Studies. Hungary has a long-established higher-education system, with strong international visibility in medicine and STEM. Major institutions: ELTE (Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem) in Budapest, Semmelweis Egyetem (medicine, central for international students), Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem (BME), Corvinus Egyetem (economics and business), Debreceni Egyetem, Szegedi Tudományegyetem, Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Central European University (which moved most operations to Vienna in 2019 but retains Hungarian elements).
Application for non-EU students: many institutions have English-language programmes, particularly in medicine, dentistry, engineering, business and computer science. Application deadlines vary; the autumn semester typically closes between January and May depending on programme. There is no central national application platform equivalent to Studielink — apply through each institution's portal.
Tuition fees for non-EU international students: typically €3 000–€8 000/year for English-language bachelor's and master's programmes; €8 000–€16 000/year for medicine and dentistry. Hungarian-language programmes are usually cheaper. Several universities offer partial fee waivers for high performers.
Scholarships:
- Stipendium Hungaricum — the Hungarian state's flagship scholarship for students from partner countries (a long list across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe — check stipendiumhungaricum.hu for current eligibility). Covers tuition, monthly stipend, accommodation contribution and basic health insurance. For many third-country students this is the route into Hungary, not just a financial supplement
- Diaspora Scholarship Programme — for ethnic Hungarians living abroad
- Bilateral state scholarships — Hungary has bilateral agreements with several countries for state-funded student exchange
- Erasmus Mundus at EU level
- Institution-specific scholarships, particularly at Semmelweis and BME
Job. Hungary's economy combines a large international shared-services and IT sector concentrated in Budapest, automotive manufacturing (Audi in Győr, Mercedes in Kecskemét, BMW in Debrecen, Suzuki in Esztergom), pharmaceuticals (Richter, Egis), and growing tech startups. English is the working language in most international companies in Budapest; outside the capital, Magyar dominates.
Major sources:
- Profession.hu — Hungary's largest job board (Hungarian-language)
- Jooble Hungary, Indeed Hungary, Monster Hungary
- LinkedIn — extremely active for skilled and international roles in Budapest
- Hello Jobs, CV Online — broader Hungarian-market platforms
- EuraXess Hungary — researcher and academic positions
- EURES for the EU-wide market with Hungarian focus
- DiverCity Jobs, TalentPortal — international/English-language inventory
Hungarian CV expectations: 2 pages, often with photo, comprehensive education and language section, military service mentioned where relevant. Cover letter (motivációs levél) is standard. The Budapest international segment uses English-language CVs by default; Hungarian-only employers expect a Magyar CV.