ft with a valid pass (2026)Varies by cityVaries by nationality
From the airport, take the 100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér, paying by bank card on board
Buy tickets and passes in BudapestGO or at the purple machines
Once you have the student certificate, switch to the student monthly pass or the student national pass
Before you rely on itSince 15 June 2026, a foreign student card earns the student pass only for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who also prove a Hungarian address, so ADA’s card gets you nothing: you need the host university’s Hungarian certificate. Validate every single ticket; inspectors at metro entrances fine on the spot.
Source: bkk.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
TB
Tüke Busz (Pécs buses)
Pécs city buses and the student monthly pass
On arrival
Why you need it: The national pass does not cover Pécs city buses, so University of Pécs students buy a local pass, which needs a named Tüke Card.
Paid · Student monthly pass 3,900 Ft (2026)Varies by city
Get your Hungarian student certificate from the university
Have a named Tüke Card with your photo made at a Tüke ticket office
Buy the student monthly pass at the office, in the MÁVPlusz app or in the Közlekedési Mobiljegy app
Before you rely on itPassengers over 14 travelling on a discounted pass must show their own Tüke Card with photo and serial number at inspection. A monthly pass runs from the 1st until the 5th of the following month.
Source: tukebusz.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
SIM, eSIM & internet2
Prepaid SIMs are cheap and include EU roaming, but a foreigner activates one in a shop with a passport.
YP
Yettel prepaidEssential
Prepaid SIM or eSIM with EU roaming, no contract
On arrival
Why you need it: You need a Hungarian number for the bank, landlords and delivery apps, and a prepaid plan suits a five-month stay with nothing to cancel.
Paid · Prepaid L: 5 GB and 60 minutes for 1,990 Ft; unlimited data for 30 days 9,000 Ft in the app (2026)
Go to a Yettel store with your passport: foreigners can activate only there
Choose a prepaid package, or get an eSIM if your phone supports it
Top up by card in the Yettel app
Before you rely on itTelekom and One (formerly Vodafone) sell similar prepaid SIMs; compare in their shops. A SIM bought elsewhere still has to be activated with your passport, and as a foreigner you do that in a Yettel store.
Source: en.yettel.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ed
eduroam
Campus wi-fi at Hungarian universities
Before departure
Why you need it: Hungarian universities generally offer eduroam, so libraries and lecture halls are online without using mobile data.
Ask ADA IT whether your account works on eduroam abroad
Install the eduroam CAT profile for your institution before leaving
Otherwise log in with the host university credentials once registered
Before you rely on itWhether ADA accounts work on eduroam abroad was not confirmed; the host university account works once it is issued.
Source: cat.eduroam.org · the provider or a government body · Checked
Visa, registration & legal4
Residence permit applied for in Baku before travel, a 30-day D visa to enter, then the permit card collected in Hungary.
RP
Residence permit for study (with a D visa)Essential
Permit for a study stay over 90 days, applied for in Baku
Before departure
Why you need it: A spring semester is longer than 90 days, so you need a study residence permit, and citizens of Azerbaijan apply for it before travelling, not after landing.
Paid · €110 (2026), paid when you apply; free for Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holders. Ask BLS when booking whether it adds a service chargeVaries by nationality
Download the study residence permit form from the OIF website and fill it in before your appointment
Book a slot on the Hungarian foreign ministry’s booking site (konzinfoidopont.mfa.gov.hu) and hand in the application at the BLS International (Visametric) office in Baku
Bring originals and one copy of each: acceptance letter, proof of means, health insurance, proof of English for your studies, passport, one photo; the form asks for your Hungarian address
Give fingerprints and pay the fee; the embassy tells you the decision by phone or email
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: applications go to the BLS International (Visametric) office, Karat BC Building, 7th floor, 201 Murtuza Mukhtarov Street, Baku. If approved you get a single-entry D visa that lets you stay 30 days from entry, only to collect the permit; the approval lapses if you do not enter Hungary within three months of it. The immigration authority has 60 days to decide and the clock does not run while documents are missing, so apply as soon as you hold the acceptance letter. A refusal can be appealed within 8 days (€160). Non-citizens may apply in Baku only if they live in Azerbaijan legally and Hungary has no visa-issuing mission in their own country.
Source: baku.mfa.gov.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
CT
Collecting the residence permit cardEssential
Pick up the permit card within the D visa’s 30 days
On arrival
Why you need it: The D visa lasts only 30 days from entry: the permit card is what makes the rest of your semester legal, and any trip out of Hungary depends on it.
