INFORMATION ON RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR THE PURPOSE OF

INFORMATION

ON RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STUDIES

1) Information regarding residence permits for the purpose of studies

A third-country national can obtain a residence permit for the purpose of studies who

• enrolls or has enrolled a public education institution registered as operating in the public

education information system for full-time school education, or according to the working

schedule of full-time education, or

• studies within the framework of full-time training at a state-recognized higher education

institution or a licensed foreign higher education institution operating in Hungary,

• and wishes to stay in Hungary in order to participate in the preparatory training

organized by the higher education institution.

For his/her studies, the student must have adequate language skills, which must be proven

with a certificate.

The student shall state his purpose of residence with the admission certificate or student

status certificate issued by the educational institution and, in the case of a tuition fee

obligation, with proof of payment.

A student entering without a visa can apply for a residence permit during his legal stay in

Hungary electronically on the Enter Hungary platform or in person at the regional

directorate of the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (hereinafter: NDGAP)

responsible for the place of residence.

If the student cannot travel to Hungary visa-free due to his/her citizenship, (s)he can only

submit the application abroad - at the diplomatic or consular foreign mission of Hungary in

the country of his/her citizenship or habitual place of residence or at any other places

authorized to receive applications.

Please note that according to the new immigration regulations, it is not possible for a student

staying in Hungary with a ("C") visa entitling him/her for a stay not exceeding ninety days

within the period of one hundred and eighty days to submit his application in Hungary with a

leniency application!

The validity period of the residence permit for the purpose of studies is at least 1 year, or if

the training program is shorter than 1 year, it is adjusted to the duration of the training. The

residence permit can be issued for a maximum of 3 years. It can be extended for a minimum

of 1 and a maximum of 3 years.

The validity period of the residence permit for studies cannot exceed the validity period of the

applicant's travel document.

The residence permit document for the purpose of studies is delivered by post to the address

of the educational institution.

The institute is requested to return the residence permit not taken over by the student to

the regional directorate of the NDGAP.

Extension of the residence permit for the purpose of study

The application for the extension of the residence permit must be submitted at least 30 days

prior to the date of expiry of the residence permit. The application submission is available

only via the Enter Hungary platform.

For an extension, the student must attach a certificate of academic progress.

The certificate issued by the educational institution must indicate the number of semesters of

the training program, the number of active semesters of the applicant in the relevant

training, and which are those semesters.

The extension of the residence permit for the purpose of studies may be refused by the

immigration authority or the permit may be revoked if the student fails to obtain a

diploma within one and a half times the period of the academic period defined in the

training and exit requirements.

If the third-country national received the residence permit for the purpose of participating in

preparatory training, the permit can only be extended if he has been admitted to a state-

recognized higher education institution or a foreign higher education institution operating

with a license in Hungary and proves this with a certificate of admission or a student status

certificate.

2) Other information

If the applicant is a minor, it must be proven that his parent or legal representative consented

to his stay in Hungary. The parental consent must be included in a private or public

instrument with full probative force and accompanied by a translation into Hungarian or

English.

If the application for the residence permit or the mobility permit was submitted by the student

at a foreign mission, the visa entitling him/her to receive the residence permit will be

issued by the consular officer.

Please note that if the student does not enter Hungary within 3 months from the issuance

of the residence permit and does not begin the authorized stay, the authorized residence

permit becomes invalid, and his/her right to entry and stay ceases.

A third-country national with a residence permit for the purpose of studies, a student mobility

residence permit, or a student mobility certificate can perform work up to thirty hours a

week during the school term and can work full-time up to ninety days a year outside the

school term.

Please note that third-country nationals with a residence permit issued in the national

interest may apply for an extension of their residence permit for the purpose of studies.

3) Further stay of students with a residence permit valid on 1 January 2024

Third-country nationals with a residence permit valid on 1 January 2024 can apply for the

issuance of residence permits under one of the legal titles of the new legislation Act XC of

2023 on the general rules for the entry and residence of third-country nationals (hereinafter:

Act XC of 2023).

Given that the purpose of studies is defined in the previous immigration legislation, Act II of

2007 on the entry and residence of third-country nationals (hereinafter: Act II of 2007),

students with a residence permit issued for the purpose of studies can still apply for a

residence permit for the purpose of studies provided that they meet the conditions.

A student with a residence permit not for academic purposes (but, e.g., for other purposes),

who, in the meantime, has successfully completed preparatory training and been admitted to a

higher education institution, may also apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studies.

The application can be submitted at least 45 days before the expiry date of the residence

permit.

Please note that due to the late submission of the application for the residence permit, an

application for justification cannot be submitted beyond the validity period of the

residence permit.

If the applicant is residing in Hungary (s)he can only apply electronically, on the Enter

Hungary platform. The procedural fee for issuing a residence permit must be paid upon

application submission.

4) Notification obligation of the educational institution

The educational institution is obliged to inform the competent regional directorate of the

National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing in the place where it is located of any

foreign students who have started, completed, or interrupted their studies or who have

not fulfilled their enrolment obligation or whose student status has been terminated, within 8

working days from the occurrence of these facts by providing the following data:

• details of the educational institution (name, address),

• the third-country national's natural identification data, residence permit number,

• the type of student status, the date and manner of its creation, suspension, and

termination,

• the name of the course attended by the student, the way it is financed and the work

schedule, the semesters started, the period of suspension of the student status, and the

expected date of completion of the course.

The notification of the educational institution can also be submitted electronically after

electronic identification.