Ask the host university’s international office on day one how your card is handed over
Collect it where you are told: study permits are posted to the university (ELTE hands them out at its Quaestura office); if told to, go to the OIF regional directorate in person
Check the name, dates and address on the card before you leave the desk
Before you rely on itThe card is posted to the university’s address, not yours, so tell the international office you are expecting it. For a course shorter than a year it runs for the length of your studies. With the card and your passport you may visit other Schengen countries for up to 90 days; report a lost or stolen card to the immigration office at once.
Source: elte.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
EH
Enter Hungary
Online portal for permit changes and address notifications
On arrival
Why you need it: Once you hold the permit, any change of address must be reported here within three days; students who need no visa apply for their permit here too.
If you move, choose Announcement, then Notification of change of accommodation
Upload a passport copy and the accommodation form signed by you and the landlord
Download the new address e-certificate from your storage area
Before you rely on itIf you stay at the address you gave in your application, there is nothing to notify. Type names in plain Latin letters, without special characters such as ä.
Source: oif.gov.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Health insuranceEssential
Full health cover the residence permit requires
Before departure
Why you need it: The permit application must show insurance covering all health care for the whole stay, and without a Hungarian TAJ number you pay doctors and hospitals yourself.
PaidVaries by nationalityVaries by universityVaries by residence status
Buy a policy that covers all health care in Hungary, hospital and emergency included, for the whole semester
Put a copy in the residence permit application
Carry the policy number and the insurer’s emergency line
Before you rely on itA TAJ card (Hungarian social security number) goes to scholarship holders such as Stipendium Hungaricum students, not to most exchange students on private cover. Some universities, Pécs among them, sell a Hungarian-compatible policy; ask the host before buying one at home.
Source: elte.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Housing & daily life4
University dormitories are the cheap option and fill early; private rooms in Budapest cost far more and need a written contract.
ED
ELTE Dormitory Centre and Housing Office
Dormitory places and private-flat help in Budapest
Before departure
Why you need it: Private rooms in Budapest are expensive and fast-moving; ELTE takes one application for its dormitories and its housing office, and asks every international student to fill it in.
As soon as you are nominated, ask the ELTE coordinator when the spring application window opens
Fill in the joint form: dormitory and housing service are separate sections
If you get no place, ask the Housing Office (housing@elte.hu) for private options
Before you rely on itYou can be placed in any ELTE dormitory, not only your first choice. Metropolitan, IBS and Ludovika students: ask your own international office what it offers before searching privately.
Source: elte.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
UO
University of Debrecen accommodation
Student hostels and private-flat help in Debrecen
Before departure
Why you need it: Debrecen is cheaper than Budapest, and the university’s own hostels are the easiest start for a one-semester stay.
Paid · Private flats about 120,000–140,000 Ft a month (2026)Varies by cityVaries by university
Ask for a dormitory place in your application to Pécs
Confirm the dormitory and move-in date with the International Centre
If you rent privately instead, ask the International Centre to look over the contract
Before you rely on itWrite to international@pte.hu about places for a spring-only stay: the housing page does not say how exchange students are prioritised.
Renting a room or flat privately, with a written contract
Before departure
Why you need it: You need a real Hungarian address for the permit application and a contract for a bank, so a handshake deal with no paperwork causes trouble later.
Search ingatlan.com or ask your university’s housing office for checked listings
See the room in person or by live video before paying anything
Get a written contract in your name with the full address, rent and deposit
Have the landlord sign the accommodation form you will need for Enter Hungary
Before you rely on itNever transfer a deposit for a flat you have not seen; fake listings aimed at foreign students are common. Ask whether utilities (rezsi) are included: winter heating bills can be large.
Source: oif.gov.hu · a secondary source · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Student life3
Discounts depend on a Hungarian student certificate from your host, so ask for it on registration day; Neptun runs your courses.
The document that unlocks student fares and discounts
On arrival
Why you need it: Your ADA card earns no transport discount in Hungary; the host university’s temporary certificate gives you the 90% national pass, the BKK student pass and other student discounts.
Register at your faculty so your Neptun status becomes active
Ask the student office for a temporary student certificate (ELTE: Quaestura office)
Renew it before it expires: it is valid for 60 days, with the expiry date in the top right corner
Before you rely on itAt ELTE, students staying under a year get the A4 paper certificate with a QR code, not the plastic card; ask other hosts what they issue and for how long. Carry the printed certificate with your passport when you travel on a student pass.
Source: elte.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ne
Neptun
University system for registration, courses and grades
Before departure
Why you need it: Course registration, the Hungarian language course and your active student status all run through Neptun, and popular courses fill quickly.
Join the section’s group chat for welcome-week dates
Before you rely on itNot every partner university has its own section; Metropolitan, IBS and Ludovika students may join a nearby Budapest section’s events. ESNcard prices are set by each section.
Source: esn.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Communication & language4
Hungarian is unrelated to its neighbours and few officials speak English; translation apps and a free university course help.
WA
WhatsAppEssential
Messaging with classmates, mentors and landlords
Before departure
Why you need it: International student groups, ESN mentors and many landlords use WhatsApp; Hungarians also message a lot on Facebook Messenger, so have both.
Translates whole documents and long Hungarian texts
Optional
Why you need it: Hungarian grammar trips up word-by-word tools; DeepL handles long formal text, such as a lease or a university letter, more naturally.
Before you rely on itThe free version limits the size and number of documents you can translate. Fine for understanding a lease, not a substitute for having it checked.
Source: deepl.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
HL
Hungarian language course at your host
Free beginner Hungarian for exchange students
On arrival
Why you need it: A little Hungarian goes a long way at markets and offices, and ELTE’s general Hungarian course is free for enrolled ELTE students, exchange students included.
Look for the Hungarian course in Neptun when course registration opens
Register in the first days: places are first come, first served
Before you rely on itThis is ELTE’s offer; Debrecen, Pécs and the other partners run their own courses with their own rules, so ask your international office.
Source: btk.elte.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Words for the first week
SziaSEE-yaw
Hi, and also bye, to friends and people your age
Jó napot kívánokyoh NAW-pot KEE-vaa-nok
Good day: the polite greeting in shops and offices
Egy diákbérletet kérekedj DEE-aak-bayr-leh-tet KAY-rek
A student pass, please
Segítség!SHEH-geet-chayg
Help!
Emergency & safety3
112 covers everything; 1830 is the line for an out-of-hours doctor; thefts are reported at a police station. Save the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Budapest before you go.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in HungaryEssential
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Budapest
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy issues an emergency travel document (qayıdış şəhadətnaməsi) to get you home.
Urgent medical advice and on-call doctors out of hours
Optional
Why you need it: If you fall ill in the evening or at a weekend, the ambulance service’s staff on 1830 ask about your symptoms and decide whether you need advice, a clinic, a doctor’s visit or an ambulance.
Before you rely on itWorks nationwide on weekdays 16:00–08:00 and all day at weekends and on public holidays; in daytime on weekdays, see a doctor instead. For life-threatening emergencies call 112 or 104. English is not guaranteed, so a Hungarian-speaking friend helps; have your insurance details ready.
Source: mentok.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
RA
Reporting a crime to the police (rendőrség)
Report a theft or other crime and get a written record
Optional
Why you need it: An insurer and the embassy will want a police report for a stolen phone or passport, and any police station takes one.
Go to the nearest police station with your passport or permit
Report the crime orally or in writing; take a Hungarian speaker if you can
Ask for a copy of the report for your insurer and the embassy
Before you rely on itThe police also take reports online, but only through a Hungarian client-portal (Ügyfélkapu) login, which exchange students rarely have. For a crime in progress call 112 or 107. The anonymous tip line 06 80 555 111 is free, day and night.
Source: police.hu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Culture & practical tips
Small habits differ: names are said family name first, service is often on the bill, and a few toasts have rules.
01Family name first
Hungarians write and say the family name before the given name: Nagy Anna is Anna Nagy. Forms in Hungarian ask for vezetéknév (surname) first; check which box is which before you fill one in.
02Check the bill for service
Many restaurants add a service charge (szervizdíj) of around 10–15% to the bill. If it is there, no further tip is expected; if not, rounding up about 10% is normal.
03Forint only, in practice
Some tourist places quote euros, but at a poor rate. Pay in forints, by card where you can, and keep some cash for market stalls and small bakeries.
04Validate and keep your ticket
In Budapest, a paper ticket is validated on the vehicle or at the metro entrance, and a ticket in BudapestGO by scanning the QR code by the door. Inspectors check at metro gates, so keep the ticket until you leave the station.
05Carry your passport and permit
Police and ticket inspectors can ask for your ID, and student discounts are checked against your passport and the original certificate. A photo on your phone is not enough.
06Szia means hello and goodbye
Friends say szia (or sziasztok to a group) both arriving and leaving; helló is also said on leaving. In offices and to older people, use jó napot kívánok.
07The beer-glass custom
Some Hungarians, especially older ones, avoid clinking beer glasses, linked to a story about the 1849 revolution. Raising your glass without touching is always safe; wine and pálinka are clinked as usual.
08Winter arrives with you
February in Budapest, Debrecen and Pécs is often below freezing. Bring a proper coat, and ask whether heating is included in the rent before you sign.
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